Liverpool Youth Teams Thread

U23 & U18 Premier League Preview - Episode 2: Wolverhampton Wanderers

Wolves Youth Preview 2021/22

Wolves have come a long way as a club in a short space of time. Their relationship with super-agent Jorge Mendes has led to the not-undeserved title of ‘Little Portugal’ and they’ve continued to build upon it with this year’s signing of Trincao.

At youth level, it is fair to say the academy is still catching up with the progress. Morgan Gibbs-White stalled when he reached the first team and it has been difficult to get many to follow his path with the minutes going to young players who have been bought in such as Pedro Neto, Fabio Silva, Rayan Ait Nouri and Ki-Jana Hoever.

However, gradually this could be changing as a few talented prospects finally look to be emerging directly from the youth set up. Dion Sanderson impressed at Sunderland last season and has already headed out to Birmingham for the coming year while, in the U18s, Temple Ojinnaka became a regular at just fifteen years old. U18 captain, Ollie Tipton, got eight goals from centre back as a schoolboy.

Leading the charge for first team action in 21/22 however are the trio of Owen Otasowie, Theo Corbeanu and Lewis Richards.

U23 Projected Starters
Position
GK Andreas Sondergaard
CB Lewis Richards
CB Pascal Juan Estrada
RB Luke Matheson
LB Hugo Bueno
CM Luke Cundle
CM Taylor Perry
CM Owen Otasowie
RW Lee Harkin
LW Conor Carty
CF Austin Samuels
U18 Projected Starters
Position
GK Palmi Rafn Arinbjornsson
CB Ollie Tipton
CB Justin Hubner
RB Harry Birtwhistle
LB Aaron Keto-Diyawa
CM Ackeme Francis-Burrell
CM Temple Ojinnaka
CM Dylan Scicluna
RW Tyler Roberts
LW Ty Barnett
CF Owen Farmer
Players in Profile - Three to Watch in 2021/2022
Owen Otasowie

  • Position: DM
  • Age: 20
  • Nationality: American

Owen Otasowie is a versatile American midfielder who also has the ability to drop into centre back, particularly in a three man defence system. He is a physically imposing figure, gifted athlete who has had no problems with the demands of Premier League football in his brief cameos to date. Although often deployed as a central defender in the Wolves’ U23 team, he has a tendency to throw himself into tackles which makes a shielding midfield role fit his skillset more readily at Premier League level. He isn’t exactly quick but he has long legs which allow him to cover ground effectively. Otasowie has reportedly impressed new manager Bruno Lage in pre-season and will hope to build on his 185 Premier League minutes in 20/21.

Theo Corbeanu (on loan to Sheffield Wednesday)

  • Position: RW
  • Age: 19
  • Nationality: Canadian

Canadian international Corbeanu made his Wolves debut last season and the talented winger has every chance to get more opportunities this coming year. Although he is missing from Wolves’ pre-season tour (due to being in the Canadian National team at the Gold Cup) he will have time this season to impress his new coaching staff. Versatile enough to play across the frontline but he is most comfortable as a right winger where he uses skill and his two-footedness to beat defenders, rather than relying on pace. He scored seven goals last season from a wide position and will now be given his first chance at first team football in a season long loan spell at Sheffield Wednesday.

Lewis Richards

  • Position: CB
  • Age: 19
  • Nationality: Irish

Having won the Wolves Academy Player of the Year award last season and managing to make the bench ten times, defender Lewis Richards looks set to breakthrough at Wolves in the near future (if he doesn’t head on loan). The Irish U21 international has signed a professional contract and is strongly tipped to compete for a first team position having received high praise from various senior members of the Wolves staff. As a left sided centre back with good technical and aerial traits he is a very similar type of player to another Wolves graduate, Joleon Lescott. Although there is a definite increase in the number of left footed defenders coming through English academies, it is still a fairly rare trait and gives Richards a great opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Lescott as his career develops.

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Dixon-Bonner back with Liverpool after the end of his trial at Portsmouth. No plans for Pompey to offer him a contract currently.

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What do you think his level is?

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Hard to say really as he hasn’t ever established himself as a regular in the U23s (he plays a lot but gets moved around from central midfield out to the wide roles and even full back) and he has never been on loan. He also seems to have some issues with fitness and playing full length games.

