‘Insane’ thing happened at Liverpool academy Friday night – it makes no sense | OneFootball

Even by Premier League 2 standards, what’s happened to Liverpool’s academy this week makes absolutely no sense.

Our U21s played their final league match of 2025 on Friday night, a 3-0 defeat away to West Ham United and incredibly, they won’t play another league fixture until 18 January.

That’s a 72-day gap between competitive games, as highlighted by academy reporter Lewis Bower, who posted on X: “Today is the 7th November. Liverpool U21 have played their last league fixture tonight until… the 18th January. Insane scheduling.”

It’s not just a head-scratcher for fans – it’s a huge concern for development.

How are young players meant to maintain rhythm, fitness and confidence with a two-month void in their league calendar?

Liverpool U21s face baffling two-month gap in their season

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Friday’s defeat summed up the frustration.

Despite good first-half chances for Kaide Gordon and Kieran Morrison, the Reds were punished for defensive errors and fell apart in the second half, losing 3-0 at Rush Green.

As reported by Liverpoolfc.com, goalkeeper Kornel Misciur produced several key saves, but goals from Callum Marshall, Joshua Ajala and Mohamadou Kante sealed the win for West Ham.

The result means our young Reds have now gone three league games without a win and with this bizarre break until mid-January, the timing couldn’t be worse.

Our next PL2 match is set for Arsenal at Kirkby on 18 January, leaving an eleven-week stretch without league football.

The only fixture before then will come in the Vertu Trophy against Chesterfield on 11 November, giving Rob Page’s side one last opportunity to stay sharp before the long hiatus.

It’s especially strange given the current momentum around some of our academy prospects.

Winger Kaide Gordon could attract loan offers in January if he maintains form and Stefan Bajcetic is finally nearing match fitness, thought to be likely to feature for the U21s before Christmas.

Both players need minutes yet the schedule now limits that chance dramatically, other than through presumed friendlies that will be played away from league and cup action.

Why this scheduling hurts Liverpool’s academy progress

(Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

From a player-pathway point of view, this is a nightmare scenario.

Youngsters like Kieran Morrison and Calvin Ramsay rely on rhythm to push towards senior opportunities, and two months of stop-start friendlies simply won’t replicate the intensity of competitive football.

It’s unclear why the Premier League has left such a gap, but for a club that prides itself on developing young talent, this is the kind of decision that stalls progress.

For a Liverpool academy that’s producing some of the brightest talents in the country, it really does make no sense.

You can view Slot’s pre-Man City press conference via Empire of the Kop on YouTube:

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