Topic: The Title Race 2023/24- Jurgen's Last Dance

[leinad]

When do we find out our opposition in Europa League?

Friday

[Zlen]

Friday

Lovely, thanks.

[rawcusk8]

Games keep coming and our players keep on picking up injuries.. think we’re going to have to see some heavy rotation and prioritising of games, we’re down to the bare bones.

Against Luton I suspect we’ll rotate where possible, the below team won’t be far off what we actually play.

            Kelleher
Bradley Quansah VVD Gomez
      Endo, Mac, Grav
    Harvey Cody Diaz

If we can get in to a comfortable position score wise then VVD, Mac and Diaz can be replaced to keep them as fresh as possible. For me the league will always be the top priority but with the final at the weekend and the number of players out we have little choice but to rotate. How on earth have we ended up with a midweek game whilst those flag waving twats have a weeks rest?

[Nick110581]

Games keep coming and our players keep on picking up injuries.. think we’re going to have to see some heavy rotation and prioritising of games, we’re down to the bare bones.

Against Luton I suspect we’ll rotate where possible, the below team won’t be far off what we actually play.

            Kelleher
Bradley Quansah VVD Gomez
      Endo, Mac, Grav
    Harvey Cody Diaz

If we can get in to a comfortable position score wise then VVD, Mac and Diaz can be replaced to keep them as fresh as possible. For me the league will always be the top priority but with the final at the weekend and the number of players out we have little choice but to rotate. How on earth have we ended up with a midweek game whilst those flag waving twats have a weeks rest?

We requested it to be this week.

Chelsea aren’t in Europe so theirs can be played whenever.

[TSC]

City dropping points yesterday was an unexpected bonus.  3 points against Luton hopefully this week to maintain the advantage.

[Kloppage Time]

Games keep coming and our players keep on picking up injuries.. think we’re going to have to see some heavy rotation and prioritising of games, we’re down to the bare bones.

Against Luton I suspect we’ll rotate where possible, the below team won’t be far off what we actually play.

            Kelleher
Bradley Quansah VVD Gomez
      Endo, Mac, Grav
    Harvey Cody Diaz

If we can get in to a comfortable position score wise then VVD, Mac and Diaz can be replaced to keep them as fresh as possible. For me the league will always be the top priority but with the final at the weekend and the number of players out we have little choice but to rotate. How on earth have we ended up with a midweek game whilst those flag waving twats have a weeks rest?

Salah will play if fit

[Kloppage Time]

According to this, Villa is our toughest match left to play

[JackWard33]

V hard to assess our chances in the league without knowing the line up we’ll field vs City … there’s a big gap between our first XI in that game and our XI minus the players that our currently out

[Kloppage Time]

V hard to assess our chances in the league without knowing the line up we’ll field vs City … there’s a big gap between our first XI in that game and our XI minus the players that our currently out

Do you know our first 11?
would Jota make it ahead of Salah
Would Curtis make it ahead of Dom
Would Trent make it ahead of Bradley
if there's any question then we won't be that far off our first 11, certainly no big gap

[Mighty_Red]

V hard to assess our chances in the league without knowing the line up we’ll field vs City … there’s a big gap between our first XI in that game and our XI minus the players that our currently out

There are gaps but at the same time players are standing up. For instance, think we'd be comfortable with Bradley starting if Trent is not fit.

City are just as affected by individual players missing, witness how bad theyve been without Rodri and/or De Bruyne.

[JackWard33]

Do you know our first 11?
would Jota make it ahead of Salah
Would Curtis make it ahead of Dom
Would Trent make it ahead of Bradley

What on earth are you babbling on about darling?

[Stockholm Syndrome]

What on earth are you babbling on about darling?

I think they are saying the extent of our injuries may be somewhat mitigated by the time we play City; in some areas affected by injuries we are already perhaps ok, like with Jota and our attack (touching wood on the supposed injuries to Salah and Nunez) and same with Trent and Bradley - we may be ok with the options we do have available.

Midfield is the big one like with Jones and Dom out but hopefully Dom is fit by then, and at that point we have a good number of midfielders still even while missing Jones.

