There has been a lot of talk this season that Liverpool’s central midfield lacks depth and is less dynamic than before with Gerrard slowing down due to age and Lucas simply not being able to run from box-to-box and be creative in the final third.
A new dynamic central midfield is surely on Rodgers’ shopping list for January or the summer. But there may not be need to splash millions on one when there could be a more than capable young starlet to fill the role. Rodgers is well known for giving young players a chance at Liverpool and maybe he should give Joao Carlos Teixeira and chance in the Liverpool midfield.
Teixeira may only be 20-years old but he has bags of talent and potential. The Portuguese midfielder was sent out on loan to Brentford this season but the loan was cut short after just one month and he is now back at Liverpool and playing for the Under 21’s. Brentford manager Uwe Rösler admitted that due to the team’s downturn in form, he could not guarantee the game time Liverpool expected for Teixeira.
On Monday night, Teixeira ran the show for the Under 21’s as they beat Aston Villa 2-0. Although Teixeira did not get onto the scoresheet he was the one pulling all the strings in the Liverpool side as you can see from the video below courtesy of LFC Tiki Taka:
Liverpool fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts on Teixeira’s brilliant display. It may be unlikely for Rodgers to throw the young starlet into the first team right now as the likes of Joe Allen and Luis Alberto will be ahead of him in the pecking order but he is certainly one for the future. Hopefully he can get another chance to go out on loan this season and play more regularly and build up his game. Who knows, maybe next season he will be pushing for a first team slot.
https://twitter.com/DDukeIRL/status/407649302161666048
Will Teixeira even get a chance at Liverpool? Coutinho, Alberto and Suso(when he comes back) are ahead of him.
— Scott (@RedsOrDead) December 2, 2013
https://twitter.com/MrBoywunder/status/407614602776551424
Teixeira just exudes brilliance.
— Arastu (@illidan_storm) December 2, 2013
@mattladson injury, hopefully still is. Teixeira is just way to good for this level. His ballcontrol and eye for a pass is very impressive.
— fotballkok (@mastad99) December 2, 2013
https://twitter.com/MrBoywunder/status/407598909976883200
Teixeira everywhere so far.
— Viktor Fagerström (@ViktorFagerLFC) December 2, 2013
In as much as I dnt lyk castigating BR, I think d prosperity of our club is in his hands. His team selection somtyms is based on sentiments which he wil nid 2 put away. Our team losses waz due 2 bad selections. If he realy meant wel 4 dis gr8 club nd his career, he wil nid 2 be objective at al time. I wish him wel. YNWA!
Ive seen all the games since he returned from Brentford and yes totally aggree that he looks fantastic.
Crossing my fingers that he isnt squandered by Liverpool and disappears to Spain, like Pacheco and Suso. Or ends up swapped with a Chelsea b-team player.
Rodgers is rumoured to give young players a chance, but the way he treated Sterling and Suso last year borders on mismanagement.
Sterling was thrown in because there were no alternatives, and was given way too much responsability. All of a sudden Hodgson decided his learning curve wasnt steep enough and calls him up for England.
Why is struggling now? Theres your explanation.
Suso played well as a flank man, not his ideal position, but was dropped and then mysteriously left out for the rest of the season. Like it was all a big mistake. Good man-management?