The Liverpool Thread

  • Thread starter Thread starter Steve*
  • Start date Start date
  • Replies Replies 44K
  • Views Views 3M
^^^^^ Talking of Madrid .....

The best team in all of Europe are back in action tomorrow evening at Tranmere!

Albeit a very youthful version with the staggered return of everyone.

This is the exciting, fun part of pre-season for me. Watching kids you've seen develop and improve year-on-year among their peers try step up and belong the men's game. Which is a massive leap/ difference and whole new challenge again.

Ojrzynski, the 16-year-old Polish kid, must be in absolute dream World right now. Not been here 2 mins, spent the week training with the first-team, and is now on the verge of playing for them! Boys own stuff and then some. I've wrote on these here pages a few times how highly I rate Adam Lewis as an in-house replacement for Alby's role the squad. But that's at youth level. This summer is where we get to find out if he's ready for proper big boy football. Rhian too as for all the ridiculous talent and potential, outside of an end of season kick-around in Australia a few years back I don't think he's played a game with the seniors yet has he? Massive chance this summer for both he and Origi to nail down spots in the opening league games. Has Ben Woodburn got over the massive blow to his confidence that was painfully obvious last season, after the bad first experience of senior football at Sheff. Utd? (Which should hopefully stand him in good stead for the next one and what to expect/ what's required to survive as a pro.). Has Harry Wilson made the required leap to be a part here long-term? Is Hoever's ridiculous rate of progress continuing to the point he's ready to be counted on when needed? And so much more with the other young lads and their stories at the differing stages of their embryonic football careers.

Most of these lads will be going on tour the US too (love that Jurgen as good as confirmed Duncan and Glatzel will be a part of the trip to the States today), so the opportunities are massive this summer in every training session even to show they belong and are doing everything right to the massively high standard it takes to play for the European Champions.

Throw in the intrigue and excitement of seeing Sepp for the first time, and Oxo-Chambo's long awaited return to consistent action, along with new formations/ player positions tried out (Chamberlain at WB for instance?), and this should be a real fun, relaxing pre-season to watch unfold.

Up the future-proofing Reds!
 
Last edited:
With the usual caveat of 'its a pre-season friendly', that couldn't have started much better.

6 of the best, without return, to carry on the glory of what we currently are.

Tranmere, as many a team will feel this season, you just met Europe's best. (H)

And a very big, physical Tranmere side at that which made the great performances of all the young lads even better. Thoroughly professional, hard working, workout with great one/ two touch quick pass and move logger the full 90 that the League One side naturally couldn't keep up with. That's the standard set for the summer. (Performance, attitude/ hunger and work rate wise. Forget the bonus of the clinical finishes.). Keep on maintaining that boys before the first chance of 7 this season the Charity Shield against City.

Few notable's-

LB. This is gonna' be a really enjoyable open battle this summer as to who wins Alby's vacant slot in the squad backing up Andy Robbo. I make that pretty much even after round one. Larouci was great first half going forward. Lewis the same the second. With some crunching tattles thrown into boot.

Hoever has noticeably filled out without losing any of his speed. And the rest of his game at RB was as classy as ever. Been beating the drum for this kid to whomever will listen since we devoed Ajax by stealing him. Defo first team player going forward make no mistake.

Talking of-

Rhian Brewster. Telling yer. This lad is gone' surprise a lot of people the PL this year. Like the aforementioned young Dutch defender, he's filled out a lot to add that strength to his game. Without losing any of his rapid speed. 2 great goals. An assist. And an all round game so reminiscent of Owen with the clinical ness of Robbie it's frightening what L'pool and England have on their hands here. His speed of thought and movement is a joy to behold. Keep on saying it, but he's a proper superstar in the making.

Great to see Ben Woodburn looking like a ten ton weight's been lifted off his shoulders and playing freely with confidence again. Along with Curtis Jones continuing his fine end to last season the 23's after he'd regressed for large parts of it. Both should be well served out on loan somewhere this year. I'm hesitant to say too much on Wilson and Kent as I don't think either has a future here but props to both for hitting the ground running in a very good 45 minute display. Boss assist by H for Brewster's first.

Prise to the other kids too for contributing a fine display. The centre-half's who won't have a future here all things being equal. And the two young forwards who may well do in the coming years. Bobby Duncan scoring his first, first-team goal ..... Man alive, for a Scouse lad, it doesn't get ANY better than that. The lucky btard haha.

Great to see Alex and JMG get through 45 unscathed putting themselves about. The rest of the senior vets. were as professional as they always are.

Only downside was Glatzel's injury. Hopefully not too bad. And the absolutely mad socks. WTF are they all about?

Props to Tranmere for making that a competitive, very beneficial first workout.

1 down. 6 to go before the first trophy of the season is on the line.

Onto Bradford and Steven Darby's big day for his charity Sunday.

Up the 6 times Reds!
 
Scouseinthehouse said:
With the usual caveat of 'its a pre-season friendly', that couldn't have started much better.

6 of the best, without return, to carry on the glory of what we currently are.

