The Liverpool academy has gone from strength to strength in recent years with the youth staff working overseeing what could be a golden generation. Alex Inglethorpe has been working alongside Vitor Matos and Jürgen Klopp in order to oversee a group of players on their way to the first team, there’s plenty to be excited about. The Liverpool U18s wrapped up their league season with a 3-0 victory over Derby County this week.
Liverpool U18s 3-0 Derby County U18s
Marc Bridge-Wilkinson named a much changed side to face the Rams this week.
The starting lineup saw a number of players rotated in and out from the youngster’s impressive win over Arsenal in the FA Youth Cup last week.
There were starts for Tommy Pilling and January signing Stefan Bajcetic.
Pilling was one of five players in the starting lineup who have been with the Reds since pre-academy level, i.e they’ve been with the club since six-years-old.
Summer signing Melkamu Frauendorf captained the side whilst Kaide Gordon started against his former club.
The scoring was opened by the ex-Derby man. Isaac Mabaya release a good ball down the line under pressure for Gordon to latch on to, the January signing ghosted inside and bided his time before lifting the ball past the keeper and into the net.
The Reds’ doubled their lead on the stroke of halftime when the captain deflected in Tommy Pilling’s effort, the U16’s striker unfortunate not to be awarded his first goal for the U18s.
Liverpool’s third was Frauendorf’s second with the Germany youth international cleverly converting Kaide Gordon’s cross in the second half with a deftly taken finish past the keeper.
Stefan Bajcetic impressed throughout with his tackling and pinpoint passing.
Fabian Mrozek also put in a shift, pulling off some fine saves to earn himself a well deserved clean sheet.
Despite not getting on the score sheet it was an exciting display from Tommy Pilling, the youngster’s link up play was superb with clever touches in tight areas finding teammates in dangerous positions.
The future is definitely bright for the Liverpool U18s with Marc Bridge-Wilkinson showing impressive management in his first season in charge of the age group.
The lineup we saw against Derby County is likely to be similar to the one we’ll see next season, although the likes of Kaide Gordon and Melkamu Frauendorf will surely be promoted an age group.
The result saw the end of the youngster’s U18s Premier League season with the lads to finish third in the table with the two Manchester clubs fighting for top spot.
Had it not been for injuries to the likes of James Balagizi and the promotion of Layton Stewart the U18s may well have clinched the title themselves.
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