Youth Focus

So youth is a huge thing for Liverpool Football Club, the bring in youth players to play in cup games and give chances to them to show that they should be given the opportunities to play. 

Last season players like Max Woltman and Tyler Morton found there ways into first team football, appearing in the Champions League a couple of times. 

In the past few seasons we have seen players give reasons to be put into the first team. Kelleher, Neco Williams and Curtis Jones are players who have come through the academy. 

Now, this summer, the reds have truly focused on the future of Liverpool. Signing Ramsay, Carvalho, Nunez and even Diaz in January, they have shown that in the next few years Liverpool will still be on the highest level with young players taking over. Harvey Elliot is another player that is young and has brought himself into first team football.

Also, with Jay Spearing being signed in the U23’s has shown that the academy staff are focusing on getting the young players experience with older players, to learn and to grow. He will be important for the players.

I would love to see some youth players come up next season and really show their worth. I believe Jarell Quansah will make an appearance for the first team next season. The future is bright. 

My Top 3 Favourite Games From Last Season: No2

I would like to share my personal favourite games from last season that I attended. I was lucky enough to attend a lot of games so here is number 2.

14th May 2022. FA Cup Final day. A trip London to pay a visit to Anfield South for the second time this year. Throughout the day all I saw was Red, no blue in sight. The sun was shining and a good day was ahead of us, we could feel it. 

The unofficial Liverpool fan park was at the Green Man in Wembley. A see of red shirts and red smoke filled the pub garden up. A day full of singing and drinking was ahead. 

Making our way down the steep hill from the Green Man to Anfield South was memorable, we sang the whole way down, nothing in our way. Getting into the stadium was quick and easy (unlike a certain stadium). I made my way to my seat and enjoyed the view of s slowly filling Wembley.  

After the barely heard national anthem, the game started. Chances came thick and fast for both teams but no one could find anything. 90 minutes past and shots that were inches away from a winner were not enough. 

Another 30 minutes of close chances passed and the game was forced to go to penalties. Alonso hit the woodwork so Mane had to slot it home for the Reds to win it, however Mandy had other plans. Mount stepped up and had his dreams crushed by Alison. Tsimikas stepped up, if he scores Liverpool are FA Cup Winners. He put it away nicely! Liverpool we’re crowned champions for the 8th time, the first under Klopp. 

This is one of my favourite games because it was the first trophy I have seen won in person and because of the hopes of the quadruple. After that win, we were all hopeful, it wasn’t meant to be. 

My Top 3 Favourite Games From Last Season: No3

I would like to share my personal favourite games from last season that I attended. I was lucky enough to attend a lot of games so here is number 3.

So to start my second favourite game. 22nd December 2021. The Reds faced Leicester in the League Cup Quarter Final with many changes and youngsters having chances to play. The atmosphere was disrupted within the first 10 mins due to Jamie Vardy opening the scoring, then 4 minutes later completing his brace. Oxlade-Chamberlain brought back a goal however 19 minutes into the game but only to be flattened by a James Maddison screamer.

Diogo Jota, James Milner and Ibrahima Konate being introduced at half time led to a huge change in the tempo of the game, a Jota goal from a Minamino assist led to the gap decreasing. 

The pressure continued from Liverpool and the chances came thick and fast, the atmosphere had completely changed from what it was after being 2-0 down, nerves had risen but there was a sense of belief in the air, a belief that all Liverpool fans have at every game, this is what makes our club special. 

Finally, in the 95th minute of the game for 1 minute remaining, Takumi Minamino found a leveller from a magnificent ball from Milner over the top. Anfield erupted and after that all fans knew the game was won, Leicester were shocked and were deflated by a fantastic Liverpool performance. 

The game was then won on penalties through Kelleher keeping the Foxes out with 3 great saves and Jota scoring the winning penalty. 

The game was an emotional rollercoaster and surely every second of it was enjoyed by Liverpool fans. It’s a game most may forget but it’s also a game that can’t be forgotten by some. It will stick with me forever. 

Stay tuned for No2 and No1!!

Neco Williams

Today, Liverpool rejected a bid for Welsh right back, Neco Williams. They have set a £15 million price tag for the 21 year old because of his talent as an attacking right back. 

