Sheyi Ojo (Liverpool > Cardiff City)

The way he took his goal, reminded me of another legend, John Barnes.

Looked like he puts them away for fun on a weekly basis.

https://twitter.com/redhalf/status/707170771307794432

https://twitter.com/redhalf/status/707170771307794432

He was a class above last night mate.  That 2nd goal was a mirror image of the one he scored against Exeter and just as good as the Kane goal everyone was creaming themselves over at the weekend.

Unbelievable that he's still only 18.

He was outstanding last night.

Played well judging from the highlights against the Mancs, too. Beat his man a couple times with rapid pace and delivered some quality in to the box.

Played today for England u19s in a 1-1 draw with Greece in the Euro qualifiers.  Was subbed on 60 minutes.

We play Spain on Tuesday and need to win to qualify.

With the league over hopefully we see Ojo getting a few more opportunities.

Would love to see him playing in place of Milner.

Surprised there's no comments in here after his debut yesterday.

I've just watched the game again and the look on Shaqiris face when Ojo went past him to cross for Daniels goal was an an absolute picture.

For those of us who watch him with the 21s he does that for fun, several times a game. 

His ability to go from standing still to bursting past players at pace is unbelievable but he also has the ability to be running pretty fast and turn on the afterburners and gone before they've blinked.

And he does it with either foot, on either side.  He must be unbearable to play against because you never know which way he's going to go.  Flummoxed is how I'd describe how the opposition must feel.

Of course he still needs to get used to the physicality and pace of senior, elite level play but as I've always said about young players coming in, they have to show they can make a difference when they get the chance and that's exactly what he did yesterday and against Exeter when he scored.

It wasn't his best game and I'm sure some probably thought he would do better but he did enough.

Surprised there's no comments in here after his debut yesterday.

I've just watched the game again and the look on Shaqiris face when Ojo went past him to cross for Daniels goal was an an absolute picture.

For those of us who watch him with the 21s he does that for fun, several times a game. 

His ability to go from standing still to bursting past players at pace is unbelievable but he also has the ability to be running pretty fast and turn on the afterburners and gone before they've blinked.

And he does it with either foot, on either side.  He must be unbearable to play against because you never know which way he's going to go.  Flummoxed is how I'd describe how the opposition must feel.

Of course he still needs to get used to the physicality and pace of senior, elite level play but as I've always said about young players coming in, they have to show they can make a difference when they get the chance and that's exactly what he did yesterday and against Exeter when he scored.

It wasn't his best game and I'm sure some probably thought he would do better but he did enough.

I missed the first half so can't comment on his performance but I have no doubt he is our most talented U21 even though he is only 18.

I missed the first half so can't comment on his performance but I have no doubt he is our most talented U21 even though he is only 18.

He probably is mate.

I wouldn't argue against that HSc.

I'll take a young lad creating chances and taking chances whilst not having the greatest of games over somebody not doing anything. He's still only young and has a few things to develop in his game but I do like how he's being looked after at the club. Klopp is obviously used to working with and developing young talent and he's the perfect guy to help the likes of Ojo, Brannagan, Chirivella etc.

They get an appearance on the subs bench or a start and then they're away from it for a few games and then they're dropped in again. Kinda gets them used to it all whilst taking the pressure off them at the same time.

Crack on Ojo!

I wouldn't argue against that HSc.

I'll take a young lad creating chances and taking chances whilst not having the greatest of games over somebody not doing anything. He's still only young and has a few things to develop in his game but I do like how he's being looked after at the club. Klopp is obviously used to working with and developing young talent and he's the perfect guy to help the likes of Ojo, Brannagan, Chirivella etc.

They get an appearance on the subs bench or a start and then they're away from it for a few games and then they're dropped in again. Kinda gets them used to it all whilst taking the pressure off them at the same time.

Crack on Ojo!

Absolutely mate.

Play without fear of failure by playing without undue pressure.  Give them a taste, then take it away making them even more hungry for more.

Have to say also I loved the way Studge guided him through the game.  Never noticed Daniel taking that type of responsibility before.

I missed the first half so can't comment on his performance but I have no doubt he is our most talented U21 even though he is only 18.

I want to pull your leg, Gomez is better U21

Apart from this, that 45mins performance was brilliant. How he passed Shaqiri was a beauty and finished off with a pinpoint accuracy cross.

Surprised there's no comments in here after his debut yesterday.

I've just watched the game again and the look on Shaqiris face when Ojo went past him to cross for Daniels goal was an an absolute picture.

