Topic: Liverpool vs Southampton, EFL Cup Semi-Final, 2nd Leg, 25 January, 8pm

[Bend It Like Aurelio]

I'd be disappointed if Can was playing again, seeing how this game will probably play out the same way as the Swansea game did. Lallana in midfield with Wijnaldum and Hendo. I'd like to see Sturridge try the right forward position again, him cutting in on his left foot is lethal, he just has to get in his head that he's playing there for the good of the team.

But knowing Klopp now and his tendencies, he'll probably start Can anyway, and let him work out his issues. Matip for sure though will come in for Klavan. I think that's pretty much the only certain change for this game.

[JackWard33]

I'd be disappointed if Can was playing again, seeing how this game will probably play out the same way as the Swansea game did. Lallana in midfield with Wijnaldum and Hendo. I'd like to see Sturridge try the right forward position again, him cutting in on his left foot is lethal, he just has to get in his head that he's playing there for the good of the team.

But knowing Klopp now and his tendencies, he'll probably start Can anyway, and let him work out his issues. Matip for sure though will come in for Klavan. I think that's pretty much the only certain change for this game.

He'll need to do something different at the top of the pitch.
Southampton are well organised and capable of holding their lead - it won't be enough to run out the same front 6 as Saturday and expect them to be creative against a better defensive team.
Maybe Sturridge. If Coutinho is out maybe Sturridge and Origi. Or he could also wildcard it and start Woodburn/Ojo in the front 3
As long as there's another attacker on the pitch and the midfield 3 is more progressive

[deFacto please, you bastards]

The tempo needs to be intense from the get go, the longer it stays goalless, the better it is for Soton. If we start like we did against Swansea it will not get us the result we need. Which is why it's important to have balance in midfield and move the ball quickly.

[jillcwhomever]

Klopp said at the press conference that we have no new injuries.

[Suareznumber7]

I'm expecting Lallana back in midfied, Matip at the back and the fluidity to return, It would be helpful if the crowd is up for it as well

I hope I'm wrong but I'm expecting the same team as we had against Swansea with maybe Matip being the exception. 

[mikeb58]

First team looks absolutely shattered so I would rest as many of them as possible.

Is professional footballers really are that 'shattered, by mid Jan, with no Euro footy to contend with and having only played a bit of Cup footy here and there (if any at all!) then something is very wrong.

Be it the training methods, or the earlier pace and intensity we showed earlier in the season ,whatever the reason it doesn't look good if we do get C/L next season.

The players will be totally worn out even earlier in the season!

[Binomial]

The is the biggest game we'll play this season.

[Malcolm Night]

The is the biggest game we'll play this season.

Unless we win this game 

[Chris~]

He'll need to do something different at the top of the pitch.
Southampton are well organised and capable of holding their lead - it won't be enough to run out the same front 6 as Saturday and expect them to be creative against a better defensive team.
Maybe Sturridge. If Coutinho is out maybe Sturridge and Origi. Or he could also wildcard it and start Woodburn/Ojo in the front 3
As long as there's another attacker on the pitch and the midfield 3 is more progressive

I'd be surprised if Woodburn or Ojo started. Both played 90 minutes on Sunday and they don't look like they're with the others training at the moment.

[elpistolero7]

We will win 17-0.

[NarutoReds]

Need to overturn one-goal deficit to Southampton second leg semi on Wednesday,
host Wolverhampton Wanderers in the FA Cup few days later, after lost to Swansea earlier...
What a shit period of football...

ESPN, TONY EVANS, 6 hours ago
----------------------------------------------------------
It's no coincidence that Klopp's team has run out of steam at the same point in the season.
Fifteen months into his tenure on Merseyside, the squad remains almost as thin as when he arrived.
The 49-year-old has squeezed more out of this group of players than might have been expected
but the lesson that went unheeded is that the squad needed bolstering in the January window.

