18 Jan 2018 08:26:48
Talking about the loan system, it would seem even Chelsea have got their act together with players sent out on loan. I fear honestly for Marko Grujic and am surprised he hasn't gotten the chance yet. To be honest he can't do worse than Wijnaldum at times. We have a loan system that doesn't work. Wether or not a player performs on loan we don't give him the chance to prove he can cut it at the big stage. We've had promising young players waste away. The likes of Jao Carlos Texeira, Seyi Ojo, Pedro Chrivella and many others. The loan system needs some work to make sure players that do well get a chance. What is the situation with Allan Rodriguez de Souza?

1.) 18 Jan 2018
18 Jan 2018 08:45:36
Grujic was a wrong signing from the clubs point of view. I don’t know why they bought him when they had no clue what his role was on the pitch. We have been messing with young players career from a long time. Half of them are signed or developed to sell them for a profit.
Ryan Kent showed all promises during pre season and he was thought to learn and develop in Germany. What a pathetic move that turned out to be!

2.) 18 Jan 2018
18 Jan 2018 09:00:43
For once, Harry is right. Ibe, Markovic, Suso, Teixeira, Grujic, Ilori, Ward etc. Our club has a habit of stifling young talent.

It is definitely getting better, but it's still not great. We sign young players up, don't manage their careers well enough, and then ask for too much money when we sell them so all potential suitors are put off and they waste months, if not years waiting around to resume their careers. It's not good enough.

3.) 18 Jan 2018
18 Jan 2018 09:02:13
It's definitely a major problem for us, along with the intensity of distrust Klopp seems to have with the young players. How often with someone like Grujic or Woodburn on the bench has Klopp chosen to bring in someone like Milner in the last 15 minutes of a game that's already safe? It's valuable time on the pitch that they could use but instead they are sitting on the bench at Freiburg or Doncaster.

4.) 18 Jan 2018
18 Jan 2018 09:21:20
I agree that the loan system needs to improve and we need to find the right club for our youngsters to thrive but if we were bringing these players on in the prem this year and we were sat in 6th you would be on here throwing abuse at the players and the eds. you can't carry players and make the top 4 the league is too competitive now.

5.) 18 Jan 2018
18 Jan 2018 09:31:37
It is all very well banging on about young players but what do you want guys. We have built a side that potentially can challenge for the title over the next 12 months but already looking a good top 4 and in the champions league.
Every time we play one of the kids and the result goes a bit pete tong this site is flooded with discontent about the team. In fact half the time we moan about certain players even when we win and win well.
Some youngsters are making it through the system if they are good enough. We messed up on Suso IMO but Klopp wants to play a certain way and he and his coaches should have an idea if they are capable of stepping up.
As i understand it Chelsea appear to have the best system with players loaned out in terms of keeping track and responsibility for their well being but let's face it, in reality supporters want success and lots won't stomach the long term approach of bringing on the kids however much they claim they do.

6.) 18 Jan 2018
18 Jan 2018 10:02:58
Patemondo

That is not the case. Young players should be eased into first team rather than piling up pressure on them. Someone rightly said above of Grujic or Woodburn ain’t good enough to play ahead of Milner or Lallana then they would never cut it at Liverpool. As notorious has been our loan system over the years, I wouldn’t send any players on loan! It’s a waste anyways!

7.) 18 Jan 2018
18 Jan 2018 10:10:37
Patemondo, you'll probably find that the people who want younger players to get chances are not the same people who come on here after a bad result to bag them.

There seems to be this myth that the top teams have 2 top players in their prime for every position, but that's simply not true. The absolute top sides usually have 11 top players in their starting line-up, and maybe 3-5 more top players to offer options on the bench. After that you'll find that their squads are by and large, aging players in decline, unproven young talent, or players above their level who are therefore happy to play a bit part role in return for winning a few medals.

