Liverpool FC Academy Youth Team Thread

Good lad Phillips. 

Well done baby Reds, onto the next round.  Anyone know if the draws been made?

I think it has but I can't remember which team the commentators said it was.

I think it has but I can't remember which team the commentators said it was.

  sorry if I am wrong
but I think they said arsenal or coventry
YNWA

I think it has but I can't remember which team the commentators said it was.

  sorry if I am wrong
but I think they said arsenal or coventry
YNWA

Cheers guys.

u18's beat Fulham 1-5 this morning.

Gomes x 2, Ejaria, Woodburn and Herbie Kane with the goals.

u18's beat Fulham 1-5 this morning.

Gomes x 2, Ejaria, Woodburn and Herbie Kane with the goals.

Great stuff! Our under-21's play on Monday at 7pm against Leicester. Love it when they all play within a couple of days of each other.

Great stuff! Our under-21's play on Monday at 7pm against Leicester. Love it when they all play within a couple of days of each other.

Same here mate.  For once I'll have the house and the tv to myself on Monday, so will be watching the game.

Don't know if the game today was on tv, I didn't even know we were playing till I saw the result.  For some reason this season I've missed a  lot of the 18s games.

I've never seen this kid play so no idea how good he is but he's a midfielder who suffered some bad injuries back in the 13/14 season so hopefully he'll get some playing time to see if he's over them.

Bradley Garton joins Norwegian Second Division (3rd tier) side Elverum on loan for the remainder of the Norwegian league season (ends in November).

http://www.anfieldedition.uk/2016/03/youngster-joins-norwegian-club-on-loan/

So the mini play off games continue with a massive game against the Bitters on Saturday morning at Finch Farm. 

It's a 10.30am start, 11am ko so I'll have to get my skates on to get home from Lancashire in time to watch it.

See you all in here on Saturday 

Morning everybody 

Big day today for the Baby Reds away at the Finch Farm against our bitter rivals Everton.

KO is at 11am and the build up has just started on lfc.tv.  It's part of a mini play off between 8 teams with Chelsea currently top, Everton in 3rd and the Reds in 5th.  The winner gets automatic entry into the Uefa Youth League next season.

Todays teamsheet:

Kelleher, Alexander-Arnold, Whelan, Parker, Lewis, Coyle, Ejaria, Philips, Kane, Woodburn, T. Gomes.   

Subs: Johnson, Williams, Masterson, Lennon.

Phew that was lucky but well done Whelan for getting back to clear after the 'keeper flew out of his area and totally missed the tackle.

Liking the look of Owen Coyle recently, usually plays at LB but has been moved to the DM position.  Such a cool head for a 16 year old.

Unlucky lads.  Great move, pass out to the AA high up the pitch from Ejaria, superb cross but Philips shot blocked by the defender.

I like Philips, his range of passing and dead ball delivery is superb.  Ooh and again, unlucky after another great ball in from Philips to Woodburn.

Did the Everton number 9 go to the same school as Diego costa, looks about 30

And another great ball from deep from Philips, nearly onto Woodburns head and another good stop from our keeper.

End to end stuff this, great game so far.

Did the Everton number 9 go to the same school as Diego costa, looks about 30

He's highly rated mate and if I'm not mistaken I think they pinched him off us.

Yeah just checked, he switched aged 12.  Local lad from Southport.

Oh Gomes, fantastic run down the right and then completely blew his cross in.

We're putting them under so much pressure, can only be a matter of time before we score.  They're literally penned in their own penalty area with crosses coming in from everywhere.

Omg how did that not go in but great defending by Everton. 

We've so many talented kids in this age group and for a change some of the 16 year olds are not just technically gifted with some great skills but they're big, strong lads too.

Fantastic goal.  Great cut out by AA and first time pass to Gomes, through to Philips and beautifully slotted home by Philips.

1-0 the Reds.

Completely forgot about this game. Been catching up on my Red Sox game from last night. Glad to see we're 1-0 up though!

Unlucky again lads.  AA onto a through ball edge of their area but just offside.  Wtf is our RB doing up there but he still got back to cut out a pass for them to start an attack.

He's been everywhere as usual.

And again Woodburn nearly through, we could at last have found a proper striker coming through.  Still only 16 but he works the channels, plays off the shoulder, can head it, drops deep, goes wide, has pace to burn and he knows where the net is.

Great half that, one of the best derby's Ive seen us play.

Completely forgot about this game. Been catching up on my Red Sox game from last night. Glad to see we're 1-0 up though!

Playing some superb stuff mate, you've missed a cracker.

Good first half, gomes looks excellent again, woodburn does look a bit special, movement and touch of a much older player

Good first half, gomes looks excellent again, woodburn does look a bit special, movement and touch of a much older player

Some comments on young Ben.  I especially like the bit in bold at the end.

Who is Liverpool FC teenager Ben Woodburn?

    12:41, 28 Jan 2016
    Updated 13:35, 28 Jan 2016
    By James Pearce

16-year-old star has drawn comparisons with Aaron Ramsey and is rated highly by Academy staff

Ask staff at the Liverpool FC Academy to pick one youngster who they are convinced will make the grade at Anfield and one name repeatedly crops up.

Ben Woodburn showed why he’s so highly thought of with his stunning contribution to the Reds’ 3-0 win over Cardiff City in the FA Youth Cup on Wednesday night.

The 16-year-old attacker from Tattenhall near Chester broke the deadlock in style at Prenton Park.

Latching on to Adam Phillips’ pin-point 50-yard pass, Woodburn took the ball on his chest before expertly unleashing a volley over the stranded keeper.

It was a moment of individual brilliance from a gifted starlet whose reputation is blossoming.

Liverpool Under-18s coach Neil Critchley raved: “It was an unbelievable goal.

“I’m not sure how Ben did it with that swirling wind. To take it on his chest and put it over the keeper like that was an unbelievable bit of skill.”

Experienced youth coach Hughie McAuley, who was watching the game as a pundit for LFC TV, knows talent when he sees it having helped nurture the likes of Steven Gerrard during his time at the Academy.

“Ben took it so well,” McAuley said. “He has that instinct around the penalty box.”

It wasn’t a one off. Woodburn boasts four goals in three appearances since the turn of the year.

He was the hero in the under-18s’ 3-0 win over Manchester United earlier this month with a classy double, including a remarkable overhead kick.

Woodburn, who attended Bishop Heber High School in Cheshire before moving to Rainhill High School, is so young that he doesn’t even have a profile under the list of under-21 and under-18 players on the club’s official website.

He was fast-tracked from Des Maher’s under-16s squad to the under-18s at the start of the season when he was only 15.

Blessed with pace, strength, skill and a lethal eye for goal, it’s no wonder that excitement over what he might go on to achieve is growing.

He has also proved his versatility having played anywhere along the front line as well as in an attacking midfield role.

There have been comparisons with Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey and they could one day play international football alongside each other with Woodburn having already captained Wales at under-17 level.

Maher spoke recently about Woodburn’s promotion to the under-18s along with defender Liam Coyle.

“I’ve worked with Ben for the last two seasons,” he said.

“He comes in every day and gives it everything he has got.

“I believe he is destined to make big steps in the game along with our young Scouser Liam, who has got so much desire and passion for the game.”

Woodburn is no stranger to Melwood as he’s part of the Futures Group - a selection of the most highly-rated Academy youngsters across the under-15 to under-21 age groups - who train there once a week under the guidance of first-team development coach Pep Lijnders.

Jürgen Klopp watches those sessions with interest. If Woodburn continues his eye-catching development then the Liverpool manager will be seeing plenty more of him.