Klopp is frustrated. In the summer, without Champions League football to offer potential recruits,
the German spent conservatively. The most significant signing was Sadio Mane, whose movement,
pace and incisiveness gave a different dimension to Liverpool's game. Mane was always going
to participate in the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal. Everyone knew he would be unavailable
during a crucial time in the season, yet the effect of his absence appears not to have been considered.
 
Link: http://www.espnfc.com/english-premier-league/23/blog/post/3044933/liverpools-declining-form-is-a-reality-check-that-the-club-must-plan-transfer-business-better

[ToneLa]

Klopp has been on the bounce!

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/jan/23/jurgen-klopp-liverpool-southampton-efl-cup

We had a very intense period around Christmas and new year,” the Liverpool manager said. “Fair enough, so did everybody else, but before the Swansea game I actually thought we were back on the right track, with the freshness coming back. But what I spoke most about was enjoying what we do.

“We are Liverpool, a really good football-playing side, and we don’t enjoy the job we have to do. It is not as though we are a team at the bottom of the league that has to defend 80% or 90% of the time. In most of our games we are dominant, so we have to enjoy this, even when we don’t come through after five minutes.”

He also said their recent defensive record was discussed at the meeting. “We scored two goals, enough to win the game, but I felt the defending could be improved. I also think the goals we have conceded in 2017 have been a little bit of the same story. The influence of throw-ins is a bit too big, for instance, so we spoke about that.”

Liverpool have won just one of their six games since beating Manchester City on New Year’s Eve, and that was with the help of a replay against Plymouth Argyle of League Two in the FA Cup. They were defeated by their next opponents, Southampton, in the first leg of the EFL Cup, though Klopp believes a one-goal deficit should not be too much to overcome in the return at Anfield on Wednesday. “For us, 1-0 is no different to 0-0, there is still all to play for, everything is still possible. If it had been 3-0 to Southampton after the first leg we would have had to think about a few things.”

“we are a big club, it is not allowed to say you miss one player” – and feels in any case that his side needs to defend better as a team.
“Sometimes there’s a single mistake, but most of the time it is seven or eight players who could have done something differently. That’s how we understand it.

“It’s not about one player. We really have to do better as a defensive unit. That was one of the things we discussed in our long meeting after the Swansea game, and I think we are all ready for the rest of the season now. The feeling around the club is not quite as positive as it was, and it’s our job to bring that positivity back.”

That's our manager  sounds like he told them to get on with it.

[diegoLFC7]

Another park the bus master tactic at Anfield this one. Well struggle to break them down like we did at St Marys. We need a quick goal, and to control the game if we want to advance. They'll do a Swansea if we aren't on our best. Worried about this one to be honest.

[NarutoReds]

Let me try to do it from what I have learned here so far in the RAWK way after spending two years monitoring the syllabus in this forum.
English is my second language so pardon for my vocabulary and grammar where it's a Cambridge-oriented here in Malaysia.
-------------------

Fuck with this media negativity!!! We'll beat this fucking inbred unusable SouthTheSaints offspring!!!
We are Liverpool Football Club, The Mighty Reds for fuck sake!!! We enslave other clubs!!!
 
-------------------
p/s: I hope Im doing it right, correctly based on the RAWK cursing standard to elevate The Mighty Reds atmosphere before the dawn of the game...

--- Hye from Kuala Lumpur's Liverpool Football Club fan base here...   

[Number 7]

So Van Djik is having a scan and may or may not play. If he doesn't, with Fonte now gone, it would likely be Jack Stephens partnering Yoshida in defence for them. Don't recall ever seeing him play but he only has 2 PL appearances to his name so far. Bit mental of them not signing another CB before allowing Fonte to leave considering they don't have many numbers there.

Van Dijk is their best player IMO. He was superb in the 0-0 earlier this season down there. We need to score regardless but him missing would be huge for Southampton and us.

