Premier League Finish Giving Jurgen Klopp Chance to Assess Liverpool Youngsters

ANFIELD, Liverpool — Liverpool’s routine 2-0 victory over Watford in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon had an end-of-season feel to it for long periods, with Jurgen Klopp again making eight changes to the starting XI after UEFA Europa League exertions.

After the excitement Anfield has witnessed in recent European games against Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund and Villarreal, the Reds’ Premier League clashes have taken a back seat, with Klopp sensibly rotating his squad for domestic fixtures.

Such a relentless run of fixtures in recent weeks has enabled the German the opportunity to give plenty of playing time to Liverpool’s fringe players and academy graduates.

Kevin Stewart made his 10th appearance of the season against Watford—nine of them starts—and his fifth 90 minutes in the Reds’ last six league games.

Teenage winger Sheyi Ojo made his fourth start in the last six, claiming his third assist in those starts when he pressed to allow Roberto Firmino to score the second goal of the game in the second half.

There would likely have been another start for young goalkeeper Danny Ward had he not picked up a knee injury in the warm-up prior to the Europa League tie against Villarreal, which would have been his third appearance. His injury, which rules him out for the remaining games this season, denied the Welshman the opportunity for his Anfield debut.

With the game won, two more academy graduates, Connor Randall and Cameron Brannagan, came on to get more playing time and experience.

Klopp isn’t just giving youngsters the token cameo substitute appearance, he’s using these final league games as an opportunity for them to make an impression.

Far too often in the modern game are youngsters written off after one or two poor, or even just average, performances.

Take Stewart, who looked very bright in his first two starts against …

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