Topic: Match Preview - Liverpool v Sparta Praha, Europa League R16, Thursday 20h

[HeartAndSoul]

Adrian should be nowhere near the starting XI especially if we’ll have a bunch of youngsters out there. All he does is bring panick to the back line. Isn’t alisson due back after the international break anyway?

[JRed]

If Adrian plays, I can see it going to penalties.

[naka]

Adrian
Bradley Quansah Gomez Robertson
Clark endo Elliott
Salah danns Gakpo

Dom for endo at half time
Koumas for Salah at half time
Tsimikas for Robertson at half time

Don’t want Adrian near this
Apart from that would be happy with the team .

[Wingman]

With the midfield injuries we have, Endo, Mac, and Elliott have played a lot football recently. Dom needs minutes, and then we have McConnell and Clark left. What’s Koumas’ best position? Shame Spearing’s banned

[Redley]

Can’t even begin to think what the team might be. Would like to rest Bradley, VVD, Gomez, Mac, Endo, Harvey, Gakpo and Diaz but don’t really see how we can

[Caps4444]

Can’t even begin to think what the team might be. Would like to rest Bradley, VVD, Gomez, Mac, Endo, Harvey, Gakpo and Diaz but don’t really see how we can

Youth and a strong bench in case things go wrong. I’d play Adrian in goal.

[Redley]

Youth and a strong bench in case things go wrong. I’d play Adrian in goal.

Who though? Clark, McConnell, Gordon and Koumas I’m sure will be involved but I can’t think who we’d have in defence from the kids, because I can’t imagine we’d throw any in cold

[Crosby Nick]

You could easily start Tsimikas. You could play Robbo if you want to build up his minutes. Is Konate out for the United game? If so, I guess you want Quansah and Virg for that so Gomez might have to start CB with those two doing a half each. And therefore Bradley might have to start again unless you do a mad start a midfielder at right back thing (but again, who!).

It’s another tricky selection but I think as long as you have 3-4 senior pros in the spine and a couple of forward options on the bench you can go weaker for this one to try and go as strong as we can against United.

[glewis93]

Think we'll go stronger than most people think. 

Make sure we're actually cruising through, then make some subs to rest key players in the second half. If they get a couple of goals early against kids they'll be fancying their chances and having a go. Kill it off with an assured first half and then look to United.

Or just play the kids and smash them 6-0, either works.

[Big Dirk]

If Adrian plays, I can see it going to penalties.

😂Harsh

[Stevo79]

You could easily start Tsimikas. You could play Robbo if you want to build up his minutes. Is Konate out for the United game? If so, I guess you want Quansah and Virg for that so Gomez might have to start CB with those two doing a half each. And therefore Bradley might have to start again unless you do a mad start a midfielder at right back thing (but again, who!).

It’s another tricky selection but I think as long as you have 3-4 senior pros in the spine and a couple of forward options on the bench you can go weaker for this one to try and go as strong as we can against United.

I think Konate has a chance for the Utd game.

[G Richards]

We have a few primo operators who are getting back up to speed, so I would give them 45 mins. We have loads of fringe/kids who would benefit from the minutes too.

It’s hard to see the game being played at a frenetic pace, so a steady game will be nice, in between the Man City and Man Utd games. Then a little break to regroup and get some back for the big push.

[MrGrumpy]

I would aim to give some of the team no more than 45 minutes in this match.

Adrian

Bradley
Gomez
Quansah
Tsimikas



McConnell
Szoboszlai  (Subbed for Clark at half time)
Elliott (Subbed for Endo at half time)


Gakpo
Danns
Salah (Subbed for Nunez at half time)

[stockdam]

Thanks Zlen. Unlike you I am enjoying how we are playing. It’s much better looking forward to every match rather than conceding that there’s not much left to play for.

On paper this should be a low stress game but as you said they did look dangerous at times. So it’s difficult to see us fielding a weakened team. The last thing we need is for them to get a couple of early goals. Instead we should keep things tight and pin them back. I’d start with a strong team and then bring players off if things are looking comfortable.

I think Mac Allister could do with a rest but he’s such an important player that I would start him. Maybe give Diaz, Virgil and Elliott a rest.

[JJ Red]

Adrian

Bradley
Gomez
Quansah
Tsimikas



McConnell
Szoboszlai  (Subbed for Clark at half time)
Elliott (Subbed for Endo at half time)


Gakpo
Danns
Salah (Subbed for Nunez at half time)

Thats what i would go with unless Konate was fit (would then rest Gomez). I would start with Clark rather than Elliott.

[cipher]

Play the kids and split the halves for the first teamers who need more minutes (eg Salah and Sozbo).  We're up by 4, playing at home, against a team who has no chance. We rest as many as we can here and then the full squad for ManU.

[MBL?]

It will be a lot stronger than everyone predicts as usual. How people are choosing Adrian I do not know. No team will start their 3rd choice in any game if they don't have to.

[buttersstotch]

I reckon we will be way stronger than people think too

Kelleher
Robbo
Quansah
Gomez
Bradley

Clark
Szbo
Endo

Gakpo
Elliott
Nunez

[Samie]

Do you want Elliott dead?

