Topic: MATCH PREVIEW - Fulham v Liverpool - League, Sat 6 Aug @ 12:30pm

[Peabee]

The Community Shield game was a massive help, I think. People can say it's a friendly all they like but it felt way more competitive than most friendlies, and against an elite side to boot. I doubt any of Fulham's pre-season games have come close to that level of intensity.

We actually play every friendly with intensity. That’s why Klopp starts with 30min each.  Last year, with no tour, he was able to organise 30 min matches. He says 30 minutes of full intensity is better than 90 minutes holding back or playing at a pace we’d never play in competitive games.

[RogerTheRed]

Come on Redmen!!
Thanks for a great op stockdam. Our team seems pretty easy to predict with only questions being is Ali fit , (seems he is) and does Bobby start (I think he does). As many say, I expect a routine win, with Mo getting off the mark.

[red1977]

Cant wait for Satdee. First game of the Season really lifts your mood. come on redmen.

[Barneylfc∗]

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[Elzar]

Back to planning my weekends around football it is. 

[.adam]

Not sure it's been mentioned in the thread but Harry Wilson is out for two months so will miss this.

[rob1966]

Back to planning my weekends around football it is. 

Except only one of our first 3 games is of a weekend 😉

[-Willo-]

Can't wait to see Nunez against these.

[El Lobo]

Not sure it's been mentioned in the thread but Harry Wilson is out for two months so will miss this.

Thats a shame for the lad, hope he gets the chance to play us at Anfield

[disgraced cake]

Not sure it's been mentioned in the thread but Harry Wilson is out for two months so will miss this.

That'll be a big blow for them. Championship or Premier League I feel with a couple of decent players surrounding him he'll always be good for goals and assists.

Do they have anything else going for them in the middle? Any other creative players to make something for Mitrovic? I know they've brought in one who used to play for Man United.

[redbyrdz]

Back to planning my weekends around football it is. 

Haha, was thinking that, could do without a lunchtime kickoff!

[Jshooters]

Except only one of our first 3 games is of a weekend 😉

2 Mondays in that as well as a Wednesday for our 5th game.... I fucking hate MNF

[thaddeus]

That'll be a big blow for them. Championship or Premier League I feel with a couple of decent players surrounding him he'll always be good for goals and assists.

Do they have anything else going for them in the middle? Any other creative players to make something for Mitrovic? I know they've brought in one who used to play for Man United.

In short, no.  Wilson was far and away their leading assist maker last season (with the caveat that he took nearly all set-pieces) and Carvalho was a distant second.

De Cordova-Reid, Seri and Reed are good players but not particularly creative or attack minded.  I'd imagine Mitrovic will be flanked by two wide forwards, usually Carvalho and Kebano last season, but I'm not sure they've even replaced Carvalho.

If they're relying on Andreas Pereira being their creative spark it's going to be boring old season for them 

[So… Howard Philips]

In short, no.  Wilson was far and away their leading assist maker last season (with the caveat that he took nearly all set-pieces) and Carvalho was a distant second.

De Cordova-Reid, Seri and Reed are good players but not particularly creative or attack minded.  I'd imagine Mitrovic will be flanked by two wide forwards, usually Carvalho and Kebano last season, but I'm not sure they've even replaced Carvalho.

If they're relying on Andreas Pereira being their creative spark it's going to be boring old season for them 

Didn’t De Cordova-Reid score the obligatory, once in a lifetime worldy against us?

[rob1966]

2 Mondays in that as well as a Wednesday for our 5th game.... I fucking hate MNF

I was struggling to afford the season ticket I was sharing in 2010 and the Monday night games finished me off.  Taking the kids the Palace game, its a right pain cos the M60 by ours is fucked at half 5 and every night game I go to will be the night some gobshite Manc decides to crash on the clockwise bit.

[stockdam]

Konate and Jones injured?

[UntouchableLuis]

I would go:

Becker

Trent
Matip
VVD
Robbo

Fabinho
Hendo
Thiago

Mo
Darwin
Diaz

[Fromola]

In short, no.  Wilson was far and away their leading assist maker last season (with the caveat that he took nearly all set-pieces) and Carvalho was a distant second.

De Cordova-Reid, Seri and Reed are good players but not particularly creative or attack minded.  I'd imagine Mitrovic will be flanked by two wide forwards, usually Carvalho and Kebano last season, but I'm not sure they've even replaced Carvalho.

If they're relying on Andreas Pereira being their creative spark it's going to be boring old season for them 

Carvalho and Wilson for a while going to be a big blow for them. Not exactly done much business and down two key attacking players.

Can see a similar game to Norwich away on the opening day last season. They'll make it hard but we just need to be clinical. Obviously if we're not it's a difficult afternoon. Need Ali to be sharp when called upon as well if he plays.

[disgraced cake]

Carvalho and Wilson for a while going to be a big blow for them. Not exactly done much business and down two key attacking players.

Can see a similar game to Norwich away on the opening day last season. They'll make it hard but we just need to be clinical. Obviously if we're not it's a difficult afternoon. Need Ali to be sharp when called upon as well if he plays.

Definitely feel it's a similar opener to Norwich last season. There was a bit of contention in that line up as many felt Van Dijk wouldn't start, and it was the beginning of Tsimikas's incredible run last season where he never put a foot wrong. The midfield was Milner/Keita/Ox, too. Not sure if they ever started together before that or after.

