[FM14] Liverpool FC: Winning With Kids

Two Join Liverpool As Gerrard Prepares For Step Up

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Liverpool manager Steven Gerrard today announced the signing of two promising youngsters, who join for a combined outlay of £3.7m, from Southampton and Hibernian respectively. The first of these youngsters is 20 year old Scottish striker Euan Smith, a player thought to have been on Gerrard's radar since last season, when he was too slow to act, and Smith spent the season on loan at Oldham.

Despite a slow start at the League One side, Smith netted 7 goals and made 4 assists in his time there, and that showing should translate into a prolific strike rate in the Skrill Premier, two steps below Oldham's level. For a fee of £275k, Liverpool fans cannot be too disheartened by the youngster's arrival at the club, and he'll provide a capable backup for Yesil and Sinclair in attack.

Liverpool's second new signing is 19 year old Harrison Reed; a central midfielder who joins from Southampton for a fee of £3.4m, which could rise to somewhere in the region of £9m, subject to conditions. The tenacious midfielder spent last season on loan with Dundee United, but a lack of playing time saw his previously stellar growth stunted somewhat, and after his move, he is sure to be fighting hard against the likes of Coady, Rossiter, Chirivella and Forster-Caskey for a starting spot in the Liverpool midfield that controlled the play so well last season.

3 Leave Liverpool In Re-Shuffle

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Jetting Out: Samed Yesil joins Rubin in a deal worth around £3.6m to the Reds

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Ahead of the club's pre-season preparations, 3 players have departed, bringing in a total of £5.36m to the club in transfer fees, which it is understood Gerrard will reinvest in new players, and improving the club's facilities.

First to leave was goalkeeper Ryan Fulton. Forced out of the side by Swiss 'keeper Benjamin Siegrist, Fulton was said to be frustrated at the lack of playing time he was given, even at the end of last season when his team had nothing to play for, and Bristol City swooped with a cut-price £50k bid to take the Scot away from Anfield. Speaking just before his departure, Fulton said "It's been an amazing journey, learning my trade here. I've been lucky enough to work with goalkeepers like Pepe Reina and Simon Mingolet, and hopefully that knowledge will stand me in good stead at Bristol City."

Next to depart was World Cup star Samed Yesil. Winning his first cap for Turkey in Brasil, the 20 year old striker, who scored 22 goals in 18 games for the reds last season, put himself in the shop window, and Rubin swooped, their £3.6 million bid was enough to appease Gerrard, and with a tidy £2.5 million profit, Yesil was on his way to Russia.

And finally, youth product Ryan Kent was deemed surplus to requirements at the club, after the return of Suso, and the signing of Harrison Reed, and the 17 year old winger was sold to Reading for £1.7 million - not a bad price for a player who has only made 4 first-team appearances in the Skrill North. Speaking at Melwood, Kent thanked both Gerrard and the fans for their support in his time at Liverpool, and stated that maybe one day, he would return to the club.

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Movers And Shakers: Remie Streete secured a permanent deal with the reds

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With £5.36m made on transfers, and a slight gap now up front, Gerrard had some decisions to make. His first move though, was to bring some more defensive depth to his side, snapping up loanee Remie Streete on a pre-contract deal, and cutting his outlay there from £1m to £625k for the 19 year old Center Back.

Next, word reached Anfield that Keirrison had been let go by Barcelona. The Brazillian striker was bought from Palmerias for £12.75m in 2009, but failed to make a first team appearance for Barcelona in the 5 years subsequent to that move, most recently playing on loan at Cortiba, where he scored 7 times in 26 matches, before being told by the Catalan giants that he had no future at the club.

Explosively fast, and with a great eye for goal, the Brazillian will no doubt cause problems for defensive players this season, and rotated with Jerome Sinclair, will be the spearhead of the Liverpool attack. But what about backup? As Strikers go, Gerrard acknowledged that, other than Euan Smith, his side don't really have a backup striker, and took steps to rectify this.

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Strength In Depth: Karim Rossi Joined up to provide backup for the strikers

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Stoke City's Karim Rossi was the final piece of the Liverpool jigsaw, joining from Stoke for a bargain fee of £750k. The 20 Year old signed for Stoke in 2010, but didn't make a first-team appearance until his loan move to Chesterfield last season, when he scored 10 goals in 41 games to help his side to promotion. As a proven goalscorer in league 2, Rossi could well be the crucial strength in depth this Liverpool side will need in the coming seasons, and for under £1 million pound, he's a great bit of business.

We caught up with Liverpool boss Steven Gerrard, to get his take on his club's new boys...

"Well, i'm delighted that we've brought in five players who can really benefit this team in the long run. Obviously we're playing more games in a season now than a lot of the guys were used to in the Premiership, and it's important to make sure we've got that strength in depth to be able to compete week in, week out. "

Preseason 2014 Roundup

Returning: Suso was in good form during the pre-season tour of Italy

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Liverpool's pre-season preparations saw the club travel to Italy, to play 3 warm-up games against teams who should have been vastly out of their league. With matches arranged against Vicenza, Parma and Catania, the Liverpool youngsters were surely in for a stern challenge, ahead of their opening game of the Skrill Premier season against Wrexham.

