Saints pre-match talk

[rurikbird]

So what should be our team?

I think from Klopp's presser it's pretty clear Sturridge will not be fit enough to start - the best he can hope for is a place on the bench. He said Benteke and Firmino are not 100% fit yet, but they give him "2 very good options." Personally I think Benteke will start the game and Firmino will be introduced later from the bench.

There is also a question of the formation. So far partly because of injuries and partly because of Klopp's desire to make us more defensively solid (especially for Tottenham away game), we played with a formation with 3 CMs and only 3 attacking players – Origi, Coutinho, Lallana. (None of them are great finishers too, so it's small wonder why goals have been hard to come by) It is possible that for this home game we will opt for 4-2-3-1, which would give us an extra attacker at the expense of the 3rd CM. I also suspect that Ibe might get a surprise start and get a chance to show Klopp what he can do. The front 6 could then be:

----------------Benteke---------------
Coutinho-----Lallana-----------Ibe
-------------Can---Milner(Lucas)---

Firmino, Origi, and possibly Sturridge can all come on from the bench.

If Klopp doesn't think we are ready to break out 4-2-3-1 yet, it will probably be the same team as yesterday, only with Benteke for Origi up front.

 

[Best Believe It]

The question I think will be whether the two attacking midfielders will play narrow or wide. In the last two games Countihnio and Lallana have been playing off the striker through the centre whilst width has come primarily from the full backs and the two non-anchoring midfielders.

That's part of the reason Ibe isn't starting at the moment, I reckon.

 

[Mors]

..................Migs
Clyne..Skrtel..Sakho..Moreno
...........Milner........Can
Lallana.....Firmino......Coutinho
...............Benteke

I'd be confident that team could beat them.

 

[ibromurph]

.................Migs
Clyne.. Anyone not named Skrtel, Lovren or Toure (Illori?)..Sakho..Moreno
...........Milner...... Can't
Coutinho.....Firimino...... Ibe
...............Benteke

 

[Modo]

Lucas will start and haters will hate.
For people who know football it was as clear as day how vital Lucas is to our team after his introduction yesterday.

 

[rurikbird]

Lucas will start and haters will hate.
For people who know football it was as clear as day how vital Lucas is to our team after his introduction yesterday.

He's good, but vital? No.

 

[Squiggles]

Lucas will start and haters will hate.
For people who know football it was as clear as day how vital Lucas is to our team after his introduction yesterday.

I'm not sure using a game against 10 Russian milk men, at Anfield, is the best game to showcase the virtues of a defensive midfielder.

 

[TSD]

Lucas is vital to our midfield but that only goes to show how weak it is. It's not his fault the club hasn't upgraded on him all this while.

 

[Modo]

I'm not sure using a game against 10 Russian milk men, at Anfield, is the best game to showcase the virtues of a defensive midfielder.

True, but our midfield was better organized and we looked a whole lot better

 

[rurikbird]

One reason why Klopp may be tempted to try Ibe is Clyne's relatively limited attacking contribution as a wing-back. He is the best FB we have on the balance, but the attacking side of his game is not quite enough to open teams up down that flank (Moreno is a bit better on the opposite flank, although much more suspect defensively). So it would make sense to start someone like Coutinho on the left who can then drift to the middle and open up the left side for Moreno, but put a real winger in front of Clyne.

Klopp used these kind of asymmetrical formations at Dortmund too.

 

[Modo]

Our line up will probably be:

-------------------Mignolet

Clyne-----Skrtel-----Sakho----Moreno

-------------------Lucas
------Milner---------------Can

Sturridge---------------------Coutinho
------------------Benteke

 

[manwithnoname]

..................Migs
Clyne..Skrtel..Sakho..Moreno
...........Milner........Can
Lallana.....Firmino......Coutinho
...............Benteke

I'd be confident that team could beat them.

I really hope Benteke (or maybe even Studge) can start

Origi is terrible

 

[Leo]

If Lucas has a half decent game his fan boys big it up like it was Souness playing.
Rinse and repeat.