Tranmere, as many a team will feel this season, you just met Europe's best. (H)

And a very big, physical Tranmere side at that which made the great performances of all the young lads even better. Thoroughly professional, hard working, workout with great one/ two touch quick pass and move logger the full 90 that the League One side naturally couldn't keep up with. That's the standard set for the summer. (Performance, attitude/ hunger and work rate wise. Forget the bonus of the clinical finishes.). Keep on maintaining that boys before the first chance of 7 this season the Charity Shield against City.

Few notable's-

LB. This is gonna' be a really enjoyable open battle this summer as to who wins Alby's vacant slot in the squad backing up Andy Robbo. I make that pretty much even after round one. Larouci was great first half going forward. Lewis the same the second. With some crunching tattles thrown into boot.

Hoever has noticeably filled out without losing any of his speed. And the rest of his game at RB was as classy as ever. Been beating the drum for this kid to whomever will listen since we devoed Ajax by stealing him. Defo first team player going forward make no mistake.

Talking of-

Rhian Brewster. Telling yer. This lad is gone' surprise a lot of people the PL this year. Like the aforementioned young Dutch defender, he's filled out a lot to add that strength to his game. Without losing any of his rapid speed. 2 great goals. An assist. And an all round game so reminiscent of Owen with the clinical ness of Robbie it's frightening what L'pool and England have on their hands here. His speed of thought and movement is a joy to behold. Keep on saying it, but he's a proper superstar in the making.

Great to see Ben Woodburn looking like a ten ton weight's been lifted off his shoulders and playing freely with confidence again. Along with Curtis Jones continuing his fine end to last season the 23's after he'd regressed for large parts of it. Both should be well served out on loan somewhere this year. I'm hesitant to say too much on Wilson and Kent as I don't think either has a future here but props to both for hitting the ground running in a very good 45 minute display. Boss assist by H for Brewster's first.

Prise to the other kids too for contributing a fine display. The centre-half's who won't have a future here all things being equal. And the two young forwards who may well do in the coming years. Bobby Duncan scoring his first, first-team goal ..... Man alive, for a Scouse lad, it doesn't get ANY better than that. The lucky btard haha.

Great to see Alex and JMG get through 45 unscathed putting themselves about. The rest of the senior vets. were as professional as they always are.

Only downside was Glatzel's injury. Hopefully not too bad. And the absolutely mad socks. WTF are they all about?

Props to Tranmere for making that a competitive, very beneficial first workout.

1 down. 6 to go before the first trophy of the season is on the line.

Onto Bradford and Steven Darby's big day for his charity Sunday.

Up the 6 times Reds!
Click to expand...
Man if Brewster can be half the player Robbie was we have a gem. IMO God is the best player that's come through our system the natural talent he had was once in a generation. Left foot, right foot outside the box he could dribble and outstanding in the air. Injuries truly ruined what could have been.
 
dilakh2 said:
Man if Brewster can be half the player Robbie was we have a gem. IMO God is the best player that's come through our system the natural talent he had was once in a generation. Left foot, right foot outside the box he could dribble and outstanding in the air. Injuries truly ruined what could have been.
Click to expand...

Defo. Most natural finisher I've ever seen. Rushie's the best all round forward. He redefined the #9 role in terms of work-rate and all round play. He was our best defender which was saying something. But Robbies finishing was different class. Most everything he hit went between the sticks. People forget just how good he was when he broke onto the scene before the injuries. What was it, 3 straight years of 30 plus goal season his first three full season from 18-21 or some mad ____? Phenomenal.

The more you watch Rhian, the more you can see why the value him so and rate him within the football club as highly as Robbie and Owen coming through. No wonder Jurgen's openly saying he'll have a major part to play this season. His awareness, instinct and decision making, to go along with his rapid pace, movement and clinical finishing, had the two big, bruising pro's from Tranmere tonight it knots. Again, you caveat it with it being a 45 minute pre-season display. But this kid is a natural on a ridiculous trajectory.

People forget, not least L'pool fans, in his year and a half out with that horrific injury just how he was THE man of that U17 WC triumph. Sancho, and to a lesser extent, Foden and Hudson-Odoi have gotten all the attention in his absence. But he could just be the best of that group when it's all said and done.

[video=youtube;Z7qpcb1clKs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7qpcb1clKs&feature=youtu.be[/video]
 
Exactly considering we had the likes of Gerrard etc... Come through for Robbie to be the best shows how great he was. Imagine in this era of social media and the internet if a kid breaking into the first team got 30plus goals in his first three seasons or so. It would break the internet.
 
dilakh2 said:
Exactly considering we had the likes of Gerrard etc... Come through for Robbie to be the best shows how great he was. Imagine in this era of social media and the internet if a kid breaking into the first team got 30plus goals in his first three seasons or so. It would break the internet.
Click to expand...

