Liverpool FC Forum

Unfortunately this one hasn't been selected by Sky to be on TV so you'll need to try and get it on one of the non-UK channels.

Phillips, Elliott and Origi are all injured. van Dijk, Fabinho and Jones are still isolating and likely won't be available until the league game against Leicester next Tuesday, with Thiago not available until the game after against Chelsea. Robertson is out suspended and also due back against Chelsea. Henderson tested negative so sounds like he just had a cold so might make the bench for this one. I'd imagine the first team squad and the U23s have separate bubbles so don't expect any of the academy kids to be involved unless they are in the first team bubble. After this we have 3 recovery days before Leeds on Sunday which is not too bad but then only 1 recovery day before Leicester in the league on Tuesday. So I'd expect some of our B side who play in the League Cup to also face Leicester in the league game next week.

I'd go with the below. Milner and Keita both looked off the pace on Sunday having recently come back from injury so I'd give them 45mins each ahead of the Leeds game on Sunday. There are 5 subs in the League Cup so that helps.


                                Kelleher


Williams          Gomez          Konate          Tsimikas


                   Ox          Morton          Milner
                                                     (Keita)

             Gordon          Firmino          Minamino

Yeah I was thinking we'd go with this team as well. We would have gone with a weaker starting line-up anyway, but I don't think we even have a choice right now.

I don't mind us playing this one with whoever is available but I fear we'll have big problems for the next two league games, which will likely not be postponed unless the world is ending or something, since the holiday period is when the most money is made, so we'll be playing those no matter what.

I'd like to see us win this trophy, okay it's not the most glamorous competition but it still counts as a major trophy and keeps our honours board ticking over. I've fond memories of us winning this 4 times on the bounce in the early 80's and indeed was at the old wembley for a couple of the finals. Believe me when Ronnie Whelan knocked in a last minute equaliser against Tottenham to take it to extra time it didn't feel like a second rate competition.
I know it's the busiest period of the season and I know covid is making life very difficult for managers but I do hope he puts out a decent side especially given City are out.

I also would like to see us win one of the domestic cups.

With Arsenal through to the semis that would leave Chelsea/Brentford and Spurs/Westham.

If we go through I think we will be battling against the top London clubs. Could see a semi us vs Spurs, Arsenal vs Chelsea.

redshade » Tue Dec 21, 2021 10:53 pm wrote:I also would like to see us win one of the domestic cups.

With Arsenal through to the semis that would leave Chelsea/Brentford and Spurs/Westham.

If we go through I think we will be battling against the top London clubs. Could see a semi us vs Spurs, Arsenal vs Chelsea.

At this stage there's bound to be some decent teams left in mate but we'd be favourites against Arsenal or Spurs and Chelsea would be a 50/50, as I say the only team i feel that has our number are out. Spurs gave us trouble the weekend but it was pretty much their best XI versus a version of us with a makeshift midfield and no Van Dijk, not to mention they'd had 2 weeks to prepare for the fixture whilst we played 48 hours earlier.
All that is immaterial of course if we don't win tonight.

Yup I agree Chelsea would be the toughest test from the lot. Also it would depend how desperate the others are for the trophy.

Anyhow tonight, going to be interesting what side Klopp fields.
I think BR will take this more seriously than Klopp.

If there was more breathing space in the calendar, I think you'd see stronger lineups in both domestic competitions. But as it stands I think sensible rotation is needed and as you go further in the competition the less you use academy players like Beck, Bradley, etc. If you look at the suggested lineup in my first post they are all fully fledged international players apart from Konate, Morton and Gordon. And Gordon is the only one who hasn't started games for us both in the PL and CL. Alisson, Trent, Matip, Jota, Salah, and Mane, are the players left on the bench who could start. But I think the lineup will be very close to what I have suggested with Salah maybe playing instead of Gordon.

Kelleher, Bradley, Koumetio, Gomez, Tsimikas, Morton, Chamberlain, Henderson, Neco, Minamino, Firmino

Schmeichel, Ricardo, Soyuncu, Ndidi, Thomas, Soumare, Tielemens, Dewsbury-Hall, Maddison, Daka, Vardy


BR taking this seriously then, going to be a long night folks.

It's the same situation as the Spurs game. Leicester haven't played in 10 days so Rodgers was always going to put his strongest side out. Whilst we had a really tough game 3 days ago. A little surprised by the inclusion of Bradley and Koumetio, and I thought we'd have the big guns on the bench, but the rest is as expected.

Ffs, we've been really hard done by this period with covid. Everybody could postpone games and have a rest but when our players are out it's still game on.

Anyway, I don't see why Konate can't play. I know it's been a short time since our last game but he's really not played too many games anyway, I think he could have started. Defence looks way too vunerable like this.

Bye EFL Cup...

Wtf has it already started? I thought it was from 8.

any chance we could put some sort of tackles in wen they get in our half

Gomez is playing like a right tw@t