In terms of his skill set I think he’s actually a really useful player. He’s athletic, quick, strong, good passer (I like him as a Wijnaldum type midfielder) but something does seem to keep holding him back. He could probably be a starter in League Two next season with his ceiling that of a Championship level player.

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Don’t you think it’s a bit damming that he couldn’t force his way in a third tier club?

U23 & U18 Premier League Preview - Episode 3: Aston Villa

Aston Villa Youth Preview 2021/2022

Liverpool twice learned that this Aston Villa academy is nothing to be sneered at. The U23 side pushed Liverpool’s first XI hard and although the result was a 4-1 defeat, the teenagers came out of the game rightly proud of their performance on the night. Later that season, Aston Villa’s U18s overcame Liverpool in the FA Youth Cup final with an excellent showing at Villa Park.

As those performances perfectly displayed, Aston Villa have a strong batch of young players with a real shot of coming through into the first team of a solidly mid-table Premier League club. It is an exciting time to be at Aston Villa. The last time Villa had a successful youth team was in 2013 when their U19 team won the NextGen Series (a short lived and vastly superior tournament to UEFA’s Youth Champions League)… they got Jack Grealish out of that team and would love a similar result once again.

U23 Projected Starters
Pos
GK Viljami Sinisalo
CB Dominic Revan
CB Mungo Bridge
RB Mamadou Sylla
LB Ben Chrisene
CM Aaron Ramsey
CM Carney Chukwuemeka
CM Lamare Bogarde
RW Tyreik Wright
LW Jaden Philogene-Bidace
CF Louie Barry
U18 Projected Starters
Pos
GK Oliwier Zych
CB Sil Swinkels
CB Aaron O’Riley
RB Frankie Ealing
LB Jayden Barber
CM Tommi O’Riley
CM Taylor-Jay Hart
CM Finley Munroe
RW Kahrel Reddin
LW Dewain Sewell
CF Chisom Afoka
Players in Profile - Three to Watch in 2021/2022
Jacob Ramsey

  • Position: CM
  • Age: 20
  • Nationality: English

An athletic ‘do-it-all’ midfielder, Ramsey is slowly growing his way into a regular role with the Aston Villa first team, managing 846 minutes last season building on a short (but strong) loan spell with Doncaster Rovers at the back end of the 19/20 season. After contributing three goals for Doncaster in seven appearances he was brought back to Villa and stayed in and around the first team squad becoming a regular substitute by the run-in. Ramsey is probably one those young players who will benefit from the five substitution rule allowing him to get minutes he otherwise may not have managed. Ramsey looks like a prototypical modern midfielder and should be able to build on a good end to last season.

Louie Barry (on loan to Ipswich Town)

  • Position: LW
  • Age: 18
  • Nationality: English

This comparison felt so lazy and I tried really hard to avoid making it, I really did, but it’s inescapable that Barry looks and plays in a very similar style to his star teammate, Jack Grealish. Having first made national headlines as a fifteen-year-old leaving West Brom for Barcelona, the England U18 international quietly returned to the Midlands just six months later with a variety of issues mostly out of his control - not least coaching changes at Barcelona - spoiling his chances of success with the Catalan giants. Aston Villa swooped and Barry hasn’t looked back, although as he has matured and developed he has moved from a free scoring central striker to a tricky winger who loves to drive into the penalty area - a transition perhaps aided by working closely with Grealish regularly. It’s a smart move allowing for more first team chances by being versatile enough to play multiple roles - Barry will be pushing hard for first team action this season.

Edit: Has now joined Ipswich Town on loan for the 2021/22 season

Carney Chukwuemeka

  • Position: CM
  • Age: 17
  • Nationality: English

England U18 international is a long-legged, ultra talented midfielder who is a dominant player on every pitch he touches. Strong, quick and capable of driving through midfield, he is a nightmare to stop and seeing him barely break stride as desperate opposition defenders are dragged along behind him is not a rare occurrence. Being just seventeen he was also able to step down and play in the Youth Cup where he registered a ridiculous return of seven goals and two assists from six appearances. His talent was rewarded at the end of last season with two appearances in the Premier League, including an impressive seventeen minute cameo against Chelsea. Chukwuemeka is a star in the making and I would not be surprised if he is a regular in the match day squad this season even at his tender age.

