Here's the modified lineup.
Well out JSteve!!! Such a well thought out team.
Nice triangle up the middle of the pitch (one hero, one likable traitor, and the HC of the team that knocked us out of ECL).
Mjhalovic is an unbelievable free kick taker and can play a long ball with the best in the world, so we'll have to be very careful with our tackling in our final third (something Zizu can exploit well) and pressuring him when we lose it. Who will be on free kick duty with Branco's main skill being duplicated by Mjhalovic (Branco can hit 35 yard pelters with the best) One free kick and two takers.
We'll always have at least 4/5 at home in transition play and only release one marking back at time with Rakitic, so we'll attack with 6 on the counter and defend with 7 in possession in our own defensive third leaving our top three to occupy your back line.
How you get goals in the run of play seems like two main areas 1) Set plays 2) Zizu's creativity 3) Service to Torres and Dalglish
Torres does have pace and can get behind, but we do not play a high line (even though Pagliuca can play the sweeper-keeper role with a high line if we need it). Instead our tactics will be to keep things compact in the middle and counter quickly to our offensive third.
One issue includes, Dalglish needing some service, I think you will need someone on your team to get 1v1 separation with the ball on the dribble to create in tight spaces. A lot of roles will fall to Zizu. Rakitic is quick and does not get beat diving in and Simeone sweeps in front of Baresi and Cannavaro. Tevez will provide back-pressing to compress play from both ends. So, we have a plan to address 1 & 2.
My one question involves where is your space going to come from to play into?
Individual brilliance of Zidane and Vieira and the work rates of Seedorf/Gattuso is a nice balance but who is going to create for your two Liverpool forwards? Especially, if we place a spy on Zizu with Simeone.
TACTICSI see this match up as a cagey affair with very little goals --- as team Trend will play on the counter.
Our goal is to take away the space behind, and make you guys have to play in front of us and be wise in our 50/50s battles. And when we do get the ball, play quickly up the right side through Alberto (either directly to Hagi/Tevez movement pattern or into a more controlled possession with Rakitic). On the other side Karl Heinz Schnellinger can ping a ball up to our front three to play direct when we need to and both Batigol and Eto'o can be pests, garbage type knock down win ugly scorers just as they can be elegant and free flowing.
Plus Schnellinger has power and pace (playing in 4 world cups for Germany - 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970) - his ferocity defending must not be underestimated --- since he played in Italy for 9 years the links with Baresi and Cannavaro, in terms of continuity of the Catenaccio ("the Bolt") will be well understood.
* Batigol and Eto'o are good in the air so our service will come from flanks (LB/RB) and try to pierce the gaps between Hansen/Mjhalovic.
* Set pieces are Hagi's domain with Rakitic to provide the right footed service when needed.
* Branco can be slow, so we will target him in the first 30 hour with pace (Eto'o and a few overlapping runs by KH Schnell)
* Corners, we'll have Alberto, Cannavaro, Baresi, Batigol, Eto'o and Simeone as runners --- 6 outstanding headers of the ball
* Pagliuca was the best penalty save keeper in the history of the Serie A (numbers of saves not percentage - 24 saves from pens)
Pags in Action - Nice Rock Background
<![CDATA[<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/kkXKvWUlkv0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/kkXKvWUlkv0</a>]]>Pags Supersonic
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<![CDATA[<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/wVGQ37sIFFs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/wVGQ37sIFFs</a>]]>Pags - Only if you like Coldplay and have time to Kill before LFC play
<![CDATA[<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/aUK3IjvUWsQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/aUK3IjvUWsQ</a>]]>Either way, its been a helluva of a ride!!! Good luck JSteve!
My take is that you are going to need to open up with more attackers to break down our 7 behind the ball --- and when you send Branco forward, we are going to attack that space on the counter. --- In a nutshell, unless we concede a pen or a free kick close to goal.
