Saturday 21/1/23 12.30 kick off. At Anfield. On BT Sport please log in to view this image This latest matchday thread has a guest presenter, Marvin the paranoid/depressed robot from A Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy. After our recent run of poor results/performances Marvin considers matters can only get worse, especially if Darwin remains injured as he considers Salah to only be playing at 30% of the player he has been. Chelsea have also got their problems and their latest loan signing, Felix, is unavailable due to a bit of overenthusiastic tackling in their last game. If only our midfield showed such enthusiasm!
Start as you mean to go on; the little prick lacks effort, is it Ox in disguise? (Just for clarity, I am only joking and I'm not calling you a prick. I know people are a bit sensitive atm)
Chelsea to win by 2. Chelsea ground is at least tighter than ours (amazingly) so there's less ground to cover. they are **** at scoring and we might actually take the game seriously and defend. they will run us off the park though. sigh. being hopeful it will be 1 game a week after this week cos wolves ought to beat us midweek (should have been next match thread ffs) we missed nunez so hopefully he will be back. 442 alisson gomez matip konate Robertson trent keita (pick someone) gakpo salah nunez just carry the thaigo/henderson/fabinho passenger I suppose as other blocker cm. I'm trying to put people who actually ran into positions they would actually know in this line up. sub options. Jones, milner, Phillips. it's actually that bad. ox wouldn't make my squad after last game. in fairness to Elliott I'd have liked to get him in there but ... well its trent at rb to enable him and why not at least TRY Trent at rm for one game? anyway none of that will happen and we will be walked through again thinking on it it could be 343 in possession. dropp into 442 without ball.
So who earned a place based on tonight’s performance? Milner played wel but 2 games so quick at rb? Risky… tsimikas was ok but Robbo has been alright. Midfield looked as good as it hs all season and if all 3 are fit fine for them to start the game. None of them deserve to be dropped. Gakpo needs a bit more time. Doesn’t look comfortable in our set up centrally atm. Elliott had a great game. Great goal and put in a proper shift on right wing. His lack of pace isn’t as big an issue because Salahs pace seems to have gone anyway. If Nunez is fit he has to start. Stick him on the left to run at Azpilicueta works for me. Ali Taa Konate Gomez Robbo Thiago Bajcetic Keita Elliott Salah Nunez
Most of the team who played tonight are likely not to play on this weekend against Chelsea. The rested big guns will be back. Alisson, TAA, Matip, Robertson, Fabinho, Henderson, Nunez, Salah. More than two thirds of the team will be different.
we have to remember how many are on return from injury. a) milner. he's only back, it's also a bit suicidal against cheslea who have 14 lws. b) keita, he's back a while but looks short of fitness and eas gone after 60mins but ****housed his way through. personally I would want to start him v cheslea but it is a 60mins showing imo. c) bajcetic. was out for 2 weeks with hip and clearly cramped right up on 70mins so again he's put his hand up for a start but would you.try it with cheslea knowing he might give 60? d) carvalho. did absolutely nothing wrong as lw. surely has at the very least put his hand up to come on as forward sub surely? e) Elliott. did just great at rw. salah came on and turned in another stinker. should we think the unthinkable? f) thaigo. Once again has a field day when the others are doing the running. Once they faded he faded g) gomez. brilliant game at lcb. absolutely best game in years. not so good at rb when pressure came on but still OK. surely has his hand up to start? if I were asked I would say Elliott, gomez, keita, nunez, alisson,konate, Robertson must all start in some configuration. alisson trent konate gomez Robertson ? ? keita Elliott nunez gakpo (huge call) surely Henderson and fabinho cannot be returned to but what do we do? thaigo was good with others to run for him ....... so does.bajcetic start at 6?
Gomez 100% should be starting imo, Matip has been awful since the restart. Would go with the same midfield if they all recover well and then would try: Nunez Salah Elliott
yeah, true dat! it'll be salah for 90 at rw putting no pressure on anyone. its 12months of much lower performance now and a massive contract upgrade. I thought while gakpo is not a CF he did alright doing some pressing and I felt elliott after about 5 minutes started the whole improvement we saw by having a really good press and it encouraged everyone. IMO Salah Nunez Gakpo might start but carvalho and elliott have pout hands up big time to play.
The players last night have given Klopp some interesting problems. I would rest Salah on the bench, he did nothing when he came on but the game had changed and we were on the back foot. Elliot has to start, he was great last night. Hopefully, Nunez will be back. Allison Trent Konate Gomez Robertson Thiago Bacetic Keita Elliot Nunez Gakpo But I doubt he will rest Salah who needs to be dropped
Keita x Thiago when starting together: • 7 Starts • 7 Wins • 15 Goals Scored • 5 Assists (combined) • 6 Goals Conceded • 1/1 Finals Won • 2/2 Semi Finals Won
Given Keita has been injured all season, bar last night all of those will have been from last season. Last season may as well have been a lifetime ago. Seems like was a lifetime ago for half the teams lungs and legs
