Topic: League Cup and Club World Cup.

[Richie69]

I think Klopp will play quite a lot of the reserves in the semis and use the Qatar trip as half a break for the team. Shrewd 

It'll be Monterrey in the first round most likely, not easy but our back up players should be able to win that.

The team vs. Villa is going to be something else unless they're jetting off straight afterwards.

[CraigDS]

That’s me told.

Ah well, they get more experience in and around the first team, in a different environment. Feel really sorry for the kids that go out against Villa.

I bet they are absolutely delighted they'll get the chance to play against Villa and will be chomping at the bit to impress.

[an tha]

I heard competition rules mean squad has to be in Qatar for duration of the thing.....so if true then that would explain kids who are going.

[Ray K]

Hasn't Klopp said this isn't feasible?

I thought I read somewhere that the whole 23-man squad have to be in Qatar a few days before the semi, but that might be bullshit.


I wholeheartedly applaud his decision to treat the League cup with the respect it deserves in any case.

[daveonthespionkop1900]

I wonder if klopp would've handled it differently if we had drawn villa at home... ? I don't think anyone could bear the youngsters being done at home...hoping some will fly over. To Qatar after game. Who will be the captain against villa ? Hoping matip makes a recovery in time.

[wige]

I wholeheartedly applaud his decision to treat the League cup with the respect it deserves in any case.

Seconded.

I'm particularly a fan of how we sold it to the powers that be that we'd play a team of similar experience/quality and have just taken pretty much everyone that's played in that competition to Qatar.

[an tha]

Didn't really have a choice did we....have to pick a 23 man squad.

Who else could have realistically made up the numbers to 23 other than Brewster, Jones, Elliott, Williams...

[gerrardisgod]

Why? They'll be gaining vital first team experience. Itll be great for them.

I’m as optimistic as most, but lets be honest, you could see a heavy defeat. Yeah, playing in and being around the first team setup is good experience, but a bad result can also negate that to a degree.

[wige]

Didn't really have a choice did we....have to pick a 23 man squad.

Who else could have realistically made up the numbers to 23 other than Brewster, Jones, Elliott, Williams...

stupid facts/rules getting in the way of my shit theories.

[lionel_messias]

Let the kids enjoy the experience of playing in the League cup. If they were to win, City and Man United are in that draw; extra matches we don't really need. If they were not to win, no tears will be shed.

The World Clup Cup is ideal for players like Naby Keita, Shaq-attack and Joe Gomez to get minutes on the pitch - if we can keep everyone fit, then we may as well try and win it, without burning out Super Sadio Mane please!

[Welshred]

I’m as optimistic as most, but lets be honest, you could see a heavy defeat. Yeah, playing in and being around the first team setup is good experience, but a bad result can also negate that to a degree.

Not on this occasion. They know they are up against it and not expected to win. From what the country  have said they'll be training at Melwood, using the first team coach and pretty much following a first team training, eating, recovery pattern and most other things the first team do, it will be an invaluable experience for them into what life as a first team player is like. The result will not matter but even the performance will be beneficial from a development and analytical standpoint.

[DelTrotter]

Weird seeing us at 9/1 to beat Aston Villa 

[daveonthespionkop1900]

I wonder if the villa game will have the highest shirt number tally in any top flight game  tho maybe we can dig Clyne out of his sick bed.
The lads who go to this away game as supporters are really going to have to sing for the guys as I do worry that they will be rabbits in headlights.

[Fordy]

Seems feasible that the youngsters named will play against Villa and then travel, maybe with a couple others.

That won't happen as it seems pointless.

The squad is the squad and it's highly likely the youth players with a mix of experience will play in the semi final.

[James Mac]

So could anyone more clued up come up with a rough idea of the squad for the Villa game?

[Elzar]

So could anyone more clued up come up with a rough idea of the squad for the Villa game?

This is the team that played the last u23s game:
Atherton, Walls, Clayton, Boyes, Gallacher, Chirivella, Kane, Dixon-Bonner (Corness), Christie-Davies, Longstaff, Varesanovic.

Adding in the players that didn't get included in the travelling squad and presuming no injuries :-

Kelleher
Van Den Berg
Boyes
Hoever
Larouci
Kane
Chirivella
Clarkson
Christie-Davies
Stewart
Dixon-Bonner

Something like that maybe?

[thisyearisouryear]

Crazy this... League Cup and CWC would technically be on the same day for me. Nice bit of football overload as a fan

[RedForeverTT]

That’s me told.

Ah well, they get more experience in and around the first team, in a different environment. Feel really sorry for the kids that go out against Villa.

Look at it more positively, this could be the coming of age experience that they need.

You become a better player by playing against stronger opposition even if that meant losing. Unless you are Everton.

The embarrassing part for Klopp is who in the senior team would he be leaving at home because that may send an incorrect message that they are being an outcast.

[Barefoot Doctor]

David Lynch says Williams, Jones, Elliott and Brewster will all be involved at Villa and then flown out to Qatar. Sounds like they might not be allowed to feature in the CWC as a result, but presumably Klopp wants them there if/when we lift the trophy.

https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/liverpool-to-fly-youngsters-out-to-qatar-for-fifa-club-world-cup-straight-after-carabao-cup-a4305526.html

[LovelyCushionedHeader]

Hopefully Villa see the team we are going to put out and decide to rest a few of their players too! Its good though, the more we can shame the competition in its current form the better.

[CraigDS]

Hopefully Villa see the team we are going to put out and decide to rest a few of their players too! Its good though, the more we can shame the competition in its current form the better.

They've got a load of relegation battling matches coming up after that game, so they could well rest players regardless.

