Liverpool 4, Molde 0: The U19s Put on a Show

By: Noel | September 7th, 2011

Liverpool 4 Toni Silva 26′ 47′, Conor Coady (pen) 57′, Raheem Sterling 81′
Molde 0

Liverpool Starting XI
Belford
McLaughlin, Sama, Widsom, Smith
Coady, Roddan
Silva, Suso, Sterling
Ngoo

Substitutes
Adorjan for Silva 62′
Morgan for Suso 82′
McGiveron for Sama 88′

Against Sporting Lisbon it took Liverpool most of a half to find their feet, and combined with some poor finishing it added up to a heavy loss and a disappointing start to their NextGen Series campaign. If their second match against Molde was far from perfect, then, Liverpool at least showed an ability to hit the ground running at the second time of asking, dominating play for much of the first half against a side that while a step down from Sporting was nonetheless playing at home while many of Liverpool’s youngsters were facing their first real test on the continent.

As important as the squad seeming more comfortable from the start the second time around was leaving behind fringe first team players Jonjo Shelvey and Jack Robinson. Either because they no longer train as often with the young reserves or because they were less motivated to compete at the u19 level having gotten a taste of first team action, neither had looked especially effective against Sporting, and the introduction of Craig Roddan in the middle and U17 World Cup standout Brad Smith at left back replaced two of Liverpool’s worst performers with a pair who would turn in two of the strongest showings against Molde. They were hardly alone, though, with Andre Wisdom moving inside to his more natural centre back position and dominating proceedings at the back while Conor Coady captained the side with a composed display alongside the more adventurous Roddan in midfield. Meanwhile up front the older Michael Ngoo, who started on the bench against Sporting Lisbon as he was just returning from the U20 World Cup, was much stronger than Adam Morgan had been the last time out.

The standout performance on the day, however, belonged to Raheem Sterling, as the Norwegians had no answer for the buzzing left winger. One on one situations with Molde’s right back saw the Liverpool youngster skip past and into space repeatedly, while when they put two or three on him he would simply cut it back and chip balls into the box, and he would bookend Liverpool’s day by setting up Toni Silva’s opener before slotting home the fourth on a cutback from the marauding Brad Smith.

When it came to Toni Silva, he once again impressed and frustrated in equal measure, a theme that has been nearly constant since he joined Liverpool over a year ago. His header for the first goal was textbook perfect, driven with pace into the ground at the goalkeeper’s feet and bouncing into the back of the net—unstoppable. But then he took off from his teammates and celebrated with a series of cartwheels, perhaps a celebration fitting such a quality finish but one that nonetheless couldn’t help but remind everybody watching that since his arrival he’s been a player who appears to put personal achievement ahead of team achievement. As the match progressed, too, it would be more of the usual mix of stunning bits of skill interspersed with frustrating bouts of selfishness, culminating in a sweetly taken second goal followed by an ugly tantrum when he wasn’t allowed to take Liverpool’s penalty.

Ngoo, who had a strong game from start to finish, tore past the Molde defense in the 56th minute and tried to chip the charging keeper. He missed, but was taken out in the process, earning a penalty. At first, Ngoo stepped up to take the penalty he had earned, but with instructions coming from the bech for Conor Coady to take it instead the big striker stepped aside gracefully. Which seemed as though it should have been the end of any discussion until Toni Silva bulled in and tried to grab the ball from Coady before stomping back to the half way line when it became clear he wasn’t going to be given the opportunity to convert the penalty into a hat trick.

Almost immediately, reserves manager Rodolfo Borrell took off the petulant Silva for Hungarian playmaker Kristztian Adorjan, and it’s hard not to think that Silva’s antics at least played a role in his substitution. Certainly the young Portuguese is a talent, but with each passing game it becomes more difficult to think of it being only a matter of time before his attitude improves and instead a question of if it ever will.

As for the remainder of the match, after the penalty it was never in doubt, with Liverpool taking their foot off the gas but maintaining a stranglehold on possession with Molde seeming consigned to the heavy defeat. And so now Liverpool looks ahead to a match at Anfield against Wolfsburg next Wednesday, and after an at times shaky start against Sporting Lisbon they will have to be feeling confident in their chances after so handily dispatching a Molde side that had previously defeated Wolfsburg and played Sporting close. If they can similarly handle the Germans next week, a top two finish in the group and a chance to move on to the knock out rounds in January will be well within their grasp.

