'Goals are guaranteed when we play'
Neil Critchley wants no re-run of the 10-goal thriller his side played out against Derby County in November, when the two teams meet in the FA Youth Cup tonight.
The boss is calling for defensive solidity from his players, in order to avoid another 5-5 scoreline and ensure his side progress from the fourth round of the competition.
Kick-off against the young Rams at the Deva Stadium is scheduled for 7pm GMT, but due to recent inclement weather in the region, a pitch inspection is planned for 2.30pm today.
Should the response be a positive one and the tie goes ahead, you can watch the encounter unfold live on LFCTV HD and LFCTV GO - with our coverage starting at 6.30pm.
Both league fixtures against Derby this term have ended in draws, with the Kirkby clash finishing 2-2 and the reverse tie producing the aforementioned 5-5 stand-off on November 22.
While the attacking element of his team is undoubtedly ruthless, Critchley is concerned by the amount of goals that have been leaked, especially after the youngsters were beaten 6-4 by Bolton Wanderers at the weekend.
He told Liverpoolfc.com: "We are guaranteed goals I would say. When you look at our record this season, we do score a lot and we are an attacking team, and Derby are similar.
"We have had two really close games against them this season. They've got some good players and it will be a tough game, there's no doubt about that, but hopefully on the night the scoreline will go in our favour.
"The FA Youth Cup is important to us. We want to progress as far as we can in this competition because it exposes the players to a more pressurised environment where the result counts.
"This is as close to the first team, in terms of preparation, as you can get, so we want to continue that.
"We'll have to defend better. The 5-5 game was a ridiculous game, really, and it could have been 10-10, never mind 5-5. Our attacking play was fantastic but our defending as a team was non-existent at times.
"If we can get the defensive side of our game right without taking too much away from our attacking side then we can match any team at this level in the country.
"In saying that, Derby will be thinking the same thing, so it will probably be 0-0 and go to penalties!"
The coach also paid tribute to the togetherness of the players in the squad as they aim to try to make the grade at Anfield.
He added: "There's a really good spirit in the dressing room. A lot of our players have been together from a very young age, so they are mates. You can see when they play it means a lot to them and to each other.
"When someone scores a goal or our goalkeeper makes a good save you can see they are all in it together.
"It's fantastic to see and it's really good to be around the boys and to be a part of that. We are very privileged to be involved with such a special bunch of players."
A win over the young Rams would see the Reds host Birmingham City in the fifth round, with the tie likely to be played at Anfield.
Liverpool were one of a number of Barclays Premier League sides who received permission to play home games in rounds three and four at a neutral venue, but from the fifth round onwards competition rules say the home tie has to be played at the first-team stadium.
"We didn't play at Anfield last year in the Youth Cup and we haven't so far this season, so if we could get through and play at Anfield that would be a fantastic experience for the boys," said Critchley.
"For them to get the chance to play at Anfield would be unbelievable, but we can't get too far ahead of ourselves as this game against Derby is vitally important for us and we know it will be a tough test. So we are not even thinking about Birmingham yet."