Topic: Welcome to LFC Ben Doak

[amir87]

Perpetual motion.

[CanuckYNWA]

This boy looked special in his brief cameo, hope he continues to improve. Can very much see him getting a start in the next round.

Most exciting talent to come out the academy since sterling? Actually reminded me a lot of sterling out there when he first broke through where he was fearless and took his man on at any given opportunity.

Attacking talent wise Yes I think so

[Eeyore]

He is the perfect player against a low block.

[farawayred]

Very raw (no duh!) but extremely exciting player.

[AmanShah21]

Loved it. He has the potential to cause all sorts of chaos. Still early days and he'll need to be protected but for a 16 year old lad its just so wonderful to see him always asking for the ball and almost single-mindedly wanting to run at defenders and get us into the box. I thought that first shot where we completely mishit it after dribbling into the 6-yard box would maybe affect him, but next moment he is back and wanted the ball so he could do it again. I'd love to see him get late game minutes against tired legs in the league. He'll cause havoc.

[AmanShah21]

You can add Bajčetić, Gordon and Scanlon to that list!

And Quansah, Kone-Doherty and Pitaluga. The academy has never been so rich in talent than at the minute. So many lads who look like they could turn into really good players.

[jooneyisdagod]

And Quansah, Kone-Doherty and Pitaluga. The academy has never been so rich in talent than at the minute. So many lads who look like they could turn into really good players.

Hahaha, Not that I'm having a go at you or that I think that your statement is wild but I have heard the same said at many many stages in the last two decades. Doak does look a superb talent though. His dribbling and ability to beat players alone will make him a massive threat. If he can grow his footballing brain alongside that, he'll be an absolute handful.

[Darren G]

That was a terrific debut.  It's always difficult to predict a players trajectory from 16 years old, but the lad showed glimpses of proper class out there and an abundance of confidence to come on for his debut and straight away start running at defenders.  Exciting prospect.

[Smudge]

Some boy. 16. Wow.

[El Lobo]

17 tomorrow so hardly a kid anymore

[FlashGordon]

Hahaha, Not that I'm having a go at you or that I think that your statement is wild but I have heard the same said at many many stages in the last two decades. Doak does look a superb talent though. His dribbling and ability to beat players alone will make him a massive threat. If he can grow his footballing brain alongside that, he'll be an absolute handful.

It is true though. The standard of player produced over the last 10 years has been head and shoulders above the 10 years before that. This current crop look even better. We've gone from producing players who struggle to play league football to producing players good enough for L1, Championship and SPL. A good few of these younger players will be PL level.

[damomad]

A Celtic supporting mate said he expected big things for this lad. Have to say, going by his cameo, I'd love to see him start in the next cup game, looks like he has a bag of confidence and the skill to back it up.

[amir87]

17 tomorrow so hardly a kid anymore

'I rest my case your honour.'

[G a r y]

Loved it. He has the potential to cause all sorts of chaos. Still early days and he'll need to be protected but for a 16 year old lad its just so wonderful to see him always asking for the ball and almost single-mindedly wanting to run at defenders and get us into the box. I thought that first shot where we completely mishit it after dribbling into the 6-yard box would maybe affect him, but next moment he is back and wanted the ball so he could do it again. I'd love to see him get late game minutes against tired legs in the league. He'll cause havoc.

Love the fact he got himself back involved straight away, he wanted the ball. He just wanted to get another feel for it straight away and played a simple pass. I noticed it straight away, he just wanted to get some confidence, all at the age of 16 making his debut at Anfield, it was boss.

[plura]

It is true though. The standard of player produced over the last 10 years has been head and shoulders above the 10 years before that. This current crop look even better. We've gone from producing players who struggle to play league football to producing players good enough for L1, Championship and SPL. A good few of these younger players will be PL level.

Exactly. Share that view too. Now we don’t know if any of the players yesterday will make it here but overall looking at these league cup games yesterday to five years ago or ten years ago the difference is noticeable. The academy is definitely improving as a whole. I.e the general standard is higher. But that said these top top youngsters are still a kinda random event. Because we’ve had some great talent coming through in the past of course, on an individual level.

[Coolie High]

It is true though. The standard of player produced over the last 10 years has been head and shoulders above the 10 years before that. This current crop look even better. We've gone from producing players who struggle to play league football to producing players good enough for L1, Championship and SPL. A good few of these younger players will be PL level.

The better players aren’t from our academy apart from Morton really.

[Ycuzz]

Comes on, goes immediately into overdrive and skins the back. Brimming with youthful exuberance he ends up tripping over his own feet.

Gave me a proper chuckle and filled my heart with joy for football.

Keep it up young Ben!

[Historical Fool]

It is true though. The standard of player produced over the last 10 years has been head and shoulders above the 10 years before that. This current crop look even better. We've gone from producing players who struggle to play league football to producing players good enough for L1, Championship and SPL. A good few of these younger players will be PL level.

Young Raheem, Pacheco and Suso stand out from the previous few batches, but that's all I recall sadly..

[FlashGordon]

The better players aren’t from our academy apart from Morton really.

Ok, players that have played youth football with us and used our academy as a finishing school.

