Jurgen Klopp's Kop kids pass another test - but time to gamble is over

Jurgen Klopp may feel it was another necessary FA Cup gamble, but the jury is still out as to whether it truly paid off or not.

[STORY: Liverpool held to goalless draw by West Ham as Benteke struggles continue]

The Reds boss caused quite a stir when he named a team full of youngsters for Liverpool's FA Cup third round clash at Exeter. It was the type of risk that a new foreign manager simply doesn't want to get wrong. In some quarters he was hailed for his bravery in giving youth a chance while in others it was regarded as a move frequently frowned upon when it comes to playing weakened sides in English football's most famous cup competition. Fortunately for the German, his Kop kids just about did enough to secure the replay before playing a key role as the Reds eased past the League two outfit at Anfield.

The youngsters had emerged from a tricky test and earned his trust. As a result fewer eyebrows were raised when Klopp shuffled his pack and sent out another inexperienced team for the visit of West Ham in round four. There was no doubt this was a step up and a much more serious test of their credentials. The Hammers arrived in L4 having convincingly done their first league double over Liverpool since 1964 and were seeking a first ever treble in the same campaign.

At the end of a 90-minute stalemate that struggled to catch fire, the Reds manager may feel great pride that his young guns kept pace with what was a stronger Hammers line-up on paper, but it's hard to see what this result does for his complaints of fixture demands. The draw means the tie remains finely poised and Klopp has another match to contend with under the floodlights at Upton Park. It means the Merseysiders will play at least seven times in February and it's more than conceivable to suggest a full-strength Liverpool face more than a tricky proposition to progress in London.

Ahead of kick off, an online poll by a leading media organisation asked if what had stood out as one of the ties of the round when the draw was made, would live up to the FA Cup final fought out between the two sides a decade ago. Sadly, the answer was a resounding 'no.' It was always unlikely that we would see an echo of one the great FA Cup finals of the modern era, particularly given the teamsheet, but it was perhaps reasonable to expect something that wasn't the complete antithesis of that rollercoaster 3-3 draw that the Reds eventually won via spot kicks.

That final has since been named after Steven Gerrard and how Klopp must wish that one of his academy hopefuls had the instantly recognisable X-factor that saw the Whiston-born Scouser emerge as that once in a generation superstar. The current crop of hopefuls may not go on to hit the heights of the former Reds skipper, and no-one on Merseyside would dare burden them with such expectation, but the adventures of the likes of Cameron Brannagan, Kevin Stewart and Joao Teixeira still provide interesting food for thought for Klopp. There's no doubt a number of his first-team squad who are under the microscope in terms of proving whether they have what it takes to convince their new manager they have a long-term future at Anfield.

The German will be contemplating what moves he can make in the summer to mould the side into his vision for Liverpool, but the emergence of some of the club's academy youngsters as reliable members of the pool of players he has based at Melwood, could be bad news for some of the Reds' more established stars. These youngsters have impressed in defence and midfield over the course of Liverpool's FA Cup adventure and it bodes well for the future in those departments, but it's in attack where Klopp's biggest conundrum lies. With Daniel Sturridge's continued absence due to injury offering no respite soon, and Christian Benteke struggling to impress, the Reds are painfully shy in the final third.

Benteke is very much a player whose future looks uncertain at Anfield. The former Aston Villa hitman still has it all to prove under Klopp and the Belgian produced another disappointingly, lacklustre showing here. The £32.5million striker's confidence is clearly shot and another glaring miss at the Kop end that could have sent Liverpool through without the need of a replay did little to sway the argument in his favour.

The Reds have scored just three goals from 75 shots in their last four home matches and those efforts all came against lowly Exeter City. When the Merseysiders pressed in the second half in this cup tie against West Ham, their lack of cutting edge was again apparent. Benteke and Teixeira both had good chances to win it but failed to produce the telling finish. No wonder the Merseysiders have been pushing to sign another Teixeira, Shakthar Donetsk's Alex, in this January transfer window. Whether that materialises or not will be decided in the next 36 hours or so.

In the meantime Klopp will reflect with some satisfaction that his youngsters once again impressed on what was a steep hike in their respective learning curves. The German deserves credit for giving youth a chance to shine in the first team, which has not always been the case over the past 10 years at Liverpool.

It's been a succession of gambles and they have all paid off so far. As a result Liverpool's dream of making it all the way to Wembley for a second time this season just about remains alive, but when it comes to the replay at Upton Park maybe it's time for Klopp to quit while he's ahead - it's what all the best gamblers do.