Liverpool FC Forum

by **JC_81** » Wed May 21, 2008 5:03 pm

A fair old mix of nationalities in the U18 squad for next season.

Anyone know the story on Ajdarevic? Always thought he looked one of the better players in the U18s.

Adam Pepper is meant to be a bit of a prospect is he not? Never seen him play but have heard a few say he's a bit of a talent.

by **stmichael** » Thu May 22, 2008 10:32 am

john craig wrote:Anyone know the story on Ajdarevic? Always thought he looked one of the better players in the U18s.

There was an interview with Ajdarevic in a Swedish newspaper the other day. In that he talks a little about the future and it seems like he wants to stay, but that he has no clue what's going to happen. All he knows is that he due to report back for pre-season training i the middle of june. And maybe go out on loan to some other club after that.

He also said that he's looking for an apartment in Liverpool. I don't think that he would do that if he wanted to leave. Another thing he said was that he had grown about 4 centimeters and gained about 10 kilograms since he joined Liverpool. Because of his growth he has had some problems with his back.

http://www.hn.se/m_arkiv....&page=0

by **stmichael** » Fri May 23, 2008 12:29 pm

nemeth goal for the hungary under 19's the other day.

some finish that.

by **JC_81** » Fri May 23, 2008 12:55 pm

That's some goal St Mike.

The more I see of Nemeth the more he reminds me of a young Fowler, he is a natural goalscorer.

If he can make the step up to the first team we could save millions in the transfer market.

by **Torres25** » Fri May 23, 2008 1:29 pm

Id sell Crouchy, Voronin & kuyt & buy Aguero with the cash & bring in Nemeth & Pachecho as back-up

better 2 have 2 world class players with 2 potentially world class youngsters as back up then have 1 world class striker & 3 alright players who r all past thier peak

by **stmichael** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 12:14 pm

Having watched all the pre-season games, obviously the kids in the squad have been mightily impressive, Pacheco and N'gog especially. Obviously a couple of them are going to be used quite a bit this season (N'gog has gone straight into the first team already, whilst Plessis will see plenty of game time in the first month of the season due to Olympic call ups).

The question is would you be happy to see the likes of Nemeth, Pacheco, Darby etc given a chance early on in the league, or would you keep any appearances they make strictly limited to the Carling Cup/FA Cup?

by **Owzat** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 1:18 pm

stmichael wrote:The question is would you be happy to see the likes of Nemeth, Pacheco, Darby etc given a chance early on in the league, or would you keep any appearances they make strictly limited to the Carling Cup/FA Cup?

Seven subs is plenty enough to seat at least one kid. That won't be a lot of opportunity and not that likely to be in our hour of need.

I think a good balance is needed for the domestic cups, have some of the better kids and first team squad fringe players. It's getting the balance right, don't forget "you win nothing with kids" and while Hansen gets a lot of stick for that, he is essentially right. (the manc team that he said that of was not the same XI that won the league)

by **Scottbot** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 12:54 am

Well that's the end of a pretty successful pre-season. I don't think I can remember a pre-season in which so many young players featured so strongly right up until the final game this evening. I know a lot of us have been critical of the lack of talent coming through the youth system in recent seasons, particularly as none of Benitez's first wave of youngsters has really stepped up (Idrajiz, Antwi, Hobbs etc) to the mark. however, there is a lot to like in the current crop and already you can see a few who are ready to contribute to the first team and a few others that look to have a bit of star potential.

Ready to go this season?

Damien Plessis - Pick of the bunch for me, I've been very impressed with the lad. Very mature player who makes the game look easy, he had a stellar debut at the Emirates last season and hasn't looked back since. An excellent passer of the ball, he keeps it simple, always available for the pass and he's got a bit of bite in the tackle by the looks of things. Do we need Gareth Barry with this kid coming through? dare I say he looks a better prospect than Lucas? Well he does.

Stephen Darby - Like Plessis, Darby looks like a very mature footballer. He hasn't blown anyone away with the attacking side of his game BUT he looks very solid, a real Steady Eddie and that's just what you want from a young defender. With Finnan's future up in the air I think the young scouser will be asked to contribute at some stage this year and i wouldn't worry about putting him in. There's something Carragheresque about this lad.

