Carragher: Strong performances by youngsters could change transfer plans

[TLW]

Jamie Carragher believes that the steady improvement of Curtis Jones and Neco Williams could save Jürgen Klopp a lot of money in the transfer window.

The teenagers have won rave reviews when coming up against seasoned professionals in recent times and Carragher believes those performances bode well for the future of the club.

Carragher is a man who knows all about taking the big jump from the youth ranks to the senior level and told the Echo it is all about timing.

 

“They just make a jump and you're never quite sure when it's going to happen but they have to make that jump if they're going to rise to the ability of the first-team and it looks like he has made that jump now.

 

“Curtis has kicked on this year but that's what young players do.

“When he plays in the younger team, it almost looks like he's a first-team player dropping down to play with the younger players.

“The one criticism of this Liverpool team is sometimes a lack of creativity from central midfield, and I think he could provide that.

“Whether Liverpool go into the market to change that, or Minamino maybe changes that, but Curtis Jones and some of the other younger players will be putting things in the managers head about whether he needs to go into the transfer market."

The Reds legend also gave a deal of praise for the Right-Back in Williams who claimed Man of the match honours for his performance against Shrewsbury on Tuesday evening.

 

“We haven't got great cover at full-back - James Milner is there but he's a 34-year-old midfield player and when you consider Liverpool are the champions of Europe and how good they are, there should probably be another recognised player in those positions.

"But I do think Neco Williams, with the way he has played, you wouldn't think about going into the market to buy anyone and you've got Ki-Jana Hoever there as well.

“These young kids now and what they have done are going to save a lot of money in the summer.

Carragher says Jürgen Klopp is going about things in a perfect fashion by giving the youngsters a taste of the domestic cup completions, which in turn builds experience and confidence.

And from there, he can pass judgement whether they have what it takes to become regulars.

“ I think Trent Alexander-Arnold should be happy where he is and Neco Williams should be happy playing cup games for the moment but if anything happened to Trent, he's of course still very young, but Neco could come in a gain more experience.

“It could come to a stage where Neco Williams wants to play week in week out and then he and Liverpool would have to decide if he has the right quality to do that.
 

"There's a difference between quality to play week in week out and being a squad player.

"At the moment I think it's right that Liverpool shouldn't go into the market to buy someone in cover for Trent, and then wait for the stage to see if Williams is good enough to play for Liverpool every week.

"And when that stage comes, then you may think we may need to move Trent or you might say Trent's our right-back and unfortunately he's that good and you're sorry but the transfer value would be really good because he's a top player."



 

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[dockers_strike]

I think that's going to be our biggest problem with this great crop of young lads coming through: are they going to be patient enough or, if Bundesliga and other PL clubs start sniffing around, will they want to move on for regular playing time?

 

I think Jones is nailed on to be a full first team squad member next season and getting regular outings, Elliot, Hoever and Williams maybe less so and more limited to the cups or Trent's resting in the case of Williams?

[VladimirIlyich]

20 hours ago, dockers_strike said:

I think that's going to be our biggest problem with this great crop of young lads coming through: are they going to be patient enough or, if Bundesliga and other PL clubs start sniffing around, will they want to move on for regular playing time?

 

I think Jones is nailed on to be a full first team squad member next season and getting regular outings, Elliot, Hoever and Williams maybe less so and more limited to the cups or Trent's resting in the case of Williams?

I think Hoever could be a genuine contender for most of the back four positions,as a back up of course and not first choice. If Klopp was looking to give some minutes and try to shut up shop then I could see Hoever do a job at right back in the way Gomez wasn't particularly great at. I'd imagine he'd eventually become a centre back.

[Rotpeter]

9 hours ago, VladimirIlyich said:

I think Hoever could be a genuine contender for most of the back four positions,as a back up of course and not first choice. If Klopp was looking to give some minutes and try to shut up shop then I could see Hoever do a job at right back in the way Gomez wasn't particularly great at. I'd imagine he'd eventually become a centre back.

Klopp tends to bring on another center half when he wants to fortify the defense though.  Plus Neco is in his way.

[aws]

We might need all these youngsters in the squad in any event to satisfy whatever English quotas are agreed between the PL and the FA. 

[Carvalho Diablo]

When Carragher speaks I reach for the mute button.

 

Horrific commentator / pundit. Fucking crap spouting cabbage.

 

[Trumo]

Young players often show real glimpses of a promising future when given sporadic first-team appearances, like Jones and Williams have done. The important bit is to play regularly, even if that means dropping down a division by going out on loan.

[VladimirIlyich]

On 10/02/2020 at 21:50, Trumo said:

Young players often show real glimpses of a promising future when given sporadic first-team appearances, like Jones and Williams have done. The important bit is to play regularly, even if that means dropping down a division by going out on loan.

The problem is that the type of football is nothing like how they would play for us. And they often get kicked from pillar to post. Joining a Bundesliga,Dutch or similar is probably a better loan move.