Liverpool U21s ready for ‘positive’ Bristol Street Motors Trophy campaign
Liverpool U21s boss Barry Lewtas is relishing the start of the 2023/24 Bristol Street Motors Trophy campaign.
The Reds will travel to Crewe Alexandra on Tuesday [27 August] for the opening match in the Northern Section Group E, which also contains Harrogate Town and Blackpool.
Lewtas spoke to the club’s official website [27 August] ahead of the clash and recognised the benefits a long run in the competition for his young side.
He said: “There has been a few sore nights for us as well in this competition, along with that great night at Morecambe last season.
“If you are not winning then you’ve got to be learning and we have certainly learnt a lot from these games – which is why we enter this competition. So, we’ve learned a lot more than what we’ve won.
“This game at Crewe will be a really exciting night for our young players because it will be their first taste of playing against senior opposition. So for us there’s only positives to be gained from it.
“In saying that, we are certainly not going there just to make up the numbers, we want to try to qualify from the group, which we managed to do for the first time last year.
“To do that, we know we need to get points on the board. We will give it our best go of trying to win.”
Liverpool will learn from Bristol Streets Motors Trophy experience
It has been a turbulent few weeks at the AXA Training Centre. In the blink of an eye, the bulk of the talented youngsters are completing permanent moves away from the club.
Bobby Clark, who made 12 senior appearances under Jurgen Klopp last season, has joined former assistant coach Pep Lijnders at RB Salzburg.
Harvey Blair has signed for Championship outfit Portsmouth, while Stefan Bajcetic and Tyler Morton are set to follow Kaide Gordon and Lewis Koumas out the door on loan deals to join RB Salzburg and Bayer Leverkusen respectively [Fabrizio Romano].
The options at Lewtas’ disposal are limited; however, the boss is confident that the remaining academy personnel can progress to the latter stages of the Bristol Street Motors Trophy.
Kieran Morrison has impressed this season following his promotion from the U18 side, and the Reds will have Trent Kane-Doherty available after a short injury and Trey Nyoni despite his involvement with the senior side.
No Premier League academy side has managed the feat of winning the competition, and it would be a remarkable testament to the quality at the Liverpool academy if they can better senior League 1 and League 2 opposition this season.
It is unlikely, but the experience of playing lower-league opposition will give Liverpool and senior team manager Arne Slot a clear picture of which of his current academy crop, if any, has the potential to challenge for a first team berth in the future.
In other Liverpool news, the Federico Chiesa signing could spell trouble for a Liverpool star.
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