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Long legged? Who does he remind you of? Yaya, Vieira or more Carlton Palmer or Paulo Wanchope?!

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Yaya Toure is my comp for him.

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He’s a beast, would love us to sign him.

Yeah if I was given the choice of any youth player in the country he would probably be my pick.

Mine would be Bellingham then Chukwuemeka, but that is really splitting hairs… Both huge talents.

He’s not in the country :wink:

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Wow, and by the sounds of it he doesn’t coast as some youth players are inclined to do when physically they’re so much more dominant than their peers? He probably needs to be pushed to make sure he doesn’t become complacent - challenged with more senior football where he won’t be able to rely on physical advantages to the same extent.

More Yaya than Pogba, Sweeting?

I certainly haven’t seen him coast - he’s a bit like Balagizi (although he’s better than Balagizi at the moment) in that despite being bigger than everyone his main talent is his technical ability. I’d honestly be disappointed if he doesn’t get a fair amount of first team football this season and he’ll be training with the first team everyday.

Man City and Man Utd are have been looking at signing him. For his sake I hope he stays at Villa. Man City in particular would be a total waste of time for him.

Edit: And yes more Yaya than Pogba. Although it’s a similar comparison but I think he’s a bit more energetic than Pogba.

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Damning in what sense? For his Liverpool career yeah sure but we already know he’s not making it with us.

For his overall prospect!!!

Like I said I think he’s the type of player who could start in League Two next year and has a ceiling of the Championship. I think that’s not unreasonable.

U23 & U18 Premier League Preview - Episode 4: West Ham United

West Ham United Youth Preview 2021/22

Another famous academy that has underperformed in recent years. Declan Rice and Ben Johnson were the only U23s to play over one thousand minutes last season - with Aji Alese coming third clocking in at a meager ninety minutes across the season.

Both of their youth sides have similarly struggled, winning just twelve games between them in fourty-eight games. However, there are talented players in the system even if the general level of the academy is not at the standard expected.

The Hammers, despite a strong season in the Premier League, are light in squad depth and this could be the season that a range of youth prospects get the opportunity to move into the reckoning.

Players in Profile - Three to Watch in 2021/2022
Conor Coventry

  • Position: CM
  • Age: 21
  • Nationality: Irish

Irish U21 international Conor Coventry was the standout performer for the U23s in 20/21 and has continued that fine run of form into West Ham’s pre-season. Coventry spent time on loan at Lincoln two seasons ago and the experience kicked him on to another level, dominating the U23 level with five goals and two assists in seventeen appearances from a defensive midfield position. Possessing a diverse passing range and a thunderbolt shot, the dynamic midfielder has made a strong case for himself to become a first team regular this season behind Pavel Soucek and Declan Rice, while a call up to the full Irish national side is surely just a matter of time.

Ademipo Odubeko

  • Position: CF
  • Age: 18
  • Nationality: Irish

Odubeko is a natural goalscorer who scored twelve times in his first season at U23 level playing just 908 minutes to do so. The former Man City and Man Utd striker was often deployed from the left wing but he is a natural born striker and will expect to occupy that role this season. Tall and quick, Odubeko has a striking resemblance to Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham and the physicality to cope with Premier League football should he earn the opportunity this season. Capable of scoring goals from all over the pitch - including a beautifully taken long range strike against Southampton - this Irish U21 international, much like his teammate Conor Coventry, can expect first team and international recognition this season with options limited for both club and country.

Jamal Baptiste

  • Position: CB
  • Age: 17
  • Nationality: English

England U17 international Jamal Baptiste is probably the best prospect at the academy and another in the long line of quality central defenders to be churned out by West Ham. Last season he turned in a string of high quality performances and earned himself a spot on the first team bench while aged just sixteen. In pre-season, Baptiste has continued the good form, impressing in his early outings and making a genuine case for himself to be a regular in David Moyes’ squad. He does have competition from the youth system; Frederik Alves and Aji Alese are both fine players themselves but Baptiste is the youngest and most polished of all three, his ceiling is almost limitless at this stage.

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Liverpool U18s vs Connah’s Quay

Involved: Davies, Mrozek, Jonas, Chambers, Bajcetic, Miles, Balagizi, McConnell, Frauendorf, Cannonier + U16 players

8-0 win. Against their U18s I should have mentioned so not a surprise