Whats the story with our kids?

[growler]

Can we have a sticky thread for our kids? We all know the big names in the youth and hear a bit about them, but I always like to knw whats going on. Especially as we enter the transfer season.

 

I know about Pacheco, Bruna, Dalla Valle and Nemeth. whats the current thoughts on Anderson, Hamill, Roque, Antwi.

 

Does anyone have a list of the kids, and when they joined? It would be good to track where they are, and when we can expect to see them.

 

Also, anyone got any ideas on the next scouse lad to make it through? Spearing looks good, but what about Darby or Hamill? Any chance for them?

[Jarg Armani]

Most of the decent local lads go to Everton as far as i can tell. There's a perception locally that they have the better set up. Might be a throwback to a few years ago when we were a bit of a mess, but these stories have a habit of sticking, and parents with talented kids have to go for the best looking option, regardless of allegiance.

 

Rodwell for example is a red, was with us for a time but then went the other way. It needed looking at and i think the club has dealt with it now, but it'll be a good while before we see any young scouse lads come through i'd say.

[growler]

I thought pepper was one that came the other way? Ie, was on evertons books?

[fyds]

I thought pepper was one that came the other way? Ie, was on evertons books?

Think you're right - he's also very good and has a potentially strong future - needs to grow a bit, mind.

[muleskinner]

Godwin Antwi and Paul Anderson are destined for careers in the lower leagues, nowhere near Premier League standard.

[Magic8Ball]

Godwin Antwi and Paul Anderson are destined for careers in the lower leagues, nowhere near Premier League standard.

Shame, I thought Anderson was quite good, how about Hammill ?

[muleskinner]

Shame, I thought Anderson was quite good, how about Hammill ?

 

Anderson is an average Championship player. Think Hammill signed a new contract this season, so maybe he is rated by those at the club that matter.

[DanielS]

What about Ince? From the little I have seen of him he looks very useful. Regardless of what you think of his dad, the kid looks like he has a football brain at least - even if he isn't all there physically yet.

[carrafan]

What about Ince? From the little I have seen of him he looks very useful. Regardless of what you think of his dad, the kid looks like he has a football brain at least - even if he isn't all there physically yet.

 

Its too early to tell with a lot of our kids. Ince's 17 and still only playing for the U 18's. He's always impressed in that level though.

 

 

We need to look at the reserves and the fellas on loan to potentially find a couple of players who could maybe fill a squad spot next year.

[fyds]

What about Ince? From the little I have seen of him he looks very useful. Regardless of what you think of his dad, the kid looks like he has a football brain at least - even if he isn't all there physically yet.

Ince has that old Rafa favourite, 'game intelligence' - seeing things as or before they develop. There's a real chance he could be one of the earliest to make a breaktrhough to the senior squad in a couple of years.

[John am Rhein]

35 years of following football has taught me something about young players:

 

they are almost all no good

[ali]

Big piece on Antwi in AS two days ago, Betis, Recre, Almeria and Fulham amongst the throng of signing him, when his contract runs out this season..

[ali]

Benitez backs club’s new Academy director

 

May 2 2009 Liverpool Echo

 

RAFA BENITEZ today backed recently appointed Academy director Frank McParland to bring out the best in Liverpool’s young players.

 

Former Reds chief scout McParland started in his new role at the Academy in Kirkby last week and is already working on a revamp in a bid to ensure the club’s youngsters have the best possible opportunity of working their way through the ranks and fulfilling their dreams of becoming first team players.

 

Benitez is in no doubt that McParland is the right man for the job and believes it will be only a matter of time before the changes the 50-year-old is currently making begin to make a positive difference.

 

“Frank McParland has the experience needed because he worked at the Academy before he came to Melwood a few years ago.

 

“He knows English football really well. He has worked in the Premier League and also at different levels so he has experience from several different areas of football which is very important.

 

“Our idea for the Academy was very simple – to keep the things that are working well but also to change the things which we think that we can do better.

 

“I think that the young players will be really pleased with the changes that we are making and I think it will not be long before the improvements become very clear.

 

“Okay, we will need to see some time to see the results of everything but it will be clear from the very beginning that things will be a little bit different.”

 

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/other...00252-23524074/

[Murphman]

35 years of following football has taught me something about young players:

 

they are almost all no good

 

 

Except every single good player in the world was a young player when they started?

[Zoob]

Except every single good player in the world was a young player when they started?

 

But for every player at a top club who made it as a pro, probably 20 didn't. Hence, most aren't good enough and don't make it.

[Sion]

35 years of following football has taught me something about young players:

 

they are almost all no good

That is until we started buying up clubs best stars...

[John am Rhein]

Except every single good player in the world was a young player when they started?

 

Yep, and the far larger number of bad players and especially non-players were too.

[Murphman]

Yep, and the far larger number of bad players and especially non-players were too.

 

 

You said almost all were no good?

 

 

Not that long ago the best players in the top teams were home grown, Carra, Owen, Giggs, Scholes, Terry, Gerrard, Ferdinand,to name a few. That's excluding people like Lampard and Cole who moved to the top teams. there's been a shift to foreign imports, ready made players, the kids don't get a sniff. It's highly likely players like Callaghan, Smithy and Phil Thompson may have failed to break in under the current system.

[Gomez]

You said almost all were no good?

Not that long ago the best players in the top teams were home grown, Carra, Owen, Giggs, Scholes, Terry, Gerrard, Ferdinand,to name a few. That's excluding people like Lampard and Cole who moved to the top teams. there's been a shift to foreign imports, ready made players, the kids don't get a sniff. It's highly likely players like Callaghan, Smithy and Phil Thompson may have failed to break in under the current system.

 

Ferdinand? That well known £30m home grown player through the ranks at man u via west ham and leeds?