Emiliano Insua - I like this kid and was really impressed with him when he got his chance at the back end of last season. He's quick, a physical player who looks strong in the tackle but has some skills and clearly loves to get forward and support the attack. It's early doors but it would not surprise me to see him starting at Left-Back come January if Dossena doesn't work out (and i'm not saying he won't)

Daniel Pacheco - Out of all the youngsters this lad has the biggest upside of all. He's got a way to go in terms of his physical development but there's a lot to like. He's got a tremendous touch, very quick feet, turns on a sixpence, good vision and a lot trickery to his game. He could well turn out to be that creative 2nd striker we've been looking for. I'm hoping we'll see this lad in the first team squad come the 2nd half of the season.

David Ngog - He came in late but it's clear he's been bought to go straight into the first team squad ahead of Voronin. At 1.5 mill and with just one goal to his name I wondered why we had bothered but he's been a pleasant surprise so far. He's got a good turn of pace, has scored two excellent goals and has also demonstrated some vision with his passing. At 6"3 he's very different to anything else we have at the club and if he develops physically and adjusts to the demands of English football we could have a steal on our hands.

Promising but give them another season before throwing them in?

Kristian Nemeth - Looks a prospect and the write-up on this kid is very positive but it might be a little early for him this season. I can see why people have likened him to Fowler and he does have something about him. Things haven't quite come off for him in pre-season but it would be good to see him given a run in the League Cup this time around or perhaps even a loan spell at a club that plays good football would be a good step.

Jay Spearing - I was never blown away by Spearing from the reserve/youth matches I have seen (not that I watch a great deal) and must admit I preferred young Ray Putteril but I've been impressed with this kid. He was excellent tonight especially, I watched him very closely when he came on and he didn't miss a single pass and the cushioned volley/pass for the goal was sublime. There was another moment when he received a bit of hospital pass with pressure coming from behind and he simply gave it a little drag-back as he addressed the ball. He's VERY comfortable on the ball, gets it gives it and plays with a bit of a spark. Reminds me a little of Paul Scholes. Only problem for him is the surplus of talent that lies between him and a spot in the Liverpool midfield. Hopefully he will also get a run in the League Cup this season.

Hopefully they all will. I haven't been this excited about our young players since Mcmanaman, Redknapp, Marsh, Huchison and then Fowler broke into Souness's Liverpool team of 1992. Put these lads in for the League Cup (Arsenal style) and watch them go this season.

On the subject of Ajdarevic, I hope it isn't true. I was VERY impressed with this kid and hope he gets another year to make the grade.

by **LFC2007** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 1:23 am

I think Plessis is decent, but needs time to develop physically. His passing is okay, his tackling could be a lot better, but he has a reasonably good touch and is fairly comfortable on the ball. Still a lot of work to do for me.

Darby reads the game well - he senses danger and is good at being in the right place at the right time. Again, lots of physical work to do, but also needs to work on improving the technical side of his game as much as possible. I don't see anything special in him, but he seems a decent defender.

Insua, a good young backup for the coming season. I like him - just needs games now, on loan or in the cups.

Pacheco - technically very, very good. Creative, agile, possesses good vision, passing etc... Physically he'll need time. Unsure about his finishing ability as yet as I haven't seen enough of him. The brightest prospect.

Ngog, useless.

Nemeth, one of the brightest prospects, though I'm not sure about his attitude/work ethic. He has a powerful strike, and an accurate strike, but in pre-season he's chosen the wrong option on a few occasions. Put this down to naivity though - his decision making will improve with time. Ability seems to be there, and physically he looks the part. Needs games though.

Spearing, decent passer, comfortable on the ball, great attitude. I'm not sure if he has enough in his locker, and physically he has a bit of work to do. Wouldn't bet on him making it.

I think the odds of having a batch of 5 or 6 come through to the first team are very long, 2 or 3 would be a massive result. In 4 or 5 years time how many of these will be playing in the top flight?

So often you see players from years ago who were considered prospects only to achieve nowhere near the heights we, or others, expected of them. Making the grade at the top level, in a league that only seems to harder to compete in, is very, very tough. I'd pick Pacheco to make it if I had to choose one.

by **Fo Dne** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 9:34 am

Scottbot wrote:Well that's the end of a pretty successful pre-season. I don't think I can remember a pre-season in which so many young players featured so strongly right up until the final game this evening. I know a lot of us have been critical of the lack of talent coming through the youth system in recent seasons, particularly as none of Benitez's first wave of youngsters has really stepped up (Idrajiz, Antwi, Hobbs etc) to the mark. however, there is a lot to like in the current crop and already you can see a few who are ready to contribute to the first team and a few others that look to have a bit of star potential.

Ready to go this season?

