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Jurgen Klopp's FA Cup gamble pays off as Liverpool youngsters win thanks to Shrewsbury own-goal
When he returns to England from his mid-season break, Jurgen Klopp may be inclined to ask why there was so much fuss about his absence.
Far from undermining the FA Cup, his deputy Neil Critchley and Liverpool’s youngsters played their part in keeping it on life support with one of the more romantic tales of recent years, certainly where the Merseyside club is concerned. The bid for five trophies in a season goes on.
In normal circumstances, the sight of the world and European champions engaged in euphoric celebrations after narrowly defeating League One opponents – with the help of an own goal – would be considered slightly embarrassing.
Not here. Shrewsbury Town froze in their surroundings and Ro-Shaun Williams 75th minute own goal meant they succumbed to a Liverpool team with an average of 19 years and 102 days.
As expected, Klopp had delivered a pre-match pep talk.
“He said play the Liverpool way. Go for it. Be ready for it,” said Critchley.“I think we did that from the first whistle.”
If Klopp was sending hugs digitally down his laptop, his most experienced senior player – James Milner – took his first step into coaching, encouraging from the touchline and making his presence felt in the dressing room.
“He trained with us yesterday and asked if he could come along. I said, ‘Of course you can’,” explained Critchley.
“It meant a lot to have someone like him who has achieved so much in the game. He was giving words of advice, vocal in the dressing room and genuinely delighted. He was jumping up and down behind me.”
If the unfortunate Williams’ own goal was decisive, it would be inaccurate to say it was the only difference. So much of the build-up to this game was focused on the financial gulf between the Premier League elite and those trying to keep afloat down the league.
What was most obvious was the technical and tactical superiority of the academy side, which is tougher to attribute solely to resources given Shrewsbury performed better in their first meeting against a team including several Champions League winners.
The physical superiority of the League One was obvious – in stature at least – yet their odd performance was summed up when, despite an obvious height advantage, they played their first corner on 24 minutes short rather than tested an inexperienced defence. The visitors’ dreadful first half display bordered on the inexplicable, and although manager Sam Ricketts saw an improvement after the interval, it was not the reduced gate or TV receipts that left the 8000 fans in the away end feeling short-changed.
With intended irony, Ricketts suggested exhaustion was the reason for the underperformance.
“We have 39 games. Maybe we should have had a winter break,” he said, tongue-in-cheek.
His sole moment of encouragement came on 58 minutes, when Shaun Whalley thought he had headed his side in front, only for the video referee assistant to identify an offside in the build-up.
The game was a poor advert for League One, Ricketts’ side struggling to knit passing patterns or pressurise Liverpool’s defence, albeit Ki-Jana Hoever and Sepp van den Berg are Dutch internationals and their technique demonstrated as much.
Shrewsbury looked like they were playing the venue and the jersey, and resembled ageing fathers trying to retrieve the ball from their sprightly young children. Their defenders treated Canadian international Liam Millar as if he was Mo Salah, and when the captain for the evening, Curtis Jones, attempted a rabona cross, it was clear which side possessed all the confidence.
It was the whole package that impressed more than Liverpool’s individual performances, although it was no surprise Welsh youth international right back Neco Williams – who must surely have grabbed Ryan Giggs’ attention ahead of this summer’s European championships – hit the diagonal cross in the build-up to his Shrewsbury namesake’s critical error.
Critchley, too, will have won attention given the style of his young side.
“As a coach you picture the game, you visualise and try to predict it, but with young players you are never quite sure,” he said.
“The maturity they showed was remarkable. They calmed me on the side. At the end it was a release of emotion. Let’s be honest it will probably never happen again.”
Now Klopp has the welcome dilemma of another tough fixture at Chelsea, although it is doubtful his selections will be queried so much again.
“I will check my diary,” joked Critchley when asked if he will be in charge for the next round.
Liverpool’s season has been extraordinary enough. The contribution of the teenagers in both rounds of the FA Cup have added to the perception the spectators no longer turn up for mere football games in this venue; they are being treated to history.