The injuries hurt but it is a squad game, and I have good faith in the strength of our squad once a few of what seems like lesser injuries return

[Oldmanmick]

V hard to assess our chances in the league without knowing the line up we’ll field vs City … there’s a big gap between our first XI in that game and our XI minus the players that our currently out

Playing at Anfield will negate any key player losses we may suffer. Remember that match against the great Arsenal side of 20 years ago when we had Pongolle & Mellor up front & won 2-1 thanks to Mellor's wonder goal.

[rolla]

Do you know our first 11?
would Jota make it ahead of Salah
Would Curtis make it ahead of Dom
Would Trent make it ahead of Bradley
if there's any question then we won't be that far off our first 11, certainly no big gap

5 of those 6 are in our best 11 with everyone fit, without question.

[alonsoisared]

Understandably a lot of talk about injuries but when you look at the squads I'd say ours goes far deeper than Arsenal's and more than City's as well. Man for man we're stronger than both of them. Because of the money city have spent, you assume they've got two world class players in every position as they once had, however that's just not the case any more. Of course, that advantage dwindles every time we lose a top player but I wouldn't say it puts us behind the others as it stands. Whatever 11 we put out even with these injuries is a very, very good team.

Also lots of people talking about the stress of the race which I can totally understand. It feels especially high stakes being Jürgen's last season but I do think there is an importance in reflecting on where we are- this is a hell of a lot better than last season enjoyment wise, and we should try to embrace being in this position. I was born in '92, Liverpool being involved in title races was never a "normal" thing and I longed for us to be in these positions. Practically every club in world football would swap with us if they could. Top of the league, in all the cups and with a generational manager throwing everything at his final few months in the hotseat. Our job is to try to enjoy it!

[Redley]

If Arsenal had the equivalent players missing they'd be mid-table, at best.

[Clayton Bigsby]

Even with all our injuries there is an aura to this team that tells me we won't be denied. Not jinxing it or anything but we are just so tough. Forget all the flair, pace, movement for a sec we are fucking nails. And I'm so thankful to Klopp for the shape he is leaving us in.

[MD1990]

good video on the redmen tv
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFbGRW1DIjE

[Kloppage Time]

good video on the redmen tv
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFbGRW1DIjE

Loved Josh's "Anylsing Anfield" pod don't understand why it got binned

[MD1990]

Loved Josh's "Anylsing Anfield" pod don't understand why it got binned

I agree He was let go.
He has his own pod coming soon. He is excellent

[Kloppage Time]

I agree He was let go.
He has his own pod coming soon. He is excellent

https://distancecovered.substack.com/   (behind a paywall)

[BobPaisley3]

I agree He was let go.
He has his own pod coming soon. He is excellent

Was wondering why it hadn’t been in my library for a few weeks. Baffling. It was a brilliant listen.

[MD1990]

https://distancecovered.substack.com/   (behind a paywall)

i wouldnt pay for it but can fully understand why he has to charge a sub

[itihasas]

If everyone stays fit then we may get across the finish line but anymore injuries now and it's a no-go

[Caston]

If everyone stays fit then we may get across the finish line but anymore injuries now and it's a no-go

Would be absolutely devastating if injuries ruined the last few months of this season and Klopp’s final months. Hopefully we can get through it.

[spider-neil]

If Arsenal had the equivalent players missing they'd be mid-table, at best.

Ifs and buts. They don't.

[Knight]

We've got a cup final at the weekend and we've got Alisson, Matip, Trent, Thiago, Bajcetic, Szoboszlai, Jones and Diogo all out right now and allegedly Mo and Darwin maybe struggling.

I'd rather lose to Luton and win the cup than beat Luton and then lose at the weekend. Not that they're the only choices, but I'd be thinking something like Kelleher, Bradley, Quansah, VVD, Robbo, Macallister, Clark, Gravenberch, Elliott, Gakpo, Diaz. Bench of Adrian, Gomez, Tsimikas, Endo, McConnell, Gordon, Nunez, Salah and maybe someone like Nyoni or Danns. With the aim of getting 2/3 up so we can bring a few off too, but big guns if we do need to chase the game late on.

It looks like the U21s and the U18s dont have any games for a few weeks now so hopefully we can get some of those kids training with the first team to potentially use in the FA Cup too.

Interesting, I wonder how common a view this is. I’d rather lose the final and best Luton personally. That’s partly because the margins are so tight that I reckon losing at home at Luton would go a long way to killing off our chances of the title.