Williams joined the Liverpool academy aged 6 and represented Liverpool at U18’s, U19’s and U23 ’s level. With impressive performances at youth level, Neco was rewarded with the chance to play in the 5-5 (5-4) penalty win in the League Cup against Arsenal where he provided the assist for the last minute Origi screamer to equalise. 

Featuring in 32 games after his debut, including 13 PL games and 7 UCL games in a total of 4 seasons, he left the club last season to go on loan at Championship Champions Fulham where he caught the eye of many teams.

I believe that Williams has been a decent player, he’s young and has looked promising in games he’s played for us. However, since bringing in Scottish youngster Calvin Ramsay and the other youngsters such as Conor Bradley catching the eye for the first team, his place seems to be fading in the team and he would like game time. So I think him leaving on a permanent deal would be good for his career. 

It would be quite sad to see him leave as I like him and like the way he plays but I believe if he wants to find game time he would have to find another club. I believe he is more than capable of finding a new club and playing first team football. 

Jarell Quansah

Today I want to look at the 19 year old centre back Jarell Quansah from Liverpool, as today he scored the winning goal in a 2-1 win against Italy for England under 19’s in the Euro Under-19s Championship semi final to put them through to the Final. 

Quansah is a tall, strong and organised defender who plays best as a centre back but he can also play right back. He can is also known for his passing range which compares closely with Virgil Van Dijk.

Jarell has been in the Liverpool academy since he was 5 years old. This season he has featured in 15 games in the Premier League 2 for the U23’s, playing a total of 760 minutes. He also had a feature in the Premier League squad against Tottenham in December 2021 due to players out with Covid, but he did not come on. 

He has been in the youth teams for England since the U16’s and has a promising future as an England and Liverpool centre back. 

Standing at 6”5 he is a man mountain who look very promising to come through from the youth team up to the first team at Liverpool in the future. In my opinion, I think a loan would be very good for him next season so he can gain first team experience in the Championship maybe and then he would be ready to be introduced into the first team for the Reds. 

The future is exciting at Liverpool. 

Who will wear the number 10 next season?

Since Sadio Mane left the Reds for a new challenge in Munich, it has left the number 10 shirt vacant for a new player. These are the player that I think could be in the running for the shirt. 

Darwin Nunez- I believe that as a striker he would be one of the favourites to get the shirt. However, he chose the number 27 as Divock Original left the space open which could mean he wouldn’t want to change to the number 10. 

Fabio Carvalho- as an attacking midfielder, similar to Coutinho, he could adopt the number 10 shirt. However, Carvalho is young and is not too if the list to start in games, with Salah, Jota, Firmino and Nunez above him. 

Diogo Jota- he has been a part of the team for nearly 2 years now and as a centre forward he is probably at the top of the list in terms of getting number 10. However, in recent months he has not been in the starting eleven due to the arrival of Luis Diaz. 

Luis Diaz- as a left winger and after proving that he is able to start games over other players, Diaz is close to the top. He is popular with the fans and starts games. However, with him only arriving in January it may not be fair on players such as Jota. 

I believe Jota deserves it the most due to his contribution to the team in the past couple of seasons and I also believe he will be a massive part of the team next year due to Sadio Mane leaving, opening a spot for him.

Otavio

In the last couple of days there have been rumours that the Reds are looking to sign Portuguese midfielder Otavio from Porto, I wanted to look into him and see if he’ll be a good fit. 

Otavio is a 27 year old, Portuguese attacking midfielder who plays for Porto. Last season, in 33 games, he scored 3 goals and provided 13 assists in the Portuguese league. 

Otavio is a creative midfielder who is very versatile so he can play pretty much anywhere across the forward positions. He creates a lot of chances and he can also defend in certain situations too. 

Former teammate of Diaz at Porto, it would create a link up between the two that could cause trouble for opposing defenders. I would be excited to see him come to Liverpool, over the last 2 years he has come through the ranks at Porto and shown he is an important player. However, these are only rumours.

 

Darwin Nunez

As the most expensive signing of the window, I want to see what Darwin Nunez can bring to Liverpool. 

