If Jay Spearing needed a lesson in the fickle nature of football fans, he certainly got it this
week. Given the Lucas Leiva's continuing unpopularity, Spearing somehow became not only a viable
alterative for the Brazilian but also a better player. A sort of 'he can't be any worse than him'
attitude took over.
Click to continue reading...
Some players have that innate talent that when they get on the ball it is impossible not to notice
them. Others are always doing the hard work that goes unappreciated but which is vital for the team
to succeed. Indeed it could be argued that whilst the brilliance of the individual might
occasionally win matches, it is what those around him do that usually plays the key role.
Click to continue reading...
Much has been written about the Gael Kakuta case which has led to the ban on transfer dealings that
has been imposed on Chelsea. There has been debate about whether the decision was too harsh or not;
others have focused on going over Chelsea's actions to see whether they were right in what they did
or not.
Click to continue reading...
Increasingly, every time Alex Ferguson talks about Liverpool it is to put a negative slant to
something that was said or done. It is, I guess, a form of praise as it show that he sees us as a
threat.
That said, there is an element of truth in his latest rant where he implies that Liverpool should
have taken better care of Michael Owen when he first made it into the first team.
Click to continue reading...
The major success story of the past decade at the club has undoubtedly been the emergence of the
Academy, and the procession of players brought through to senior leve, which shows no sign of
abating.
The club today announced plans to expand the Academy on a global scale, with an initial Academy in
Abu Dhabi, followed by a venture into America.
Click to continue reading...
I have to admit that I'm not a big fan of goal.com: they're far too interested in spreading (mostly
unfounded) rumours to take them seriously.
Yet occasionally they do come up with something that is worth reading. This week's interview with
Cadiz youth coach Quique Gonzalez is a case in point.
The piece is of interest because it focuses on recent Liverpool addition Jesus Fernandez.
Click to continue reading...
In ‘normal' life, when a company gets taken over you expect there to be some changes at the top.
Irrespective of how good the people were or whether they were doing their job well, most of the
times the feeling is that they have to go in order to make a break from the past and show that
things are about to change.
Click to continue reading...
Re-hauling the overall philosophy at the academy. That is the task that Rafael Benitez has set for
new academy head Pep Segura who will be looking to see that all teams in the set-up play in a
specific manner and with a particular style.
Talking to the Spanish paper AS, Segura said that as the head of the technical areas at the
academy, he will be the reference point for all coaching and training sessions.
Click to continue reading...
MLS Rumors 08 June @ 11:21 AM EST
With some assistance from the ever-helpful front office of Chivas USA, here is the first ever video
interview for the latest addition to Chivas USA, midfielder Cesar Zamora. In addition, fellow
Chivas USA academy graduates, Jorge Flores and Gerson Mayen, speak about the US U-20 experience,
having a fellow club teammate at national team camp, and their latest fellow academy graduate.
Click to continue reading...
There is a very clear and specific reason why players go out on loan: to prove that they have the
talent to make it. Yet there is a fair degree of risk that the move either proves otherwise or else
that the wrong stage had been chosen for the player.
The latter was the case for Robbie Threlfall.
Click to continue reading...
There is a very clear and specific reason why players go out on loan: to prove that they have the
talent to make it. Yet there is a fair degree of risk that the move either proves otherwise or else
that the wrong stage had been chosen for the player.
The latter was the case for Robbie Threlfall.
Click to continue reading...
Young striker Marvin Pourie has returned home to Germany where he will join Schalke 04, according
to Ruhr Nachrichten. This move had been rumoured for some time, and last November the same paper
had published a story claiming that Liverpool wanted around €2 million for him but the
rumours are that the actual fee paid by the German club is closer to €150,000.
Click to continue reading...
Young striker Marvin Pourie has returned home to Germany where he will join Schalke 04, according
to Ruhr Nachrichten. This move had been rumoured for some time, and last November the same paper
had published a story claiming that Liverpool wanted around €2 million for him but the
rumours are that the actual fee paid by the German club is closer to €150,000.
Click to continue reading...
When people talk about FA Youth Cup winning sides they seems to imagine teams brimming with
potential Premier League stars. Reality, however, rarely works out that way. In most cases clubs
count themselves lucky if one or two manage to establish themselves in the top flight with the rest
either settling lower down the league scale or else dropping out of professional football
altogether.
Click to continue reading...
When people talk about FA Youth Cup winning sides they seems to imagine teams brimming with
potential Premier League stars. Reality, however, rarely works out that way. In most cases clubs
count themselves lucky if one or two manage to establish themselves in the top flight with the rest
either settling lower down the league scale or else dropping out of professional football
altogether.
Click to continue reading...
Liverpool's Academy has just signed an agreement of co-operation with the Irish club St Kevins Boys
FC. Football director and St Kevins, Ken Donohoe, talks about his club.
About St Kevins Boys Football ClubSt Kevins Boys Football Club was founded in 1959.
Click to continue reading...
Liverpool's Academy has just signed an agreement of co-operation with the Irish club St Kevins Boys
FC. Football director and St Kevins, Ken Donohoe, talks about his club.
About St Kevins Boys Football ClubSt Kevins Boys Football Club was founded in 1959.
Click to continue reading...