Can an unprecedented quintet really happen? It is looking more plausible.
Match details
Liverpool (4-3-3): Kelleher 6; Lewis 8, Van der Berg 7, Hoever 8, Williams 9; Chirivella 8, Cain 7, Clarkson 7 (Boyes, 90); Jones 8, Elliott 8 (Dixon-Bonner, 90+4), Miller 7 (Hardy, 82).
Substitutes not used: Jaros, Gallacher, Boyes, Bearne, Norris.
Booked: Williams.
Goal: Williams (75, own-goal).
Shrewsbury Town (5-3-2): O’Leary 6; Love 6, Williams 5, Ebanks-Landell 5, Pierre 6, Golbourne 6; Edwards 5, Goss 6 (Cummings, 74), Laurent 6; Whalley 5 (Walker, 82), Lang 4 (Udoh, 57).
Substitutes not used: Murphy, Beckles, Sears, Hart.
Booked: Love, Golbourne.
Referee: Andrew Madley.
Join me in the comments
Right, let's go have a chat! Join me in the comments now to discuss the game for a bit if you'd like.
FULL TIME
Liverpool win and deserved to. Shrewsbury started far too defensively but showed why in the second half when they were outplayed by the home side. Not sure too many of these players will be making the jump to Jurgen Klopp's first team but Neco Williams and Curtis Jones were both decent. Van Den Berg was good too.
90 mins+2 - Liverpool 1 Shrewsbury 0
Liverpool now just keeping the ball, using lovely little bits of skill to evade challenges then move backwards with possession to run the game down.
90 mins - Liverpool 1 Shrewsbury 0
LIVERPOOL ARE IN! Shrewsbury have pushed everyone forward for a corner and Liverpool break... and a mistake means they have four players in the opposition half without any defenders!
The pass is dreadful and the goalkeeper is able to win the ball. That should have been 2-0.
87 mins - Liverpool 1 Shrewsbury 0
Looks like this one is slipping away from Shrewsbury. Liverpool might be a lot younger but they're better players.
84 mins - Liverpool 1 Shrewsbury 0
Liverpool are playing smart, slowing things down, clearing lines when needed. Shrewsbury pushing forward but have a sea of red shirts to get through.
81 mins - Liverpool 1 Shrewsbury 0
BIG CHANCE FOR SHREWSBURY! The ball is swung in for Udoh, Cummings tries to win the second ball and Laurent comes in to swing a volley miles over the bar. It's not happening for him tonight.
78 mins - Liverpool 1 Shrewsbury 0
That's a shame for Shrewsbury. It's obviously great for Liverpool but it's not as if they even care particularly, or at all, about this competition. Going through to the next round could have changed Shrewsbury's fortunes. I mean that somewhat literally too as the money they made from the first game will pay for a badly needed video analysis team.
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLL!!!!
OH NOOOO IT'S AN OWN GOAL!
Liverpool 1 Shrewsbury 0
A comedy own goal by Williams (Shrewsbury) who heads the ball straight past his own goalkeeper into an empty net after a long punt of a ball from Williams (Liverpool) from near the halfway line.
74 mins - Liverpool 0 Shrewsbury 0
ENTER: CUMMINGS.
It's time. Goss comes off and on steps the two goal hero of the original game.
71 mins - Liverpool 0 Shrewsbury 0
Ohhhhh Jones. He plays with the swagger of someone who knows all the yoyo tricks but he's just made a total mess of a golden chance to score inside the area. The ball drops from a height, he beats the offside trap and then kicks thin air, wasting the opportunity. It happens.
68 mins - Liverpool 0 Shrewsbury 0
Shrewsbury are having much more of the ball now, making the pitch a lot bigger and even getting the full-backs forward. Risky business.
Whalley runs into the left channel, crosses in and nobody is there to head at goal. Play is switched, Udoh spins just inside the area and shoots narrowly wide of the near post!
