There’s speculation that Nathan Eccleston will make his Liverpool debut tonight in the Carling Cup against Arsenal. It would cap a remarkable rise through the ranks for the young player. This time last year there were rumours that he was on his way out of the club after being dissatisfied by his lack of progress. After being promoted to Melwood and securing a regular spot in the reserve team, he has continued to impress.
Nathan Eccleston is slightly shorter in the flesh than he appears on the TV. I bumped into him at Anfield on Sunday afternoon and he may be 6 foot, but is probably a shade under. He’s certainly quick and loves to run at defenders. He’s been playing up front for the reserve team this season but impressed for the Academy (particularly in the FA Youth Cup) playing wide on the wing.
It would make sense for Eccleston to play on the right hand side, if he does play tonight. There is less pressure than if he’s leading the line and he loves to cut inside, providing space for the right back (probably Degen) to get forward.
I’ve analysed his first half contribution for Liverpool reserves against Sunderland to show what he brings to the team. You’ll notice that he lost the ball a few times – mostly in the air with his back to goal – and he’ll need to work on that if he is to play centre forward at a higher level (although than night he was up against Premiership defenders).
He loves to run at defenders and when he does, there’s always a final ball. He’s hits a moving ball sweetly although his final pass isn’t always consistent. He’s always lively and (as this shows) prepared to get stuck in. What this doesn’t show is how keen he is to chase down lost causes and harry defenders – something David Ngog could learn from him.
Eccleston didn’t provide anything defensively in his own half, and he will need to tonight, particularly if he’s playing on the wing.
So for those who don’t get to watch reserve team games regularly, here is a flavour of what Nathan Eccleston can bring to the team:
Eccleston's first half contribution
Related posts:
- Liverpool reserves v Wigan Athletic reserves preview
- Liverpool reserves v Hull City post match analysis
- Liverpool reserves v Sunderland reserves post match analysis
- Everton reserves v Liverpool reserves post match analysis
- Blackburn reserves v Liverpool reserves
Tags: analysis, Liverpool, Nathan Eccleston
[...] Liverpool but in truth, there were few clear-cut chances at the end of it. Just before halftime Nathan Eccleston ran at the Everton defenders and was brought down and then coverted the penalty with his [...]