A view to the future -Tyler Morton

[TLW]

It has unquestionably been a difficult start to the season for Jurgen Klopp and his squad.  With the hopes for another league title all but over with not even ten games played, all eyes look to the future. 

 

The average age of the Liverpool squad has become a hot topic of discussion at the start of this campaign, but Jurgen Klopp has never been reluctant in giving opportunities to youngsters if he feels they can step up to the mark. Now with a squad refresh seemingly on the cards in the next 12 months, the question is just which players will be a part of the next Liverpool evolution?

 

The beauty of the loan system is that you can send your young prospects away and see whether they step up and rise to the challenge or don’t live up to expectations. 

 

And with that said, It is a rather appropriate time for TLW to run a semi-regular update piece on a couple of players on loan starting with Tyler Morton at Blackburn.

 

Rovers under Tony Mowbray did a fine job in helping Harvey Elliott sharpen his skillset and confidence to play against senior professionals.

 

While being a different kind of player to Harvey, there is a belief that Morton can make it at the top level, be it at Liverpool, or another club.

 

@IanHerbert from Blackburn fansite @brfcsdotcom will be closely observing Morton’s progress and provide updates as the season progresses. 

 

Liverpool - The Loan Arrangers 

 

The combined effects of the Elite Player Performance Plan and the increasing polarisation of the money in the “beautiful game” has created a new genre of footballer - the “promising Premier League club academy prospect who needs first team experience”. 

 

The likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool in particular have sought such experience for many of their youngest and brightest talents and have turned to the EFL with the aim of hot-housing talent to achieve a growth spurt. 

 

Rovers have seen the likes of Kasey Palmer (Chelsea), Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Tosin Adarabioyo (Man City) and more recently Harvey Elliott, Leighton Clarkson and Tyler Morton (Liverpool) all spend time in the Rovers first-team squads, albeit with varying degrees of success.

 

The Liverpool connection especially has proved busy in recent seasons. Allegedly Jurgen Klopp admired the style of Tony Mowbray’s side during a pre-season friendly and diplomatic accords soon followed.

 

Harvey Elliott delighted Rovers supporters via TV screens during the lockdown season with performances that were reminiscent of the precocious, young Damien Duff. His link-up play with Adam Armstrong proving to be mutually beneficial - Elliott returned to Anfield with a first-team pedigree whilst Armstrong earned a big money move to Southampton.

 

Leighton Clarkson, a boyhood Rovers supporter, arrived with high hopes and expectations, only for the move to fail singularly as Clarkson seemed unready both physically and technically for the rigours of the Championship. 

 

This season’s episode of “who is Jürgen going to send us?” pointed towards Sepp van Den Berg initially, but the roulette wheel eventually stopped on the name of Tyler Morton. The response of Rovers supporters was muted following the Clarkson experiment and so young Tyler arrived at Ewood with lower expectations than his talent perhaps deserved.

 

 

With a new manager at the helm nobody was quite sure how the team would line up and what role if any, the lad from Wallasey would or should play. As Rovers academy is one of the brighter lights of the tainted Venky’s era. there is a strong argument to say that preference should be given to our own academy products. Why develop talent for other clubs? 

 

The answer to that perfectly reasonable question lies in the hands of the manager and the recruitment head who clearly believed that the likes of Adam Wharton, Jared Harlock and Luke Garrett weren’t quite ready.

 

Morton made an early start away to Bradford in the Carabao Cup where he featured at centre-back and impressed with a calm, assured performance. His league performances have all been in his accustomed midfield role where he has slowly but surely settled in and looks to be blossoming alongside Rovers skipper Lewis Travis, himself a former Liverpool academy prospect of course.

 

Morton’s evolution into this Rovers midfield mainstay has been impressive and his range of passing, vision and technique brings to mind the style of one of the Rovers all-time greats, the legend that is Tugay. Let’s try to manage the accusations of hyperbole here; Morton has some way to go to reach the heights of the Turkish maestro’s capabilities at the very highest levels but the raw ingredients seem present in abundance.

 

What is noticeable is his willingness to receive the ball under pressure and not be fazed by opposition bearing down him. Invariably he can thread a pass and find a teammate in the most pressured of situations. He clearly has the confidence of his colleagues and the manager, taking many of the set-pieces around the opposition penalty area and his delivery is invariably accurate. 

 

 

At this stage, Morton has displaced the local hero (John Buckley) and looks every inch worth his place. His crowning performance to date coming last Saturday against Rotherham at Ewood where the combination of industry, energy and creativity rightly earned him Man Of The Match plaudits. 

 

Is there any chance of signing him permanently asked one fan on the http://BRFCS.com forum…well as the old joke has it; two chances, slim and none, and slim just left town. 

 

The days of Rovers signing high-class talent from Liverpool such as Speedie, Friedel and Warnock are long gone. The conveyor belt of talent arriving on loan though may well be enhanced following the positive impact of first Elliott & now Morton. 

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[VladimirIlyich]

Reports seem good for the lad and he has impressed in those League Cup games too while here. It's just a shame that top teams are farming out prospects to Championship teams who if they get PL promotion,or close,are taken back by the parent club and the rug is swept away leaving them looking to have to rinse and repeat. It could almost be the PL Central League.*

 

* For youngsters the Central League was the reserve league for the old First Division clubs. Liverpool won it multiple times as the strength in depth,competition for places and opportunity for first team players to get match fitness was ideal.