For those of us who watch him with the 21s he does that for fun, several times a game. 

His ability to go from standing still to bursting past players at pace is unbelievable but he also has the ability to be running pretty fast and turn on the afterburners and gone before they've blinked.

And he does it with either foot, on either side.  He must be unbearable to play against because you never know which way he's going to go.  Flummoxed is how I'd describe how the opposition must feel.

Of course he still needs to get used to the physicality and pace of senior, elite level play but as I've always said about young players coming in, they have to show they can make a difference when they get the chance and that's exactly what he did yesterday and against Exeter when he scored.

It wasn't his best game and I'm sure some probably thought he would do better but he did enough.

Thanks Debs. It's nice to hear the opinion of someone who watches him regularly. And I've even learned a new word! Flummoxed!

Thanks Debs. It's nice to hear the opinion of someone who watches him regularly. And I've even learned a new word! Flummoxed!

And what a word Diego!

John Barnes eh Aldo?  No pressure then Sheyi 

Sheyi Ojo: Jürgen Klopp giving Liverpool youngster his chance
By James Walker-Roberts

Last Updated: 12/04/16 5:49pm

In a Premier League debut that lasted just 45 minutes, it was what Sheyi Ojo did in the 32nd minute that caught the eye.

Having started on the right, the 18-year-old had switched out to his favoured left side when he knocked the ball past Stoke's Xherdan Shaqiri, collected it and stood up an inch-perfect cross for Daniel Sturridge to head home from a few yards out.

Sturridge called the cross "beautiful", Jürgen Klopp labelled it "brilliant".  What was just as impressive, though, was the way Ojo skipped past Shaqiri to get in a position to deliver the ball on a plate.

"He just glides past full-backs and puts great balls into the box... a striker's dream," wrote former Liverpool defender Rob Jones on Twitter.

But while many on social media were encouraged by the assist, there were others who were taken by surprise. In particular, a few Wolves fans.

Not because Ojo, who has played for England from U16 to U19 level, was originally supposed to be at Molineux last weekend after joining on a season-long loan in August.

But because, during his five-month stint in the Championship, moments of quality were few and far between, despite Kenny Jackett having high hopes for him.

"I think he's a very good young player and at 18 has a bright future," said the Wolves boss in September.  "He has the power and he's a natural left-winger.  I feel he is going to continue to improve over the course of the season."

Looking to fill the void left by Bakary Sako's departure to Crystal Palace, Ojo made 17 Championship appearances for Wolves, but struggled to make the desired impact and was recalled by Liverpool in January as his first-team opportunities dwindled.

Just 24 hours after returning to Anfield, Ojo was handed his debut as a substitute in the FA Cup draw at Exeter.  Reflecting on his time at Wolves, he told the Liverpool Echo: "It really helped me.  The Championship is a difficult league with a lot of good teams and I've taken all those experiences on board.  I am looking to kick on my Liverpool career now."

A few weeks later, Ojo would score his first goal for the club, curling home a shot from the edge of the box as the Reds beat Exeter 3-0 in the replay.

"Everybody who sees him playing sees he has the skills," said Klopp.  "But you see he has things to work on.  In the last game he was important, and he scored a very good goal here, so he's on a good path."

Klopp did not immediately reward the youngster with more first-team opportunities, only twice naming him on the bench before his start against Stoke.  Instead he played several times for the U21s, catching the eye with five goals in two games against Middlesbrough and a goal against West Ham that saw him impressively outpace the defence and add a cool finish.

Of the five he scored against Boro, two were penalties, while the others showcased his all-round potential.  For two of the goals he used stepovers effectively before cutting inside and finishing well.  For the other he raced up in support from midfield, leaving his marker trailing in his wake, and then fired past the goalkeeper first time.

"Sheyi has got a lot of potential," said Liverpool U21 boss Michael Beale after the 2-1 win over Boro.  "He has really developed and is playing a much more mature game since he has come back from Wolves.  Let's not forget he is still only 18 but he is more aware of what assets he can bring to a game and what his strengths are.

"He is also working very well at what we are asking him to do when he is out of possession, and I am really pleased with him."

While Ojo's displays for the U21s earned him a starting role against Stoke, there was no place in the squad for another young winger, Jordon Ibe.  The 20-year-old was a regular during pre-season, started on the opening day against Stoke and continued to feature under both Brendan Rodgers and Klopp in the first half of the season.