Manchester City, who are widely regarded as the best team in Europe have 21 players in their first team squad according to Transfermarkt. So anybody who thinks they have two top players in all 11 positions needs to firstly, work on their maths. Especially when you factor in that they have Zinchenko, Toure, Bravo, Kompany, Mangala, Danilo and Delph in that 21 man squad (all either unproven, aging or average) . City have 14 top players. They have 11 good players in their starting XI (supplemented by Delph whilst Mendy is injured), and then after that they have a handful of quality options on the bench such as Jesus, Bernardo Silva and Gundogan. It is a total myth that they have 2 top class players for every position. They have 14 top players in total. You quite simply do not need 22 worldies. You need the best starting XI and regular subs, and then you should fill in injuries/ fatigue using experienced and youth players who will happily play a lesser squad role without kicking off and disrupting squad harmony. The team which wins the league is usually the team which uses the smallest group of players, because understanding and togetherness amongst 14 top players and a few squaddies, is worth more than having 22 unsettled stars.

We should be giving players like Grujic and Teixeira key roles in the squad, but instead they both found themselves about 7th in the pecking order as we tried to keep 25 players wanting first team football, happy. We hoard too many average players and until that changes, our record at bringing through young talent will continue to be inconsistent at best. Mignolet will get bagged for his comments, but he has a point. Rotation is not healthy when it is two players who both want to play every week. You rotate with players who are happy to be squad players and they are either old (Bravo, Toure), young (Zinchenko, Foden) or have accepted they are average and are just happy to be at a big club (Delph, Danilo) .

We are playing with fire by trying to keep too many players who expect to be regulars, happy. It is all the more infuriating when we could just sell the likes of Mignolet, Ward, Clyne, Flanagan, Milner, Markovic, Sturridge and Ings; without the quality of our squad even being dented slightly. Why are we hoarding so many players who want first team football that we have no intentions of offering them long term? That is 6 players who have barely kicked a ball this season, and Milner and Mignolet who really shouldn't be kicking a ball for us as they're worse than Grabara or Ejaria from the academy. Just move them on so the kids can get on the bench! Stop wasting everyone's time.

Rant over!

8.) 18 Jan 2018
18 Jan 2018 10:18:35
Come back to reality folks. Young players take time, make mistakes have inconsistency and have less tactical awareness.

For Klopp to be blooding TAA, Gomez and Solanke while pushing up the top 4 is a good performance from the manager.

Seems to me some people just look for something to moan about and as the team is doing so well need to find something to have a go about.

9.) 18 Jan 2018
18 Jan 2018 10:48:03
MKScouser without detracting from the general well made points in your essay, I would dispute that Man City are ‘widely regarded as the best team in Europe’. The best team (currently) in the EPL yes, Europe no.

10.) 18 Jan 2018
18 Jan 2018 11:13:41
Fair enough Limanen. Every one i speak to has them down for the quadruple, and i quote "Unless PSG can stop them" 😂.

11.) 18 Jan 2018
18 Jan 2018 11:18:21
Was about to say the same thing Litmanenfav, they are nowhere near the best team in Europe and Scouser's point is mute here because all the players he mentioned Pep wants out and replaced by top quality players which will be happening in the summer. He also wanted Alexis Sanchez, Ryan Bertrand and a CB in the summer so NOPE Manchester City will have around 18-19 top top class players from the start of next season!

12.) 18 Jan 2018
18 Jan 2018 11:21:27
They're favourites for champions league which definitely validates them being regarded as best in Europe right now.

13.) 18 Jan 2018
18 Jan 2018 11:21:35
Spot on, MK. As I always say, if you are not willing to stick with young players that you truly believe in, you do not deserve the player@s) that you want them to be. The problem here is patience and endurance with a young player IS needed to get the best out of them if you believe with them.

Alas, patience has become poison with the modern day fan and that will always be the problem. I personally, could not give 2 FF's if a young player makes a mistake or is inconsistent cos guess what? It is part of the process. If you don't wanna go thru the process then sack the academy and scrap the youth policy and be done with it.