Some Related Liverpool Posts:

Category: Champions League, Match Recaps, Team News

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Erlend

Great to see the youngsters putting up a show in my homecountry. Espesically glad to see Sterling score.
Jake_LFC

Not a word for Suso? I thought he looked excellent yesterday, in the not-continuous 60 or so minutes I was able to catch.
Avinash Joshi

What the hell is that idiot meriles(whatever the spelling) is spewing? What the fuck is that supposed to mean? "I did not want to leave liverpool the owners did not want to sell me. Chelsea called hence I wanted to leave liverpool." Wtf? Is he saying that since chelsea are a better club than liverpool(right now) he wanted to leave? Well that's usually the case. When a player leaves, he goes to a club which is better placed otherwise you are just a plain idiot. I mean I read through that interview thrice and i couldn't decipher what he was trying to say. Its this kind of spluttering and incoherent interviews that make us believe he went for money, Yeah I know they have champions league but I am bitter so I can choose to ignore it.
CheekyFellow

I would not have cared as much if he left because of the money. But apparently we weren't big enough, fuck 'em.

I guess he wanted to expand his clothing line into London, who knows.
Wilbur

Let's try again - the penalty: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
Avinash Joshi

The fight is not there. Is there a bigger portion of the video?
Wilbur

The Penalty: http://liverpool.theoffside.co...
Ryan

erhm, the website URL for the offside?: http://liverpool.theoffside.co...
Wilbur

Nuts. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
Ryan

Hah, just be sure to blame it on Disqus like the rest of us. Thanks for the video.
Tropics Reds

Here's an article from the Echo with Rafa's quick analysis on the difference between English/Spanish football.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk...
Tropics Reds

From Paisley Gates.
Squad Review Part 1: Goalkeepers
September 7, 2011 · by Grubb

Liverpool are on the up, ladies and gents.
Thommo’s saying it. Aldo’s saying it. We’re saying it here, here and here. Even professional LFC hater Martin Samuel managed to admit it (while digging a few sly elbows into Andy Carroll of course).
While it’s far too early to predict what we might achieve this season, many more knowledgable than I are suggesting we have the strongest squad we’ve had in years. I aim to investigate that claim through this Squad Review series, evaluating the squad on a position-by-position basis, beginning with the Goalkeeping position. Here they are:

FIRST CHOICEName: Pepe ReinaAge: 29Nationality: Spanish
The Skinny: Does he really need an introduction? On the off chance one of you has been in Austin Powers-style cryogenic hibernation for the last few years, here are the need-to-knows. He’s the best keeper in the Premier League, easily. His passport says Spanish, but his heart says Scouse. He’s our untouchable first choice.

THE BACKUPName: Alexander DoniAge: 31Nationality: Brazilian
The Skinny: Yet to feature for us in a competitive fixture, Doni has recently been added to the squad to provide meaningful competition for Reina – or at least to give him someone to goof around with while the rest of the team are doing outfield drills at training. Admittedly a good keeper in his own right, Doni has added experienced backup to the GK position and will no doubt be called upon during cup competition at some stage. If Pepe can be persuaded to let him.

HOMEGROWN QUOTA-FILLERName: Brad JonesAge: 29Nationality: Australian
The Skinny: My compatriot Jones has surprisingly been kept on at Liverpool despite being widely tipped for an exit during the transfer window. Jones qualifies as a homegrown player, and may have been kept for this purpose. No matter what, Jones is a consummate squad professional who fits in well and doesn’t complain – like any fan he knows how lucky he is to play for LFC.
You Might Also See: If someone who is not Reina or Doni turns out at GK during the course of this season, I would be highly surprised. While we have some talented youth keepers, Peter Gulacsi and Martin Hansen are both out on loan, while Jamie Stephens, Tyrell Belford, Connor Wearing and Yusuf Mersin have their hands full enough with youth and reserves football.

Depth Rating: 5/5With Reina being world class, Doni experienced internationally and at a big club in Roma, and Jones being a fringe international who is well-accustomed to English football, our goalkeeping department is about as strong as they come.
CSD

Not that I don't appreciate our articles being spread across the Googlenet like some form of journalistic bukake, but what does it really have to do with this post?
Tropics Reds

Just sharing Liverpool related articles with like minded Liverpool fans. I have no other medium to do so....
Latortillablanca

Sorry, but Doni is shite. Fact.
Thomas Hoppe

I saw him on the wrong end of a couple highlights and he looked like he has no lift at all. In addition to being fairly slow.
Suarez from the car park...

dominant display, pretty impressive.
Tropics Reds

Nice write up guys; it would be good to get some individual player analysis too for those of us who won't get to watch these games.

Perhaps a rating indicator of level of talent and potential/likelihood of achieving that potential.

Of course you'll all have to work closely with professional scouts for a period of time to develop the skills to be able to provide us with such insight, but I feel its the least you can do ;0)
Latortillablanca

seriously, ngoo or morgan?
Noel

It's so hard to judge players that are still developing—even my criticisms of Silva amount to "He's awesome but will have a hard time taking the next step at Liverpool if he doesn't learn to use his teammates," which is really pretty mild when you get right down to it.

