JURGEN KLOPP and his senior players owe the Baby Reds a crate of lemonade.
Because while the Premier League champions-in-waiting were relaxing on their sun loungers, the youngest team in Liverpool’s history steered the club into the fifth round of the FA Cup and an away tie at Chelsea.
Liverpool’s kids set up an FA Cup tie with Chelsea after controversially beating Shrewsbury Town 1-0Credit: Reuters
In a far from straightforward fourth round replay, they needed the help of technology to become LiVARpool – even though it looked like a cock-up.
And then, Liverpool got lucky to land the winner thanks to an own goal from Shrewsbury’s Ro-Shaun Williams.
The League One side thought they had taken the lead when Shaun Whalley stuck the ball in the net only for it to be ruled out by VAR.
But credit to Liverpool’s youngsters who more than matched their opponents who were physically superior – but not as good technically.
From the moment Klopp threw a strop and decided to give all his senior players a holiday, this was always going to be a night which would become a quiz master’s dream.
The best stat being that, surely for the first time in English football, the aggregate of Liverpool’s shirt numbers came to 703.
As you would expect, this was some distance ahead of Shrewsbury whose tally was just 147.
Ex-Man Utd kid Ro-Shaun Williams scored an own goal 15 mins from time to hand victory to the RedsCredit: Reuters
Despite showing such contempt for the FA Cup, Klopp would presumably have bothered to watch the game via a dodgy stream from his holiday hideout.
Thanks to the boss delivering the promise of a winger-break, Liverpool’s first-team were all relaxing on their hols in places such as California, Florida and the Maldives although it appeared on social media that Sadio Mane – yet to return to full fitness – opted to spend his week on Merseyside.
In theory, we were supposed to be left with Liverpool’s under-23s team and their manager Neil Critchley.
In reality, it was an under-20s team. Aged 19 years and 102 days, this was the youngest team in Liverpool’s history.
So, this was even more inexperienced side to the team which, with an average age of 19 years, six months and three days, was whipped 5-0 at Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in December.
FA Cup 5th round draw: Man United face Southampton/Spurs while Chelsea at home to Liverpool
Shrewsbury had a goal ruled out by VAR after a marginal offside callCredit: Reuters
There were four survivors from the Liverpool team that started the 2-2 at Shrewsbury nine days earlier.
Aged 19 and five days old, Curtis Jones became the youngest player to captain the club and he also proved he is not short of confidence with an outrageous first half nutmeg of Williams.
Canadian international forward Liam Millar, 20, also made his first senior start having been recalled from a loan spell in Scotland. His previous senior game was for Kilmarnock in a 1-0 loss to St Mirren on December 29.
Due to traffic on the M62 accident holding up a large number of fans, the game was delayed by 15 minutes to 8pm. Cue jokes about Liverpool’s players being forced to stay up past their bedtime.
When the delay was announced, Liverpool’s players decided to stay in the dressing room while Shrewsbury’s team returned onto the pitch to warm-up with the strikers doing some shooting practice.
Liverpool’s prodigies starred with U23 boss Neil Critchley in the dug-outCredit: AP:Associated Press
When they finally got underway, with veteran James Milner watching from the stands, Liverpool’s young players looked comfortable and sprayed the ball around the pitch.
They were, however, lacking a cutting edge although Shrewsbury, looking nervous, were not any better.
Finally, more than midway inside the first half, Reds skipper Jones had the first effort via a free-kick but it was well read and easily gathered by the visiting keeper Max O’Leary.
Best effort of the night came through Williams but his low shot flew past the far post
And Williams should then have given Liverpool the lead but he was denied by a decent save from keeper O’Leary who stuck out his left leg.
Critchley is sure to have impressed Jurgen Klopp and will be hoping for a chance to take on ChelseaCredit: Reuters
So it was not only a shock that Shrewsbury managed a decent attack, but a surprise they actually scored.
Whalley scored with a header from a couple of yards to the delight of the 8000 travelling fans.
Daniel Udoh pulled the back back for Dave Edwards and while his effort was saved by Caoimhin Keller, Whalley had an easy chance – but an offside was spotted by VAR.
You got the feeling that this was not to be Shrewsbury’s night and this was confirmed when for the second time in this tie, they scored an own goal.
On this occasion, visiting player Williams panicked and headed a cross from home player Williams into his own net.
On the balance of play, it was no more than Liverpool team deserved.
One or two of them will enjoy fine careers on Merseyside, others will move elsewhere and make a mark in English football. Maybe, some will struggle over the next few years.
But they will forever be remembered as the youngest team in Liverpool’s history who still swept their team into the fifth round of the Cup.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
