Ian Ryan, a contributor on The Anfield Wrap podcast has been discussing the young Liverpool defender Neco Williams on a recent episode of the show.
The 19-year-old is a product of the club’s youth setup and since the Premier League’s restart, he has made six appearances for the Reds in the English top-flight in both the right and left-back positions.
Williams’ average performance rating in the league last season was a solid 6.64/10 according to WhoScored.com, which when we take into account the small sample size, in our view, feels encouraging. However, Ryan does worry that an over-reliance on the young man too early could have a negative impact on the team, here is what he had to say:
“I’d be a little bit concerned if we were relying on Williams to cover those full-back areas next season. That’s nothing against the lad, he is a young player, he’s going to take a little bit of time. From what I’ve seen so far, he looks an exciting prospect and I’ve got every reason to believe he’ll go on and have a really good Liverpool career.
“But you don’t want him to kind of be exposed too much, too soon, and I think if he’s your cover for both sides, that would worry me a little bit. If all of a sudden I’ve got to look at Williams as my option for six or seven Premier League games in a row, that would concern me a little bit.”
“There are just times when you can see the opposition are targeting him and it becomes difficult for him.”
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TIF Thoughts…
Full-back is a position Jurgen Klopp’s side are undoubtedly short of cover for. Beyond Trent-Alexander Arnold and Andrew Robertson, Williams is the only natural full-back cover within the first-team squad which may suggest it is an area Liverpool should be looking to recruit in.
We believe Ryan’s point is a valid one given the player’s inexperience at the top-level, having made just 11 appearances for the Liverpool first-team to date.