The FA Youth Cup has rarely lived up to its name as it has this year for Liverpool.
In recent months, under-18s coach Marc Bridge-Wilkinson has had an inexperienced team due to injuries and players moving up to older age groups.
The Reds will once again look to their most promising players when they travel to Port Vale in an FA Youth Cup fourth round match this evening. Add the additional complexity of the U21s playing a prestige match against Paris Saint-Germain at Kirkby on the same night (kick-off 7pm).
The abundance of new players has contributed to an inconsistent run of play in the U18 Premier League North; Saturday’s 3-2 setback to Blackburn Rovers at home was their fourth straight league loss.
But three days before Christmas, during that run, his team defeated Bournemouth 2-1 in the FA Youth Cup, and Bridge-Wilkinson is happy to give his young players another chance to experience the more competitive side of the game.
He tells the ECHO, “We have had a youthful team for much of this season, one that is heavy on first-year players, which is not a concern. “As always, we hold ourselves to our own standards, but given the talent of our players, we would have preferred greater outcomes. but eventually
“As always, we judge ourselves by our own standards, and with the potential of the players we have, we’d have wanted results to have been better. But in time we hope it can happen.
“One of the events we use to really give the lads the experience of attempting to win games is the Youth Cup. In comparison to our typical weekly schedule, we devote a lot of time and energy to game preparation since we set out to win this competition. This is done in order to offer the guys further experience with the pressure that comes with being on the first team, wherever that may be. Winning at the level of the first team is everything.”
Ben Doak, Bobby Clark, and Stefan Bajcetic are all eligible to participate in the competition, but because of their regular participation in the first-team squad, they are virtually certainly not going to be picked.
Bridge-Wilkinson, who guided Liverpool to the FA Youth Cup final in 2021, adds that “we have a few youngsters who have stepped up already to the under-21s and beyond.” “It’s crucial for them to participate in first-team practices and games, or, in Stefan’s case, to start them. Although we are unsure if we will succeed in capturing any of these boys, we shall exert all of our strength.”
The 16-year-old Jayden Danns, son of former Crystal Palace and Tranmere Rovers player Neil Danns, has moved into the forward line and scored the opening goal at Bournemouth last month while Lewis Koumas is still recovering from an injury.
Jayden has performed admirably, according to Bridge-Wilkinson. Since joining the team, he has seized his opportunities and has been performing admirably. Like any young person, he still has a lot of work to do, but thus far, things are looking up.
Lewis has experienced foot pain. He still has some time to recover, but maybe soon he will be back on grass.
Around 1,000 supporters are expected to attend Vale Park with Port Vale having reached the last 32 of the FA Youth Cup for the first time since they were beaten 3-2 at home by Everton in 2013.
According to Bridge-Wilkinson, who played for Port Vale for four years, “it’s going to be a tough game and we won’t be taking Port Vale lightly.” “The more spectators there are, the better, as it will benefit both teams’ players and demonstrate what it’s like to perform in front of a crowd.
Every game is unique, although I definitely played there for a while. It was a good club back then, and it still is. I had a good time there.