[me76]

Let me try to do it from what I have learned here so far in the RAWK way after spending two years monitoring the syllabus in this forum.
English is my second language so pardon for my vocabulary and grammar where it's a Cambridge-oriented here in Malaysia.
-------------------

Fuck with this media negativity!!! We'll beat this fucking inbred unusable SouthTheSaints offspring!!!
We are Liverpool Football Club, The Mighty Reds for fuck sake!!! We enslave other clubs!!!
 
-------------------
p/s: I hope Im doing it right, correctly based on the RAWK cursing standard to elevate The Mighty Reds atmosphere before the dawn of the game...

--- Hye from Kuala Lumpur's Liverpool Football Club fan base here...   

You're doing it perfectly Naruto mate!  You're my new favourite Rawkite!

[scalatore]

Let me try to do it from what I have learned here so far in the RAWK way after spending two years monitoring the syllabus in this forum.
English is my second language so pardon for my vocabulary and grammar where it's a Cambridge-oriented here in Malaysia.
-------------------

Fuck with this media negativity!!! We'll beat this fucking inbred unusable SouthTheSaints offspring!!!
We are Liverpool Football Club, The Mighty Reds for fuck sake!!! We enslave other clubs!!!
 
-------------------
p/s: I hope Im doing it right, correctly based on the RAWK cursing standard to elevate The Mighty Reds atmosphere before the dawn of the game...

--- Hye from Kuala Lumpur's Liverpool Football Club fan base here...   

[emoji23]

[Didi_ram]

Mignolet
Clyne Lovren Matip Milner
Henderson Wijnaldum Lallana
Sturridge Firmino Coutinho

We should go at them from the start, and there is no reason to have 3 midfielders and Lallana as an attacker for this one. Lallana plays best in the 3rd midfielder position.

[AaronSingh25]

Player 5 at the back to stop their speedy counter attacks, with Henderson holding. This would mean at any time we'd always have four in a defensive position - especially important as i believe they will play on the counter. Then when we are in a defensive mode, we have the standard back 5, with Henderson just infront.

I'd use Milner on the left side of central defense - knowing if we need to step up he can always push on into midfield.

Get Moreno back in and get him to stay high up on the wing when attacking. This in the knowledge that our third central defender will cover that side if he get's caught.

Coutinho and Lallana central midfield as offensive midfield options. I doubt Southampton will play across the midfield so i predict there won't be much of a midfield battle to be had. I'd accept Gini in there, if we are looking to be a tad more solid.

Sturridge and Firmino central. With Firmino given license to roam anywhere he wants along the front channel. Sturridge told to play on the last man and keep their central defenders occupied to give others space - not drop back into midfield and slow the game down.

This formation ensures we will always have cover when they break on us, it also ensures we have pace in the team with Moreno on the wing, and furthermore ensures  we have creativity in the midfield.

Minoglet

Clyne Lovren Matip Milner Moreno

               Henderson
       Coutinho        Lallana
                Firmino
                Sturridge

[Kelvinlfc]

Read this morning that Van Dijk is probably out so it's Yoshida and Jack Stephens (u21 player, never played in the prem) starting at the back together.

I too would drop Lallana back into the midfield 3 and drop Can, he's been a passenger lately.

[cissesbeard]

I think we'll respond really well, am actually totally confident of us giving these a bit of a pasting and I'm usually pretty nervous about games like this.
4-1 to the mighty reds on the night

[macca007]

Yeah there is. It's done the rounds on twitter and theres gonna be a fair few people who turn up to do it. I know some people don't reckon its that big a game (I dissagree with that myself) but there is gonna be something. I reckon everyone who can, needs to get down there cos the worst thing would be if we tried it and it was shit.

It's happening, so get down there and support the lads.

https://twitter.com/WeRLFC/status/822550136308039680

Bumping this quote. More attention this gets the better.  A big chance for a trophy this one!!!

And anyone who thinks this isn't a big game needs to sort their head out. 1-0 behind in a first leg of a semi final. I for one am fucking well up for this one

[gatcliffe]

I think we'll respond really well, am actually totally confident of us giving these a bit of a pasting and I'm usually pretty nervous about games like this.
4-1 to the mighty reds on the night

Look what happened on Sat many on here predicted an easy Reds win, will happily take a 2 0 win forget a pasting.