With Suso, Wisdom, Illori and McLaughlin returning to the fold, along with new boys Reed, Smith, Keirrison and Rossi, pre-season was a chance for everyone to really show what they were capable of, ahead of the new season, and there were players who really took that chance with both hands.

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Vicenza 0-3 Liverpool

Keirrison, Hector, Wilson
Harry Wilson (8.9)
Relegation candidates in the Italian Serie C, Vicenza weren't the toughest opposition for Liverpool to kick off against, and the team showed no signs of slowing from their blistering season last season, with new boy Keirrison netting after just 8 minutes to send a clear message to the existing strikers that he was a force to be reckoned with. Michael Hector then converted from a Harry Wilson corner to put the visitors 2-0 up, and in the driving seat. Wilson then capped a fine performance with a long-range effort which found its way into the top corner of the net to seal the victory.

Parma 0-2 Liverpool

Streete, Keirrison
Remie Streete (8.3)
It was the day of the newbie, as Remie Streete and Keirrrison combined to devastating effect against Serie A outfit Parma. The Italian team boast some real class in their ranks - Marco Parolo, Lorenzo Cristeg, and Italian starlet Alberto Cerri, all lined up against the Reds, but a dominant performance from former Newcastle man Remie Streete kept the Italian attack quiet, as Liverpool scored twice in the second half to secure a victory. Streete opened the scoring with a perfect volley from Harry Wilson's lofted through pass, before his long-range ball forward found Brazillian Keirrison on the edge of the box, who drilled home to secure a 2-0 win.

Catania 3-1 Liverpool

Suso
Suso (7.6)
It all came unstuck against Catania. Lining up against a team which included Gino Peruzzi, Lucas Ocampos, Maxi Lopez and Giacomo Bonaventura, Liverpool's youngsters already looked vastly outclassed; and they were vastly outplayed too, as Catania ripped into an inexperienced defence - Lucas Castro scored twice within half an hour, before John Flanagan's own goal made it 3-0 before half time. Liverpool pulled one back through Suso just after the break, but the gulf in class was evident here, and will have given Gerrard a perspective on his team's development, and just how far they have to go to be competing with the top teams in Europe once again.

August 2014 Roundup

Lethal: Sinclair’s team-mates congratulate him on yet another goal

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This month, Liverpool’s youngsters, so dominant last season, found themselves thrown into a new league. Adjusting to the new pace, new defences and new playing styles was going to be tough for a squad where the average age is just 19, and whose worst attribute is their work rate.

Manager Steven Gerrard was cautious ahead of the season opener, and spoke candidly of his side pre-season tour of Italy: ”We had a good pre-season over in Italy, with 2 wins out of 3, and one of the coming against Serie A opposition, i’m...cautiously optimistic for this season - we’ve got the players to really be able to achieve something, and yes, we do need to do some work on the work rate of some of the young guys, but even at that, our work rate is still ranked as the 8th highest in the league, according to Opta, so i’m not too concerned for now. It’s important that we get off to a good start this month - out of the six games, i’d want to win at least half of them, and maybe sneak a draw in there as well. I think we’ve come to terms with the fact we’re not going to dominate this season like we did last season, but we can still be competitive.”

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Wrexham 0-2 Liverpool

Hector, Sinclair
Michael Hector (8.3)
A big result for Liverpool, as they kicked off their season against Wrexham, who were 25-1 shots for the title this year: and exactly the kind of side Gerrard needs to get wins over to compete in the league. A dominant display in defence from Michael Hector was the key to Liverpool’s win, as he held the defence together in front of goal, and contributed from set-pieces, providing the opening goal after 59 minutes with a pinpoint header from a Suso corner, and allowing his team to relax. With the pressure off somewhat, Jerome Sinclair took advantage of a mistake by the Wrexham defence to wriggle free, and fire hard into the roof of the goal in the 70th minute to secure the win.

Liverpool 4-1 Gateshead

Flanagan, Sinclair (x3)
Jerome Sinclair (9.7)
Another solid performance from Liverpool, as Jerome Sinclair continued to grow his already impressive collection of first-team goals - and his growing reputation. The 17 year old has been attracting attention from Oil-rich Manchester City recently, but has also vowed that he will remain with Liverpool until they’re back in the Premier League; and reckon’s he’ll only just be 22 when that day comes!
Liverpool captain John Flanagan opened the scoring after 25 minutes, with a snapshot from the edge of the area after the ball had taken a wicked deflection off a Gateshead player to land in his path. From then on, this game was the Jerome Sinclair show, as the striker scored two incredible individual efforts to make it 3-0 to Liverpool. Gateshead pulled one back, and with 25 minutes to go, some fans thought that maybe, just maybe, their club could pull this back. But Sinclair latched onto a deep cross from Sergi Canos to put the tie to bed, netting a sweet half volley from 12 yards out.

