U21s: Liverpool vs. United

Brightonian

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I hope Powell doesn't feature. Why break up the excellent Pearson-Rothwell partnership? If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

And both Pereira and Harrop are more suitable #10s.
 

FromTheBench

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I hope Powell doesn't feature. Why break up the excellent Pearson-Rothwell partnership? If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

And both Pereira and Harrop are more suitable #10s.
Powell is better than all of them right now probably.

If he is fit and needs game time for fitness with no plans of involvement Sunday then he will feature. Hope it isn't as a striker but as #10 but it will probably be as the striker if Wilson doesn't feature.

Actually looking forward to see him play again. Been a long time now.
 

Brightonian

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Powell is better than all of them right now probably.

If he is fit and needs game time for fitness with no plans of involvement Sunday then he will feature. Hope it isn't as a striker but as #10 but it will probably be as the striker if Wilson doesn't feature.

Actually looking forward to see him play again. Been a long time now.
After six months of poor form and bad attitude as a striker at Wigan, I hardly think he deserves a run-out up front ahead of Wilson.
 

FromTheBench

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After six months of poor form and bad attitude as a striker at Wigan, I hardly think he deserves a run-out up front ahead of Wilson.
I didn't say ahead of Wilson. I said if Wilson doesn't feature he will probably play as a striker and playing striker for our reserves is very different role to What he did at WIgan where they wanted their striker to chase lost causes and be a battering ram.

Powell, Zaha particularly and probably Lingard and Michael Keane (James and Blackett too now maybe) are at that stage that if they need game time for fitness in the U21s you have to make room for them. It would be harsh on likes of Harrop, Mcnair yeah but until they go on loan or get into the first team squad proper they feature.

As an aside, Don't think his form was that poor as well and He was injured for 2 of those months in spells and then managers had changed after his first layoff and he played for a while as a #10 before getting injured again and then they had gotten on bit of a run without him. He played as a striker first half of the season at Wigan and in a role he wasn't suited to and did pretty well. Poor attitude stuff is way overdone as well. He had one DUI and one incident with a instagram post. Still Both Rosler and Coyle at different times sang his praises in terms of talent.


 
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In Rainbows

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I didn't say ahead of Wilson. I said if Wilson doesn't feature he will probably play as a striker and playing striker for our reserves is very different role to What he did at WIgan where they wanted their striker to chase lost causes and be a battering ram.

Powell, Zaha particularly and probably Lingard and Michael Keane (James and Blackett too now maybe) are at that stage that if they need game time for fitness in the U21s you have to make room for them. It would be harsh on likes of Harrop, Mcnair yeah but until they go on loan or get into the first team squad proper they feature.

As an aside, Don't think his form was that poor as well and He was injured for 2 of those months in spells and then managers had changed after his first layoff and he played for a while as a #10 before getting injured again and then they had gotten on bit of a run without him. He played as a striker first half of the season at Wigan and in a role he wasn't suited to and did pretty well. Poor attitude stuff is way overdone as well. He had one DUI and one incident with a instagram post. Still Both Rosler and Coyle at different times sang his praises in terms of talent.
Those aren't the only instances where his training was called into question. Grant Holt said this of him last October:

“You know what to expect with him, he is a worse trainer than me.

He is talented. He has played in a couple of position including up top where he doesn’t like but he has to do it.

If he keeps developing and keeps his feet on the ground, because he keeps scoring goals, but he is very talented and we are very lucky to have him."

http://thepeoplesperson.com/2013/10...th-stunning-strike-against-rubin-kazan-30292/
 

FromTheBench

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Those aren't the only instances where his training was called into question. Grant Holt said this of him last October:

“You know what to expect with him, he is a worse trainer than me.

He is talented. He has played in a couple of position including up top where he doesn’t like but he has to do it.

If he keeps developing and keeps his feet on the ground, because he keeps scoring goals, but he is very talented and we are very lucky to have him."

http://thepeoplesperson.com/2013/10...th-stunning-strike-against-rubin-kazan-30292/
I watched that interview. He said it almost jokingly while praising him at the same time. No idea if he had any serious intention behind it or what and what worse trainer meant.
 

jb8521

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I watched that interview. He said it almost jokingly while praising him at the same time. No idea if he had any serious intention behind it or what and what worse trainer meant.
Yeah it looks a lot worse written down than how it was said. The only reason he said it at all was because Powell did a pull up on the crossbar to celebrate his goal and he was asked about the celebration.
 

In Rainbows

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Yeah it looks a lot worse written down than how it was said. The only reason he said it at all was because Powell did a pull up on the crossbar to celebrate his goal and he was asked about the celebration.
Wow I didn't remember that at all. It's good to know though and makes me more at ease.
 

Conrad

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After six months of poor form and bad attitude as a striker at Wigan, I hardly think he deserves a run-out up front ahead of Wilson.
I haven't seen any mention of him having a poor attitude at Wigan?
 

