Liverpool’s kids get job done for absent Klopp

Liverpool reached the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time under Jurgen Klopp.

He wasn’t at Anfield to see it. With Klopp determined that he and his senior players had the week off during English football’s new mid-season break, Liverpool fielded their youngest ever team – at an average age of 19 years, 102 days – for the fourth-round replay against third-tier Shrewsbury yesterday.

The kids, led for the game by under-23 coach Neil Critchley, came through, winning 1-0 to set up a last-16 match they probably won’t be playing in. It will be at Chelsea in early March.

An own-goal in the 75th minute settled the match and it was scored by Ro-Shaun Williams, a former youth-team player for Liverpool’s fierce rivals, Manchester United.

Shrewsbury had few chances at Anfield but did have a goal ruled out by VAR for offside in the 58th minute.

The win keeps alive Liverpool’s chances of a treble. The Reds are closing in on winning

the English league title for the first time in 30 years, and are through to the last 16 of the Champions League.

Elsewhere, Wayne Rooney is set for a reunion with Manchester United. The former England captain scored for his new team, Derby County, in their 4-2 win over fourth-tier Northampton in a replay.

Second-tier Derby advanced to a home game against Manchester United, where Rooney spent 13 years and became the club’s alltime top scorer while winning five Premier League titles, the Champions League in 2008 and the FA Cup in 2016.

Newcastle reached the last 16 for the first time since 2006, but were given a scare in their replay at third-tier Oxford.

Unlike previous Newcastle managers, Steve Bruce is taking the competition seriously and picked another team featuring mostly first-team regulars.

Newcastle were 2-0 up through Sean Longstaff and Joelinton, but conceded goals in the 84th and then the fourth minute of stoppage time as Oxford took the game to extra time.

A brilliant solo goal by Allan Saint-Maximin in the 116th minute won it 3-2 for Newcastle.

Second-tier Birmingham won 4-1 in a penalty shootout against third-tier Coventry, the club with whom it is ground-sharing this season at its St Andrew’s home.