But let's take a shot at it so that people can call me out on not having a clue: Ngoo, for me, is a lock to make it in England. Maybe not with Liverpool, but somewhere in the Prem or near the top of the Championship. He's not Andy Carroll big, but he's big, and he's fast enough to put aside "for a guy his size" qualifiers. Ball skills are solid but hardly slick; can hold up play adequately or drag defenders wide and bring his teammates into the game. Also at times can be a useful battering ram, and can burn defenders who underestimate his speed. Maybe think Dzeko for an easy comparison.

Morgan's more iffy—he doesn't have standout size, pace, or ball skills, but he does have a nose for goal. If/where he makes it is going to come down to effort and positional flexibility—ie., is he driven to be the next Kuyt, or happy to be a decent poacher a few levels down the pyramid?

There, now I feel vaguely dirty.
Latortillablanca

fair points re:development - i thnk its more interesting because these reserve and u/19 teams are the first generation to come through since the academy shake up that gets so many plaudits...

id like to see what the senior coaching staff could make of ngoo for most of the reasons u state above. he seems to have a natural enough first touch - not a fernando-in-his-pomp touch, but a useful one for a bigger guy. another thing i thnk is underestimated with him is a natural ability to be in and around big plays, i feel like everytime ive seen him play, when something dramatic happens he's not far from the action and that is pretty damn fine knack to have as a CF...

im truly pullin for morgan, but there oceans of strikers that kill it at every level until they hit the pros, then fall apart... almost as if being so successful and scoring so many goals hurts their dvlpmnt in some way...? Iniesta and Bojan both had youth careers that paralleled morgan's, and while id love for him to be the former, im thnkn he's closer to the latter...
Tropics Reds

I'd rather have a 19 year old Ngoo on the bench as an option, than spend $x million on some journeyman career footballer only motivated by the paycheck....

Is he ready for a few appearances this year or does Eccleston look more likely to return from loan to join the squad at some point?
Noel

I could see him making the bench for a League Cup game or two, but with the added depth and no European action it's hard to imagine much more than that. As for Eccleston, he's a very different type of player and I suspect that at this point Sterling is more likely to get a few minutes here and there than he would even if he returned.
Tropics Reds

So out of our older 'youth' what's your prediction for:

Eccleston 21 - FWD
Darby 22 - RB
Amoo 20 - RW
Pacheco 20 - FWD/AM
Mendy 21 - RB/LB
Roberts 21 - Centre Midfield

By prediction, I mean your gut feel as to whether they're good enough to be given a chance, whether they're still developing and too hard to tell or whether they've had enough chances to prove it and should be moved on?
Latortillablanca

ugh, when u put it like that, its pretty easy to see why Rafa stipulated the academy reshuffle before signing that last contract - thats almost an atrocious list of players recruited from the old academy set up who will almost certainly be gone this time next year, most of them permanently...
Noel

I think with the new depth at the club and kids a couple of years younger likely seen as on par from a development standpoint, none of them are likely to come good at Liverpool. Eccleston had a few opportunities with the first team last year and given that he failed to make an impact then, fair or not, he's going to have a hard time getting even that now—especially with rumours the club was trying to move him permanently to a lower league side or two over the summer. Meanwhile Atletico has a set buy option on Pacheco if he impresses at Rayo, so he's pretty much done one way or the other. Which leaves you with Amoo if you're in a gambling mood as the only one on that list with a snowball's chance.

Do think Pacheco and Amoo are the most likely to have careers Liverpool fans are at least vaguely aware of. Just not at Liverpool. Though anything could happen until it does, and I would have liked to have seen Pacheco given another year on loan at Norwich—but that he wasn't tells you all you need to know about his future at the club.
Jay Wright

I agree with most of that Noel - just need to add my opinion that Mendy is terrible! I kept confusing him with Mavinga previously, and wonder if it was the same reason that saw Mavinga discarded so quickly...

Amoo isn't a particularly good player, but he has those attributes (pace, power & work rate) that are so important and could see him forge a decent career in modern football, where strikers who can't score consistently or link up play and wingers who can't dribble or cross are just converted into wide-forwards! :-)
Tropics Reds

At close to 23, you'd have to expect that Darby isn't in the plan. I've not heard any rave reviews coming out of Rochdale, so he may have found his level.

Shame about Pacheco really after all the early excitement, but never really looked like getting any game time. I see it as chicken and egg, the youngsters need minutes on the pitch to help them develop, but then they've got to be good enough to be played....which way did this one go? Now at 20, you'd think alot of his potential to develop would have been lost.

