Alongside center back Ifeanyi Ndukwe there was another Liverpool youngster who stood out during the preseason and that player is 19 year-old midfielder Trey Nyoni. Despite being somewhat overshadowed by the rise of Rio Ngumoha last season and a former head coach who seemed reluctant to give any real minutes to the young prospect, Trey seized his opportunity whilst most of the senior players were at the World Cup during the summer. His commitment to training and performances, especially on the US
Preseason Tour, gave us all the chance to see what Trey can do. More importantly it seemed new head coach Andoni Iraola was impressed and very likely relieved as senior players Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones failed to shine with the later getting the move he wanted away from Liverpool and joining Inter Milan.
It’s quite possible that Trey’s attitude and improvement made the loaning out of Elliott again an easier decision, not that Elliott had shown much to be encouraged by disappointingly. They also don’t play in the same position yet the continued gutting of our squad’s depth by he who’s name shall not be mentioned could have forced Iraola to keep Elliott on just to make up the numbers.
Trey has seen some minutes already from the bench this season but has yet to start and that could be about to change with the Reds facing Spurs on Tuesday at Anfield in the League Cup after the players looking flat against Fulham on Saturday. It was to be expected after the wonderful effort the previous Wednesday to beat Atletico from a goal behind and having little depth to draw from to freshen things up.
It’s not just a matter of rotation for this writer though as our midfield has struggled somewhat and also it’s a very physically demanding area of the pitch with Iraola’s style and setup. Ryan Gravenberch appears to be having a lapse in form with Alexis Mac Allister being the preferred choice as starter recently and Gravenberch far too often giving away possession or not showing dedication to staying back to break up play. That understanding of the defensive midfield role looks a lot more natural for Trey who shows a willingness to put in a tackle and often looking for a quick forward pass to trigger an attack. This is also testament to young Trey’s commitment during the summer because there is no doubt he has filled out a little more allowing him to handle the physicality better and probably added to his confidence which is another quality all players need.
As well as the players, we the supporters are still familiarizing ourselves with head coach Iraola and Iraola himself has to adapt to a congested schedule for the first time in his coaching career so it’s hard to predict what changes will be made for the League Cup. With the thin squad though there is less guess work needed as choices are limited but this writer expects two or three significant ones and Trey is the most obvious player to be given the start ahead of either Dominik Sozboszlai or Mac Allister.
Even though it’s a Premier League club Iraola and his players face it just feels the perfect game to see what Trey can bring from the first whistle but even if it doesn’t happen on Tuesday it seems like only a matter of time before the 19 year-old gets his chance. Other possible players which could see a start are Lewis Koumas (who Iraola insisted was to be included in the senior squad) plus Wataru Endo who has yet to make an appearance this season and who this writer sees as behind Trey in the selection order.
