Pool determined to put on real show

THE club’s marquee names may be in transit between Oslo and Madrid, but Liverpool reserve team manager John McMahon is still determined to put on a football spectacle in Dunmanway this afternoon.

6,000 fans will be shoehorned into Maria Immaculata College come kick-off today at 2pm and McMahon is firmly aware of the ticket frenzy that his charges arrival to West Cork has sparked. Last night McMahon spearheaded a 25-man strong party that touched down in the Inchydoney Lodge Hotel in Clonakilty and the feverish atmosphere surrounding this match was encapsulated by the crowd that gathered to greet them.

“It’s really great to receive such a welcome,” remarked McMahon. “We’ve had a great welcome from the Irish people already which is nice for the lads to see and witness. We’re well aware of the big support the club has in Ireland. We’re renowned for having a big following all over the world, but I don’t think until we actually arrived in Ireland and saw the reception were the players properly aware of the crowd. It’d be nice to put on a good show for those fans now and hopefully we can do that.”

McMahon is well-versed in the rich traditions of Liverpool as a football force, as his older brother Steve was a midfield general during the 80s, amassing three league titles and two FA Cup crowns. Having spent almost four years with Shrewsbury Town, John assumed the role of head of Liverpool’s reserves at the start of June. The seeds had already been sown previously regarding the club sending a Liverpool side to Dunmanway and McMahon was happy to bring the idea to fruition.

“There was already some sort of a game in place, through Gary Ablett the previous reserve team manager. When I took over, David (Hall, the Dunmanway player) then contacted myself to say the plan was in place and would we still play the game. He sold the idea to me and it just snowballed since then. It’s really nice for the younger lads to come over and see how well they’re received in Ireland.”

For casual observers the side may be devoid of star quality, but some of the players at McMahon’s disposal have already made serious strides. Captain Stephen Darby has graduated to the first team last season, featuring as a late substitute against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League last December, while Hungarian Krisztian Nemeth and Spaniard Daniel Pacheco Lobato have been involved with the first team in this summer’s pre-season circuit. McMahon insists that this match is a critical component of the squad’s overall development.

We’ve got a lot of young lads, so of course this is important. It’s all part of their education. To travel right, how to prepare right, playing at different venues and playing different teams. It’s a massive thing for us as staff to see how they react and adapt to it.

“This is the first time this season, we’ve been away as a group. There are a lot of new faces, both staff and players. We’ve had several games already this summer, playing the likes of Notts County, Bristol Rovers, Cambridge United and Tranmere Rovers. This is the start of a big season. For some it’s about finding their feet at reserve team level, for others it’s about pushing onto the first team squad.”

The head honcho at the club will be keeping a keen eye on the progression of McMahon’s proteges.

“Rafa Benitez is always looking at games, always looking at the DVDs of games. He’s always looking for reports, he’s very serious on how the reserves are playing and doing, and the finer details of players progression. The youth setup is massive for us. Every club looks to bring through their own players and it’s the same for supporters. Obviously it saves everyone a lot of money now, if players come through.”

McMahon confesses his dossier on today’s opponents is not extensive. But there’ll be no chance of complacency creeping into the Liverpool camp.

“We don’t really play against amateur teams as it’s normally professionals we’re up against. But they’ll have League of Ireland players playing so that should make it a stern enough test. We’ll treat them with respect. We’ll have our normal pre-match meeting. It’ll be the same as the setup for a Reserve Premier League game. But we’re really looking forward to it and we hope it’ll be a great spectacle.”