Costing around €100 million, Nunez signed for Liverpool on June 13th 2022 and will officially join Liverpool on July 1st for pre-season. 

Last season, Nunez scored a total of 34 goals in 41 games in all competitions and also producing 4 assists. He plays as a CF and tactically he uses his explosiveness and range of mobility to carry out counter attacks and turn over defences quickly, this fits with Klopp’s style of play at Liverpool. 

With both Robertson and Trent making crosses on either of the wings, it would mean Nunez can meet the crosses and, dangerously for the league, score goals from all over. 

I think Darwin will bring a lot to Liverpool, his style of play fits Liverpool and it means he can score more goals and win games for the reds. I think an exciting time is on the way and he is a great replacement for Sadio. 

Calvin Ramsay

Our newest edition to the squad this summer is 18 year old Scottish right back, Calvin Ramsay. He signed a 5 year deal with the reds, costing around £6.5 million including add ons. 

Ramsay played for Aberdeen from the age of 8 years old all the way up to 18, last season was his first season in the SPL with Aberdeens first team and he produced 5 assists and 1 goal in 22 games in the SPL. 

By the end of the season, Ramsay went on to win the SFWA Young Player of the Year in just his first season. This came with interest from many clubs around Europe, Liverpool however winning the race for one of the most regarded youngsters in Europe right now. 

He will be a back up right back behind Trent and he may play the role that Tsimikas did for Robertson, by giving competition to Trent and pushing for a first team spot. 

I think he’ll be an exciting talent and I am looking forward to seeing him play at Anfield. 

Fabio Carvahlo

After being the reds’ first official signing of the summer, I wanted to take a look at the 19 year-old Portuguese at a closer glance.

Fabio Carvalho was born in Lisbon, he grew up to play for the academy of Benfica. Then his family moved to England where he signed for 8th division team, Balham and later moving to Fulham.

Last season, Carvalho scored a total of 11 goals, including a goal in an FA Cup game against Man City, and provided 8 assists in 38 games with a Fulham team that finished top of the Championship with 90 points and 106 goals for. 

In his international career he represented England from U15’s to U18’s level then, in 2022, he was called up to represent Portugal at U21’s level. During his 4 games with the U21’s he has scored 2 goals. 

I am looking forward to see how he plays at Liverpool as he is a versatile player in the attacking positions and he would be a great fit for the style of play that Klopp uses. He is an exciting player. 

Transfer Window

After the signings of Nunez, Ramsay and Carvalho and the January signing of Luis Diaz, it looks like the reds will not make any more signings this summer but there will be a few more departures. 

It has been a successful window in my opinion, Ramsay looks like a good backup for Trent at right-back and he is 18 so many years ahead, Carvalho looks like a relented youngster and he is also 18 and then Nunez, who is 22, looks to be one of the best signings in the whole window as he is a great goal scoring forward. 

I am looking forward to seeing all of the new signings play and I am excited for Diaz’s first full season as a red.

Takumi Minamino: Departure

Liverpool have agreed to let 27 year-old, Takumi Minamino go at a fee of around €15 million plus add ons but only subject to a medical. 

The Japanese forward joined Liverpool in January 2020 for £7.25 million and has failed to maintain a starting position due to strong competition. 

He has played 55 games and has scored a total of 14 goals, including 10 goals in 22 games last season. 

It will be sad to see the forward go as he is a good player and still has a few years ahead of him. However, with the strong competition of Salah, Firmino, Mane and Jota in recent seasons, he hasn’t really had a chance to break into the starting eleven. Plus, the new signings have put him further down the pecking order. 

I wish luck to Minamino at Monaco and I would hope he finds a starting place in the Ligue 1 side. 

Sadio Mane: Departure

Sadio Mane is expected to arrive in Munich today to complete his medical for German champions Bayern Munich. With the Senegalese attacker set to leave, I’ll be looking at his potential replacements  

First of all, in January, the signing of the Colombian attacker, Luis Diaz from Porto, was the beginning of the rebuild after Mane was already expected to leave this summer. So far he has proven to be a great signing and I believe he will thrive in the next few years. 