[bravoco]

Let me try to do it from what I have learned here so far in the RAWK way after spending two years monitoring the syllabus in this forum.
English is my second language so pardon for my vocabulary and grammar where it's a Cambridge-oriented here in Malaysia.
-------------------

Fuck with this media negativity!!! We'll beat this fucking inbred unusable SouthTheSaints offspring!!!
We are Liverpool Football Club, The Mighty Reds for fuck sake!!! We enslave other clubs!!!
 
-------------------
p/s: I hope Im doing it right, correctly based on the RAWK cursing standard to elevate The Mighty Reds atmosphere before the dawn of the game...

--- Hye from Kuala Lumpur's Liverpool Football Club fan base here...   

I think you've picked it up rather well! [emoji1] 

[Bend It Like Aurelio]

I'm bumping this thread, because I find it amusing that it has sunk to 10th on the board, while the Swansea thread is still up near the top.

Living in the past has its' limits I think. Time to look forward.

[Dubred]

Player 5 at the back to stop their speedy counter attacks, with Henderson holding. This would mean at any time we'd always have four in a defensive position - especially important as i believe they will play on the counter. Then when we are in a defensive mode, we have the standard back 5, with Henderson just infront.

I'd use Milner on the left side of central defense - knowing if we need to step up he can always push on into midfield.

Get Moreno back in and get him to stay high up on the wing when attacking. This in the knowledge that our third central defender will cover that side if he get's caught.

Coutinho and Lallana central midfield as offensive midfield options. I doubt Southampton will play across the midfield so i predict there won't be much of a midfield battle to be had. I'd accept Gini in there, if we are looking to be a tad more solid.

Sturridge and Firmino central. With Firmino given license to roam anywhere he wants along the front channel. Sturridge told to play on the last man and keep their central defenders occupied to give others space - not drop back into midfield and slow the game down.

This formation ensures we will always have cover when they break on us, it also ensures we have pace in the team with Moreno on the wing, and furthermore ensures  we have creativity in the midfield.

Minoglet

Clyne Lovren Matip Milner Moreno

               Henderson
       Coutinho        Lallana
                Firmino
                Sturridge

   giggle giggle

I mean c'mon mate.  I know you're gathering a bit of a reputation for yourself on this website but posts like that............haha!

Why on earth would Klopp all of a sudden completely change his formation so drastically he's being playing all season for that??  Let alone moving Milner into a left centre back position plus benching Wijnaldum.

I'll have some of what you're smoking mate 

[scalatore]

Player 5 at the back to stop their speedy counter attacks, with Henderson holding. This would mean at any time we'd always have four in a defensive position - especially important as i believe they will play on the counter. Then when we are in a defensive mode, we have the standard back 5, with Henderson just infront.

I'd use Milner on the left side of central defense - knowing if we need to step up he can always push on into midfield.

Get Moreno back in and get him to stay high up on the wing when attacking. This in the knowledge that our third central defender will cover that side if he get's caught.

Coutinho and Lallana central midfield as offensive midfield options. I doubt Southampton will play across the midfield so i predict there won't be much of a midfield battle to be had. I'd accept Gini in there, if we are looking to be a tad more solid.

Sturridge and Firmino central. With Firmino given license to roam anywhere he wants along the front channel. Sturridge told to play on the last man and keep their central defenders occupied to give others space - not drop back into midfield and slow the game down.

This formation ensures we will always have cover when they break on us, it also ensures we have pace in the team with Moreno on the wing, and furthermore ensures  we have creativity in the midfield.

Minoglet

Clyne Lovren Matip Milner Moreno

               Henderson
       Coutinho        Lallana
                Firmino
                Sturridge

Great post. However I think that, since we're behind on aggregate and need to win by at least one goal, we should really start with six at the back instead. And two defensive midfielders.