I'm not sure how this Fulham team stands up against that Norwich one but it shouldn't matter if we're on form. The signs from the Charity Shield were really positive to me and I'd expect it to carry on into this, doesn't need to be a thrashing but I'd love something similar to that Norwich game where we are just too clinical for them. They might want to contain us but I don't think they have the tools to frustrate us judging by their record in recent times.

[MD1990]

Nunez will start imo
Superb against City. Great game to get going in the league

[Johnny Aldridge]

Salah to bag at least a brace...
Fulham will be well setup though. Wouldn’t surprise me if they stay up this year.

[redwillow]

Ali, Trent Matip Virgil Robbo, Fabinho Thiago Henderson, Salah Firmino Diaz

4-0 the reds

[thaddeus]

Didn’t De Cordova-Reid score the obligatory, once in a lifetime worldy against us?

Yeah, it was one of those games where we never got going - I remember Lookman causing us loads of problems.  Assuming Virgil contains Mitrovic then De Cordova-Reid is probably their biggest goal threat (it's all relative!).  I watched the Championship highlights most weeks last season and picking up balls 20 yards out and getting in well struck shots was a common theme for him.

That we only got one point from Fulham that season was really poor.  Hopefully we'll set the record straight tomorrow.

[Elzar]

Interested to see Fulhams starting line up. They have actually made 3 really good looking signings in Leno, Mbabu and Palhinha. Something like this:

Leno

Mbabu
Tosin
Ream/Kongolo
Robinson

Palhinha
Pereira
Cairney

Decordova-Reed
Mitrovic
Kebano

Still seems lacking in the wide areas for the season ahead.

[disgraced cake]

Interested to see Fulhams starting line up. They have actually made 3 really good looking signings in Leno, Mbabu and Palhinha. Something like this:

Leno

Mbabu
Tosin
Ream/Kongolo
Robinson

Palhinha
Pereira
Cairney

Decordova-Reed
Mitrovic
Kebano

Still seems lacking in the wide areas for the season ahead.

See they've just brought Shane Duffy in on loan. Not sure if he'll be able to play tomorrow or not but it shouldn't make too much difference. Seems they've made a few late signings which may just benefit teams playing them early as they're not all going to be up to scratch even if they've trained with other clubs.

Wilson being out for them is a big loss. I think whatever version of their back 5 they'll play will look pretty poor for this level, though. Leno looked like a let down for Arsenal plenty of times, some absolute howlers he made for them. Really we've just got to there and look for goals.

[Too early for flapjacks?]

Presuming Nunez starts, should be a bench of Firmino, Carvalho, Elliott, Keita, Milner, Gomez, Phillips, Ramsay, Adrian. Pretty good considering the number of players we have out.

[duvva 💅]

Thanks for the OP Stockdam.

Absolutely can’t wait for this. I know we’ve got a few injuries coming in but we can still field an arguably full strength first 11 with a strong bench. I have very little idea about how good Fulham were last season, but missing Carvalho and Wilson sounds like a blow for them. We got off to a good start in most seasons in recent memory, no reason this should be different.

[Phineus]

I think Firmino starts over Nunez for this one, probably same team as Community Shield final except Alisson in?

[Dave McCoy]

How much more exciting can this be? Amazing players, manager, coaches and fans playing in a wonderful stadium with everything still possible. If I were to listen to the Pacino speech in Any Given Sunday I'm pretty sure I could run through walls tomorrow morning in anticipation. Klopp could pick the U23's tomorrow and I'd believe we could still get the 3 points. We all just believe now, right?

Can't wait.

[Scouser-Tommy]

The rumoured team doing the rounds has Nunez starting over Bobby.

[Dr. Beaker]

The rumoured team doing the rounds has Nunez starting over Bobby.

On his shoulders?

[vetdoc24]

I would go:

Becker

Trent
Matip
VVD
Robbo

Fabinho
Hendo
Thiago

Mo
Darwin
Diaz

I would prefer Naby than Hendo. Other than that league winning 11.

[12C]

How much more exciting can this be? Amazing players, manager, coaches and fans playing in a wonderful stadium with everything still possible. If I were to listen to the Pacino speech in Any Given Sunday I'm pretty sure I could run through walls tomorrow morning in anticipation. Klopp could pick the U23's tomorrow and I'd believe we could still get the 3 points. We all just believe now, right?

Can't wait.

Well said mate.

[Sudden Death Draft Loser]

We all just believe now, right?

Yes.

I expect us to comfortably win the league this season.

[RedG13]

Excited for the season to start tomorrow.

[rob1966]

Yes.

I expect us to comfortably win the league this season.

Same here. We won't get off to a poor start this year and will be ahead by the break for the Qatar thing

[Breakdown]

can't wait for this one, have watched any preseason except for the charity sheild, think we win 3-0, come on you reds!!

[Bobinhood]

Been footballingly depressed since the final but preseason has lifted me especially watching nunez bang them in with his crazy abs and now im totally jazzed. I even really like the cottage its got its place in the lexicon so i want to go there and just hammer these guys get off to a flyer. that would be great. The Roy Hodgson memorial beating.

[Ghost Town]

The Roy Hodgson memorial beating.

Owl Classico?

[Mighty_Red]

A good professional win is all we need, and a goal for Mo stretching his record to 6 opening day goals.