Topic: Liverpool v Porto (CL ) - Wed 24 Nov 8pm - Pre Match Thread

[Andy @ Allerton!]

Who’s been overplayed by Liverpool this season? Or are you talking about combination of club and international football?

Yeah I'm talking about the sheer number of games and travel overall with no real break since last season or the one before..

[Andy @ Allerton!]

For those who want regulars nowhere near this line up, what would your teams be? Traditionally this sort of game would be nailed on for Origi and Minamino for example. Would you still start them both (if Div is fit), or could you argue we’ll need them soon enough so you don’t risk them either? Where do you draw the line?

I think we’ll still see some regular faces, maybe with a few pre-planned subs.

No I'd play them both and other squad players that haven't really had a chance. I'd stick a few regulars on the bench though but also make sure a couple of youngsters were in the squad for the experience.


Someone out of (if not injured)

Adrian, Kelleher, Tsmikikas, Phillips, Konate, Gomez, Nico Williams, Jones, Thiago (Needs more game time), Milner, Ox, Minamino, Origi


And a few first teamers and some kids we have allowed..

[B0151?]

Klopp had some choice words for the reporter who brought up the Jota injury. I'm not saying that it makes it the right decision, but it would be fun watching posters from here try to have that argument with him. 

[Fruity]

Hope I win the next Euromillions. I haven’t entered but I still fancy my chances.

With Euromillions you probably have a similar chance of winning even if you don't enter compared to if you do

[Lfc19ynwa]

I would play a shrewsbury team but that aint going to happen judging by the vibes.

As has been stated Kaide Gordon can’t play as he’s not registered, so I don’t see UEFA letting Shrewsbury take our place

[Jookie]

Yeah I'm talking about the sheer number of games and travel overall with no real break since last season or the one before..

Fair enough.

We can only control, to some degree, how much the players play for Liverpool. Before the Arsenal game I took a look and I think only Salah had played over 80 of the available minutes for Liverpool this season. The vast majority of the squad was <75% of the available minutes.

The pattern of how playing minutes had been spread throughout the squad was similar to City, though Joao Cancelo had played lot of minutes for City so far this season. That's probably a function of their slight lack of depth at the full back positions.

[So… Howard Philips]

Fair enough.

We can only control, to some degree, how much the players play for Liverpool. Before the Arsenal game I took a look and I think only Salah had played over 80 of the available minutes for Liverpool this season. The vast majority of the squad was <75% of the available minutes.

The pattern of how playing minutes had been spread throughout the squad was similar to City, though Joao Cancelo had played lot of minutes for City so far this season. That's probably a function of their slight lack of depth at the full back positions.

I know they're missing He Who Cannot be Named but Pep has been collecting full backs since he arrived so surely they can't be short?

[Fromola]

all this back-and-forth about the lineup and injury risk ....

it'd be interesting to see the reaction if Taki plays and gets injured tonight.  you can count on a whole lot of "wtf was Klopp thinking - what will we do during AFCON!!??"

Players who need the games should play and if they get injured it's unfortunate. We just don't need to risk anyone who are going to be starting the upcoming games.

Kante and Chilwell got injured last night. Unfortunate but Chelsea still had work to do to qualify/win the group. We can mitigate the risk.

[Zimagic]

I know they're missing He Who Cannot be Named but Pep has been collecting full backs since he arrived so surely they can't be short?

Aren't they all fat, dead or in jail?

Looking forward to this tonight. Porto is always a fun one once we hit our groove.

[Kenny's Jacket]

Pretty sure along with the financial aspect, he mentioned fans going to the game also and basically wanting to give them value for money.
Surely anyone going realises this game means nothing for us, and we need to manage the squad. Anyone the would be going and moaning about not fielding our best 11 needs to give their head a wobble.

agreed

Id rather play a strong team in the domestic cups than tonight, However I think he will go 'quite' strong

[DelTrotter]

Some talk Chilwell might have done his ACL. I know we have to field a team and it can happen at any time but full reserves please.

[SamLad]

Some talk Chilwell might have done his ACL. I know we have to field a team and it can happen at any time but full reserves please.

is this Non Sequitor week? 

[smutchin]

Milner tweeting about being back and ready for Porto. Will be good to have him alongside Morton.

That's good to hear. I'd be happy if those two lined up in midfield together.

I don't think it will be the complete wholesale change that some would like, but there are some obvious and easy swaps...

Kelleher - we know he's good enough and it will be great experience for him. We don't need to give Adrian a game unless our other options are injured.

Gomez + Konate - this is almost a no-brainer.
Tsimikas or Robbo? - I'd keep Kostas in.
Bradley for Trent? - this one feels less likely to me, but I guess it depends on whether the coaches decide Trent needs a rest.

Morton, Ox plus one of Thiago/Henderson/Milner

Taki, Div plus one of Mo/Sadio

That team should be more than good enough to beat Porto, and we can still have some strong options on the bench if we need them, plus a few more kids for when we're 3-0 up with 20 to play and want to give them a run out.