[phil236849]

How much would you like to see

Migs
Clyney Matip Lovren Milner
Woodburn Hendo Lallana
Sturridge Firmino Coutinho

[SteveLFC]

Or get into the FA cup final, or need 3 points from the last game of the season to make top 4.

Unless we win this game 

[RedRaj]

I thought it was 'techno...'

[Solomon Grundy]

I thought it was 'techno...'

Whooooooooooooosssssshhhh...

[SteveLFC]

or..

                Sturridge

Karius  Coutinho   Firmino   Manninger
     
        Klavan    Lovren   Matip

        Me     My dog    Bogdan

Why? well.. We would stand as much chance of getting through to the next round as your formation.

Player 5 at the back to stop their speedy counter attacks, with Henderson holding. This would mean at any time we'd always have four in a defensive position - especially important as i believe they will play on the counter. Then when we are in a defensive mode, we have the standard back 5, with Henderson just infront.

I'd use Milner on the left side of central defense - knowing if we need to step up he can always push on into midfield.

Get Moreno back in and get him to stay high up on the wing when attacking. This in the knowledge that our third central defender will cover that side if he get's caught.

Coutinho and Lallana central midfield as offensive midfield options. I doubt Southampton will play across the midfield so i predict there won't be much of a midfield battle to be had. I'd accept Gini in there, if we are looking to be a tad more solid.

Sturridge and Firmino central. With Firmino given license to roam anywhere he wants along the front channel. Sturridge told to play on the last man and keep their central defenders occupied to give others space - not drop back into midfield and slow the game down.

This formation ensures we will always have cover when they break on us, it also ensures we have pace in the team with Moreno on the wing, and furthermore ensures  we have creativity in the midfield.

Minoglet

Clyne Lovren Matip Milner Moreno

               Henderson
       Coutinho        Lallana
                Firmino
                Sturridge

[M7 Heckler]

When have you ever seen a 352 with a single holding midfielder?

if you play 352 you play a 2-man midfield. Otherwise the CB and DM basically both have the same job.

[Number 7]

Read this morning that Van Dijk is probably out so it's Yoshida and Jack Stephens (u21 player, never played in the prem) starting at the back together.

I too would drop Lallana back into the midfield 3 and drop Can, he's been a passenger lately.

Not much point in going with a front 3 of Lallana-Firmino-Coutinho in a game like this. We need goals and you need Sturridge or Origi on the pitch regardless of both stinking out the place recently. Lallana back in midfield. Hendo, Gini and Lallana in midfield and hopefully Matip back in defence.

Not sure what to make of Can. I don't think he has any defined role in the team and I don't really know what he really does out there. Used to drive forward and make runs but even that has stopped. Gives the ball away a lot and doesn't have the agility to play in midfield in this setup. Every game I think he will speed up his passing and his general movement but it simply doesn't happen. It's a real shame because last season he looked like he was going to be some player. The Villareal game sticks out in my mind. He seems to have gone backwards this season. It's kind of confusing because working with Klopp should have improved him.

Yoshida and Jack Stephens on papers seems like great news for us. However, as we've seen so many times before an unfamiliar CB pairing can have the game of the lives. I hope it doesn't happen this time and an early goal will change the game because Southampton will come to completely clone the performance of Swansea.

[ScubaSteve]

Planning on getting there early tomoz for the coach!

Will the players coach be defo in around 6:15 or might it be earlier?

[Olde Dog]

Although I'm not convinced that Emre Can was as woeful as some seem to insist he was on Saturday (certainly had a better game than Wijnaldun, apart from the latter's assist), he slows play down and we need Lallana to be running on from midfield.

Neither am I convinced that Lovren is obviously superior to Klavan - indeed, arguably to his credit, Klavan was at least being physical in defence (booked for it no less).

Milner looked jaded, and hardly got beyond the half way line for the most part of the match, and an argument could be made for playing Moreno.