Damien Plessis - Pick of the bunch for me, I've been very impressed with the lad. Very mature player who makes the game look easy, he had a stellar debut at the Emirates last season and hasn't looked back since. An excellent passer of the ball, he keeps it simple, always available for the pass and he's got a bit of bite in the tackle by the looks of things. Do we need Gareth Barry with this kid coming through? dare I say he looks a better prospect than Lucas? Well he does.

Stephen Darby - Like Plessis, Darby looks like a very mature footballer. He hasn't blown anyone away with the attacking side of his game BUT he looks very solid, a real Steady Eddie and that's just what you want from a young defender. With Finnan's future up in the air I think the young scouser will be asked to contribute at some stage this year and i wouldn't worry about putting him in. There's something Carragheresque about this lad.

Emiliano Insua - I like this kid and was really impressed with him when he got his chance at the back end of last season. He's quick, a physical player who looks strong in the tackle but has some skills and clearly loves to get forward and support the attack. It's early doors but it would not surprise me to see him starting at Left-Back come January if Dossena doesn't work out (and i'm not saying he won't)

Daniel Pacheco - Out of all the youngsters this lad has the biggest upside of all. He's got a way to go in terms of his physical development but there's a lot to like. He's got a tremendous touch, very quick feet, turns on a sixpence, good vision and a lot trickery to his game. He could well turn out to be that creative 2nd striker we've been looking for. I'm hoping we'll see this lad in the first team squad come the 2nd half of the season.

David Ngog - He came in late but it's clear he's been bought to go straight into the first team squad ahead of Voronin. At 1.5 mill and with just one goal to his name I wondered why we had bothered but he's been a pleasant surprise so far. He's got a good turn of pace, has scored two excellent goals and has also demonstrated some vision with his passing. At 6"3 he's very different to anything else we have at the club and if he develops physically and adjusts to the demands of English football we could have a steal on our hands.

Promising but give them another season before throwing them in?

Kristian Nemeth - Looks a prospect and the write-up on this kid is very positive but it might be a little early for him this season. I can see why people have likened him to Fowler and he does have something about him. Things haven't quite come off for him in pre-season but it would be good to see him given a run in the League Cup this time around or perhaps even a loan spell at a club that plays good football would be a good step.

Jay Spearing - I was never blown away by Spearing from the reserve/youth matches I have seen (not that I watch a great deal) and must admit I preferred young Ray Putteril but I've been impressed with this kid. He was excellent tonight especially, I watched him very closely when he came on and he didn't miss a single pass and the cushioned volley/pass for the goal was sublime. There was another moment when he received a bit of hospital pass with pressure coming from behind and he simply gave it a little drag-back as he addressed the ball. He's VERY comfortable on the ball, gets it gives it and plays with a bit of a spark. Reminds me a little of Paul Scholes. Only problem for him is the surplus of talent that lies between him and a spot in the Liverpool midfield. Hopefully he will also get a run in the League Cup this season.

Hopefully they all will. I haven't been this excited about our young players since Mcmanaman, Redknapp, Marsh, Huchison and then Fowler broke into Souness's Liverpool team of 1992. Put these lads in for the League Cup (Arsenal style) and watch them go this season.

On the subject of Ajdarevic, I hope it isn't true. I was VERY impressed with this kid and hope he gets another year to make the grade.

I know Ben Parsonage who's just been released from Liverpool and he said that Astrit Ardjevic is a bit of an over confident tool with a serious attitude problem to both training and other players.

by **RedBlood** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 11:08 am

Fo Dne wrote:
Scottbot wrote:Well that's the end of a pretty successful pre-season. I don't think I can remember a pre-season in which so many young players featured so strongly right up until the final game this evening. I know a lot of us have been critical of the lack of talent coming through the youth system in recent seasons, particularly as none of Benitez's first wave of youngsters has really stepped up (Idrajiz, Antwi, Hobbs etc) to the mark. however, there is a lot to like in the current crop and already you can see a few who are ready to contribute to the first team and a few others that look to have a bit of star potential.

Ready to go this season?

Damien Plessis - Pick of the bunch for me, I've been very impressed with the lad. Very mature player who makes the game look easy, he had a stellar debut at the Emirates last season and hasn't looked back since. An excellent passer of the ball, he keeps it simple, always available for the pass and he's got a bit of bite in the tackle by the looks of things. Do we need Gareth Barry with this kid coming through? dare I say he looks a better prospect than Lucas? Well he does.

Stephen Darby - Like Plessis, Darby looks like a very mature footballer. He hasn't blown anyone away with the attacking side of his game BUT he looks very solid, a real Steady Eddie and that's just what you want from a young defender. With Finnan's future up in the air I think the young scouser will be asked to contribute at some stage this year and i wouldn't worry about putting him in. There's something Carragheresque about this lad.

