http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/spor...blood-red-liverpools-hardline-stance-11396284
Blood Red: Liverpool's hardline stance with youngsters should be applauded - but could it backfire?
Liverpool want their youngsters to prove themselves before the rewards come their way - but they risking losing some of their young stars
- Liverpool want their youngsters to prove themselves before the rewards come their way - but they risking losing some of their young stars
“It’s very important young players have something to strive for. If they get too much too young it can sabotage their development."
Brendan Rodgers said a lot of things during his time at
Liverpool. Plenty of them ridiculed.
But this time he got it spot on.
The ex-Reds boss was keen not to see his young players get much too soon.
It's an accusation levelled at many a young footballer as they try to make the grade in the Premier League.
As the world's top football clubs compete to snare the stars of the future, young players are given ever increasing contracts.
And too much money at too early an age can snuff out a fledgling career.
Liverpool however, are trying to make a difference.
It's all relative of course, but the Reds' hardline stance with their young players is to be admired.
They want their youngsters to prove themselves before the rewards come their way.
It's a principle the club are prepared to stick to, even if it does end up costing them now and again.
Jerome Sinclair recently signed for Watford having failed to agree a new deal with the Reds.
Jordan Rossiter was another to depart Anfield in recent weeks, with Liverpool unwilling to match terms offered to him by Rangers.
Sergi Canos could now follow him out of the exit door, having demanded the Reds stump up £10,000 a week after a successful loan spell at Brentford last season.
Brad Smith's reluctance to agree terms almost cost him his Liverpool career, before he performed a U-turn and took the offer the Reds put on the table months earlier.
Raheem Sterling of Manchester City reacts as he misses a clear chance during the Capital One Cup Final match between Liverpool and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on February 28, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)
And then there was Raheem Sterling, who left for Manchester City in a £49m deal after a much-publicised contract dispute with the Reds.
And it was he who Rodgers was talking about when he said the words "too much too young".
Now, nobody could call Sterling a flop - but his time at the Etihad hasn't gone exactly to plan so far.
And perhaps it's no coincidence that Jordon Ibe's form has tailed off since signing
a lucrative new deal with Liverpool one year ago.
Indeed, Smith, Kevin Stewart and Pedro Chirivella have worked hard to break into the first-team picture at Anfield this term - and they are on relative peanuts compared to some of their peers.
But could the Reds' stance cost them in the long run?
After all, if their rivals are willing to pay big bucks to persuade young players their future is with them, it will be difficult for Liverpool to compete.
Eyebrows were certainly raised when news broke this week about Canos. So impressive in the Championship, the 19-year-old Spaniard had recently told the ECHO that his Liverpool debut was the "best 10 minutes of his life".
Canos' family, meanwhile, opened up a restaurant on Penny Lane in South Liverpool. All looked set up for a long stay on Merseyside.
Now the Spaniard looks set to leave - with Queens Park Rangers and Watford circling - and Reds fans will be understandably left frustrated if he goes on to fulfil his vast potential.
In truth, it's about finding the right balance.
You suspect that if Canos convinced he was a future first-team star then the Reds will be more willing to ensure he was tied him down to a more lucrative deal.
Cameron Brannagan, for example, is
set to be rewarded with new terms. He is highly thought of at Anfield.
Jurgen Klopp will know best, and the Reds boss has an excellent track record of nurturing young talent. Simply look at his successful Dortmund side.
The club will hope that the chance to play for one of the world's most famous clubs - and most passionate crowds - is more of an incentive than cold, hard cash.
Rodgers might be right. But money talks, and the Reds will have to pay the best to get the best young talent.
what do you think of this article
@catcherintherye, i sort of see where they come from, but i would say of all the teams to be appluaded for their youth, liverpool are right down the bottom there when considering premier league clubs.
