Critchley on Porto, Adekanye potential and exciting schedule

The U23s take on the Portuguese club in the quarter-final of the Premier League International Cup at a new venue of Leigh Sports Village after a switch in location from Prenton Park due to weather conditions on Merseyside. It'll now be played behind closed doors. Full information can be found here.

It promises to be a step up in quality for the Reds youngsters against a team who compete in a senior league in their homeland.

Indeed, Porto B are the current holders of the Premier League International Cup; however, Critchley is hoping his side can continue their footballing education and show their quality on Wednesday night.

Read on for the manager's thoughts on a return to winning ways at Stoke City, the potential of Bobby Adekanye and the threat posed by Porto...

On victory over Stoke City at St George’s Park on Sunday…

“I thought we were very good. We controlled a lot of the game and dominated large periods of it. We scored some fantastic goals and it was great to see Dominic Solanke get on the scoresheet with a hat-trick, as it was to see Nathaniel Clyne coming back and playing 90 minutes, Joe Gomez as well. It was nice for us to get the victory because it means we have qualified for the next stage of the competition, which is what our aim was at the start of the season.”

On another mature display in midfield from 17-year-old Elijah Dixon-Bonner after he penned his first professional deal with the club on Friday…

“Elijah has stepped up recently and he has shown a real maturity in his play. It’s a big challenge for him because he’s a young boy stepping into an older, senior environment and he has adapted really well. I think in the next few weeks I’m sure he will get more opportunities. He’s got things to work on, he knows that, and we will help him adapt, but so far him and the other younger players have done themselves no harm at all.”

How important an experience it is for young players to play alongside the likes of Clyne and Gomez…

“It is invaluable and it’s something that us as a staff need to stress to them more when they get the opportunity to watch and observe the senior players. Nathaniel trained us the day before the game and he was out there with 16-year-old Neco Williams in a similar position. That is a priceless experience for Neco. We stress to the young boys that they not only need to train with these boys but they need to watch them, watch what they do in and out of possession. It’s a great learning curve for them to be able to play with international players. Overall, so far the younger boys have stepped up and I’ve been really pleased with them. They have a great attitude, they have accepted the challenge and we have got some really good games to look forward to in the next few weeks.”

On the performance of George Johnston, who partnered Gomez at centre-half against Stoke…

“George is very consistent and that is the biggest compliment you can pay to him. He very rarely makes a mistake, which is invaluable as a defender. He is always there, you can depend on him, he’s very reliable, very assured in everything he does and his attitude in training is second to none every single day. You know exactly what you are going to get from George and he is a coaches’ dream. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with him over the past couple of years. His performances this season have been top drawer.”

On Adekanye’s superb strike against Stoke coming off the back of an outstanding display for the U19s against Manchester United…

“Bobby is capable of that. The key for Bobby is staying fit and being fit. He is always capable of those moments and we see it in training and you have seen it on the pitch this last week. We’ve just got to see it more often and it’s about being more consistent. Staying fit would help him because then we would have him on the pitch game after game and for longer periods of time, because there’s no doubt that when he is on his game he is a real handful. He has improved a lot, his time at the club so far has been interrupted by injuries, but he has worked very hard on his game, especially out of possession as well, and I just hope that he stays fit now and we can all see what Bobby is really capable of. He is very exciting as a player and he’s a great lad as well.”

On his thoughts on the Premier League International Cup quarter-final with Porto B on Wednesday night…

“This is the reason why we entered this competition to play teams like Porto. They won this competition last year so they are the holders. They have a very experienced senior B team so it’s a slightly different outlook and approach they have in Portugal, so it’s a game that we know we are going to have to play very well in to get something out of. The way our boys are playing at the moment I would back them against anyone, so it’s a great game for us to play and I’m really looking forward to the challenge.”

On the challenges faced by his young team against Porto…

“It brings a maturity to their decision making because tactically Porto are very good. They manage the game extremely well, whereas sometimes our younger players show their inexperience or don’t handle the emotions of the game very well. I think this is going to be a really tough game but also a great game for our boys to play in terms of their development and giving them something we can’t give just through training by playing in a game like this, and that is why we are in this competition.”

On the physical challenge the young players face at U23 level in the absence of on loan regulars like Harry Wilson, Ovie Ejaria and Corey Whelan…

“That’s the reason why those boys went on loan because they were ready for the next challenge and we thought our younger players coming up were ready for this next challenge [at U23 level] as well. They might find it difficult for a period of time because there will be a period of adaptation. Our young players are playing against older players who are physically a bit better, mentally they show their maturity in terms of their decision making and they don’t make as many mistakes in and out of possession. So, it’s a whole new level and it is a big step up and the closer you get to the biggest league the harder it becomes, and I think some of our boys need that challenge. So far they have really risen to that and hopefully on Wednesday night we can do that again. It’s going to be tough but I’m always quietly confident when our boys are playing well and they are at it, and we will be a match for anybody.”

On an exciting period for the U23s, who remain top of Premier League 2 and are still in two cup competitions, plus the UEFA Youth League for the U19 group…

“We had a meeting with the boys the other day and said that the next two or three weeks in terms of the season is massive. We have got some really important games coming up and we have put ourselves in that situation through our performances so far this season. It would be nice if they could get something at the end of it for all their efforts. Winning the league and winning competitions at this level is not the be all and end all, but we want to win games to provide ourselves with these type of challenges because that is ultimately where the players want to be in the future. They want to test themselves against the best and be in these big games. I’m really exciting by it, I really love seeing how these young players rise to that challenge and I’m sure in the next few weeks we will know a lot more about our younger players.”

Kick-off at Leigh Sports Village is at 7pm GMT. Watch the game live on LFCTV with our coverage starting at 6.30pm.

Because of the switch of venue due to the severe weather, supporters should be aware this is a behind closed doors fixture at the request of the Premier League.