[Solomon Grundy]

And Quansah, Kone-Doherty and Pitaluga. The academy has never been so rich in talent than at the minute. So many lads who look like they could turn into really good players.

Don't forget Cannonier & Koumas.

[FlashGordon]

Young Raheem, Pacheco and Suso stand out from the previous few batches, but that's all I recall sadly..

Ojo, Wilson, Kent, Ejaria, Coady, Kelleher, Jones, Neco Williams, Jack Robinson and there's surely a few more I'm missing.

Trent, Woodburn, Brannagan.

[El Lobo]

The better players aren’t from our academy apart from Morton really.

Well...and Trent, and Curtis Jones

[Fromola]

Young Raheem, Pacheco and Suso stand out from the previous few batches, but that's all I recall sadly..

There was that youth team with Sterling, Suso, Robinson, Coady, Flanagan, Tom Ince, Wisdom. All decent players but  only the 2 or 3 of PL level which is still good for a youth team. Adam Morgan was the striker in that team but fell by the wayside.

It's stronger now because we're buying top talent at 15-17. As we did with Sterling and Suso who were the best of that batch.

[Chris~]

There was that youth team with Sterling, Suso, Robinson, Coady, Flanagan, Tom Ince, Wisdom. All decent players but  only the 2 or 3 of PL level which is still good for a youth team. Adam Morgan was the striker in that team but fell by the wayside.

It's stronger now because we're buying top talent at 15-17. As we did with Sterling and Suso who were the best of that batch.

Disagree really. We've always gone after top young players the difference now is our 'weaker' players are better than they were when we were getting smashed by Ajax and Sporting in the NextGen. The base level is higher across the acadmey and would say this is probably true across most top English academies

[jackh]

Hahaha, Not that I'm having a go at you or that I think that your statement is wild but I have heard the same said at many many stages in the last two decades. Doak does look a superb talent though. His dribbling and ability to beat players alone will make him a massive threat. If he can grow his footballing brain alongside that, he'll be an absolute handful.

As a team at the sharp end, we inevitably place different demands on the players who reach the fringes of the first team - our assessment of players is different to what it might be at a club lower down the table/leagues. In many ways, our academy serves a different purpose to what other clubs' academies does - those players who do go on to have a decent career in the Premier League or Championship actually are successes, and a top-level team featuring a handful of truly home-grown first teamers would be quite exceptional really. Probably even somewhat generational - Ajax and United, Barca, etc.

[Black Bull Nova]

I'd think about having on the bench as an impact player right now, depending upon the opposition

[rob1966]

A Celtic supporting mate said he expected big things for this lad. Have to say, going by his cameo, I'd love to see him start in the next cup game, looks like he has a bag of confidence and the skill to back it up.

Was chatting to some Celtic fans on holiday and they were gutted he had left them, made it worse when I showed them the Napoli goal.

[Samie]

Liverpool youngster Ben Doak is set to sign his first professional contract with the club. [@dmlynch]

[StL-Dono]

He is really small, but I bet if we were to look back at 17 yr old Sadio Mane and 17 yr old Mo Salah, they would be rather small as well. 

He is an exciting prospect with seemingly unlimited confidence and bravura.  Once he gets some adult strength like those other two forwards, he could be special.  Of course a lot can happen between now and then, but no doubt he looks a real asset for us.

[Coolie High]

Encouraging, he played the same against league 1 opposition as he does the u 18’s.

[Hazell]

Never on doubt; he looks an amazing prospect, he torn it apart playing for youth team and didn't miss a beat yesterday.

[CanuckYNWA]

He is really small

He looks taller than Elliot when they were celebrating together. Looks like hes about 5ft8 right now maybe 5ft9

[Magix]

What a week for the wee whippersnapper!

I'd think about having on the bench as an impact player right now, depending upon the opposition

I would have him on the bench most games too. Even in a 5 minute cameo can imagine him giving a tired leftback a lot to think about!

[Persephone]

What a week for the wee whippersnapper!

I would have him on the bench most games too. Even in a 5 minute cameo can imagine him giving a tired leftback a lot to think about!

Until he gets hacked by a burly defender who is upset at being blasted passed. He is really young and should be allowed to develop physically before he gets a regular spot in our first team squad. I don't want to see another massive injury like Harvey's again.

[gerrardisgod]

Signed his first professional contract

[Ycuzz]

All rite!

[didi shamone]

All rite!

Giggity...

[Samie]

[thaddeus]

He is really small, but I bet if we were to look back at 17 yr old Sadio Mane and 17 yr old Mo Salah, they would be rather small as well. 

He is an exciting prospect with seemingly unlimited confidence and bravura.  Once he gets some adult strength like those other two forwards, he could be special.  Of course a lot can happen between now and then, but no doubt he looks a real asset for us.

I think Salah was born straight into a man's body and Mane also looked a proper athlete already.



Wasn't lack of physicality apparently one of the reasons Mourinho didn't want Salah at Chelsea though?  Hilarious if so with the hindsight of what a specimen he developed into.

Those two are a pretty high bar for Doak to aspire to but realistically that's the level he needs to work towards to become a regular here.  It's brutal but we tend to sign players once they're getting close to that level rather than being at the level of Basel or Metz.  He's made a very promising start in his one cameo!

[tubby]

Needs to get that hair sorted.