Pre Match: Atletico Madrid (a) CL - Tuesday 20:00

[RedStar]

Yes there are 5 days after this before the United game but we still need to rotate, the effect is certainly cumulative by the time we get to the final stages of the PL/CL.

With Thiago, Elliott and Jones out we are back to bare bones in midfield. I can see some youngsters in the CL squad making the bench (Morton, Balagizi, Cannonier).

Whilst it would be nice to win it is by no means a must-win and although Atletico have had the weekend off they are by no means playing as well (yet, perhaps) as last season. We can afford to gamble a little with team selection with the United game in mind.

Both Konate and Philipps are in our CL squad. I'd give Konate a start and rest Matip, the most delicate of our CBs. Upfront we need to rotate, Mane or Mo? I'd start Mo and if all goes to plan rest him after 60 mins with Ox or Origi coming on.

Millie, Neco, Morton, Origi, Ox., Firmino .... could all come on for game time in the later stages.

----------------------------- Ali

Trent ------ Konate ----------- VvD ------------ Tsimikas

--------------------------- Fabs

---------------- Hendo ---------- Keita

Salah ------------------ Jota -------------- Minamino

I agree this is more of a 'dont lose' than a 'must win' type of fixture, a draw would be a very good result given the circumstances and competing priorities. 4 points against AM would almost certainly see us top the group. I do expect some rotation, CB is the obvious area where we have a bit of depth and if Jota is 100% it probably makes sense to give either Mané or Mo 45 mins off.

At the moment we don't really have alot of options in midfield so I fully expect Hendo Fabinho and Keita to start with Jones hopefully ready to play some part at the weekend.

 

[Dreambeliever]

Might ruin our momentum, but I kinda agree although "weakened" is a bit strong.
Give Konate a run, play Jones and Tsimikas.
Dunno if Thiago will be ready but if he is, he should start alongside Fabs.

Maybe this lineup:

Alisson

Trent - hasn't actually played that much lately
Konate
Matip
Tsimikas

Fabinho
Thiago
Jones

Jota
Origi
X

X being the wing forward we should have signed this summer, but fuck it. Play Ox.

Agreed ‘weakened’ is relative.

I would go

Becker
TAA
Konate
Gomez
The Greek
Ox
Fabhino
Henderson

Salah
Mane
Tika

 

[Hansern]

Why should we rotate so much? If we lose tonight you're suddenly on the back foot in the group in regards to winning it.
Rotate 1-2 players, no more.

We arent playing again until Sunday, and then we'll rotate 11 players against Preston the week after.

 

[Brizzle]

I think rotating only those who had a hectic international period is best, given we played the latest game before the internationals and then the earliest back. For me this is just Robbo, VVD & Mane - all of whom can be easily rotated with quality back ups.

I agree that Tuesday - Sunday is a nice rest, but so is Saturday - Sunday!

 

[Frogfish]

Atletico possibly missing Gimenez, Llorente and Savic. Weaker in defence if they are out.

I read Llorente was definitely fit. How accurate I don't know.

 

[King Binny]

 

[Modo]

That's a really difficult choice.
I want to say imagine if Suarez played alongside Salah and Mané but he did have Gerrard, Coutinho, Sterling and Sturridge around him.

But Salah broke his record so I guess Salah edges it.

 

[MomoWASright]

That's a really difficult choice.
I want to say imagine if Suarez played alongside Salah and Mané but he did have Gerrard, Coutinho, Sterling and Sturridge around him.

But Salah broke his record so I guess Salah edges it.

Salah has won major trophies and didn’t bite/racially abuse someone. There is no edging in it. Salah smashes it.

 

[binomial]

Klopp has a real problem with teams that sets up to defend well doesn't he? He does need to learn to stop being bitter when we can't break sides down and accept it from time to time, it's part of football and that's just how teams will play against us.

 

[Modo]

Salah has won major trophies and didn’t bite/racially abuse someone. There is no edging in it. Salah smashes it.

Nah, the man almost singlehandedly won us the league. I'm not factoring his cuntish behaviour. Looking at skill only.

