Liverpool u18 2 Chelsea u18 0 - FA Youth Cup 4th Round (Jan 13 2007)

[TLW]

LIVERPOOL U18 2 Chelsea U18 0

Report by Dave Usher at Anfield

Scorer(s) - Jimmy Ryan, Ray Putterill Half Time - 1-0 Venue - Anfield Date - Sat 13 Jan 2007 Star Man - Jay Spearing / Robbie Threlfall

 

 

 

 

 

 

The reds youngsters showed they are in no mood to relinquish the FA Youth Cup trophy they lifted last season, as goals from Jimmy Ryan and Ray Putterill gave Steve Heighway's side an impressive victory over a much fancied Chelsea outfit. The visitors line up read like a who's who of 'Football Manager 2007' stars, and cost a fair bit to assemble. There were some players with big reputations in their side, but they rarely troubled an outstanding Liverpool back four led by skipper Jay Spearing.

I saw Chelsea win at the Academy earlier this season, and they looked pretty useful that day. The side that took to the field at Anfield was even stronger, boosted by the inclusions of imported strikers Carlos Tejera and Morten Nielson. With highly rated wingers Miroslav Stoch and Scott Sinclair (who appeared for the senior side at Wycombe the other night), I honestly feared the worst.

I was guilty of underestimating our lads, whose resilience and sheer will to win gave them the edge over opponents who on paper were much superior. Heighway's kids were first to every ball, well organised and on the balance of play thoroughly deserved to win. In a week in which the club's youth policy has come under close scrutiny in the wake of Arsenal's success at Anfield, this will have been a hugely satisfying win for the reds Academy chief, especially as nine of the starting eleven are local lads who have been with the club for many years.

Only Danish goalkeeper Martin Hansen and Scottish midfielder Ryan Flynn have been brought in from outside the area, whereas the Chelsea side had talent brought in from all over the place. Sinclair was signed for big money from Bristol Rovers, Tajera came from Espanyol and is very highly rated, Harry Worley was nabbed from Stockport, Michael Woods was the lad they nicked from Leeds (prompting Ken Bates' 'Siberian schysters' rant), Miroslav Stoch is a highly rated Slovakian winger, Morten Nielsen is a Danish youth international and they had two Portuguese u18 internationals on the subs bench.

Their expensively assembled squad was completely nullified by the reds back four however. There is a lack of height in the reds backline, but that was never an issue as Chelsea play on the floor. It was only in the closing stages that they went route one when they sent big centre half Worley up front (a common Chelsea tactic against us!).

Spearing and Threlfall contained Tejera and Nielson with surprising ease, neither striker got a kick throughout the contest, whilst in the first half dangerman Sinclair couldn't escape the close attentions of the dilligent Stephen Darby.

This years youth cup side lacking the flair and attacking threat of Hammill and Anderson, as well as the muscle of Antwi and Hobbs, but there are still several players left from last year. Jimmy Ryan was one of those, although he missed the latter stages of the competition through injury having scored in an earlier round.

He is back in the side this year, albeit out of position on the right of midfield. To me, it would have made more sense to play Jimmy in the centre and switch either Charlie Barnett or Ryan Flynn to the right, but Steve Heighway clearly knows better as it was Jimmy who proved to be the reds main goal threat in the opening 45 minutes.

He was within a whisker of opening the scoring on 8 minutes, when Chelsea failed to clear a Barnett free-kick, and the ball fell to Ryan on the edge of the box. His left foot drive fizzed just past the post with the keeper nowhere.

Six minutes later he did find the net. Lee Woodward made a good run into space down the left, and was found with a superb ball down the line (I don't remember who played the pass unfortunately). He held the ball up, and then laid it back to the supporting Putterill, who looked up and picked out Ryan in the centre with a terrific cross. Ryan was closely marked, but flicked the ball with the outside of his foot on the volley into the far corner of the net.

Three minutes later Putterill released Lindfield through the centre, and he unleashed a superb dipping half volley from 20 yards that was narrowly over the bar. It wasn't a free flowing attacking display by the reds, but they were still looking the more dangerous of the two sides.

Chelsea tried to use the pace of their two widemen, but for all their obvious ability they couldn't get much change out of the Liverpool full backs. Their best chance of the entire game came ten minutes before the break, when Liverpool failed to clear a corner, and when the ball was sent back in Stoch had a glorious chance six yards out in front of the Kop, but he scuffed his shot wide.

I expected an onslaught in the second half, but it never materialised. In fact, the longer the half went the more Liverpool got on top. On 65 minutes Woodward went close with a curling shot after good play by Barnett, and five minutes later the striker got clear of the defence after latching onto Lindfield's flick, but the keeper saved at his feet.

All this time, Hansen had not had to make a save. In fact, the only time he was remotely extended was when he had to make a fairly routine save from Spearing's headed backpass. He dealt very well with any crosses that came his way, and his kicking was good too. He looks a very assured young man.

The reds made the game safe with six minutes remaining, when Spearing's 'Alonso like' diagonal ball found Putterill in the box, and he brought the ball down on his chest before steadying himself and drilling a low left foot shot into the far corner. An excellent goal from the in form frontman, who also got the winner in the last round at the Hawthorns.

I had expected a lot more from Chelsea to be honest, but rather than focus on how disappointing they were, I think great credit has to go to our lads for simply not letting them do what they wanted to do. The boys all worked extremely hard, but the win wasn't just down to that. They used the ball well when they had the chance to attack, and tactically they were brilliant.

The defence caught Chelsea offside time and again, and the organisation of the back four was very impressive. I sometimes worry about Spearing at centre half because he's so small, but in terms of organising, reading the game and generally having a football brain, Jay is as good as I've seen at this level in a long time. You can see why the Academy staff love him to bits, he's a born winner.

He and Threlfall play very well together and they were the foundations on which this win was built. Putterill and Ryan were both excellent too, and thoroughly deserved their goals, but the two centre backs share the star man award.

Team: Hansen; Darby, Spearing, Threlfall, Burns; Ryan, Barnett, Flynn, Putterill; Lindfield, Woodward (Wignall):