Mendy looks to have been a cheap Rafa squad player who we may make a little profit on.

Roberts isn't even given a spectacular write up on the O/S. Whereas opther players are described as explosive/excellent passing range/commanding etc, Roberts is just described as 'a defensive midfielder who is not afraid to put his foot in and passes the ball nice and simple'.

Idon't know anything about Amoo or Eccleston, so thanks for the overview.
Tropics Reds

Now I'm not saying that Morgan is going to emulate Fowler, but when Fowler broke through, he had broken all these goalscoring records and we knew we were getting a good player come through the ranks, but to look at him he was similar to your description of Morgan.

He was 5'10" and not built like Hulk, couldn't dribble like John Barnes or Peter Beardsley, wasn't especially quick (considering Michael Owen coming through the ranks as his successor) but he would score for fun.

Superb left foot that could score goals all round the penatly box. A decent header of the ball too for his size. Just enough pace to give him time to pull the trigger. And an instinct to be in the right place at the right time.

Is that good enough in todays game anymore? Maybe would need to have a hard pressing attiutde (Kuyt), willingness to drift wide or deep (wee Luis). Or a John Aldridge trait of bringing the advancing midfield into play with hold up play and then turn and head for goal.
NotTooXabi

I, honestly, didn't see much with Silva and the penalty "tantrum." In fact, I noticed all three - Coady, Ngoo and Silva - having a sort-it-out moment. After the foul, Ngoo walks the ball to the spot. Coady pokes it away and tells both of them that he takes these. Silva hovering around, obviously jabbing (looking for the hat-trick, mind) - and it's Ngoo (though I could be wrong here) who takes a petulant swipe at the ball in Coady's hand and then walks away. Silva, from my point of view, didn't really 'do' much, though I think whatever he said plus his lack of celebration (where Ngoo gives Coady a hug) after the goal was scored was the impetus for his substitution.

Regardless of what happened with the penalty situation, I sort of dig the Silva talented-petulance vibe. If only to see him get a run at in the League Cup when he crosses paths with a 36 year-old grizzly center back from the Northeast, I want to see a bit of flair/pizzazz coming through the ranks. Flair and audacious skill requires a bit of arrogance which, in turn, requires a certain petulance. The trick, as they say, is to find the balance (i.e. Suarez, C Ronaldo, and *gulp* Nani). Do I want to see him mature and lose the gymnastic routine? Yes. At this point in his young career, do I want to see his pure ability curbed by a collective-before-the-individual assimilation campaign? No.

Did I just insinuate that Noel is the Chairman Mao to LFC's Great Cultural Revolution? Perhaps.

That said, Sterling looks the part and expect him to get a run in said League Cup. Silva would do well to pay attention to how that process works.
Noel

Perhaps I am being too harsh—and he certainly is a promising talent. But I was saying much the same as you are now a year ago and haven't noticed the slightest change in his his approach, and as talented as he is he just as clearly isn't the next Ronaldo—or even Neymar. I wouldn't put him up there with Sterling right now, either, who can have his share of selfish moments—which as you say, isn't an entirely bad thing—but still comes across as a better team player while being both the brighter prospect and a year younger.

A bit of selfish play is fine, but he isn't the kind of freak talent who's likely to one day go up against the big boys and look a class above as he does at this level, and after a time it becomes hard to see him refuse to pass for the nth time and not think of Ryan Babel futures. Or: Without developing a more rounded game at the youth and reserve level it will be hard for him to get enough time with the first team to develop into the next Nani and in two or three years he'll have to head to Spain or back to Portugal to do that, at which point it hardly benefits Liverpool. I do think he'll have a bright career somewhere, but his willingness to develop as a complete player over the next season with the reserves is going to determine if he gets the chance to take that next step at Liverpool or somewhere else.
NotTooXabi

Good points well made. Fucker.

As we see with Coady, Sterling, and Wisdom - they appear ready to graduate to 1st team training and into King Kenny's Court. And thanks, in part, to NextGen they'll be better players for it. Where they go from there is another discussion based on an entirely different set of parameters.

So is NextGen a litmus test for a player like Silva? At a club like Liverpool...if you get this sort of opportunity and don't seize it with both hands - what then? If a serious/professional-grade 18-19 year old prospect can't cut the proverbial mustard at NexGen - with its age-controlled level playing field - what hope is there at 20-21 in the world of Reserve footy and the occasional League Cup appearance?

I've managed to get more interested in this tournament and this group of young Reds...which only means less productivity and more booze.
Tropics Reds

Does anyone have any idea of whether Darby, Amoo or Eccleston have any chance of making it?