After the euphoria of reaching the FA Youth Cup semi-finals Liverpool under-18s turn their attention back to the FA Premier Academy League this Saturday at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.
Friday night’s 4-2 victory over Bolton Wanderers following on the heels of another victory in the Academy League, when Hugh McAuley’s side beat Crewe Alexandra 3-1.
Liverpool wait to see who they face in the last four of the Youth Cup as they bid to try and lift the club’s third triumph in the competition in the past four years. Birmingham await the winners of Saturday’s fifth round tie between Ipswich and Watford, with Liverpool waiting in the wings in the semi-final.
But first McAuley will make sure his side focus on the league. He said: “I have always said the Youth Cup helps keep the season going. It keeps us in the spotlight with high profile games. And it is a vehicle for the players to develop and move on and for the best prospects to flourish when they get the opportunity. Thankfully we seem to have got to that point and we have two good games in the semi-final to look forward to.
“Hopefully it keeps that competitive spirit among the squad to perform. You know you have got big matches to look forward to. It is a nice finale to the season.”
Coach McAuley added: “We need to keep the same commitment as in the cup when we take on Wolverhampton on Saturday.
“The semi-final will come up in time. We just need to carry on trying to do well in the league. Hopefully they will also get chances higher up and to go to Melwood. That is the long-term objective of the Academy staff and we hope we will have got some good players to go and join Gary (Ablett) in the reserve team.”
James Ellison is still out with a lower back problem, but Spanish centre-back Daniel Ayala should be back before the semi-finals.
LIVERPOOL YOUTH: Bouzanis; Irwin, Wisdom, Kennedy, Buchtmann; Amoo, Pepper, Kacaniklic; Eccleston, Dalla Valle, Ince. Subs: Chamberlain, Roberts, Robinson, Clair, Coady.
Friday night’s 4-2 victory over Bolton Wanderers following on the heels of another victory in the Academy League, when Hugh McAuley’s side beat Crewe Alexandra 3-1.
Liverpool wait to see who they face in the last four of the Youth Cup as they bid to try and lift the club’s third triumph in the competition in the past four years. Birmingham await the winners of Saturday’s fifth round tie between Ipswich and Watford, with Liverpool waiting in the wings in the semi-final.
But first McAuley will make sure his side focus on the league. He said: “I have always said the Youth Cup helps keep the season going. It keeps us in the spotlight with high profile games. And it is a vehicle for the players to develop and move on and for the best prospects to flourish when they get the opportunity. Thankfully we seem to have got to that point and we have two good games in the semi-final to look forward to.
“Hopefully it keeps that competitive spirit among the squad to perform. You know you have got big matches to look forward to. It is a nice finale to the season.”
Coach McAuley added: “We need to keep the same commitment as in the cup when we take on Wolverhampton on Saturday.
“The semi-final will come up in time. We just need to carry on trying to do well in the league. Hopefully they will also get chances higher up and to go to Melwood. That is the long-term objective of the Academy staff and we hope we will have got some good players to go and join Gary (Ablett) in the reserve team.”
James Ellison is still out with a lower back problem, but Spanish centre-back Daniel Ayala should be back before the semi-finals.
LIVERPOOL YOUTH: Bouzanis; Irwin, Wisdom, Kennedy, Buchtmann; Amoo, Pepper, Kacaniklic; Eccleston, Dalla Valle, Ince. Subs: Chamberlain, Roberts, Robinson, Clair, Coady.
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