However, his form has tailed off in 2016.  Since the start of February he has played just 176 minutes of first-team football and there has been speculation that he could leave Anfield.

So what, if anything, can Ojo learn from Ibe?  "They're up and down," Beale told the Echo.  "They're wingers so they have one good moment and then… he [Ibe] just needs something to happen to spark him into life."

The worry for Ibe must be that the longer he takes to rediscover his form, the further Ojo could get ahead of him in the pecking order.  The 18-year-old may have only got 45 minutes against Stoke, but former Reds forward John Aldridge thinks even that could be enough to have an effect on future transfer plans.

"He could save the club millions if he can grasp what's needed and work hard, both defensively and going forward," wrote Aldridge in the Echo.  "It's the first time I've seen him in the flesh for a couple of years.  He was only 15 years old back then, and I was commentating on an U18s game.

"I likened him to John Barnes because of the manner he was going down the left, and he showed a little bit of that on Sunday.  You could see his ability then and you can see it now."

As Ojo himself tweeted after the game, he still has a lot to learn, but, for now at least, he seems to be on the right track.

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/15117/10240366/sheyi-ojo-Jürgen-klopp-giving-liverpool-youngster-his-chance?

John Barnes eh Aldo?  No pressure then Sheyi

I haven't seen much of Ojo before the Stoke game but I was very impressed with the lad for 18. I know Jürgen had a little dig at him for his early work on the right, which to me was a little 'grounding' for the lad, but while he did lose the ball he was so close to beating his man that rather than criticism I took encouragement from it if that makes sense.

He started with such intent, the right mentality and the occasion definitely didn't seem too big for him at all. So many young lads get the chance and all they want to be is safe, put in a decent shift and hope to progress. I get both attitudes but the Ojo one is the one for me that is more a statement of intent and belief in himself.

I know it was only 45mins and it's easy to get carried away but yes I am massively looking forward to seeing this lad progress, he has more than just 'potential' from what I saw he has that glittering of true star quality.

He has beaten Shaqiri not some f***in Cleverley or blueshit. He showed intent and knew what he wanted to do with ball.

I haven't seen much of Ojo before the Stoke game but I was very impressed with the lad for 18. I know Jürgen had a little dig at him for his early work on the right, which to me was a little 'grounding' for the lad, but while he did lose the ball he was so close to beating his man that rather than criticism I took encouragement from it if that makes sense.

He started with such intent, the right mentality and the occasion definitely didn't seem too big for him at all. So many young lads get the chance and all they want to be is safe, put in a decent shift and hope to progress. I get both attitudes but the Ojo one is the one for me that is more a statement of intent and belief in himself.

I know it was only 45mins and it's easy to get carried away but yes I am massively looking forward to seeing this lad progress, he has more than just 'potential' from what I saw he has that glittering of true star quality.

He can play either side Luke but he seems to do more damage from the left, whether that's because not many young lads can use both feet like he can so can go either side of the defender I'm not sure.

You're quite right that he wasn't far off getting past his man on the right and it took a foul and yellow card for Pieters? to stop him before he switched.  Didn't see Jürgen having a go but it could just have been to tell him to swap sides with Bobby.

As for the intent, you summed up exactly what youngsters need to do and should do when the opportunity arises and that's to go for it, not play within themselves.  It doesn't matter if they "fail" as they aren't expected to get everything right but if they don't even try, they never learn.

Read what Micheal Beale says in that article I posted.  When these kids play at youth level they are given certain "targets" for each game and the coaches are looking to see if they achieve them.  If they just keep going out doing the same thing game after game they don't develop, which is one of my biggest gripes with Ibe.  He's still the same player, doing the same things time after time, as he was as a 16/17 year old.

I noticed it with Kent a few weeks ago, it was almost like he was taking turns at the things he was asked to do.  I'm guessing he was asked to vary his attacks as he came in on his right, then went out left, then passed and moved, then repeated it over and over all game.  It didn't always come off but if those were his instructions then he carried them out to a tee and that's what they (the coaches) want to see.

Yes the potential is definitely there, the confidence, the pace, the intelligence, the strength, the belief but the fact he can use both feet equally well is what sets him apart for me.  Others at the academy do too, the 2 feet part I mean, but they don't all have the other attributes that Sheyi has.

He can play either side Luke but he seems to do more damage from the left, whether that's because not many young lads can use both feet like he can so can go either side of the defender I'm not sure.

