A round-up of the latest Liverpool news as Jamie Carragher regrets Rafa Benitez not having two heroes in a Premier League title bid and a young gem is tipped for more.
Liverpool have no plans to rush Rio Ngumoha despite facing AC Milan
Liverpool have no rush to hurry Rio Ngumoha through their academy teams despite playing away to AC Milan in the UEFA Youth League. That is according to the Liverpool ECHO, which notes that Reds chief want to gently blood the forward in following his arrival from Chelsea.
Ngumoha only received approval to join Liverpool’s academy at the start of September and made his U18 Premier League debut for the Reds last weekend. Now, he also has European minutes in the 16-year-old’s account but Liverpool want Ngumoha to settle at a stable pace.
His impact against AC Milan was also largely lacking, so did not convince Liverpool that they need to expedite Ngumoha’s progression. The England U18 international only registered a handful of games in Chelsea’s U18 side, as well, and he left the Blues after scoring one goal.
Read more about what Liverpool have planned for Ngumoha’s development, here.
Millwall coach Neil Harris thinks Calum Scanlon can change Liverpool’s beliefs
Millwall coach Neil Harris thinks Calum Scanlon has the potential to play in a more attacking position than Liverpool believe the teenager fits in. Scanlon sealed a last-gasp loan move to The Den in August and will spend the 2024/25 season in the Championship for his first loan.
Harris has so far been reluctant to thrust Scanlon firmly into a prominent place with the 19-year-old only featuring for 11 minutes to date. He debuted for Millwall in their 1-0 defeat to Luton Town last weekend when replacing Joe Bryan as the Lions’ fifth and final substitution.
First-team minutes were also seldom on offer at Anfield with Scanlon only appearing for 51 over two Europa League ties. Each of his games came as a left-back and Liverpool believe it is where Scanlon’s future lies but Millwall boss Harris feels the teen can be more attacking.
“Could Calum play one position slightly higher? Possibly,” he said, via quotes by Southwark News. “You have to look at different stages of games. For a very young man, he has got the game understanding to play higher up the pitch in terms of how we attack and defend.”
Read more about what Millwall boss Harris has said about Liverpool loanee Scanlon, here.
Liverpool would have won the 2008/09 Premier League title with Mohamed Salah or Sadio Mane
Reds hero Jamie Carragher believes Liverpool would have won the 2008/09 Premier League title if Rafa Benitez had Mohamed Salah or Sadio Mane in the squad. Instead, the Reds saw Manchester United take the trophy by four points for their third consecutive championship.
It was the closest that Liverpool had come to winning the Premier League through the first 17 editions of the division. But Carragher felt the Reds were lacking quality out wide at the time Manchester United had Cristiano Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs charging down their flanks.
But if Benitez had been able to boast Salah or Mane, then Liverpool would have had enough to dethrone their arch rival. Salah has so far scored 158 and assisted 71 goals in 254 Premier League games for Liverpool, while Mane recorded 90 goals and 30 assists in his 196 games.
“We just didn’t quite have enough in the wide areas,” Carragher said on Stick to Football. “I think if we had a Mane or a Salah we could have won the league that season.”
Read more about what Carragher has said about Salah and Mane at Liverpool, here.
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