Lewis Koumas got plenty of plaudits for Liverpool against Tottenham this week, but there was another young player who quietly sent a strong message to Andoni Iraola
Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola.
Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola.(Image: Simon Stacpoole/Offside via Getty Images)
Part of the rationale behind appointing Andoni Iraola as the new head coach this summer was that he would improve some of the existing Liverpool roster.
He arrived, too, with a reputation for improving young players, some of whom took center stage this week. Lewis Koumas stole most of the headlines with a Player of the Match display, while James McConnell got another go as well. Quite comfortably, though, Trey Nyoni is the most likely to break into the starting XI more regularly this term.
After the departure of Curtis Jones to Inter Milan this summer, Liverpool opted to go without signing a replacement. Nyoni, therefore, was determined to be ready to step up.
Much like Rio Ngumoha last season, Nyoni cannot be the answer every single week. It would be unfair to place that burden on him physically, if nothing else, and he will be managed carefully.
Quietly, though, the 19-year-old passed a big test against Tottenham this week. While Spurs are not exactly in form and confident at the moment, he was coming up against some experienced players in midfield.
Nyoni didn't look out of place coming up against Conor Gallagher and Mateus Fernandes, among others, and he looked every inch a senior pro for Andoni Iraola.
Alexis Mac Allister and Trey Nyoni during Liverpool vs Tottenham.
Alexis Mac Allister and Trey Nyoni during Liverpool vs Tottenham.(Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images)
McConnell — who is two years older — and even Koumas, though he impressed greatly, both looked more raw than the ex-Leicester midfielder, who shone again.
In possession, Nyoni was as effortless as ever. He can progress the ball very well, and he was often dropping in between the two center-backs to start attacks with everything in front of him.
More impressively, out of possession, he was very proactive. Not as strong as some midfielders in the Premier League, Nyoni appears to be able to anticipate so well that he can side-step any issues there.
With balls played forward by the opposition, for instance, he was able to be a step or two ahead of his marker, cleverly stepping in to win possession back without the need to go head-to-head.
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"He is a midfielder who, I always say, you have to ask for the ball sometimes with pressure — and he doesn’t feel this pressure," Iraola said during the summer when Nyoni impressed during pre-season.
"Even when he has one opponent quite close, he asks for that ball, and he’s confident; he doesn’t rush. For me, that is very valuable."
It is unlikely that Nyoni will start when Liverpool travels to Bournemouth this weekend, with Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai seemingly the best pairing.
Should he have to come into the team for a sustained period at any point, though, Nyoni looks ready. If he can do it against Tottenham in a changed Liverpool side, he can be trusted against other clubs too.