Liverpool FC Forum

by **Leonmc0708** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 6:19 pm

Story on the BBC site.

A guy I know who works with/for the club has told me that we where waiting in the wings for this youngster who was supposed to be joining Arsenal.

The stubling block in the proposed move to Arsenal was a selling on clause that Lincoln (quite rightly) wanted adding to any contract that means that they get a cut of the profits from any later sale in years to come.

A friend of mine who plays for league two side Rochdale has come up against him for the reserves, and he said he is the best centre half he has ever played against, which may not seem like the gretest compliment but he was at Liverpool and Everton before being released and going to Rochdale, so he will have come up against some decent talented youngster's in his time.

I am personally very impressed that we are linked with lots of promosing youngsters all the time, both home and abroad. Rafa clearly is planning for the long haul, and that bodes well for LFC.

The two spanish lads we have been linked with have earned rave reviews from what I have seen, and I am all for snapping up young foraign talent before they prove their worth. This potentially saves a fortune, and although it does not always pay off (Le Tallac) it is sometimes well worth it (Madjani) and occasionaly you get what you paid for (Pongolle), so all in all its a worthwhile exersize. Look at Arsenal with Cesc Fabregas and the black lad up front (I think its Quincy or something) who where both nabbed from other countries' teams' youth systems. Fabregas is proving particularaly good.

Not sure if it is a definite signing, but I thought I would mention it anyway. Possibly could have gone into the rumour thread, but there is the opportunity for a discussion about youth players and the like, so thought I would pop it here.

by **A.B.** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 6:25 pm

Good post there Leon. Benitez seems very keen on improving our reserve squad which was very poor last season. In a couple of years he could probably break into the first team. Good signs from Benitez.

by **RedorDead** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 6:40 pm

Agreed, very promising. Houllier has been criticised a lot in the wake of Rafa's success (somewhat harshly if you ask me) but one thing he was very adept at and believed in was promoting youth and investing in long term prospects. He was an expert in this with the french academy and with used his expertise at Liverpool too and I am glad to see rafa shares this belief.

by **LiverpoolUSA** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 6:42 pm

It's confirmed on the BBC. Liverpool agree a deal for Hobbs

Liverpool have confirmed they have agreed a deal with Lincoln for highly-rated teenager Jack Hobbs.
A proposed move to Arsenal for Hobbs, 16, broke down when the Gunners refused to include a sell-on clause.

Lincoln director Keith Rowe earlier told BBC Radio Lincolnshire: "I have sent a proposal to a major Premiership club in the north west."

The deal is subject to Hobbs successfuly coming through a week-long trial which will take place next week.

by **Leonmc0708** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 6:45 pm

RedorDead wrote:Agreed, very promising. Houllier has been criticised a lot in the wake of Rafa's success (somewhat harshly if you ask me) but one thing he was very adept at and believed in was promoting youth and investing in long term prospects. He was an expert in this with the french academy and with used his expertise at Liverpool too and I am glad to see rafa shares this belief.

I feel I have to pull you up on that point bud.

Whilst I agree that Houllier has been very wrongly targeted by some fans, he was not a big youth man.

Rather than promoting promising local lads or english youngsters, (Ste Wright, Otsemobor, Welsh, Warnock, Potter etc..) he opted to buy second rate French youngsters instead and pushed out or left out the lads mentioned.

I bet most fans who do not follow the reserves and youth set ups closely never heard of Raven, Potter, Whitbread, Warnock, Welsh, Smythe etc before Rafa gave the kids a chance this term.

I am a big fan of some of the things GH did here, but promoting our youth set up was not one of them. Stevie Heighway even fell out with him and left the post for a short while cus of it, and Heighway has helped nurture and bring on Owen, Fowler, Mcmanaman, Wright, Gerrard Carragher and countless others.

by **L-type** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 7:04 pm

I would be wearyof this article because I found an aticle just yesterday concerning how Arsenal had finally agreed on the sell-on clause and Hobbs was theirs, I don't remember the source, but I really hope we snatched his signature.

by **adamnbarrett** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 7:30 pm

Taken from Sky Sports

Liverpool have jumped to the head of the queue to sign highly-rated Lincoln City youngster Jack Hobbs after taking him on trial.

Hobbs looked to be on his way to Arsenal earlier this month after The Gunners lined up a deal for the centre half.

However, the deal has now fallen through, allowing Liverpool to nip in and bring Hobbs to Anfield on trial - with a view to a permanent deal.

Lincoln executive director Keith Rowe confirmed the move to Arsenal was off and that Liverpool were taking the teenager on trial.

"Arsenal started moving the goalposts and wanted one or two points taken out of the contract that we had verbally agreed," said Rowe.

"Liverpool made their interest known 10 days ago and have conducted themselves superbly.

Jack will spend a week in Liverpool from Monday with academy coach Frank McParland and we are then expecting to complete the full transfer at the end of next week.

"His agent, Charles Collymore, has done an excellent job in brokering the deal with Rick Parry and we are delighted with the way how quickly things have been agreed with Liverpool."

Lincoln manager Keith Alexander has backed a possible move to the European champions for Hobbs.

"Arsenal weren't keen on agreeing to a sell-on fee, so it looks like Jack is going to Liverpool," said Alexander.

"I don't think he could be going to a better club. He's been with us since the age of nine and I believe he has the talent to go all the way to the top.

"Liverpool will look after him and can offer him some of the best facilities around, so I think it will be a great move for him if everything works out as we hope."

by **ivor_the_injun** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 7:50 pm

Tells you a lot about the difference between how our club work, and how some of the other major Prem teams operate. There's a lot to be said for being ruthless in the transfer market, but there's also a lot to be said for decency, honesty and professionalism. The more friends we make in the lower divisions (and it has to be said that we have many), the more likely we are to have young talent offered to us. If a tight-knit club has a young player that's been on their books for the better part of a decade through their school days, I think it'd make it harder for them to deal with a club that's previously tried to shaft them. It'd be like selling your kids to Ian Brady.

Fingers crossed that this works out - from what I've heard, wee Jack could have a big future ahead of him.

by **JBG** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 11:06 pm

BBC teletext claim Liverpool have signed Hobbs.

by **JC_81** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 12:59 am

Glad to see Rafa building for the future with good young English talent like Carson and this Hobbs guy.

If these players reach full potential in a few years, we will have saved millions, especially when the new champions league rules about home-grown talent comes into play

The truth is we can't afford good english players once they're established in the prem (SWP, Defoe etc), so getting them early is the only way forward

by **Alonso_Rulz** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 4:27 am

john craig wrote:Glad to see Rafa building for the future with good young English talent like Carson and this Hobbs guy.

If these players reach full potential in a few years, we will have saved millions, especially when the new champions league rules about home-grown talent comes into play

The truth is we can't afford good english players once they're established in the prem (SWP, Defoe etc), so getting them early is the only way forward

thats wat i call a clever post... truly agreeable...

by **kops_revolution** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 7:35 am

giving the chance to the youngster enable them to have the passion to be success in Liv. good job, rafa'..

by **2520years** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 8:27 am

Hobbs is on trial at the moment, so there's a good chance he'll sign for us.

by **London_Red** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 10:38 am

its great to see us going for young english talent, with the way rafa managed to improve people like traore in one year, he should turn hobbs potential into great talent over a few years.

by **Stu.Murph** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 7:51 pm

So what happened to this lad then?

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