Histon 1-1 Liverpool

Maher (og)
Benjamin Siegrist (8.2)
The Liverpool players got their first real test in this game - conceding early, the youngsters were made to work hard for a point which, in truth, they barely deserved. Histon’s defence kept the dangerous attacking threat of Suso and Luis Alberto quiet, and although Wilson worked hard, he’s not quite capable of delivering a one-man show on the right wing yet.

The shock of being pushed was affecting the Liverpool players, and after they conceded, the venom and pace which they had displayed in the opening games of the season vanished, and the side looked toothless. The equalizer was nothing but a stroke of good luck - a Wilson corner was poorly cleared, and Sinclair’s shot was heading well wide unitl Kevin Maher leapt to header it behind, but terribly misjudged his angle, and the ball found the back of the net, rather than finding the touchline.

Welling 0-2 Liverpool

Suso, Luis Alberto
Luis Alberto (8.3)
After a tough draw at Histon, Liverpool's attack needed to find their scoring touch in this game, to avoid being drawn down the table, into a relegation fight. Looking more confident than the last game, Suso and Luis Alberto were keeping the ball down on the floor, staying calm and probing at the Welling defence, looking for a way through. With Sinclair rested, and Rossiter and Canos given extended leave to recover from their intensive summers, Conor Coady, Sheyi Ojo and Harrison Reed made up the heart of the Liverpool midfield, with Alberto heading the attack, flanked by Suso and Wilson.

It was a configuration that worked: Wilson switched the ball to an onrushing Suso after 60 minutes, and the Spaniard made no mistake, putting his side ahead, and providing the scoreline to go with the class and comfortable play they had displayed during the first half. Suso turned provider just ten minutes later, lifting a clever ball over the Welling defence for Alberto to sweep home 15 minutes from time.

Liverpool 4-1 Aldershot

Sinclair (x3), Wilson
Sinclair (9.6)
Jerome Sinclair continued his red-hot start to the season here, netting a hat-trick within the first half hour to set his side well clear of their opponents. Harry Wilson, provider for two of Sinclair's goals, scored one himself just before full time to round out a 4-1 victory.
Any talk of a wobble on Liverpool's part after the draw at Histon was well and truly dispelled here, as the side once again made it look effortless, passing and moving well, and keeping the ball out of reach for their opponnents.

Liverpool 2-0 Barnet

Hector, Sinclair
Suso (8.0)
Liverpool travelled to Barnet knowing that, in the bookie's eyes, they were the closest challengers for the title this season: A win here would be vital to Liverpool's title aspirations, but Barnet started well, forcing Siegrist into several saves in the first ten minutes, as they peppered the Liverpool area with crosses and long balls forward, looking for a quick goal to kill the game.

The Liverpool defence held strong though, and a quick break on 12 minutes lead to a corner, and as Wilson delivered a perfect cross, Michael Hector leapt highest to meet the ball, and drive it into the back of the net, and put his side 1-0 up. The early goal killed the game as a contest, as Liverpool settled into their play; moving the ball well, and making use of the wide players, they stretched the Barnet defence, and Jerome Sinclair was once again there to latch onto a defensive error just before half-time, sweeping the ball home from a tight angle to make it 5 wins from 6 games for the Reds.

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Top Six

Player Of The Month: Jerome Sinclair

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Liverpool's Newest Melwood Prospects

Working With Youth: Youngsters Such as Harry Wilson (second from left) made the step up last season

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With Liverpool's youth system having to provide first-team players last season after the club's tumble down the leagues, it's unsurprising that the club had a poor showing in both u21 and u18 categories last year. But with the annual youth intake in March, Liverpool are one of several clubs to have unearthed two real diamonds from their academy, both of whom are almost ready to take that step to senior football.

1. Devante Duerden (GK)

Age: 17
Birth Place: Liverpool
Role: Sweeper Keeper


A young goalkeeper is often one of the hardest roles to find: As kids, your worst player gets put in goals, to keep them away from the ball as long as possible. But 17 year old Devante Duerden is the exception to that rule. Modelling his game along the lines of German stopper Manuel Neuer and Chilean Keylor Navas, the youngster is quickly growing into the role of 'Sweeper Keeper' and should see some game time this season, as he continues to develop.

2.Sam Speed (AMC)

Age: 16
Birth Place: Liverpool
Role: Trequiarista

Right now, I can hear many, many people telling me that Liverpool don't need another Attacking Midfielder, and they're right...for now. But how long will Suso and co stick around, playing lower-league English football? Gerrard needs players who are born and bred Liverpudlians, who've been with the club since they were teens, and who know exactly what it means to pull on that shirt. And Sam Speed is exactly that. Playing in the under 18s, he is the cog that makes the whole machine work. His pace and technique are almost unprecedented for an Englishman, and that makes him valuable.

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