Liverpool’s first team have been stupendous this season, sitting 22 points clear at the top of the league – but the club’s youngsters also deserve credit for the way they have performed.
The U23 squad have been required to take the senior side’s place for two matches so far this term – the League Cup quarter-final against Aston Villa due to the Reds’ participation in the Club World Cup in Qatar, as well as the FA Cup fourth-round replay against Shrewsbury.
Whilst they were soundly beaten 5-0 in the first of those two fixtures, they were able to beat the League One side 1-0 in the second – that match saw the youngest-ever side in the club’s history line-up.
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Neil Critchley deserves plenty of praise for the work he has done with those youngsters. He was also in charge for both of those aforementioned matches, and they were by no means outclassed in either – they had 58% possession and more shots on target against the Villans, but just weren’t clinical enough. His guidance has helped the likes of Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott move onto the fringes of Klopp’s squad – they have started all of Liverpool’s FA Cup fixtures this term, for example.
Now, though, Critchley has moved on to pastures new. On Monday morning, the Reds confirmed that the youth team coach had joined Blackpool to become their manager, which is his first such job in football. His exit comes as a bit surprising considering the work he has done at Liverpool, but he has clearly earned his stripes.
His departure is a testament to the quality of Liverpool’s academy. The fact that a professional football club has decided to appoint him based on his work and achievements on Merseyside shows that teams are eager to tap into some of the success they have enjoyed.
Not only has the players’ stock increased but those of the staff surrounding them has too. It remains to be seen whether his appointment at Bloomfield Road is a success, but it is the biggest compliment to Liverpool’s academy.
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