[Fruity]

Very cold night. Need to make sure we warm up those hammy's.

[SamLad]

Bradley for Trent? - this one feels less likely to me, but I guess it depends on whether the coaches decide Trent needs a rest.

Bradley played earlier today.  it'll be Neco at RB I think / expect.

[AndyMuller]

Can’t even be arsed watching this. Please no injuries.

[SamLad]

Can’t even be arsed watching this.

that's the spirit !

[smutchin]

Bradley played earlier today.  it'll be Neco at RB I think / expect.

Ah! I'd forgotten about Neco, to be honest, until I started reading back through the thread...

Also, I forgot about Gomez being injured. Maybe Nat will get a game?

[duvva 💅]

Can’t even be arsed watching this. Please no injuries.

I shake my head in your general direction

[SamLad]

Ah! I'd forgotten about Neco, to be honest, until I started reading back through the thread...

Also, I forgot about Gomez being injured. Maybe Nat will get a game?

I think Konate is 100% gonna start, and yeah I'd put Nat in there as well.

I love Nat.  super guy to have in the squad.

[CraigDS]

Can’t even be arsed watching this.

I love games where we play some of our squad players, gives us a chance to see how they're developing and potentially try and stake a claim for some PL minutes.

[SamLad]

I love games where we play some of our squad players, gives us a chance to see how they're developing and potentially try and stake a claim for some PL minutes.

100%.

[AndyMuller]

I shake my head in your general direction

Spending some time with Evermore instead 

[ep1987]

Players can get injured at any time. But it's far more likely in competitive games where there's so much out of your control including the challenges put in by the opposition.

The money argument also doesn't wash; it's financially far more damaging to risk CL qualification (in a mediocre league season) or throw away your chance of winning the title (in seasons such as this) than not pocket a couple of million for winning a meaningless group game. Even ignoring those cliff edges, finishing one place higher from 4th to 2nd is worth a substantial amount of money (money from both the PL and then a higher share of part of the CL pot the following season).

A sensible strategy is to pick the team for the weekend first (whilst also bearing in mind that next midweek is Everton in the league), not to start any key players coming back from injury tonight, rest Virgil, Trent, Fab and Mo (who are the most irreplaceable) and have a couple of planned subs to manage minutes.

[Fromola]

Pretty sure along with the financial aspect, he mentioned fans going to the game also and basically wanting to give them value for money.
Surely anyone going realises this game means nothing for us, and we need to manage the squad. Anyone the would be going and moaning about not fielding our best 11 needs to give their head a wobble.

Which is fair, but look at some of the teams we've put out in the domestic cups in recent years and that's with a trophy at stake, rather than a dead game.

[deano2727]

Quite looking forward to this with the result not really being of any importance. Never want to be losing at home though, although I wouldn't be too upset with a draw and no injuries.

I hope Milan smashes Atletico, though. 

[gaztop08]

Liverpool: Alisson, Williams, Matip, Konate, Tsimikas, Morton, Thiago, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mane, Salah, Minamino.

Subs: Adrian, Kelleher, Fabinho, Van Dijk, Milner, Henderson, Jota, Robertson, Origi, Phillips, Alexander-Arnold.

[riismeister]

[smutchin]

Nice. I like that line-up.

[Zoomers]

Biggest game of the season, everything on the line here.

[duvva 💅]

Gone fairly strong there. But still plenty on the bench to swap around with 5 subs.

Looking forward to this. Especially the full CL debut of Tyler Morton

[rushyman]

Quite looking forward to this with the result not really being of any importance. Never want to be losing at home though, although I wouldn't be too upset with a draw and no injuries.

I hope Milan smashes Atletico, though. 

We lose Porto go favourites to qualify ahead of atletico

I never want bud to lose but I wouldn’t mind so much tonight

[Dench57]

Nice, really looking forward to seeing Morton and especially Minamino - hope he bangs in a couple and we can take off Mane and Salah with the game won.

[killer-heels]

As suspected, no surprise that Van Dijk, Trent and Fabinho are not playing. I would have thought Salah may get a rest but he doesn’t have the injury history the others have had.

[Fromola]

The fact we'll have a stronger team and bench here for a dead game than for a quarter final next month doesn't make much sense.

Glad Morton's got a start. Hopefully get Nat on at half time. Shame there's not a few more youngsters on the bench.

[Kenny's Jacket]

really strange to have Matip play

[4pool]

Keep a clean sheet, score a few goals for fun, Happy Days.

[Fromola]

really strange to have Matip play

Nat should have got these last two games. We wouldn't even be in the competition without his contribution last season.

[deano2727]

Don't think we needed to play both Mane and Salah from the start, but obviously, we don't have many options upfront right now.

[SouthDerryLaggo]

Christ we have went strong