 

And your second point is b****x. It's highly likely they would have succeeded as well.

[John am Rhein]

You said almost all were no good?

Not that long ago the best players in the top teams were home grown, Carra, Owen, Giggs, Scholes, Terry, Gerrard, Ferdinand,to name a few. That's excluding people like Lampard and Cole who moved to the top teams. there's been a shift to foreign imports, ready made players, the kids don't get a sniff. It's highly likely players like Callaghan, Smithy and Phil Thompson may have failed to break in under the current system.

 

That's right: almost all young players are no good

 

The decline of the home-grown players has coincided with the rise of the Premier League to be by far the best in the world. This is no coincidence.

 

Let the young players learn their trade (if they can) in the lower divisions, Scotland, Ireland or even the minor European countries.

[ali]

Bouzanis to stay a Red

 

4 May 2009 | 10:04 - SBS EXCLUSIVE

 

Best of the best...Australian Liverpool goal keeper has been rated the best young shot-stopper in England. (Action Images)

 

Fast-rising Australian goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis is set to seal his long-term future at Liverpool with a contract extension which would keep him at Anfield until 2015.

 

Considered the hottest local prospect since Mark Bosnich and Mark Schwarzer emerged in the late 90s as shot-stoppers of substance, Bouzanis’ future will be under discussion when his agent Terry Palapanis jets to England later this month to nut out the finer points of a likely offer which could effectively make him the long-term replacement for Liverpool’s Spanish goal keeper Pepe Reina.

 

While a number of European clubs are circling the 18-year-old, whose contract expires at the end of next season, Liverpool are determined to put him under lock and key, and are even refusing to send him out on loan as his football education continues under the auspices of Rafa Benitez, Gary Ablett, and goalkeeping coaches Xavi Valero and Billy Stewart.

 

"Dean’s under contract till 2010 but he’s a hot property at the moment," said Palapanis. "He wants to stay at Liverpool, as he is really enjoying it over there. They want him to stay and discussions over an extension are pending.

 

"Other clubs are very interested but I am not entertaining the thought of getting into discussions with them. He’s learning from the best at Liverpool, where else would you want to be?

 

"And we’re working towards him staying. The support Dean is receiving on and off the park is second to none."

 

Bouzanis, who arrived at Anfield two years ago, has been an ever present in the reserve team this season, landing three man-of-the-match accolades.

 

Now he is in danger of becoming a victim of his own success with an Australian call-up for an under-20s camp at the end of this month clashing with a two-legged FA Youth Cup Final against Arsenal.

 

The first leg on May 22 is expected to attract 35,000-plus fans to the Emirates Stadium. The return at Anfield is four days later.

 

Having already represented Greece three times at under-19 level, Bouzanis last week pledged his allegiance to Australia, where he was born and raised.

 

However, since the Young Socceroos camp doesn’t fall on designated FIFA dates, it’s almost certain Liverpool will not release him.

 

As Palapanis puts it: "Liverpool have invested a lot of time and money in him and Dean obviously has to work in with them. He would love to play for Australia again but everything has to be balanced with his club commitments."

 

Palapanis added pointedly: "If Pim Verbeek was to phone him to come into a camp on a FIFA date with the Socceroos he would be there a day before everybody else. Unfortunately most of the under-20s commitments are non FIFA dates."

 

Bouzanis already has eight Joeys caps and has played once for the under-23 team, with a final decision on his international future open to him until he is 21, assuming he is not called up for the senior team before that time.

 

A recent report among the UK’s top football scouts – dubbed Scout7 – rated Bouzanis as the best keeper in Britain in his age group.

 

The keeper’s are rated, among other criteria, on distribution, shot stopping, handling and command of the area.

 

http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/aussies-abr...y-a-red-185757/

[Murphman]

Ferdinand? That well known £30m home grown player through the ranks at man u via west ham and leeds?

 

And your second point is b****x. It's highly likely they would have succeeded as well.

 

It's bollix is it? How the f*ck do you know that? How do you know for a fact we wouldn't risked blooding a scrawny little 19 year old who's legs wouldn't last a postman a week and give him time to make mistakes and develop when it's a safer bet to buy in a fully fledged ready made Spanish International? Especially at centre half.

[ali]

Benítez, the Liverpool manager, had offered Hyypia a one-year extension to his deal, which expires at the end of the season, in addition to a prominent coaching role with the reserves, given that Gary Ablett is to leave the club.

 

 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/foo...icle6222766.ece

[GWistooshort]

From Sky Sports..............

 

Fulham eye Reds starlet

Young Scot offered Fulham chance

Last updated: 6th May 2009

 

Fulham are lining up a move for Liverpool starlet Gary MacKay-Steven, skysports.com understands.

 

MacKay-Steven is set to leave Liverpool in the summer when his contract expires.

 

The news has alerted a host of clubs to the availability of the highly-rated winger.

 

Liverpool beat a number of top clubs to MacKay-Steven's signature in 2007 from Ross County after he impressed on trial at Anfield.

 

The 18-year-old has seen his time on Merseyside disrupted by injuries which have hampered his chances of breaking into the first-team pciture.

 

The skilful wide-man has been a regular in the reserves and he has also played for Scotland at all youth levels.

 

Fulham are ready to steal a march on their rivals for MacKay-Steven by inviting him down to West London to train with them.

 

The player's agent David Threlfall confirmed Fulham are keen to have a look at the young Scot and that a number of clubs are monitoring MacKay-Steven's situation.

 

"Fulham have shown an interest in Gary and they have invited him down to London next week to have a look at him," Threlfall told skysports.com.

 

"I believe a number of other clubs are keeping tabs on Gary and we will see how things go at Fulham."

 

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11669_5288456,00.html

[adiman]

German Liverpool player doing well at Euro Under-17s