Inside the Liverpool Academy season as talents emerge and the £ 50m change is coming

“Abroad, [success] It can be seen as trophies or league positions, etc., but internally, we are very pleased with the development of many of the children this year, “Chief Under 18 Barry Lewtas told ECHO.

“Several of the U18s have been on show in so many games. The Checkatrade games, the Aston Villa and the Shrewsbury games and obviously the everyday stuff at 18 years old.”

“I am really disappointed because it seems like the season has been interrupted because I really enjoyed working with the guys and what has happened behind the scenes has been great.”

“They have worked very hard and I am very happy with what they have done.”

With Klopp’s first teachers working from home after the Melwood closure, supporters have had access to the group’s inner work through Zoom meetings, and the videos have proven immensely popular with fans on social media.

Despite Liverpool losing just five points in 29 games this period, their hopes of a first league title in 30 years depend on what will happen next with the Premier League. That, however, appears to have had little impact on the mood of Klopp’s fugitive league leaders.

Morale is understood to remain high at camp with a focus on maintaining fitness levels for the eventual return of first-class soccer. However, less is known about how young Lewtas officials keep their spirits up in the unprecedented situation in which football finds itself, and society in general, today.

Lewtas says: “The first few weeks we saw each other in front of the camera, which is a little bit different. Then the days get a little more staggered. It’s great to see them and some of them are growing their beards that I don’t ‘I don’t know they could grow!

“And to be honest, this is the first time that I think my hair looks better than some of them and I don’t have much left!

“To be fair, they have accepted the idea of ​​being much more independent and taking responsibility for themselves with their own routine.

“Like many of us, our routines are gone and that is a big change in life. For young boys in this profession, every day counts. I imagine there is a lot of stress in them right now, like everyone else.”

“The way they responded and followed the rules and what we demand of them has been first class. I have been very proud in all age groups to see how they have responded to the situation we are all facing.”

Kirkby’s new world-class base, en route to the Academy, was expected to be open in time for the preseason. Those plans have been forcibly reorganized, but excitement among the next generation remains high.

Those under 23 will get up close and personal with the stars of the Klopp first team, getting a close, personal look at what it takes to become a star for Klopp.

“It’s fun for us because we’ve seen it go from scratch,” says Lewtas. “Seeing that building in front of us every day has become the norm. But I think there is a lot of excitement among the boys as to what they are doing.

“The U18s will continue to move forward and the U23s will also continue with that pending movement. The excitement is there in the group and in us as staff, the communication between the Academy and Melwood has been strengthening over the years.

“Being in the same place makes it a little bit easier next year too. It will benefit the club and the players.”

It’s not just the players on the field who are currently thriving in Kirkby, either. Neil Critchley’s eye-catching work with the under-23s was enough for him to be hunted down to take over as head of Blackpool earlier this season.

Lewtas is using the current pause in play to develop his own coaching philosophy, analyzing a variety of different styles in European football.

It’s been just over a year since he led an 18-year-old team that included Neco Williams, Paul Glatzel and Bobby Duncan to an FA Youth Cup win. Without all three for various reasons, this term, Lewtas admits has been a different challenge, from a personal perspective.

“Part of being a youth coach, at any age, is that you never build a team because if you look at first-team levels, that can take some transfer windows,” he says.

“For us, we know we will have maybe a year and the players will advance or continue, so there is never a disappointment [when players move] in that sense. As I said, to the group, last year [winning the Youth Cup] It was their trip, but I have also enjoyed working with this group.

“It’s been a little different, we haven’t been as lucky with injuries and numbers, but that has been a challenge and I’ve seen guys really step up and take over sessions and games at a young age.”

“Last year we had a bigger team and more competition. Comparing the two is too different. One group leaves, the next comes and you just pick up the baton and continue your work.”

With Klopp’s majors some 4,000 miles away in Qatar, Liverpool’s youngest team in history took the stage for a draw in the quarterfinals.

An important night in the career of everyone involved, Critchley’s colts coincided with their Premier League hosts for much of the game overall, but they were given a very important lesson about the fierce nature of football at the top level. for the events on both penalties. zones

A total of six full rookies and three more off the bench was proof of a proud night for Lewtas and everyone else connected to the club.

“I was proud, of course,” he says. “There was a real Academy mix in those games, so while there were a lot of players here, there were also players who took responsibility.”

“I know it was a difficult night on the scoreboard, but the boys did incredibly well. There were times in that game when the players handled themselves so well. Great credit to Critch, who guided the boys through it.” .

There were still two months to go until the peak, although for the Academy staff, once again, another team led by Critchley welcomed Shrewsbury in a repeat of the fourth round of the FA Cup in a crowded Anfield.

Ro-Shaun Williams’ own goal was enough to give the young Reds a well-deserved victory against nearly 53,000 fans on February 4.

It was something like a historic night for the Kirkby staff. It is not the culmination of their hard work, but an indicator that they were traveling the right way at some pace.

“With the Shrewsbury game, I always say there was probably a little bit more pressure on the crowd,” says Lewtas. “Internally, we knew that against a Premier League team on their field it was difficult, but Shrewsbury at home, while still tough, we felt we had the players to do well against them.”

read more

Related Posts

“I thought Critch prepared them fantastically well. It was great to see them so well at night. Players like Curtis Jones, Neco Williams, playing in the Arsenal game, there has also been a real mix of Academy players this season.” .

“There have been some weird moments this season, like Aston Villa, where so many players had a chance to play. I was delighted to see it and how they adapted.”

With Academy staff honing the budding talents of those looking to follow in the footsteps of Trent Alexander-Arnold, they are fortunate enough to be in a position to work with a manager like Klopp.

Within days of his appointment at Anfield in October 2015, the German was on premises to see what hidden gems were making their way through the ranks and has never been afraid to find someone who he believes can cut him.

Neco Williams and, perhaps more prominently, U23 captain Curtis Jones are the beneficiaries of such a provision from Klopp.

Both players have been nominated for a more regular place in the senior team next season, while 17-year-old Harvey Elliott, recruited from Fulham last summer, is a special talent with a bright future.

These players are beacons of hope for their friends who continue to work in the Kirkby ranks.

Lewtas adds: “Many of these boys have been through school together, they are friends and they see their peers up close if given the chance if they do things right. Send a message that you can get to the first team level and have an opportunity.

“Then it is up to you to show what you can do. It is a great motivation. We have a really unique situation where we have a first team that is flying high, winning trophies and we are still getting players to get closer to the team.” support.

“That is a true testament to them and to the manager and his staff. We are fortunate and our job is to work as hard as we do to keep these players in front of the boss and show them what they can do.”

“The job doesn’t get easier, it gets harder to keep doing it regularly.”

Lewtas has been in the Academy since 2013. Upon joining Wigan Athletic, he was promoted to his current position in the summer of 2018 when Steven Gerrard took the job at Rangers in Scotland.

However, reflecting on the development of the Academy itself since its arrival, the sympathetic Liverpool coach is eager to continue to the next phase of a youth system that is experiencing a boom period parallel to the great success story of the first team. from Klopp.

He says: “[The Academy] It has made great strides in recent years. Alex Inglethorpe (director of the Academy) has been able to put his philosophy on how we want to do things on and off the field.

“All that hard work that was in his childhood is now beginning to bear fruit. I have been fortunate to see that process, not see it, but see it evolve and I hope he continues to do so as the game requires.”

“It has been a pleasant experience and I am lucky to do a job that I love. Being part of this trip has certainly been special for me.”