65 mins - Liverpool 0 Shrewsbury 0
Liverpool playing with a bit more urgency now, presumably a little worried that they've realised Shrewsbury can actually score and that Liverpool, regardless of starting XI, are genuinely not invincible.
63 mins - Liverpool 0 Shrewsbury 0
Whalley chases a long ball and Kelleher comes about 20 miles off his line to close it down! Oh lordy he's got away with one there. Whalley can't slot the ball into an empty net from a fair distance away.
62 mins - Liverpool 0 Shrewsbury 0
Ah well that was a bit of fun. The home crowd celebrate the goal being disallowed as though they had scored, but Shrewsbury will be buoyed by knowing they can get at this Liverpool team - the goalkeeper looks vulnerable and they're not great in the air, except for Van Den Berg who is definitely quite good.
GOAL DISALLOWED
VAR Goal overturned. Offside https://t.co/kILAgiqs2Y
— Shrewsbury Town FC (@shrewsweb) February 4, 2020
:-(
GOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLL!!!!!
SHREWSBURY TAKE THE LEAD!
58 mins - Liverpool 0 Shrewsbury 0
Shrewsbury make their way into the Liverpool final third and win a throw-in. Udoh comes on to replace Lang before that takes place.
Udoh is involved straight away while attacking a cross into the box, Shrewsbury keep the ball after and have men over... there's a chance here! THEY'RE IN!
56 mins - Liverpool 0 Shrewsbury 0
Jones takes a free-kick short by Jones and is hauled to the ground off the ball to stop him sneaking in behind the defence.
The free-kick is crossed in from the left but goes out for a throw, Liverpool keep the ball and work it into the area again winning another corner.
This Liverpool spell of dangerous attacks is exactly why Shrewsbury played so defensively in the first half.
53 mins - Liverpool 0 Shrewsbury 0
OOOOHHHHHHHH!!!! Nutmeg INSIDE the box! And it's a Shrewsbury player pulling out the skills. Lang goes down inside the area but the referee says no penalty... Liverpool attack and Elliot is pulled to the ground. The free-kick is 30 yards out and bounces back off the wall but Liverpool keep up the pressure.
Shrewsbury pushing up has made the game way more fun to watch. Elliot is inside the area, twists and turns and has Williams running in... finds him with the through ball and WILLIAMS MUST SCORE! SAVED! Great stop by the goalkeeper.
50 mins - Liverpool 0 Shrewsbury 0
Shrewsbury are pushing up higher in this half than they did for almost the entire of the first and are switching play, moving it from wing to wing, getting the ball in the box... and that has given Liverpool the chance to counter! Jones turns on the spot 25 yards out and decides to shoot when he might be better off passing, putting the ball straight in the goalkeeper's gloves.
48 mins - Liverpool 0 Shrewsbury 0
Corner to Liverpool. They go short, it's chipped in and lands inside the box, bounces and WILLIAMS IS THERE! He volleys a shot over the bar from about 12 yards out.
KICK OFF
Shrewsbury go long from kick off but give the ball away. That's what happens when you launch it.
Players are back out
A full 15 minutes half time and the players are back out on the pitch. Shrewsbury take a bit longer.
Why are Shrewsbury playing this way?
I would completely understand why Shrewsbury would come to Anfield and set up in the lowest of low blocks and approach the game without any way of keeping the ball creating chances other than counter-attacks involving one forward. Liverpool's young players are all technically very gifted but Shrewsbury's shape - a 3-5-2 - is gifting space in the channels and simply blocking the path to goal. They need to push up and get stuck in.
HALF TIME
A fairly dull game made worse by not being available to watch on TV. Shrewsbury defending, Liverpool passing... no goals. The only times Shrewsbury are able to get forward they have absolutely nobody in position to take advantage. Van Den Berg looks a decent player.
45 mins - Liverpool 0 Shrewsbury 0
Elliot runs away with the ball and Golbourne comes across but can't wipe him out or he'll definitely be shown a second yellow. As feels inevitable in this game, nothing comes of the attack and everything slows down.