Look at guys like Solanke, who is young and still learning the game tho talented. People are starting to get on his back, saying he is not the quality in depth we need. They did that to Origi as well, a guy who as 3rd choice, scored 22 goals in two seasons, numbers you will NEVER find at ANY top club in the PL. Players like Gomez, TAA Woodburn, Grujic along with Solanke and Origi should be IN the squad instead of the Studge, Mings, Marko etc that are just there taking up space. Adding these young players to an already near quality squad will help them improve as they will learn and get chances as well. Ditch the average players NOW and fill the squad with the promising youth we believe in and be patient with them, end of story.

14.) 18 Jan 2018
18 Jan 2018 11:37:40
If the argument for not playing the young players at all even when results are secured is that they aren't good enough (which isn't true but fine) to be bought on when we are 3 or 4 goals up against the likes of Huddersfield, West Ham, Soton, Stoke, Brighton, Maribor, Moscow, Bournmouth and Swansea then they shouldn't even be registered in the squad, they need to all be sold off and allowed to build a career elsewhere. Do you realise how bad you have to be to single handedly be the reason that a 3 goal lead in a match you're absolutely dominating slip for the last 15 minutes? Especially for the more attacking players - granted, it's much more difficult if it's a CB but even if Woodburn comes in and doesn't do a single good thing for 15 minutes, for that game to be dropped points could never be blamed on them. It's just excuses.

And the excuses are doubly stupid when we're bringing on someone like Milner who, bless him, could not handle city at all despite being fully fresh and them over an hour into a hard physical game. We bought him on, utterly lost control of the midfield and conceded twice. You can say the young players aren't good enough but neither are some of the older ones being used and at least the younger ones might be one day! It's exceptionally frustrating and it ruins careers.

Loans aren't a shop window, they are an opportunity to get vital development under players belts. If they aren't wanted, let them continue their lives. If they are wanted, give them some chances even if it means taking some small, managed risks occasionally for the sake of the future. There is no in between state that's acceptable.

15.) 18 Jan 2018
18 Jan 2018 12:36:35
Legendary, my point isn't mute just because of what you think Pep wants. The last three teams to win the league were Man City, Leicester and Chelsea. What did all three teams have in common? They made the least number of changes to their starting XI that season. This year, Man City have made the least changes and guess where they are in the league!

There is a loose correlation between keeping a consistent side and where you finish in the table. Don't get me wrong, there are anomalies, and in England in particular, the winter period is an exceptional circumstance where rotation is arguably a necessity. In general though, making less changes improves results over the course of a season because it keeps momentum flowing and improves how the players on pitch link up.

If Pep signs Sanchez, it probably means Aguero is off to be honest. Pep has wanted Aguero since the day he got there. And whilst he did want Bertrand, Bertrand is not top class and for me would come under a squad player category at Champions League level. He's a good player and that's it. Besides, Pep signed Walker, Mendy and Danilo instead.

Seriously though, have a look at the squads Pep assembles. He always leaves gaps in the squad for younger players to fill. That is how players like Busquets, Pedro, Bojan, Tello, Thiago, Coman, Kimmich etc got their chances under him. He is fully aware of the importance of squad harmony, balance and the importance of a good blend of youth and experience. I do believe he'd probably like a couple more top class players. As i said, the top teams seem to aim for an XI and then 3-5 top class players for the bench. He only has 3 right now, and no top class defensive back ups with Kompany shot to pieces. So I'd not be at all surprised if he signs another top centre back. I highly doubt he'll go out and sign 6 more top class players though unless their is an exodus of players such as Silva, Fernandinho and Aguero.

It's a myth that too many people believe in. A close knit group of around 14-16 main players is far more effective than 22-25 all sharing the game time, and it always will be.

16.) 19 Jan 2018
19 Jan 2018 15:26:15
who was the last Chelsea player to come through the academy and play regularly in there first team the only one I can remember is terry I know they have send loads of player on loan but none are getting anywhere with Chelsea. arsenal seem to do it most then they just seem to not get anywhere with them and leave after a few season like Coquelin. am not having a go at any of the teams and I know we need to get better but that is just football today to easy for managers to get sacked to risk young players getting in the teams know.