Jurgen Klopp's FA Cup gamble pays off as Liverpool youngsters win thanks to Shrewsbury own-goal

hen he returns to England from his mid-season break, Jurgen Klopp may be inclined to ask why there was so much fuss about his absence.

Far from undermining the FA Cup, his deputy Neil Critchley and Liverpool’s youngsters played their part in keeping it on life support with one of the more romantic tales of recent years, certainly where the Merseyside club is concerned. The bid for five trophies in a season goes on.

In normal circumstances, the sight of the world and European champions engaged in euphoric celebrations after narrowly defeating League One opponents – with the help of an own goal – would be considered slightly embarrassing.

Not here. Shrewsbury Town froze in their surroundings and Ro-Shaun Williams 75th minute own goal meant they succumbed to a Liverpool team with an average of 19 years and 102 days.

As expected, Klopp had delivered a pre-match pep talk.

“He said play the Liverpool way. Go for it. Be ready for it,” said Critchley.“I think we did that from the first whistle.”

If Klopp was sending hugs digitally down his laptop, his most experienced senior player – James Milner – took his first step into coaching, encouraging from the touchline and making his presence felt in the dressing room.

“He trained with us yesterday and asked if he could come along. I said, ‘Of course you can’,” explained Critchley.

“It meant a lot to have someone like him who has achieved so much in the game. He was giving words of advice, vocal in the dressing room and genuinely delighted. He was jumping up and down behind me.”

 If the unfortunate Williams’ own goal was decisive, it would be inaccurate to say it was the only difference. So much of the build-up to this game was focused on the financial gulf between the Premier League elite and those trying to keep afloat down the league.

What was most obvious was the technical and tactical superiority of the academy side, which is tougher to attribute solely to resources given Shrewsbury performed better in their first meeting against a team including several Champions League winners.

The physical superiority of the League One was obvious – in stature at least – yet their odd performance was summed up when, despite an obvious height advantage, they played their first corner on 24 minutes short rather than tested an inexperienced defence. The visitors’ dreadful first half display bordered on the inexplicable, and although manager Sam Ricketts saw an improvement after the interval, it was not the reduced gate or TV receipts that left the 8000 fans in the away end feeling short-changed.

With intended irony, Ricketts suggested exhaustion was the reason for the underperformance.

“We have 39 games. Maybe we should have had a winter break,” he said, tongue-in-cheek.

His sole moment of encouragement came on 58 minutes, when Shaun Whalley thought he had headed his side in front, only for the video referee assistant to identify an offside in the build-up.

The game was a poor advert for League One, Ricketts’ side struggling to knit passing patterns or pressurise Liverpool’s defence, albeit Ki-Jana Hoever and Sepp van den Berg are Dutch internationals and their technique demonstrated as much.

Shrewsbury looked like they were playing the venue and the jersey, and resembled ageing fathers trying to retrieve the ball from their sprightly young children. Their defenders treated Canadian international Liam Millar as if he was Mo Salah, and when the captain for the evening, Curtis Jones, attempted a rabona cross, it was clear which side possessed all the confidence.

It was the whole package that impressed more than Liverpool’s individual performances, although it was no surprise Welsh youth international right back Neco Williams – who must surely have grabbed Ryan Giggs’ attention ahead of this summer’s European championships – hit the diagonal cross in the build-up to his Shrewsbury namesake’s critical error.

Critchley, too, will have won attention given the style of his young side.

“As a coach you picture the game, you visualise and try to predict it, but with young players you are never quite sure,” he said.

“The maturity they showed was remarkable. They calmed me on the side. At the end it was a release of emotion. Let’s be honest it will probably never happen again.”

 Now Klopp has the welcome dilemma of another tough fixture at Chelsea, although it is doubtful his selections will be queried so much again.

“I will check my diary,” joked Critchley when asked if he will be in charge for the next round.

Liverpool’s season has been extraordinary enough. The contribution of the teenagers in both rounds of the FA Cup have added to the perception the spectators no longer turn up for mere football games in this venue; they are being treated to history.

Can an unprecedented quintet really happen? It is looking more plausible.

Match details

Liverpool (4-3-3): Kelleher 6; Lewis 8, Van der Berg 7, Hoever 8, Williams 9; Chirivella 8, Cain 7, Clarkson 7 (Boyes, 90); Jones 8, Elliott 8 (Dixon-Bonner, 90+4), Miller 7 (Hardy, 82).Substitutes not used: Jaros, Gallacher, Boyes, Bearne, Norris.Booked: Williams.Goal: Williams (75, own-goal).Shrewsbury Town (5-3-2): O’Leary 6; Love 6, Williams 5, Ebanks-Landell 5, Pierre 6, Golbourne 6; Edwards 5, Goss 6 (Cummings, 74), Laurent 6; Whalley 5 (Walker, 82), Lang 4 (Udoh, 57).Substitutes not used: Murphy, Beckles, Sears, Hart.Booked: Love, Golbourne.Referee: Andrew Madley.