Liverpool FC Forum

[puroresu]

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez says England will not develop international-class players in future unless they allow Premiership clubs to play reserve teams in the professional leagues.

The Spaniard believes that England must adopt the system of his home country, where clubs like Real Madrid have secondary sides playing professional football to help young players develop. Similar frameworks also operate in Germany, France and other European countries.

At present young players at the Premiership's top clubs are forced to play in uncompetitive reserve fixtures.

"It is clear that the reserve league doesn't work," Benitez said. "You can see youngsters playing just 18 games a season. That is nothing, certainly not enough for the development of these players. I do not see a reserve team with four or five senior players playing without passion as a useful exercise.

"Between the ages of 18 and 21, the players do not know what to do. If they are good enough at 18 they are with the first team but on the bench all the time.

"It is something that needs to change. I have been here three years and have talked to many people about this, and what I see is players who are 17 years old and cannot progress their careers."

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho also called for the change last December, claiming that the only way talented youngsters can get the competitive experience they need is by being loaned out to other clubs.

Benitez has first hand experience of how players can develop faster by participating in competitive games.

"I was the manager of Castilla, Real Madrid's reserve side, and I had players who were 18, 19 years old playing in the Spanish second division," he added. "They were playing against men. They were winning and we finished sixth and fourth.

"I would like to see reserve teams of the big clubs like ourselves playing in the Football League. Why not if they have enough quality?"

Such a move could potentially mean that smaller professional clubs competing in the Championship, League One and League Two would be shunted down the pecking order to make way.


I actually agree with this.  The reserve league is such a low standard and is only useful when playing guys back into fitness.

[tommycockles]

How does this system work- if a player plays for a 'reserve' team does this mean they can't play for the 1st team in the same season- and what happens if the team wins promotion? If 'reserve' teams could win promotion then couldn't we end up with Chelski buying every player and having 5 teams in the premiership?

Sabre- you could probably answer this?

[Kopite275]

I agree with Rafa!  Anyway, guys, I have a little request...

Bit of a strange question this, but could you tell me the regular number that the following players wore during their times as Liverpool players…

Gary Ablett
John Aldridge
John Barnes
Ian Callaghan
Jimmy Case
Gary Gillespie
Alan Hansen
Steve Heighway
Ray Houghton
Joey Jones
Alan Kennedy
Ray Kennedy
Chris Lawler
Mark Lawrenson
Sammy Lee
Terry McDermott
Steve McMahon
Jan Molby
Phil Neal
Steve Nicol
Jamie Redknapp
Steve McManaman
Tommy Smith
Graeme Souness
John Toshack
Ron Yeats
Ian St John
Emlyn Hughes
Alan A’Court
Billy Liddell
Jack Balmer
Roger Hunt
Gordon Hodgson
Ronnie Whelan

Need the number that each player wore most often for a university project!  Many thanks!!  Much appreciated!!  Up the Reds!

[Big Niall]

I think it is "big club arrogance" to think the lower leagues are for the reserves of the big clubs. I'm fed up with people from mainland Europe coming to England and saying what the english league should be like.

Its fast and furious, loads of matches, no winter break, and the most entertaining league in the world.

[Bammo]

McManaman was 7
At least for the first few seasons, Redknapp was 15 (so is his IQ  )

had them both on the back of my shirts.

if only we had a creative midfielder now

Edit: forgot to comment on the actual thread topic!

There's no way the reserve team idea would work in England. The other countries it's used in don't have anywhere near the number of clubs we do. the only way to implement it would be to convert current teams into feeder clubs. My Dad's from Huddersfield so we go see Town play a few times each season and there'd be uproar if they were just someone else's reserve team.

Why should the (often vain) hope of making it up the leagues be taken from other clubs and their fans because the top few don't like the reserve league.

Either increase the number of reserve games or send the players on loan! If they're good enough to compete then they're good enough to get into the starting line ups of their loan clubs.

[Reg]

We've had this discussion before. Its all about money and nowt to do with football, raising the profile and therefore value of up and coming players and securing more media air time. Rafa is trying to add value to the club, part of the deal to extract more transfer funds from the new bosses. The way it works today is > Rafa wastes 5 million on  bad buy, said player disappears into the reserves and off the radar, club sells him 18 months later for 2 million. Bad business all round.