42 mins - Liverpool 0 Shrewsbury 0
Golbourne and Williams go clattering into each other as Liverpool earn their first corner. That is headed away and Clarkson (not Jeremy) tries a shot from distance which hits a body and bounces miles away.
39 mins - Liverpool 0 Shrewsbury 0
Williams is booked for the first time in his entire (senior) career. This was the day that Neco Williams finally became a footballer.
36 mins - Liverpool 0 Shrewsbury 0
Here's that nutmeg from Jones that made me type OOOOOHHHHH earlier on.
Absolute filth from Curtis Jones. �� pic.twitter.com/hZeL22lTtr
— Samue (@SamueILFC) February 4, 2020
You remember. Those were simpler times. Better times. Times approximately 10 minutes ago.
Shrewsbury aren't really in this game yet (and have only had 25 per cent possession) but have the ball now. Here they are with the chance to pass around a bit... but Liverpool clear their lines.
33 mins - Liverpool 0 Shrewsbury 0
Free-kick just outside the area wide right. Yellow card to Golbourne for the high, late challenge on Williams, who is OK to continue.
Shrewsbury set up the wall but the cross is headed away without fuss, Liverpool keep the ball and Williams, who has come back on the pitch ends up inside the box and has a chance to shoot! Just wide!
30 mins - Liverpool 0 Shrewsbury 0
O'Leary punches a cross clear, Liverpool keep the move alive, Shrewsbury manage to get out but Liverpool quickly win it back. The home crowd are enjoying what they're seeing from their young team tonight. Jones is the star.
Stuart Pearce reckons Liverpool are playing quite well.
"I've been a little disappointed with Shrewsbury to be honest. I expected them to physically overrun Liverpool."
27 mins - Liverpool 0 Shrewsbury 0
A high ball pumped towards Jones earns Liverpool a free-kick about 25 yards outside the box and they can probably shoot from here. Or maybe cross. I can't quite tell for a variety of reasons.
Jones will take it... gets the ball over the wall and the goalkeeper can catch it fairly easily.
OOOOOHHHHHHHH MEGS! Jones has just binned Williams with a little flick and nutmeg and is rewarded for it with a whack from the defender. He'll get a yellow card for that.
Jones is being seen to by the physio now, having maybe taken a flick to the eye, which according to Stuart Pearce, is very normal.
24 mins - Liverpool 0 Shrewsbury 0
Shrewsbury get a rare chance to keep the ball in front of the Kop but it doesn't last for long, and Liverpool soon move up the other end to win a goal kick.
First corner of the night coming up and it's Shrewsbury's. The Big Lads go forward, the kick goes short, Goss clips it in and that's not very good. In fact, it's plain bad.
21 mins - Liverpool 0 Shrewsbury 0
Van Den Berg has had a lot of the ball so far, making lots of short passes. Still no shots worth writing about, no cutting edge. Shrewsbury just keeping things safe at the back.
18 mins - Liverpool 0 Shrewsbury 0
Edwards has the attention of the physios and may have done something to his knee ligament. Liverpool keeping the ball, passing it around but unable to create anything yet.
Elliot gets on the ball and nutmegs Edwards to escape a dangerous little situation... but again nothing comes off it.
77 per cent possession to Liverpool so far.
15 mins - Liverpool 0 Shrewsbury 0
13: Landell finds Love with a switch of play down the right-wing, Love looks to put a cross in but the attempt is blocked.
0-0 #Salop— Shrewsbury Town FC (@shrewsweb) February 4, 2020
Shrewsbury try one of those moves they used a lot in the original version of this game, utilising third man runs to get the ball over the top and in behind the defence. Whalley makes the run but Liverpool's young centre-backs deal with the danger.
12 mins - Liverpool 0 Shrewsbury 0
Critchley is standing in his technical area making some adjustments, getting Jones to better support Millar. Liverpool in control of possession, as you'd imagine.
6 mins - Liverpool 0 Shrewsbury 0
In entirely unrelated news, the decision by Liverpool not to allow any international broadcasters to show this game is proving something of a stumbling block in terms of watching it.