Home Farm. The name of the amateur Irish side (that has sadly fallen on to troubled times) can
still elicit wonderful memories partly due to the idyllic sounding name but largely because, as a
kid, my sticker album used to inform me that it was the club that sold Ronnie Whelan to
Liverpool.
Whelan, you see, was one of my favourite players back then: I've always been a fan of the
hardworking midfielder type.
Click to continue reading...
Home Farm. The name of the amateur Irish side (that has sadly fallen on to troubled times) can
still elicit wonderful memories partly due to the idyllic sounding name but largely because, as a
kid, my sticker album used to inform me that it was the club that sold Ronnie Whelan to
Liverpool.
Whelan, you see, was one of my favourite players back then: I've always been a fan of the
hardworking midfielder type.
Click to continue reading...
Readers of this blog will know how much I detest Arsene Wenger and his policy of stealing the
youth players of other clubs. I know other clubs do it too (Chelsea is another notable example),
but Arsenal do it every other day. In fact, I protested this post that praised Arsenal's youth
system chiefly because Arsenal's youth system is really just Arsene systematically purchasing well
known young prospects from other clubs.
Click to continue reading...
Last week I was critical of the current situation with the reserves and how the over-crowding there
was preventing promising academy players from making the step up. Thankfully there's since been
some excellent news in that Nathan Eccleston has been promoted to the Melwood set-up. Here's what
the official site had to say:
Nathan Eccleston has become the latest Academy graduate to make the move to Melwood on
a permanent basis.
Click to continue reading...
Games with Chelsea tend to be quite memorable and hyped up. Little, however, was made of the most
recent encounter between the two clubs. Admittedly it was the two sides' reserve teams that met
yet, given that they play in different sections of the league, it was an unusual encounter
nevertheless.
It may still turn out to be a memorable one, however, as the friendly featured the first reserve
team appearance of Lauri Della Valle.
Click to continue reading...
There were many dissenting voices to my article about the academy and whether players coming
through it are being ostracized both in the comments on this blog as well as on the forums that
picked it up.
The main arguments were that, if good enough, players will come through and, even though I've got
my reservations about that (would Jamie Carragher have made it at Liverpool if he'd come through
now?
Click to continue reading...
Liverpool's reserves lost in the league for the first time in over a year last week, a record that
brings back happy memories of an era where the second string used to routinely win the Pontins
League under the guidance of future first team manager Roy Evans.
The strategy back then was also very similar tot e one that Rafael Benitez has been adopting even
if the range of nationalities has been widened drastically.
Click to continue reading...
The Chelsea youngstas booked a place in the FA Youth Cup semifinals Tuesday night.
They dominated Port Vale 5-2 at Vale Park, a sublime hat-trick from Frenchman Gael Kakuta the
highlight of the night. Morten Neilsen and Miroslav Stoch added to the tally.
Vale scored boths of its goals in the second half, the first through Jonathan Compton on a
penalty while the second came via a Danny Glover of Lethal Weapon fame free-kick.
Click to continue reading...
In what should be seen as a landmark moment in MLS player development, the Red Bulls are set to
make their youth academies free to all participants. This decision will make the Red Bulls the
first MLS team to do so.
The standard structure for MLS youth programs has been similar to traditional youth programs,
where players pay fees and costs to be a part of the club, but now the Red Bulls have become the
first pro club to waive these fees and pick up costs for all players.
Click to continue reading...
The U18s began their double defence of the FA Youth Cup with a resounding 5-0 shellacking of
Wycombe. The Wanderers were undefeated in thirteen contests coming in while racking up a ridiculous
+27 goal difference. Though they managed to hold our boys for the first half, an explosion of goals
in the second, led by a brace from Nathan Eccleston, crushed the young Chairboys' hopes and dreams
of the upset.
Click to continue reading...
Paul Anderson didn't travel with the Swans this evening as the club headed to Atspeed Stadium to
take on Horsham in second round FA Cup action. His injury is now being described as 'dead leg',
which for some reason conjures images of Peter Jackson's Braindead. I'll let you work that one out.
Anyhow, Swansea's next match is a League One tie Tuesday at home against Northampton, hopefully
Anderson will make his return then and there'll be no zombie babies in the crowd.
Click to continue reading...
I feel so jealous that my fellow 'bloggers' can post goal action of their favourites from the
weekend's action and 'appen from the last few weeks LOL LOL LOL!!
Anyway. Will he or won't he? Thats the question that is being debated and discussed on the
varous Chelsea chat boards concerning our own Captain Marvel - JT - who had his face smashed in by
the 'Lonesome Star' from Texas, Fulham's Clint Demspey in the West London derby on Saturday.
Click to continue reading...
The Academy travelled to Aston Villa on Saturday morning and like the first team a couple of
weeks ago, were beaten. The game ended 2-1 to Villa. Read all about it here.
The reserves were in action last night at their new home Griffin Park, home of Brentford FC and
in front of a fair sized crowd drew with Tottenham 1-1. Read all about it here.
Click to continue reading...
Some advice. Never take a few days off from writing stuff before the International break
takes-over and in the two week break for Euro 2008 qualifiers, there ain't a lot of stuff that you
can write about and thats my excuse.... wink wink!!!
Seriously after a break from work I have returned today from three days away on business and I
am STILL LOOKING FOR THAT SPONSOR that will give me a wireless internet PC so I can keep this blog
up-to-date 24/7, 365 days a year!
Click to continue reading...
