Competitive Edge - Liverpool Manager Jurgen Klopp On Inner Squad Competition

Competitive Edge - Liverpool Manager Jurgen Klopp On Inner Squad Competition

Jurgen Klopp believes fierce competition for places will help ensure that Liverpool take the “next step” this season. The Reds boss says that it is inevitable that some players will be fuming when he picks his line-up for the Premier League home opener at Watford next Saturday. 

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Liverpool versus Derby County Premier League U18 Game

Liverpool versus Derby County Premier League U18 Game

If there is a place out there where “Soccer Youth Nirvana” exists – a Category I Premier League Academy is pretty close to it. Better facilities, players, staff coaches and TIME available simply do not exist – this is it! Although American clubs cannot replicate, to the letter, what happens in these Academies my observations over the years is that emulating, as best as we can, the culture and practical day to day programming of these Academies is the way forward for developing our American players.

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Look Receive Pass

Look Receive Pass

When you look at a top level midfielder you may notice that their head is swiveling all the time. A midfielder has to master the game from a 360 degree perspective – receiving ball from back players,  playing ball to wide players, changing the point of attack and relaying the ball from the backs to the forwards. They are only able to do their job well if they are constantly looking around and scanning the field to see who is open, where are the opponents and how can they make themselves available to receive the ball.

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Transferability & The Skills League

Transferability & The Skills League

Winning is, without dispute, good for morale but if the wins come by just kicking the ball and running after it this is not going to be very effective, developmentally, in the long run. During a game, keeping track of how many times the players use a move which you, as the coach, introduced during the week is an ideal alternative to the constant emphasis on winning games. Nothing replaces the development of skills which players will be able to incorporate into games in future years. That is what youth development is all about.

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