[Zlen]

Same. I’d trade losses in both cup games for win against Luton. All day, every day.

[FiSh77]

Yeah, league gets priority for me, then the UEFA Cup just so Jurgen can leave having won the fucking lot

[Redley]

It gives us a final parade, regardless of what happens for the rest of the season. If we lose to Chelsea, lose to Southampton, lose in the Europa and then go really strong in the league but lose out again in the last game thats not happening.

[lionel_messias]

It gives us a final parade, regardless of what happens for the rest of the season. If we lose to Chelsea, lose to Southampton, lose in the Europa and then go really strong in the league but lose out again in the last game thats not happening.

No one is going to a EFL cup parade dude, you'll be there with Richard Keys and the surviving Chuckle brother.

[Redley]

No one is going to a EFL cup parade dude, you'll be there with Richard Keys and the surviving Chuckle brother.

No?



Or they were all just there for the FA Cup?

[LovelyCushionedHeader]

No?



Or they were all just there for the FA Cup?

Pretty much got organised in case we won the CL as you need to get permissions in place etc. and then went ahead regardless as we had two cups to show off.

We aren't having a parade for the League Cup only

[Redley]

Meh, maybe. It'd just be nice to have a trophy in our back pocket in case we decide we want a big event to bid Jurgen farewell even if it did end up just being the League Cup (and I can't imagine anyone wouldnt want a big event to bid Jurgen farewell).

[disgraced cake]

The whole 'would you rather' stuff usually drives me nuts but I have been thinking about it quite a lot since Saturday. I'm sort of viewing every league game as cup final-y as you usually do at this stage when in a title race. I know it sounds a bit stupid because it obviously isn't the case but for me if we don't win tonight we don't win the league. We can drop points in it and win the league but I just think the chances of us drawing to Luton twice in a season and still winning it is a bit out there. We'll have to contend with injury woes for the rest of the season I imagine and this is just about the kindest game you could ask for right now. Failure to win would have Brentford looking like a pyrrhic victory but if we do get three points and can subsequently beat Forest and then City then I'll start getting really excited about the league. I'd say for the time being though I'm sceptical about winning it in general given our problems/City's quality. Every result from now until the end of the season will feel like something of a chain. Fail tonight and it'll certainly feel broken even with time to go.

Then it's the actual cup final, another (obvious!) must win. The world won't end if we don't win as evidenced by losing plenty in the past, but silverware is always a requirement at the club and to secure some with three months of the season left would be huge. I'm amazed by how many are evidencing a no big deal attitude towards it. In near enough every season we've ever even made the final of the league cup we've gone on to play at least one more final the same season (two more in each 2001 and 2022) which obviously bodes well.

In general, I think the priority goes League/Europe/Cups but am glad Klopp seems to go with a next game only approach. I've got one of those horrible 'what if?' thoughts in my mind wherein the next week we've lost what should really be one of our routine league wins against Luton, lost a cup final and then exited the FA Cup. All of a sudden going into March things would be on a massive downer. Personally, I'd have Europe down as being just as important as the league in the sense you have to go strong as possible in both in my eyes. I could understand failure in the domestic cups but if we go out of Europe in March or April and don't have a league title to celebrate at the end of the season it'll obviously go down as a disappointment unless we can in the process bag the League Cup/FA Cup as we did two years ago.

So what game would I rather win ... don't know  . You know what the best thing is? It isn't hypothetical, we can win both and it wouldn't be particularly surprising if we did. All I ask is we play against Luton and Chelsea with everything we have, making sure we don't break that chain in the league and secure silverware in the process. Southampton is obviously the designated rotation game you'd think but from thereon in I think we pretty much have to go as strong as possible in everything else to make it a successful season.

[jepovic]

If we win it this year, it couldnt be any more different from Klopps first League title. Then we were cruising with record breaking stats, dominant, almost injury free and playing the same 11 week in week out.
 
Now were scrambling a new team every week, using the whole squad plus the kids,  just barely staying ahead of city. Fighting referee decisions and a massive number of woodwork hits.

It would be an incredible feat to win it with all these problems. Heroic.

[Draex]

Feels like a movie script.. 1-0 down, then BAM!

[killer-heels]

Fucking hell that was a massive, massive win!

[Caston]

12 games from glory. Just imagine if we pull this off

[Crosby Nick]

Never doubt us.