Funny you mention social media and the internet as of course that they weren't a thing when Robbie broke through. Or club channels or anything like that. If you didn't physically go the youth games or go to Anfield the ressi games the Central League, as it was back then (if a kid even played for the reserves which was rare in itself), the only thing you knew about the youth players was a small piece that used to cover their results the programme. With a bit of match detail if it was a bigger game. This buzz had been brewing about this young local lad scoring for fun and breaking records all over, more a myth word-of-mouth than anything, and then suddenly he's got a whole double page feature the prohi and it was like 'WOW! Who the F is this phenom?' Then he makes his debut down at Fulham the league cup, scored, and looked a real menace all night and the buzz just grew from those who went down to everyone that hadn't seen it and had only listened the radio. And then 'BOOM', the return at home he bangs in 5 F goals and should have had 10. At 18-years-of-age! Then he's following that up with a hatty the PL within his first handful of games!

Telling yer, convinced we'd be talking about him as the PL all time top scorer not if injury hadn't robbed him of that rapid pace. And Houllier not disgracefully binned him off to Leeds. That just killed his passion for the game for a good few years, until Rafa brought him home, as there was only one club he ever wanted to play for.

Phenomenal player. The fact he was just a normal, proud, passionate Scouse kid living the dream just topped everything off. Can't top that.

Don't need to try explain that to you but this is just a small encapsulation from the Bunnymen's Mac of both an instance that sums up Robbie and just what he means to the City-

[video=youtube;qzIHmjFEcdE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzIHmjFEcdE[/video]

And just because ..... You forget some of the absolute belters he scored.

[video=youtube;wHhoP__8KZo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHhoP__8KZo[/video]

Ta mate. Set me day up great that haha.
 
Loving going through some of the reactions to the #stephendarbybaby challenge-

https://mobile.twitter.com/hashtag/StephenDarbyBaby?src=hashtag_click

Jay Spearing and the Blackpool lads trying to sing on the Big One haha.

Really looking forward to my first game of the summer tomorrow. Pushing 2 decades since we last went to Bradford, who we've always had a close, shared bond with the respective tragedies we've both suffered and supported each other through. But the extra significance of raising awareness for Stevie Darby's new foundation just adds to what should be a fun, emotional day out:

https://mobile.twitter.com/hashtag/StephenDarbyBaby?src=hashtag_click

Tragic to be struck down with motor neurone disease at 30 knowing there's currently no cure and he's just going to get progressively worse. Young lad in the prime of his health like that. Life can be super cruel at times. Never realised he was married to the England woman''s captain Steph Houghton until this week and she had to be convinced to play the WC and not stay home supporting him. Sounds a belter girl.

Nice to play our part in such a worthwhile cause for a fellow Scouser and Red as part of the pre-season prep.

Jurgen's thoughts on the significance and the squad taking up the song challenge haha-

https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/first-team/356309-jurgen-klopp-bradford-city-stephen-darby

And background to tomorrow and our former FA Youth Cup winning captain-

https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/fi...-darby-mnd-foundation-liverpool-bradford-city
 
2705.png
#htafc has today completed the signing of Poland Under-21 goalkeeper @Kamil_Grabara1 on a season-long loan from @LFC.
 
Liverpool Woman going on tour to the US today for the first time alongside the men under the 'Two teams, One club' ethos .....

I mean I'm all for the woman's game and I think it's great that we're taking the next step and supporting them with exposure the States alongside the first team. I love that young girls now have a genuine avenue to make a career out of the game and their own superstars to grow up idolising. At affordable prices where they can be exposed to live football the girls game which you just can't beat rather than nottin like that kids sat watching in front the TV.

But can anyone actually name one of L'pool's girls players? Know what they did last season? Where they finished? As outside of that mad situation of Neil Redfearn taking over and then doing one within a day or whatever it was, and Chris Kirkland now helping out, I haven't got a clue on them. I can tell you all you want to know on anything down to U18's level. But the girls side ..... nada. The interest just isn't there to go claim 'it's a L'pool team.'

Serves it's purpose, as mentioned above and more, and I'm happy the woman's game is improving and getting more and more exposure for them to grow the sport, but it'll never be much more than a passing interest at best for the majority of lads.
 
Scouseinthehouse said:
Liverpool Woman going on tour to the US today for the first time alongside the men under the 'Two teams, One club' ethos .....

I mean I'm all for the woman's game and I think it's great that we're taking the next step and supporting them with exposure the States alongside the first team. I love that young girls now have a genuine avenue to make a career out of the game and their own superstars to grow up idolising. At affordable prices where they can be exposed to live football the girls game which you just can't beat rather than nottin like that kids sat watching in front the TV.

But can anyone actually name one of L'pool's girls players? Know what they did last season? Where they finished? As outside of that mad situation of Neil Redfearn taking over and then doing one within a day or whatever it was, and Chris Kirkland now helping out, I haven't got a clue on them. I can tell you all you want to know on anything down to U18's level. But the girls side ..... nada. The interest just isn't there to go claim 'it's a L'pool team.'

Serves it's purpose, as mentioned above and more, and I'm happy the woman's game is improving and getting more and more exposure for them to grow the sport, but it'll never be much more than a passing interest at best for the majority of lads.
Click to expand...

I guess its for exposure more eyeballs more chance for the game to grow. It makes sense its the US as the women's game is very popular stateside.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

FMBase

Beta

Resources

Back
Top