Reserves Beaten 5-1

LIVERPOOL 5
Shelvey 16, 54
Adorjan 18
Eccleston 21
Suso 66

WIGAN ATHLETIC 1
Redmond 32 (pen)

Three goals in the space of five first-half minutes all but killed off any chance Latics’ Development Squad had of collecting a result against Liverpool in their Barclays Premier Reserve League clash at the Liverpool Academy.

Latics: Nicholls; Buxton, Kiernan (Girvan, 75), Lopez, van Aanholt; Thomas, Redmond, R. Watson (Morris, 67), Boothman (Dawson, 67), Dicko, Rodallega

LIVERPOOL 5
Shelvey 16, 54
Adorjan 18
Eccleston 21
Suso 66

WIGAN ATHLETIC 1
Redmond 32 (pen)

Three goals in the space of five first-half minutes all but killed off any chance Latics’ Development Squad had of collecting a result against Liverpool in their Barclays Premier Reserve League clash at the Liverpool Academy.

Latics: Nicholls; Buxton, Kiernan (Girvan, 75), Lopez, van Aanholt; Thomas, Redmond, R. Watson (Morris, 67), Boothman (Dawson, 67), Dicko, Rodallega

I was at this game yesterday & can confirm what the scoreline suggests – Latics were awful
It wasn’t just the 3 goals in 4 minutes that killed the game off coz Latics were never in it at any point including after they scored the penalty to make it 3-1. The only save of note that I can recall the Liverpool keeper having to make was in the last 10 minutes when he tipped a shot round the post but I’ve no idea whether it was on target or not.

For those who’ve been asking what Thomas & Van Aanholt have done to warrant disappearing from the 1st team squad, their performances yesterday provided ample demonstration. Thomas was just anonymous throughout & whilst Van Aanholt made a couple of decent runs forward he kept getting caught in possession & misplacing simple passes to the opposition.
Rodallega was as ineffective playing up front on his own against a bunch of Liverpool youngsters as he often is against premier league opposition.
Lopez looked shaky when put under any sort of pressure & that Dicko lad had a workrate that would put Simon Haworth to shame yet seems to think he’s the db’s & blames everyone else when he messes up (he doesn’t seem to popular with some of the Latics players either).
Of the rest – I wasn’t impressed by Nicholl’s in goal at all & he needs to learn how to line up his wall at a free kick (Shelvey’s 2 goals came from free kicks in identical positions that he didn’t get anywhere near). There was a lad on the left wing who they switched to the right & eventually took off who just looked lost from the first whistle & the 2 other central midfielders (apart from Thomas) Redmond & Boothman covered a lot of ground but didn’t seem up to the task physcially.
In short, with the exception of Rob Kiernan (who looked like he had a bit about him till he went off injured), none of those that played yesterday looked remotely like they are capable of stepping up to the first team squad any time soon & in the case of Rodallega if he’s hoping to force Martinez to recall him to starting action any time soon he needs to put in more of a shift than he did yesterday & I doubt Juventus will be following up their interest!!