 

[Brizzle]

Klopp has a real problem with teams that sets up to defend well doesn't he? He does need to learn to stop being bitter when we can't break sides down and accept it from time to time, it's part of football and that's just how teams will play against us.

I think he was showing a way to adapt to this by starting Elliot as a pure AM, but the problem now is that he doesn't trust Ox, and didn't trust Shaq to do that role. Without that though, I agree and we get sucked into relying on magic or set pieces/crosses.

 

[Squiggles]

Historically it's always been that Salah looked better on paper and on statistics, but Suarez was easier on the eye and produced more WTF moments, resulting in there being no right or wrong answer. It's one of preference. But lately Salah is doing both side-by-side and seems to having one of those magical seasons where it's not just about the sheer numbers. It's about everything.

It's Salah every single day of the week.

 

[Donavan Ried]

In Short Both

 

[Delinquent]

I think Suarez just pips it on talent alone, but Mo wins out when you include character and professionalism.

 

[FreshRed]

Historically it's always been that Salah looked better on paper and on statistics, but Suarez was easier on the eye and produced more WTF moments, resulting in there being no right or wrong answer. It's one of preference. But lately Salah is doing both side-by-side and seems to having one of those magical seasons where it's not just about the sheer numbers. It's about everything.

It's Salah every single day of the week.

I think that is on target. Suarez had a wider range of goals and was so unpredictable. Salah has been clinically predictable, scoring the same types of goals over and over.

There is a slight worry his confidence will get too high at the moment and he will try to do too much by himself, which Suarez did following Gerrard’s slip against Chelsea.

But, I actually think Salah will have double the assists he has ever had, especially as more and more players over commit to him after his recent antics.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

I think Suarez just pips it on talent alone, but Mo wins out when you include character and professionalism.

Yup, I think this is fair.

Pity we can't have both of them, in their prime, now ... But if not, we can settle for a young Mbappe and Salah in his prime right?

 

[Shadey]

A Madrid didn’t play at the weekend is that an advantage for them or us?

 

[rurikbird]

A Madrid didn’t play at the weekend is that an advantage for them or us?

Don’t know how it is for other teams, but this team under Klopp seems to play better on short rest compared to a long lay-off.

 

[Judge Jules]

Yep. That's why we used the tactics we did against Tottenham to win no.6. The players had just had 3 weeks without a game and were miles off their best.

 

[Modo]

Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson, Henderson, Milner, Keita, Mane, Salah, Firmino.

Subs: Adrian, Kelleher, Fabinho, Konate, Gomez, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Minamino, Jota, Tsimikas, Origi, Phillips, Williams.

 

[The Nomad]

Lolz at Sky. Liverpool are unchanged.. errr what?

A quick edit now reads outfield unchanged.

 

[tombrown]

Err what?

 

[Glen C]

Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson, Henderson, Milner, Keita, Mane, Salah, Firmino.

Subs: Adrian, Kelleher, Fabinho, Konate, Gomez, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Minamino, Jota, Tsimikas, Origi, Phillips, Williams.

Why drop fabinho?[emoji2377]

 

[Shay_K]

Looks like we'll be putting out the Carrier Bag cup team against
Utd at the weekend 🙂

 

[Shay_K]

Let's hope Virgil"s tetanus is up-to-date for tonight's game.

 

[binomial]

Why drop fabinho?[emoji2377]

We did alright in the last game without him.

He probably needs a little more time to get back up to speed, didn't fly with rest of the squad so didn't get as much time to train with them.

 

[Shay_K]

Suarez on the bench.

 

[SummerOnions]

Shit I forgot about Suarez. I love him but I hope he's crying in 2 hours

 

[rurikbird]

Atletico starting with Griezmann and Joao Felix up front, supported by Lemar and De Paul. Suarez, Llorente and Correa on the bench. 3CBs and Trippier as RWB.

 

[binomial]

Predicting a comfortable 2-0 win, unless we make it difficult for ourselves.

Don't see these as a threat at all, especially under Simeone.