It's Still Not Time to Play the Kids

So fourth place finally looks futile, unattainable for yet another year. Liverpool won't qualify for Europe's premier competition for the third-consecutive season, a millennium given the club's historical accomplishments.

However, I respectfully disagree with two very intelligent Liverpool bloggers. It's still not time to play the kids.

This season has been transitional, for better and worse. But Dalglish, Comolli, et al shouldn't give up on the plan for transition in the hopes of speeding up the development of long-term prospects such as Jonjo Shelvey, Jon Flanagan, Jack Robinson, Conor Coady, or, the most precocious, Raheem Sterling.

Thanks to Daniel Agger's recent injury, Sebastian Coates is a different case. The young Uruguayan should and will see more playing time than otherwise expected. Playing him instead of Carragher for the majority of matches from here out seems a no-brainer, regardless of events against Arsenal. But Agger's injury is what makes Coates' situation different. I'd say the same for Shelvey or Robinson if Gerrard or Enrique – Fowler forbid – suffered an extended injury. That's not the same as increasing Shelvey, Flanagan, Robinson, or Sterling's appearance total simply because the Champions League is now a lost cause.

The reasoning for this is two-fold. The first delves deep into the realm of hypothetical. Say Liverpool start Shelvey et al more often, and Liverpool's results become even more inconsistent and infuriatingly frustrating. Not only could that hinder the development of the individual players, it could hinders the club in general. In isolation, finishing 5th is little different than finishing 7th, especially with Europa League qualification assured due to the Carling Cup. But how Liverpool finish the season – with confidence, playing well or on a losing streak, questioning every and anything – matters very much. It will set the tone for both the off-season and the start of the next.

The second, slightly more tangible, is that Liverpool are already in transition. The first team still needs as much work as Liverpool's next generation. We'd hoped that wouldn't be the case after two-thirds of the campaign, but it is. The likes of Downing, Adam, and Carroll – whatever your feelings on any of them – have important parts to play for the foreseeable future, and we haven't seen any of them play to their potential, at least as it relates to overall team performance.

To take the most-controversial example. As much as you may not like it, Kenny Dalglish sees Charlie Adam as a crucial part of his team. Otherwise, Adam wouldn't have started 25 of Liverpool's 26 Premiership matches and 29 of 36 in all competitions, no matter the debilitating injuries to Gerrard and Lucas. Adam has a role for the next few years and he needs the playing time as much as, if not more than, Liverpool's prospects. He will most likely remain a divisive player for the duration of his Liverpool career, but there's still room for improvement within the context of the team. His long-range passes will find more targets as he continues to familiarize with attackers' runs, his positioning will improve as his learns how his ever-changing midfield partner (or partners) positions himself. We know what we're getting with Charlie Adam, but we still don't know how well Charlie Adam can play for Kenny Dalglish's Liverpool. And similar can be said about Downing and Carroll. Regardless of age or experience, we've seen new signings improve in their second season, even if we think we know the extent of each's capabilities.

There is a set plan for developing the likes of Coates, Shelvey, Flanagan, Robinson, Sterling, etc. The increasing unlikeliness of qualifying for the Champions League shouldn't change that plan. Use Shelvey sparingly, mostly off the bench with a start or two, if he's not going back out on loan. Involve Sterling with first-team training and away trips for acclimatization, maybe even a handful of bench appearances, but no more. Admittedly, if I had my way, almost every player mentioned above (excluding Coates and Sterling) would be out on loan for the rest of the season. But that's a different argument. And it doesn't appear to be part of the plan.

In addition, playing in the Europa League next year will benefit Liverpool's younger players more than anything, even more that a few forced first-team appearances over the remainder of this campaign. Livermore's progression at Tottenham is evidence of that.

What this boils down to is "keep on keeping on," as painful or boring as that may be. If this is truly a transitional season, stick to the plan for transition. Coates, Shelvey, Flanagan, Robinson and others are Liverpool's future, but the future isn't now yet.

On Jonjo, Sideshow Raheem, and Young England

Contingent on tomorrow's medical and negotiations, we've seen Liverpool sign two highly-rated English teenage midfielders within the last two months: Raheem Sterling and now Jonjo Shelvey. Not only was I told Liverpool were a sinking ship without money, but I thought Benitez never bought British. And yes, I'm aware I'm basking in the arrival of two youngsters whose combined fee is less than £3m, but any silver lining during a monsoon.

It wasn't long ago Liverpool were memorably missing out on the likes of Theo Walcott and Aaron Ramsey. Both went to Arsenal, and while both cost a good deal more (and were further along in their development) than Sterling or Shelvey, it's been far too long since Liverpool were snapping up some of Britain's best and brightest.

It's yet another sign that Liverpool are restoring from the foundation and fixing the vaunted assembly line. It sputtered to a halt under Evans and Houllier, but we're seeing it rebuilt little by little, as Ed and I discussed in March. We've seen Liverpool recruit potential talents from across the universe – the likes of Insua, Pacheco, and Nemeth, among others – but few from the UK.

Thanks to recent UEFA and Premier League regulations, "homegrown" players are utterly necessary. Any nationality counts as homegrown if trained by the club – or any English club – for three years, but an English passport removes all barriers. And buyers pay well for it, as we found out when Liverpool "chased" Walcott and Ramsey. £5m for Ramsey or the £8m Aston Villa paid for a 19-year-old Fabian Delph could make the fee for Shelvey or Sterling look like peanuts. Pity the emphasis is on "could."

There's no guarantee either player will turn out a star, let alone feature for the first team. I do think Shelvey will be in the mix next season – he's already played in the lower leagues, so there's little use in sending him on loan (as Darby, Spearing, and Eccleston currently are) – but my best, barely informed guess is that he'll mainly see time in the Cups and for the reserves. And regardless, there's no guarantee any signing will work, whether the fee is £2m or £20m (wave to the nice people, Robbie).

Shelvey is 18, costing an initial £1.7m. While he was Charlton's youngest player, debuting more than two years ago, and has made 48 appearances for the Addicks, the majority of those came in League One. Sterling is only 16, costing an initial £500,000, and has mostly played for the U-18s since his arrival. As tempting as it is to go overboard, both evoke the phrase "hope" as much as Obama (and now Nick Clegg!). But both are laden with potential, with other big clubs sniffing for their signature, and English. "God Save the Queen" singing, smog breathing, blessedly English.

Even if we're only familiar with these kids from Football Manager and FIFA 10, it's satisfying; a sign that Liverpool's competitive in this crucial market, and that King Kenny Dalglish is earning his paycheck. I doubt it's coincidence both Sterling and Shelvey will arrive the same year that Dalglish returned to head up youth development. But make no mistake, Rafa must of had his hand in this signing – Shelvey should get some first-team opportunities next season, and I doubt Liverpool would be negotiating signings, even if they're only £1.7m, if Benitez were on his way out.

Unless that's the summer transfer budget gone (can't rule anything out with the Chuckle Brothers still in control), there are few ways for Liverpool to lose on these deals.