[Nick110581]

You want to win everything as a fan but this LC is a pain with the two legs (with City, United and Leicester / Everton) in January.

[Richie69]

David Lynch says Williams, Jones, Elliott and Brewster will all be involved at Villa and then flown out to Qatar. Sounds like they might not be allowed to feature in the CWC as a result, but presumably Klopp wants them there if/when we lift the trophy.

https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/liverpool-to-fly-youngsters-out-to-qatar-for-fifa-club-world-cup-straight-after-carabao-cup-a4305526.html

That makes more sense.  None of the four are likely to be playing in the CWC so its a missed opportunity for first team experience if they don't play against Villa.

[Kenny's Jacket]

That makes more sense.  None of the four are likely to be playing in the CWC so its a missed opportunity for first team experience if they don't play against Villa.

If they travel to Qatar at the same time as the others they can play. Reason they wont play in CWC is if they join late and go for the experience. So that means playing against Villa

EDIT - Sorry I misunderstood your post.
I think if they travel then they will play some time in the semi, however I would rather they played against Villa

[an tha]

stupid facts/rules getting in the way of my shit theories.

Your theories make more sense than the frigging rules!

[mkingdon]

It's a shame that our CL success means we are having to sacrifice the LC.

It may not be a popular opinion but I couldn't care less about the LC or really the CWC.....it's the league at all costs and beyond that go as deep in the CL as we can.

We need to win the league from this position, and good luck to the kids in the LC.

[spider-neil]

Crazy this... League Cup and CWC would technically be on the same day for me. Nice bit of football overload as a fan

I don't think you're going to enjoy the Villa game. My highest expectation is to not get humiliated.

[Red Beret]

I’m as optimistic as most, but lets be honest, you could see a heavy defeat. Yeah, playing in and being around the first team setup is good experience, but a bad result can also negate that to a degree.

Villa are in a bit of a scrap at the moment.  They might see this competition as an unnecessary distraction.  That said, they would probably be hoping to beat us with our main lads in the CWC.  They wont have a better opportunity that's for sure. Being beaten by a second - or even third string - LFC would be humiliating for a strong Villa side.

[I've been a good boy]

I know it’s not a popular opinion on here but I honestly hope we get knocked out of the League Cup. Good experience for the youngsters and all for one game but if we progress, it just means extra games for the senior players down the road which we really don’t need right now. In pole position to win the league and looking to retain the Champions League, I’m sure you can forgive me for thinking the league cup isn’t exactly a huge priority nor is it prestigious in any way. Then we’re likely to progress in the FA Cup too since we’ve drawn a small team. CWC is a different story because it’s a trophy we’ve never won so would be good to add it to the ever-growing collection.

[oxenstierna]

How good is Flamengo? Compared to a PL/La Liga side

[Fromola]

You want to win everything as a fan but this LC is a pain with the two legs (with City, United and Leicester / Everton) in January.

As Klopp says it's the two legged semi in Jan that's the problem with the League Cup. We're always a bit weaker in Jan physically anyway without that thrown into the mix as well. Plus a potential replay at Goodison in FA Cup. It's too much.

I think if the likes of Elliott, Jones, Brewster, Hoever, Larouci and maybe Keita or Shaq play we could beat Villa. If it's purely a team of kids we could get absolutely hammered. It was nicely set up for a creditable defeat against Arsenal with a young side which would have put all this to bed.

[Kuytinho]

How good is Flamengo? Compared to a PL/La Liga side

Much worse than us, but much better than Everton.

[Too early for flapjacks?]

David Lynch says Williams, Jones, Elliott and Brewster will all be involved at Villa and then flown out to Qatar. Sounds like they might not be allowed to feature in the CWC as a result, but presumably Klopp wants them there if/when we lift the trophy.

https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/liverpool-to-fly-youngsters-out-to-qatar-for-fifa-club-world-cup-straight-after-carabao-cup-a4305526.html

That makes sense. I don't think the likes of Jones and Elliot were ever going to feature at CWC. We'll rotate for the semi but it will be the likes of Origi, Shaq and Lallana coming in.

[Henry Gale]

How good is Flamengo? Compared to a PL/La Liga side

They are shite. Good at picking up yellow cards though. Earned me some nice cash this season.

[stevied]

Weird seeing us at 9/1 to beat Aston Villa 

Seeing further in this thread that Elliott, Brewster, Williams and Jones will play against Villa then fly out to be unused squad players that 9/1 might become a bit of a bet

[Scouser-Tommy]

You can actually get 13/1 on another site if you fancy us!

[Magix]

Tempting to take that bet really.  Elliott, Brewster, Williams and Jones play, a relatively experienced midfield in Herbie Kane and Chirivella, an inexperienced but quite quick backline - all points to a high-scoring win for us!

[AmanShah21]

Seeing further in this thread that Elliott, Brewster, Williams and Jones will play against Villa then fly out to be unused squad players that 9/1 might become a bit of a bet

I thought we weren't allowed to do that and that all players had to be in Qatar 3 days before the first game.

[Wabaloolah]

Personally I think Jürgen is doing the right thing by presumably handingg the League Cup fixture over to the U23 squad.

Ideally it's a fixture we don't really mind losing as winning adds further distraction in January when we are overloaded with fixtures as it is.

Whether Brewster, Elliott, Jones etc start against Villa then fly out is open to interpretation of the rules I guess

[Wabaloolah]

Tempting to take that bet really.  Elliott, Brewster, Williams and Jones play, a relatively experienced midfield in Herbie Kane and Chirivella, an inexperienced but quite quick backline - all points to a high-scoring win for us!

we are going to have a weak side, Villa might also do something similar so it could be closer than people think it might be on paper