You're quite right that he wasn't far off getting past his man on the right and it took a foul and yellow card for Pieters? to stop him before he switched.  Didn't see Jürgen having a go but it could just have been to tell him to swap sides with Bobby.

As for the intent, you summed up exactly what youngsters need to do and should do when the opportunity arises and that's to go for it, not play within themselves.  It doesn't matter if they "fail" as they aren't expected to get everything right but if they don't even try, they never learn.

Read what Micheal Beale says in that article I posted.  When these kids play at youth level they are given certain "targets" for each game and the coaches are looking to see if they achieve them.  If they just keep going out doing the same thing game after game they don't develop, which is one of my biggest gripes with Ibe.  He's still the same player, doing the same things time after time, as he was as a 16/17 year old.

I noticed it with Kent a few weeks ago, it was almost like he was taking turns at the things he was asked to do.  I'm guessing he was asked to vary his attacks as he came in on his right, then went out left, then passed and moved, then repeated it over and over all game.  It didn't always come off but if those were his instructions then he carried them out to a tee and that's what they (the coaches) want to see.

Yes the potential is definitely there, the confidence, the pace, the intelligence, the strength, the belief but the fact he can use both feet equally well is what sets him apart for me.  Others at the academy do too, the 2 feet part I mean, but they don't all have the other attributes that Sheyi has.

Cheers Debs, love your insight into our youth level footy it's invaluable. I really should watch more and I've only myself to blame for not doing so.

In terms of Jürgen having a go, it was more along the lines of saying something like "after him failing 4 times on the right and not really showing a lot" (not exact words) "he goes and does something truly brilliant like that on the left" (again not exact words). So I don't think he was having a go just I interpreted it as a little bit of keeping the lid on things and not letting things get to the young man's head too early.

Jürgen, as you clearly do and I should, will know exactly how good this lad is and just from that short time I think we'll see very much of him in the future.

In terms of the both feet, it's something I think every footy fan out there (perhaps not Pulis or Fat Sam fans) really longs to see. Something I'm always doing with my nephews making sure they use their least favourite foot, it's a talent you'd think would be much more widespread in the modern game and it really should be coached much more in my humble opinion.

Cheers Debs, love your insight into our youth level footy it's invaluable. I really should watch more and I've only myself to blame for not doing so.

In terms of Jürgen having a go, it was more along the lines of saying something like "after him failing 4 times on the right and not really showing a lot" (not exact words) "he goes and does something truly brilliant like that on the left" (again not exact words). So I don't think he was having a go just I interpreted it as a little bit of keeping the lid on things and not letting things get to the young man's head too early.

Jürgen, as you clearly do and I should, will know exactly how good this lad is and just from that short time I think we'll see very much of him in the future.

In terms of the both feet, it's something I think every footy fan out there (perhaps not Pulis or Fat Sam fans) really longs to see. Something I'm always doing with my nephews making sure they use their least favourite foot, it's a talent you'd think would be much more widespread in the modern game and it really should be coached much more in my humble opinion.

I love watching the kids play mate but it can be frustrating when they win easily one week then lose badly the next.  Sounds like the first team 

I get you now with what Jürgen said to him, I thought you meant during the game and yes it probably is to keep him firmly grounded.

I'm sure we'll see him getting games in the near future mate, maybe not a long run of them but minutes here and there like against Stoke.  If we somehow manage to get into the EL next season or CL if we win the EL this season then I'd expect him to be involved in qualifiers/group games as he's easily good enough to shine against the smaller clubs.  Same as the early COC rounds if we draw a lower league team.  In fact it wouldn't surprise me if Jürgen doesn't decide to play the u21s right through that tournament now he realises how many games we have to play.

Don't forget these lads don't train at the Academy any more, they're at Melwood full time now so Jurgens working with them on a daily basis.  They basically only go back to the Academy when they're playing a youth game.

As for learning to use a weaker foot, when my lad was a nipper I wouldn't let him use his right at all I always made sure it went to his left.  Now as a 30 year old who plays cricket, when he's coaching the kids he makes them use their weaker hand when fielding, catching and throwing.  It's a good trait to learn as early as possible.

You really should try and catch some of the youth games though mate if you've got lfc.tv, they're nearly always repeated even if you miss them live.

https://youtu.be/EFCjswK7ZRI

John Barnes eh Aldo?  No pressure then Sheyi 

If you watch him run, he runs and dribbles like a young Pele ... just hope he turns out half as good
Maybe it's because he is two footed?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=953rOfQ8Y0w