For clubs like Liverpool, the League Cup tournament always offers opportunities to give young talents a taste of the big stage. Pep Lijnders, who will be stepping in as the head coach against Leicester City on Wednesday, discussed one specific player, Ben Doak, referencing Johan Cruyff.
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Doak, a 17-year-old Scottish winger who was picked up from Celtic last year, is gradually making a splash at Anfield and seems set to get a significant amount of playing time against The Foxes, just like in the preseason and last week in the Europa League. Lijnders has kind words for the young winger, who, being right-footed, often plays on the right but can also operate on the left flank.
'He's still young; many things can happen, but I've had the fortune of growing up in the Netherlands with the culture of Cruyff, with the idea that you can deploy wingers on the opposite side to disrupt the opponent's organization. Marc Overmars, Arjen Robben, those kinds of players. He's an intriguing player; he needs to mature and listen to Robbo (his compatriot Andy Robertson), Mohamed Salah, those kinds of guys.'
Lijnders hinted at changes to the starting lineup that took care of West Ham United on Sunday and mentioned that Trent Alexander-Arnold is almost but not quite ready for his return to the squad. The Dutchman, stepping in for Jürgen Klopp, didn't want to make it seem during the press conference that the match against Enzo Maresca's team would be a walk in the park.
'We know we're facing a team with individual quality, with a clear attacking plan. The manager is doing incredible work; honestly, all their players could easily fit into the Premier League. We need to control their key players and put them under pressure,' Lijnders cautioned.
Leicester, which was relegated in May, has made an impressive start at the second level. With 21 points from eight matches, the 2016 champions sit at the top. Liverpool, a division above, is in second place with sixteen points from six games.
Updated: 03:59, 26 Sep 2023
