It’s our job to boost the kids as Liverpool welcome Shrewsbury to Anfield for the FA Cup fourth round replay on Wednesday night.
This is going to be a unique chance in their career to experience the full stadium experience before many of them are ready. Some may never get it again, and it’s our job to make sure Anfield is as rowdy as ever to provide them a boost.
A few will be around for the next few years and have racked up a decent amount of senior minutes. Caoimhín Kelleher played a few Carabao Cup games, Sepp van den Berg featured during those early round as well, Neco Williams have impressed, Curtis Jones is getting a few senior minutes here and there while Pedro Chirivella and Harvey Elliot have done well.
But, for many, this will be a new experience and they will be need to roar of the crowd to intimidate Shrewsbury and urge them on. Without leaders like James Milner or Adam Lallana, this will be a tough ask for the U23 side but it isn’t one that’s beyond them.
With no more football for the next two weeks, this is the last chance to see some football for the next 14 days. It’s also an chance to get a look at the next generation of talent coming through the Academy against a full strength opposition – a chance you wouldn’t get often.
People are writing this game off but we can send a message to the rest of the football world with a win – that our youngsters are so good, that the systems placed through the club are so strong and Anfield is such a fortress that not even a League One side can come and beat an U23 one.
Let’s start this break on a high and keep the FA Cup run alive.