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After his display against Adelaide United, Jordon Ibe recently featured on these pages with a video along with some analysis of the youngster's strengths and weaknesses. Brendan Rodgers singled him out for praise after Liverpool's last game of the pre-season tour, but there may be a worrying tendency to compare Ibe with Raheem Sterling. Both players are separated by exactly a year and like to take players on. However, they're different players in their approach to the game and development to date. Sterling no longer has anything to do with Liverpool, but Ibe does. Hopefully fans will be patient with the player during times when his form experiences the dips that young players go through.
At this stage, though, there can only be pure optimism at the prospect of Jordon Ibe combining with the other attacking pieces that Brendan Rodgers can call upon. There isn't a player in the squad who possesses the physical gifts Ibe is blessed with, and this fact alone should guarantee Ibe plenty of minutes in 2015/16. Imagine him continuing to target an opposition fullback in the Europa League or come on as a substitute in a game where spaces are opening up for attackers to exploit. The potential is there for Liverpool's -- and undoubtedly Ibe's -- benefit.
The video from the somewhat disappointing draw against Malaysia XI shows what Liverpool and perhaps Christian Benteke can profit from. Jordon Ibe eats up ground with such furious momentum, and if he can place an accurate cross or pass into the area for an eager striker to convert, it could become a welcome sight for Liverpool fans. There's still work to do, but Jordon Ibe is a rising star with the hunger and professional approach to fulfil his growing promise.