Brightonian

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I haven't seen any mention of him having a poor attitude at Wigan?
There were plenty of reports of Rosler dropping him because of a bad attitude in training and on the pitch. Then he went and got himself banned for drink driving. And read any Wigan fan forum and you'll see them discussing his total lack of commitment on the pitch. Or if you can find footage of any of the matches from the latter stages of the season you'll see it yourself. The FA Cup semi against Arsenal, which most players would kill to appear in, was a particularly disappointing example.

I feel like I'm always ragging on him, but it's only because people keep asking that same question so I keep asking it.
 

Elliott

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If memory serves, Rösler dropping him because of his attitude was pure speculation. In fact, I think it turned out he was injured rather than dropped. But he can no doubt be a bit lax in matches and I wouldn't be surprised if he's a bit of a lazy trainer. Hopefully he'll grow out of it. It's easy to forget how young he is.
 

FromTheBench

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He was asked to play a chase the ball striker sort of role at Wigan, where they humped it to him and expected him to chase lost causes and be a battering ram to hold up play. Play Lampard in that role and he'd look uninterested and lax.

Yeah, he does have a Berbatovesque knack (Though much less than him and he is quicker) of looking uninterested at times, and bit lazy during games but then so did Pogba for example.To write him off and want him frozen out already is a lot strange tbh.
 
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SteveW

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He was asked to play a chase the ball striker sort of role at Wigan, where they humped it to him and expected him to chase lost causes and be a battering ram to hold up play. Play Lampard in that role and he'd look uninterested and lax.

Yeah, he does have a Berbatovesque knack (Though much less than him and he is quicker) of looking uninterested at times, and bit lazy during games but then so did Pogba for example.To write him off and want him frozen out already is a lot strange tbh.
His style is extremely casual which seems unusual for someone who so far has achieved very little in the game. There are no obvious signs that he really has the desire to be a great footballer. He does strike me as someone who needs a bit of a shake.

I wouldn't call it arrogance. By all accounts he's not into the big time professional lifestyle. He seems pretty grounded. I just think he seems like a quiet insular type. SAF alluded to his ability to switch off socially and retreat into his own little bubble. The move to United and the surrounding hype may not be the easiest thing for someone him that to handle.

It could take a little bit longer for him to emerge compared to others his age that seem to embrace the hype and all that goes with playing football at this level. It will be interesting to see how he develops. Every manager that's worked with him seems to rate him very highly.
 

Conrad

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There were plenty of reports of Rosler dropping him because of a bad attitude in training and on the pitch. Then he went and got himself banned for drink driving. And read any Wigan fan forum and you'll see them discussing his total lack of commitment on the pitch. Or if you can find footage of any of the matches from the latter stages of the season you'll see it yourself. The FA Cup semi against Arsenal, which most players would kill to appear in, was a particularly disappointing example.

I feel like I'm always ragging on him, but it's only because people keep asking that same question so I keep asking it.
As mentioned by someone else it was only really speculation that he was dropped due to his attitude and judging by what we know now he may well have been dropped because of the trouble he got himself into with the driving ban. Which although pretty idiotic doesn't really say anything about his attitude within football. I'd take the moans of a fanbase towards a player who isn't there own with a pinch of salt. I saw the FA cup semi and didn't see anything wrong with his commitment though it was a poor performance. He's a languid player so it doesn't surprise me one bit that when his goals and performance dried up suddenly the Wigan fans were banging on about a lack of commitment.

He had a poor end to the loan but I think it's harsh to paint the whole spell as a disaster which has marred him as a player with a poor attitude.
 

khoazany

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Can we back discussing about the game instead of a player that might not even feature?

Wonder if Ibe will play today for the Scousers.
 

DomesticTadpole

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If memory serves, Rösler dropping him because of his attitude was pure speculation. In fact, I think it turned out he was injured rather than dropped. But he can no doubt be a bit lax in matches and I wouldn't be surprised if he's a bit of a lazy trainer. Hopefully he'll grow out of it. It's easy to forget how young he is.
Wigan are missing not having him this season.
 

FromTheBench

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This is one to watch, if Wilson does feature he may be playing one of his last for the reserves.
Even if he features this week for the first team he'd probably play few U21s games more before he is fully promoted.

I think he will feature today though.
 

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Could the Varela to Real Madrid rumors be true? Don't think he'd make the 1st team squad ahead of Vermiljl tbh
 

johnny boy

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#LFCU21s team to face Manchester United: Ward, McLaughlin, Stewart, Williams, Jones, Rossiter, Wilson, Lussey, Ojo, Brannagan, Peterson.

#LFCU21s subs: Maguire, Vigouroux, Canos, Pelosi. Yesil.
 

FromTheBench

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Could the Varela to Real Madrid rumors be true? Don't think he'd make the 1st team squad ahead of Vermiljl tbh
Could be but He's much more suited to the wingback role than Vermijl tbh.


Anyway, wonder where's Will Keane ? He's gone AWOL after tour.