In the actual game, nothing much has happened so far other than a couple of fouls.
KICK OFF
Let's go lads! #Saloppic.twitter.com/XZMqrhySyN
— Shrewsbury Town FC (@shrewsweb) February 4, 2020
Is the FA Cup still special?
The prize money isn't big for those in the Premier League, there's no Champions League or Cup Winners' Cup place that makes it worth winning the thing for and if a club is a business, and they are nowadays, it makes financial sense to prioritise the competitions that pay hundreds of millions. The FA Cup is basically the League Cup.
I know it's a crime these days to see both sides, but 1. You can understand why Klopp is making a stand on fixture overload 2. It's sad to see the FA Cup demeaned and Shrewsbury treated like a nuisance.
— Paul Hayward (@_PaulHayward) February 4, 2020
Kick-off delayed
Kick-off for tonight's game has been delayed until 8pm due to an accident on the M62.
Neil Critchley pre-match words
"It is a special evening for the staff and players and for the academy. I am the one standing here but I like to think I am representing the academy and the staff. I am proud of that and I will be more proud if they play the way I know they can.
"What happens in both penalty boxes is very important and vital to the result. We had long spells against Aston Villa that we were in the game but we did not score at one end and did not keep them out at the other. We are in a results driven business and if you do not do well in both boxes then it is not a good recipe for success.
"We never know what team we might have at Under 23 level but have had time to prepare for this. There will not be any mixed messages and it is important we go out to play the Liverpool way.
"We will find out [how the players respond], that is the beauty of the game. Some of them have played in this environment and done well so hopefully they can continue that. Some who have less experience, hopefully they can help them, we will need the crowd to be with us.
"We are here to do a job, play and play well. You only enjoy it if you play well. We know what we have to do tonight and give Shrewsbury a run for their money. I am sure we can which will make it more enjoyable."
Liverpool the record breakers
19y 102d - With an average age of 19 years and 102 days, Liverpool have tonight named their youngest ever starting XI in all competitions for the second time this season, surpassing their lineup for the League Cup quarter-final against Aston Villa in December (19y 182d). Break. pic.twitter.com/iUM7BjIyvx
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 4, 2020
State of the player numbers
It's like when you signed players on the old Fifa games and the computer automatically assigned them stupid numbers. Luckily we have the technology on modern video games to edit. First the moon landing, now this.
The magic of the cup
It's Shrewsbury Town at Anfield - the famous Anfield - in the FA Cup against the mighty Liverpool, the unstoppable Premier League force, champions of the world, Champions League holders... and this is the first team Jurgen Klopp Neil Critchley has named:
Liverpool XI
Kelleher, Williams, Hoever, Van den Berg, Lewis, Chirivella, Clarkson, Cain, Elliott, Jones, Millar.
Substitutes: Jaros, Hardy, Gallacher, Dixon-Bonner, Boyes, Bearne, Norris.
That incredible force you just felt rush past you like a supersonic ghost was the manifestation of emotion from Shrewsbury's dressing room upon reading the team news. It will be more of an upset tonight if Liverpool win.
Welcome to this bizarre world in which Shrewsbury have the better team than Liverpool, like when you play Football Manager for too many years and nothing makes sense and you've forgotten what players exist in real life and that Erling Haaland isn't a regen and that your Uefa cup winning captain is.
There is a big travelling support suspected tonight at Anfield even though the home allocation is reported to have sold out. This is the team they'll be cheering on:
�� | Sam Ricketts names his side that is set to take on Liverpool tonight! ���� #Saloppic.twitter.com/Oxgkl2ObAC
— Shrewsbury Town FC (@shrewsweb) February 4, 2020
Josh Laurent is the standout, match equaliser Jason Cummings only makes the bench to play a team described as the manager as an Under-19s team, and not an Under-23.
So sit back and enjoy, Liverpool fans. And if any players are reading this on their holidays away from football, feel free to write in and let us know how your new teammates are doing.
Kick off is 7:45pm, stay here for all the buildup and action.