[Andy @ Allerton!]

Do you want Elliott dead?

Calm Down E.T.

[Coolie High]

I reckon we will be way stronger than people think too

Kelleher
Robbo
Quansah
Gomez
Bradley

Clark
Szbo
Endo

Gakpo
Elliott
Nunez

We always go stronger than people think, sometimes to our detriment.

[Sinyoro]

I would aim to give some of the team no more than 45 minutes in this match.

Adrian

Bradley
Gomez
Quansah
Tsimikas



McConnell
Szoboszlai  (Subbed for Clark at half time)
Elliott (Subbed for Endo at half time)


Gakpo
Danns
Salah (Subbed for Nunez at half time)

I like this team but Elliott really needs a break

[Clint Eastwood]

I'd love to see Danns start this one.

[MNAA]

With a 5-1 lead and at Anfield, I am expecting a starting line up quite similar to our game vs Southampton. McConell, Clark, either of Koumas or Danns or may be even Musialowski may start. Nallo was on the bench on Sunday so will not be surprised if he gets minutes too

[RyanBabel19]

I actually think they could have scored a lot more in the first leg, we didn't keep them to little to no chances. I'd play a mixed side and try to get a couple of goals to wrap it up rather than go mad with putting all the kids out.

[Henry Chinaski]

Think we'll go stronger than most people think.

Often the case...

[lionel_messias]

Do you want Elliott dead?

Exactly, Harvey needs to be in a hyperbaric chamber, watching Narcos, and having his feet massaged by a nice young Lady called Kelly, who has been instructed in no circumstances will there be a happy ending.

[ValiantInstance]

No Endo, No Elliot, No Mac Allister, No Diaz, No Van Dijk, maybe no Bradley. Those are the priorities for a rest imo.

[spider-neil]

I think Dom and Salah need minutes for sharpness.

[G1-tiga]

Really looking forward to this game. Nothing better than seeing some of the academy kids play for the first team especially in a European knockout round which is such good experience for them.

That being said I wouldn't be shocked if we go a little stronger than expected. Sparta proved they could cause threats in the first game so we need to take them seriously and I think Jurgen will.

Salah and Szoboszlai to play. Kelleher too I think.

[Fromola]

Adrian should be nowhere near the starting XI especially if we’ll have a bunch of youngsters out there. All he does is bring panick to the back line. Isn’t alisson due back after the international break anyway?

Southampton game could have gone bad with Adrian in goal. Kelleher made good saves at 0-0 and had an all round solid game. Sparta are a step up from them, at least going forward.

Its about having the right foundations in the side to allow the youngsters to flourish.

[ValiantInstance]

Think the talk around Adrian is a bit unfair. Klopp hasn't kept him around for his patter in the dressing room. He had a couple of disasterclass games for us 4 years ago, aside from that he's been fine. When he first arrived he was fantastic for a couple of months, to me he's definitely earned cult hero status.

That said no reason why Kelleher can't start. It's not like goalkeepers get fatigued.

[William Regal]

Adrian should be nowhere near the starting XI especially if we’ll have a bunch of youngsters out there. All he does is bring panick to the back line. Isn’t alisson due back after the international break anyway?

This game is virtually a dead rubber, if Kelleher picked up a knock then we would be starting Adrian at old Trafford on sunday, I'd personally prefer us not to be risking that.

[Kloppage Time]

As always in a game like this Klopp will pick a mixture of experience and youth, with more experience on the bench just in case things go balls up

[Schmidt]

I think we'll still go quite strong. Too many kids and squad players can have the opposite of the intended effect, where we end up chasing the game with no control, throwing in last ditch tackles and risking injury.

We also have a few players who likely need minutes; Salah, Dom, Robertson could all play for an hour and Konate could play a little if he's fit to give Quansah or van Dijk a break.

Beyond that a couple of players who perhaps won't start against United like Gomez, Gakpo and possibly Elliot (does he get in ahead of Dom or Salah?) could start too.

Look to control the game and possession as much as possible rather than chasing it, and aim to rotate plenty in the second half once the odds of a comeback are nearing zero.

[PEG2K]

Klopp always goes stronger than most people think.

The only youngster I can see starting is Clark.

[Zimagic]

I think people forget that, had they a striker with even the least bit of chill this would be 5-3, and not 5-1. They made chances, our back line wasn't always serene, Kelleher had to make important saves.

We can't just "play all the kids", change every position and expect that the team will look perfectly balanced and solid.

[thaddeus]

This game is virtually a dead rubber, if Kelleher picked up a knock then we would be starting Adrian at old Trafford on sunday, I'd personally prefer us not to be risking that.

He could also get injured in training or when ironing his socks.  Adrian playing wouldn't be a disaster but he's realistically around now to be a senior figure for the goalkeepers (similar to Andy Lonergan's role a few seasons ago).

[istvan kozma]

Don’t want Adrian near this
Apart from that would be happy with the team .

Why? he's next in line, he's an injury or a sending off away from playing. Being 5-1 up is an ideal situation to give him a game.

[thaddeus]

Klopp press conference is streaming on the Beeb:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/cx8zw217rrjt#player