Bringing in, 22 year old, Darwin Núñez last week was the second step of the rebuild. He proves to be quite the talent as he has had a brilliant season at Benfica, scoring 34 goals last season. I’m looking forward to seeing what he can bring to the club. 

Mane will be a big loss as he has spent so many good years with the club and all the fans will miss him, but also I think I can speak for the fans and say we are all excited to see the future of Liverpool with Núñez, Diaz and the rumours of Asensio. 

Wijnaldum Potential Loan

 In the last few days former Red Gini Wijnaldum has been linked with a shock return to Liverpool on a loan move. This is since he hasn’t had the best season at PSG, leading him to not be included in the Netherlands squad for the Nations League this June. 

I believe having Wijnaldum back at Liverpool would be a good idea because he could help with the younger players’ development because of the experience he has and he could also fill in a gap for the new midfielder spot which could be filled by Jude Bellingham next summer. 

Next season the Reds would be planning to bring in a new midfielder as James Milner’s contract is ending and so is Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s. 

Plus, a young investment such as Bellingham would be good for the future of Liverpool as he is only 18 years old. 

Liverpool vs Real Madrid: My Own Experience

For me, one of the most important things in my life is football. I love everything about it, and I have a huge passion for it. So, when I found out I was going to Paris to watch the Champions League Final, I was adrenalized. Little did I know, I had to save this adrenalin for later. 

The day before the Final had arrived. My dad and I set off in the car towards Paris, red scarves waving out of our windows as we travelled down the motorway. Near enough every single car we had passed had a red scarf or a red flag in and waves and beeps followed us as we edged closer to the channel crossing. Arriving at Folkstone, almost every car has a Liverpool fan in, and this just made me realise that we truly do have the best fans in the world, everyone was smiling and enjoying the journey, looking forward to the Final on the next night. The realisation that we were going to our second final together was slowly coming to us. The 2 and a half hour drive was exciting and full of great views, but coming into Paris was the greatest feeling. After parking up at our accommodation in the suburbs or Paris, we unpacked and went straight to the train station. The 10 minute train journey to Gard Du Nord was quiet and relaxing but the moment we stepped off the train we were met by many Reds coming from all directions. We decided to head into the Latin quarter where we spent the night drinking with fellow reds and singing well into the night. 

Waking up on the UCL Final day was a fantastic feeling, even after the lack of sleep. We headed out early to take in the experience that had been handed to us. Going into Paris again and seeing even more Liverpool fans was a great feeling. After eating, we headed off to the fan park. Walking out from the Metro station, we were met by thick red smoke and a sea of reds singing their hearts out. It was truly a great feeling to see that everyone had come together, again it made realise how amazing our fans are. 

After hours of singing, we made our way to Stade de France. More singing followed on the train towards the stadium and even more excitement built. 5.38pm. There it was. The stadium where we were all hoping we’d see the 7th European trophy for Liverpool being lifted. We were greeted by queues from the station all the way down to the underpass of the Paris super-périphérique and then from there up to the stadium. Police vans blocked half of the walk way of the path up to the stadium as thousands of reds moved slowly. We finally arrived at the ramp that took us up to the stadium and we were met by French police blocking the walkway, searching everyone that passes. At last, we arrived at the stadium an hour and a half after stepping off the train. Finding that there were no more programmes available, we headed to gate A where, again, we were met by more queues. This time there was a different feeling to it. People were impatient and tired. French youngsters were spread out in the crowds and snuck down the side of the queues pushing in to the front with fake tickets. After 20 minutes of waiting, a gang of French men stormed the gates and found their way into the stadium. With this happening, 4/5 of the gates were shut leading to more waiting and impenitentness. 9.25pm. We get through the gate and make our way up the steps into the stadium, adrenalin had started to wear off and the reality had hit, we had been stood up waiting for 3 hours. 

The game whizzed by as it was not what we had hoped. A fantastic performance from Courtois in the Real Madrid goal kept them in the game and it led to Vini Jr scoring the only goal of the game which was a result of a mistake from Trent. 

If the events hadn’t occurred outside of the stadium beforehand, maybe the game would have been different. But it wasn’t what we hoped in any way, but to go to a UCL final was amazing.  After an amazing season I can say that we truly are the best team in the world, but the boys were just worn out.