Liverpool FC Introduce “Melwood Arena” to Enhance Player Development
Liverpool Football Club have taken a unique approach to player development by introducing a new area at their training ground called the “Melwood Arena”. The intention of the cage pitch is to mirror “street” football, providing the players with an environment to hone their technique in tight spots.
The Reds moved from Melwood to their new Kirkby base in 2020, leaving behind the training ground that the club called home for over 70 years. Assistant manager Pepijn Lijnders revealed on the Training Ground Guru podcast that the club have nicknamed the cage the “Melwood Arena” and that it was built for the players to become more creative in the final third.
Lijnders explained that he had asked manager Jurgen Klopp for a budget to build the gaiola, a type of street pitch, and that Klopp was “brilliant” in granting his request. The Dutchman worked as a technical coach at Porto prior to joining Liverpool for the first time, and it is from this experience that he attributes the origins of the “Melwood Arena” concept.
The players have even given the cage its own nickname, which Lijnders believes speaks volumes about its importance. He said: “We designed it ourselves. I asked the players what we should call it [and] we call it the Melwood Arena. It comes from Porto, because at Porto we said, ‘We love the ones who hate to lose.’ The ball is constantly in play and doesn’t go out. We play 5 v 5 and winner stays on. And what I see in these moments… the creation, the type of goals, it just blows my mind.”
The cage pitch was installed at the AXA Training Centre over the summer and is just one of many initiatives taken by Liverpool to enhance player development. The Reds scored 103 goals in all competitions last season and will be hoping that this new addition to their training ground will help them exceed that tally in 2023/24 in their hunt for both domestic and European success.
Liverpool are renowned for their attacking prowess and it would appear that they are looking to further enhance this with the “Melwood Arena”. The cage pitch provides an environment that mirrors “street” football, allowing the players to hone their technique in tight spots and become more creative in the final third.
The initiative has been met with enthusiasm from both players and staff alike, with Lijnders saying: “We can develop 100 exercises, but the best thing would be if we create the street. It took a while to build it, it cost a lot of money, but we had a good budget, so that was cool.”
The “Melwood Arena” is just one of many initiatives taken by Liverpool to enhance player development and it will be interesting to see how this new addition to their training ground helps them exceed their 103 goal tally from last season. With an environment that mirrors “street” football, the Reds will be hoping that this new cage pitch will help them become even more creative in the final third and continue their hunt for both domestic and European success.