Emiliano Insua - I like this kid and was really impressed with him when he got his chance at the back end of last season. He's quick, a physical player who looks strong in the tackle but has some skills and clearly loves to get forward and support the attack. It's early doors but it would not surprise me to see him starting at Left-Back come January if Dossena doesn't work out (and i'm not saying he won't)

Daniel Pacheco - Out of all the youngsters this lad has the biggest upside of all. He's got a way to go in terms of his physical development but there's a lot to like. He's got a tremendous touch, very quick feet, turns on a sixpence, good vision and a lot trickery to his game. He could well turn out to be that creative 2nd striker we've been looking for. I'm hoping we'll see this lad in the first team squad come the 2nd half of the season.

David Ngog - He came in late but it's clear he's been bought to go straight into the first team squad ahead of Voronin. At 1.5 mill and with just one goal to his name I wondered why we had bothered but he's been a pleasant surprise so far. He's got a good turn of pace, has scored two excellent goals and has also demonstrated some vision with his passing. At 6"3 he's very different to anything else we have at the club and if he develops physically and adjusts to the demands of English football we could have a steal on our hands.

Promising but give them another season before throwing them in?

Kristian Nemeth - Looks a prospect and the write-up on this kid is very positive but it might be a little early for him this season. I can see why people have likened him to Fowler and he does have something about him. Things haven't quite come off for him in pre-season but it would be good to see him given a run in the League Cup this time around or perhaps even a loan spell at a club that plays good football would be a good step.

Jay Spearing - I was never blown away by Spearing from the reserve/youth matches I have seen (not that I watch a great deal) and must admit I preferred young Ray Putteril but I've been impressed with this kid. He was excellent tonight especially, I watched him very closely when he came on and he didn't miss a single pass and the cushioned volley/pass for the goal was sublime. There was another moment when he received a bit of hospital pass with pressure coming from behind and he simply gave it a little drag-back as he addressed the ball. He's VERY comfortable on the ball, gets it gives it and plays with a bit of a spark. Reminds me a little of Paul Scholes. Only problem for him is the surplus of talent that lies between him and a spot in the Liverpool midfield. Hopefully he will also get a run in the League Cup this season.

Hopefully they all will. I haven't been this excited about our young players since Mcmanaman, Redknapp, Marsh, Huchison and then Fowler broke into Souness's Liverpool team of 1992. Put these lads in for the League Cup (Arsenal style) and watch them go this season.

On the subject of Ajdarevic, I hope it isn't true. I was VERY impressed with this kid and hope he gets another year to make the grade.

I know Ben Parsonage who's just been released from Liverpool and he said that Astrit Ardjevic is a bit of an over confident tool with a serious attitude problem to both training and other players.

To be fair he does look like hes head & shoulders above every1 else on the pitch & he probally knows it id have an attitude if i was playing week in week out with players i knew werent on my level

he deserves the step up 2 the reserves

by **Scottbot** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 11:59 am

Fo Dne wrote:On the subject of Ajdarevic, I hope it isn't true. I was VERY impressed with this kid and hope he gets another year to make the grade.

I know Ben Parsonage who's just been released from Liverpool and he said that Astrit Ardjevic is a bit of an over confident tool with a serious attitude problem to both training and other players.[/quote]
Yeah I kinda figured it must be attitude related coz from what i've seen the lad is very talented plus physically developed for his age. Let's hope the coaches can do something with him.

by **JoeTerp** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 9:20 am

Astrit was given permission to find a new club, but for some reason or another (maybe nobody good wanted him) he seems to be back. Maybe hit attitude will sharpen up. Marvin Pourie seems to suffer from similar attitude problems.

Also, always felt sorry for Parsonage because he looked really promising as a U16 playing in the first youth cup win, and then could hardly get a game last year at the academy.

by **RedBlood** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 4:32 pm

the great thing is with liverpoolfc.tv we can follow the youth and reserve teams

by **Fo Dne** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 5:23 pm

JoeTerp wrote:Astrit was given permission to find a new club, but for some reason or another (maybe nobody good wanted him) he seems to be back. Maybe hit attitude will sharpen up. Marvin Pourie seems to suffer from similar attitude problems.

Also, always felt sorry for Parsonage because he looked really promising as a U16 playing in the first youth cup win, and then could hardly get a game last year at the academy.

Ben wasn't good enough to be fair. He's not a bad player but nowhere near good enough. Could definately play in the footy leagues though, quick and skillfull. Tends to try to do to much at times though...

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