[King Kenny 86]

Central league footy, top quality but in the days of one sub. Yes kids that one dub was a major step forward from no subs.

Now a premier league bench has more players and staff than a league 2 fixture.

On the age thing agree big 12 months but let's not lose sight of the ages of Trent, Konate, Gomez , Curtis, Harvey, Fabio,Luis, Darwin.... just need time to gel then allow Morten, Frauendorf, Mussilewski, Cannonier, Beck time to develop. 

Squad not as old as we think, just a little unbalanced on new players v old v experience 

That will come.

[dave u]

Frauendorf and Musialowski are definitely not making it with us. I really like Cannonier but he's probably too small to make it here unless we change our style. Bajcetic is quality and I do like Morton a lot. The kid Doak we got from Celtic looks quality. Chambers has something about him too but it will be one or the other (or neither) between him and Beck.

 

Agree on the balance of the squad. There's too big a gap between the old and the young, not enough in the 23-27 age bracket, especially in midfield.

[VladimirIlyich]

54 minutes ago, dave u said:

Frauendorf and Musialowski are definitely not making it with us. I really like Cannonier but he's probably too small to make it here unless we change our style. Bajcetic is quality and I do like Morton a lot. The kid Doak we got from Celtic looks quality. Chambers has something about him too but it will be one or the other (or neither) between him and Beck.

 

Agree on the balance of the squad. There's too big a gap between the old and the young, not enough in the 23-27 age bracket, especially in midfield.

As I have said in the Youth thread,if none of the U 23s are not being promoted at present its doubtful they are going to be here longer term. The 19s appear to have some prospects though.

[NoelM]

1 hour ago, dave u said:

Frauendorf and Musialowski are definitely not making it with us. I really like Cannonier but he's probably too small to make it here unless we change our style. Bajcetic is quality and I do like Morton a lot. The kid Doak we got from Celtic looks quality. Chambers has something about him too but it will be one or the other (or neither) between him and Beck.

 

Agree on the balance of the squad. There's too big a gap between the old and the young, not enough in the 23-27 age bracket, especially in midfield.

 

We've got Mabaya, Bradley as well as Ramsay for right back, all look promising. I also like Quansah.

[Johnlj]

How is it going with that young striker we had. Layton Stewart I think. Got a long term injury last season or the one before. He was always talked positively about on here. Is he back playing ? Or is he going down the path of promising youngsters that have their career ruined by early injuries.

[DaveT]

30 minutes ago, Johnlj said:

How is it going with that young striker we had. Layton Stewart I think. Got a long term injury last season or the one before. He was always talked positively about on here. Is he back playing ? Or is he going down the path of promising youngsters that have their career ruined by early injuries.

He scored a hat rick last week for the u21s. Looks to be getting back on track after nearly a year out. 

[Johnlj]

40 minutes ago, DaveT said:

He scored a hat rick last week for the u21s. Looks to be getting back on track after nearly a year out. 

Thanks for the update.

[TheSire]

4 hours ago, dave u said:

Frauendorf and Musialowski are definitely not making it with us. I really like Cannonier but he's probably too small to make it here unless we change our style. Bajcetic is quality and I do like Morton a lot. The kid Doak we got from Celtic looks quality. Chambers has something about him too but it will be one or the other (or neither) between him and Beck.

 

Agree on the balance of the squad. There's too big a gap between the old and the young, not enough in the 23-27 age bracket, especially in midfield.

The Polish Messi. That was him fucked straight away.

 

Remember..... Gerardo Bruna? I remember watching him and Pacheco vs Everton reserves and was completely underwhelmed.

[TheSire]

Not to say he'll turn out that good but the passing range, technique, close control and that bit of swagger does make Morton remind me of thiago in a way. They even seem to run the same. Kind of like how Stu Montague runs like Gary Neville.

[El Dangerous]

How’s young El Zhar getting on these days, must be on the brink of challenging for a squad place by now?

[johnsusername]

14 minutes ago, El Dangerous said:

How’s young El Zhar getting on these days, must be on the brink of challenging for a squad place by now?

Him, Suso and Pacheco are going to tear up the league soon. 

[johnsusername]

That Doak was getting raved about on this week's Red Agenda (The Athletic) podcast. 

[VladimirIlyich]

1 minute ago, johnsusername said:

Him, Suso and Pacheco are going to tear up the league soon. 

They are starting Masters football again so will have a chance to make the first team.

[AngryOfTuebrook]

27 minutes ago, VladimirIlyich said:

They are starting Masters football again so will have a chance to make the first team.

I really felt my age seeing Pongo turn out for the Legends a few weeks ago.

[Johnlj]

57 minutes ago, AngryOfTuebrook said:

I really felt my age seeing Pongo turn out for the Legends a few weeks ago.

Le gems. Beating Arsenal to them. Our future was looking great etc. Wenger must have had a bit of a laugh about that once in a while. Must say they had me exited getting a couple of talents that tore up the U-17 world cup or what it was.

[AngryOfTuebrook]

Signed a new contract.

 

I do like the cut of this kid's jib.

 

https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/tyler-morton-signs-new-long-term-contract-liverpool

 

 

https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/tyler-morton-interview-new-lfc-contract-blackburn-loan-development-and-aims

[sir roger]

He looked different in Fight Club