NEIL ATKINSON is joined in the tower for this weeks CityTalk show by John Gibbons, Simon Hughes and Gareth Roberts to discuss managing young players through into the first team. From nowhere. It’s radio but organic…The Anfield Wrap.’
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Eintracht Frankfurt 1 Liverpool 5 & Brentford Preview: TAW Midweek Extra
With Liverpool returning to winning ways on the road in Germany, we reflect on the Reds victory over Eintracht Frankfurt before looking ahead to a weekend trip to Brentford.Also in the show, John is joined by Brian Nash of Frankie Goes To Hollywood about the imminent release of their new deluxe edition box set, which includes previously unheard tracks.John Gibbons is joined by Emila Bona, Mo Stewart and Ali Gunn.
This week, we have a new partner, FPRO.
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22 October 2025
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Ilori is potentially one of the best centrebacks in Europe, 6’3 and quicker than Ronaldo, also very good on the ball. Should be given a chance or will go the way of Mikel San Joe, Paletta and Barragan. Would make an ideal partner for Sakho.
Our treatment of young players baffles me at times. We are trying to sell ourselves as this in that young players can come to to develop and get first team opportunities but we send most of them out on loan.
Ilori and Alberto were bought summer 2013 for approx £14mil combined but you could count on one hand the number of appearances they’ve made in a red shirt and both are 22 now. We have a manager who has previously complained about not having a big enough squad while we keep buying players and sending them out on loan.
Ilori is meant to be very fast, technically gifted and no slouch in the air. Could he not have been given opportunities at right back last season to ease himself into the squad as a stepping stone to move into centreback when Skrtel moves on??
I’m still holding out hope for him and I’m hoping he does enough at these Euros and in pre season to stay at the club this season. Play him in the Europa.
Young centrebacks are probably the hardest to ease into the first team if you are one of the top clubs because you can’t afford them making mistakes while learning on the job as it can prove too costly goals wise. I’m sure how Gomez is gonna progress or get games if he has Skrtel, Kolo, Lovren, Sakho, Ilori, Lloyd Jones, Wisdom etc at the club as well.
Coates was a rave when we first identified him. But he was unlucky enough to be signed by someone else. Very one-footed, but I doubt Sunderland would have swapped him for Lovren by last November…We seem to have spent two seasons getting rid of players and signing worse.
He is slower than Lovren as well as being one-footed, and in the open style we are playing he would get murdered (one of Lovren’s problems I think)
Agree with most of what you guys are saying but the strategy of buying bright English talent at 15-16 seems to have paid off with sterling, ibe and ojo sounds promising (not sure when we bought Wilson). Foreign players not so much. So much about football (and life in general) is about confidence, and at that age, moving to a new country and learning a new language is always going to have a detrimental effect on a players confidence. It probably raises the level of the academy but that seems to be about it. At the end of the day the club probably makes its money back selling players like suso on who almost make it so it is not an issue for them but you feel for the players (I suppose there is no guarantee that the next young guy coming through the Lisbon academy isn’t the next superstar though).
An exception is ilori, I haven’t seen him much but what I have I have been very impressed by. Literally has it all, composure, reading of the game, great on the ball and incredible speed, not just in a straight line dash but importantly also in closing down the first 5-10 metres. Given a good run at it he will be as good as Rio Ferdinand I reckon. I still think he is in the clubs plans though, as Dortmund were interested last season and we turned them down pretty sharply. I reckon we are just biding our time until he has grown into his physique enough to handle some of the yard dogs in the premier league. At least that is what I am hoping.