 

[keniget]

The sad thing is that we're really missing someone like Sterling who has pace, can get in behind defences and carry a genuine goal threat. Sigh. I'd be tempted to try Ibe but he's looked well below par this year.

------------------ Ming
Clyne --- Skrtel -- Sakho -- Moreno
------------ Milner -- Lucas
---- Lallana -- Can --- Coutinho
----------------- Benteke

 

[mom]

True, but our midfield was better organized and we looked a whole lot better

And didn't score against ten men with him on the pitch.

 

[mom]

I really hope Benteke (or maybe even Studge) can start

Origi is terrible

Yeh he's not great. Could do with another loan, but can't see it now that zings is out.

 

[Hansern]

Lucas will start and haters will hate.
For people who know football it was as clear as day how vital Lucas is to our team after his introduction yesterday.

Vital? No. Good squad player? Yes

Klopp will sign a quality dm. That I'm sure of. Wont mind Lucas staying as a squaddie but if we're going to have any ambition about climbing up to the top we need better.

 

[Hansern]

Ming
Clyne Skrtel Sakho Moreno
Can Lucas
Ibe Coutinho Milner
Benteke

 

[JurgenKlopp]

Mignolet

Clyne. Skrtel. Sakho. Moreno

Can. Lucas

Milner. Coutinho. Lallana

Benteke


Bench:

Bogdan
Origi
Ibe
Toure
Firmino
Allen
Randell

 

[leftpeg]

Our line up will probably be:

-------------------Mignolet

Clyne-----Skrtel-----Sakho----Moreno

-------------------Lucas
------Milner---------------Can

Sturridge---------------------Coutinho
------------------Benteke

I absolutely guarantee you it won't be that.

 

[Modo]

Vital? No. Good squad player? Yes

Klopp will sign a quality dm. That I'm sure of. Wont mind Lucas staying as a squaddie but if we're going to have any ambition about climbing up to the top we need better.

Is Lucas the one standing between us and the "top"?

 

[Squiggles]

I know it was only 5 minutes, but Ibe did look brighter against Spurs.

There was won run in which he had the confidence to cut in from the flank and drive towards the centre ground. It was one of the rare moments Spurs defence looked threatened. I hope that points to a return in confidence and that he feels he can express himself on the pitch. I had been worried we'd trained any threat out of him. FWIW, I'd start Ibe too.

 

[Gary25]

Ming
Clyne Skrtel Sakho Moreno
Can Lucas
Ibe Coutinho Milner
Benteke

By the same token, one could say we need better than vice-captain and 150k per week man in James Milner.

 

[kingjulian]

Its laughable how Lucas performance against a team a man down is judged as an evidence of his return to form.

He is a DM...and the job he did on thursday is something any DM from any of the premiership teams would have done at a similar level or better. Im not lowering myself to praise him for doing the very basic of things that is expected of a DM competently.

I really think a very strong DM will allow us to unlock thw potential of some really capable players in our Squad.

 

[cloggypop]

I thought he was pushing forward more than I've seen him do for ages myself. Hopefully that's what Herr Klopp expects either from Lucas himself or his eventual replacement.

 

[Gary25]

We'll lose this by the way.

 

[My_Blood_Bleeds_Red]

So if it's a loss/draw will we see comments/threads like 'Klopp out' ?

 

[Gary25]

So if it's a loss/draw will we see comments/threads like 'Klopp out' ?

No. I just think Southampton will fancy their chances against us at the min, and they've had a full week to prepare for this whilst we've just hit a brickwall in the Europa 3 days before. Hope I'm wrong obviously.

 

[Halmeister]

Yeah we won't win.

 

[Gary25]

Yeah we won't win.

Ya, I do fear/expect things will get worse before they get better. I don't know, we're just crying out for a bit of inspiration on the pitch to drag us through this messy and bewildering season thus far. A new hero. Maybe Firmino and/or Benteke can be just that. We shall see.