Lastly, the most effective player on the right was Firmino (the most effective everywhere was Firmino), so perhaps him out right, Origi, who was heavily involved in our fight back, through the middle, Coutinho on the left - Wijnaldun, Henderson, Lallana - Moreno, Matip, Klavan, Clyne - Mignolet.

I know I'm gonna be out of sync with Klavan over Lovren, but if so, reasons please ...

[MinnyRed]

Player 5 at the back to stop their speedy counter attacks, with Henderson holding. This would mean at any time we'd always have four in a defensive position - especially important as i believe they will play on the counter. Then when we are in a defensive mode, we have the standard back 5, with Henderson just infront.

I'd use Milner on the left side of central defense - knowing if we need to step up he can always push on into midfield.

Get Moreno back in and get him to stay high up on the wing when attacking. This in the knowledge that our third central defender will cover that side if he get's caught.

Coutinho and Lallana central midfield as offensive midfield options. I doubt Southampton will play across the midfield so i predict there won't be much of a midfield battle to be had. I'd accept Gini in there, if we are looking to be a tad more solid.

Sturridge and Firmino central. With Firmino given license to roam anywhere he wants along the front channel. Sturridge told to play on the last man and keep their central defenders occupied to give others space - not drop back into midfield and slow the game down.

This formation ensures we will always have cover when they break on us, it also ensures we have pace in the team with Moreno on the wing, and furthermore ensures  we have creativity in the midfield.

Minoglet

Clyne Lovren Matip Milner Moreno

               Henderson
       Coutinho        Lallana
                Firmino
                Sturridge

Not sure why you're getting shit for this. Id nitpick your selection but we must do something different (than the 4 3 3) with the players we have right now. This is a reasonable alternative (through I doubt you've nailed the line up).  Would be madness to trot out the same formation and players  as Saturday.

[Cusamano]

Can should be "rested"

[mrantarctica]

2 cup games in quick succession. I hope we put out a very strong side for this one. Perhaps something like:

Karius Clyne Lovren Matip Milner Hendo Lallana Gini Sturridge Firmino Coutinho

For Wolves:
Mig TAA Gomez Klavan Moreno Lucas Can Smith Ojo Origi Woodburn

We'd still potentially have a strong side for the Wolves game and allow us to rest the top players for the Chelsea game, which we really need to get something from if we want to keep our title hopes alive.

[Curtisinho]

I still don't know why guys like Ejaria or maybe Grujic aren't getting a look over Can. His good performances as a Liverpool player have been few and far between. Not only is he just not good enough (IMO) for the team, but even the things he's good at just don't suit our style of play. He's not very fleet of foot, his turning is woeful, he rarely makes good quick passes belaying his inherently slow speed of thought on the field, he often gives the ball away and makes unnecessary fouls. His strong aerially, can be physical, and every once in a while has a nice trick or marauding run but it's not nearly enough to make up for the whole of his work. He's definitely at least one player that I wouldn't like to see get a first team game for a while and be given the Moreno treatment maybe.

Clyne - Matip - Lovren - Milner
Henderson
Lallana - Wijnaldum

That should be our base for most games, and moving forward in general with anyone deputizing stepping in in the appropriate area. Perhaps Ejaria/Woodburn for Lallana, Can/Grujic for Wijnaldum and maybe Lucas or Can for Henderson if necessary though I think that's a position that needs addressing.

The front 3 is a bit more tricky without Mané, obviously, but there are plenty of options. We've seen Klopp use a diamond sparingly but I don't think it's a bad idea here:

Coutinho
Origi/Sturridge - Firmino

Though more likely you have the spread out front 3 that should look something like this for me:

Origi - Firmino - Coutinho

Plenty of fluidity and interchanging of positions during the game bound to happen though. At the end of the day regardless of how we line up the quality is there to come out of this with a good enough win, but we need to have the execution as well. If this game doesn't go well there will be more and more questions piling up like 'why didn't we buy in the winter window', 'why can't we sort out the defence', 'is this really better than under Rodgers', etc. etc. Looking for some big enthusiasm and a good game from us and hopefully we can move on from our recent struggles.