Liverpool defender Neco Williams is hopeful of a long FA Cup run this season so he can benefit from potentially more game time with the first team.
Jurgen Klopp’s side survived a first-half scare against Aston Villa’s youth players last Friday night in the third round of the competition. Louie Barry beat Rhys Williams and Caoimhin Kelleher to make it 1-1 for at the half-time break at Villa Park. However, Liverpool’s dominance showed in the second half as they ran out 4-1 winners.
Now, Liverpool have been drawn to face Manchester United at Old Trafford in the next round. The winners will host either West Ham or Doncaster Rovers.
Williams has been thrust into first-team action a bit more than Klopp would have planned this season due to The Reds’ significant injury concerns. But now that Trent Alexander-Arnold is back in action, Williams knows his best opportunity for more game time is a prolonged run in the FA Cup.
Speaking to Liverpoolfc.com, Williams said:
“I think the more rounds we go through the FA Cup then hopefully the more game time I can get.
“The FA Cup is not a cup we have done that well in, so I think this year we are looking forward to pushing on and to get to the final and hopefully win it.
“It’s always good to score goals and that just gives the lads who scored the confidence to go and do that in the next game, keep adding them goals to the charts.
“The more clinical they are, the more goals they are going to get. So it was good for the lads.”
When asked for his thoughts on the performance of Aston Villa’s youth players in round three, Williams commented:
“I think if I was a young lad or I hadn’t yet made my debut, the first thing I would want to do is make an impression and to give everything that I have got.
“And to be fair to their lads, they did what they were told to do and they gave us a good game.
“In the first half I thought they defended very well but in the second half you could see they were tired and starting to get fatigued and that’s where we started to dominate the game.
“When we went in at half-time, we said to ourselves we need to be more clinical and we need to finish these chances off.
“Luckily the lads took their chances and we were clinical in the second half and we put the chances away.”
Liverpool play Manchester United at Anfield in the Premier League this Sunday, then Burnley at home the following Thursday. After that, it’s that FA Cup tie at Old Trafford which is on the weekend of 23rd/24th January.
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