The big 5 will support for obvious reasons, all other clubs will play merry hell. Everton reserves will probably play the first ever inter club derby game in the second division........ 

[puroresu]

I think it is "big club arrogance" to think the lower leagues are for the reserves of the big clubs. I'm fed up with people from mainland Europe coming to England and saying what the english league should be like.

Its fast and furious, loads of matches, no winter break, and the most entertaining league in the world.

i dont think its arrogance.  They proof is in the pudding.  Reserve team football is no indicator to how a player may perform at a higher level.  Didnt Mellor score bags of goals in the reserves which in reality meant nothing?


A 2nd side playing the lower leagues would not be allowed to gain promotion and and yes players could be called up to the 1st team if need be.

[Ace Ventura]

I think it is "big club arrogance" to think the lower leagues are for the reserves of the big clubs. I'm fed up with people from mainland Europe coming to England and saying what the english league should be like.

Its fast and furious, loads of matches, no winter break, and the most entertaining league in the world.

I see what you mean to an extent, but something needs to be done, the reserve league is a waste of time and offers the better kids nothing in the way of preparation for the first team.

I am not arrogant enough to think that the other leagues are there to help LFC's kids but feel that something needs sorting out to give them more competitive games.

I wouldnt have a clue what though 

[Sabre]

How does this system work- if a player plays for a 'reserve' team does this mean they can't play for the 1st team in the same season- and what happens if the team wins promotion? If 'reserve' teams could win promotion then couldn't we end up with Chelski buying every player and having 5 teams in the premiership?

No.

You can call any team "B" player for the first team in the same season with some restrictions. If you summon him for the first team more than 6 or 7 games (I'd have to check the number cos it changes) then he cannot come back to the B team in that season. Also if you summon a youngster  for the first team, he cannot play that week for the second team.

A and B teams cannot meet in the same category. RS might go down, and RS B has serious chances of promoting to Segunda A (the second best league), but if the A team is relegated, the B team will be staying in Segunda B, they won't promote. (1)

The restriction above is a key one, because a young player might want to play in a B team, but a good player that is there to be tested would play in a B team one year, but he'd get tired of that if he isn't promoted, and would preffer a lower primera team instead. I think you control the temptation of crowding the B teams with good players, and B teams become then what they're supposed to be: youth teams

Nowadays segunda is a hard league, harder than many european leagues like Romania, or Ukrania, the segunda teams could live comfortably in those leagues. If a B team is in Segunda and gets the first place of Segunda, he won't be promoted, the second, the third and the fourth team of Segunda will promote instead.

I agree Rafa on this issue to be honest, it seems a better method for youngsters gaining experience.

Sabre

(1) And the weirdest case of all. If you have an A team in primera and is relegated, and you have a B team in Segunda and is promoted, the A team will be relegated to segunda, and the B team will be also relegated to segunda B!! harsh, but it's that way, they wouldn't just swap their places.

[brenitez]

can't possibly work can it? what if a team drew it's own reserve team in one of the cups? 

[Sabre]

can't possibly work can it? what if a team drew it's own reserve team in one of the cups?

The Reserve teams do not compete in the cups.

You could line up a team full of the B team players in the easy cup ties, though -- at your own risk

[The Manhattan Project]

Sounds good.

If it will help our team develop, then do it.

[Lando_Griffin]

I think it's inevitable, tbh.

Our current set up for reserves is pathetic in this country.

[The Manhattan Project]

I wonder what they'd be called in the Championship?

"Liverpool B" or "Liverpool Reserves" don't exactly inspire.


Personally I would love it.

Liverpool FC challenging for the Premiership and the other team challenging for the Championship (which is a very entertaining league).

[tommycockles]

or we go for an international reserve league- so the reserves of English teams play those of Italian, Spanish, French and German leagues. It wouldn't help our players get to grips with english football but would probably draw a bigger crowd!!

I do agree that reserve football needs a shake-up but i dont think the idea of B teams would be popular as every team out of the top four hates the fact that the premiership's uncompetitive - imagine what'd happen if we took over the lower leagues as well.