Pre Match Thread - Liverpool Home (League)

[surrifox]

2 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

4-2-3-1

 

Lets tear in to them early and then see what happens to them. Their defence is abysmal and I'd go as attacking as we can to expose them.

 

Schmeichel

 

Simpson

Morgan

Maguire

Fuchs

 

Ndidi

Iborra

 

Mahrez

Okazaki

Gray

 

Vardy

Agree . I suspect that would be the approach that Klopp would be most worried about . CS 's inherently conservative approach and over reliance on the counter attacking style makes it unlikely though 

[STUHILL]

28 minutes ago, ZeGuy said:

If we go 4-4-2, I don't think one second that he'll start, especially if King is in the middle, which apparently everyone is convinced of. It would be suicide.

If he has been bought in to play the Okazaki role, i.e a hard working no.10 linking the midfield and attack albeit with more skill and goal scoring threat, then I can't see why he won't start on Saturday. Also thought that bringing Okazaki on instead of him on Tuesday, indicated that he was being saved for the weekend perhaps. 

[ZeGuy]

1 hour ago, STUHILL said:

If he has been bought in to play the Okazaki role, i.e a hard working no.10 linking the midfield and attack albeit with more skill and goal scoring threat, then I can't see why he won't start on Saturday. Also thought that bringing Okazaki on instead of him on Tuesday, indicated that he was being saved for the weekend perhaps. 

I don't think he is. Good link up, comfortable with the ball, good vision, pace but a work horse like Shinji, especially in our custom 4-4-2? Doubtful, granted we still have to see more of him.

 

Bringing Okazaki on Tuesday comforts my thoughts on this. I see no other reason why. If Shakey didn't absolutely want to play his mate, Nacho should have started and gain some precious game time

 

I thought that he, Iborra and Silva were meant to go away from the 4-4-2. I'm baffled that we buy expensive, possession oriented players, just to let them rot on the bench or play them out of position.

[Clever Fox]

I'd Keep Drago alongside Morgan and move Maguire forward into a midfield 4. 

This would stifle their possession game and give us a foothold in the game.

I'd go with Shingi and Slim up top and save Vardy for later in the game.

 

Schmeichel

 

Simpson

Morgan

Drago

Fuchs

 

Ndidi

Iborra

Maguire

Mahrez

 

Okazaki

Slimani

[STUHILL]

25 minutes ago, ZeGuy said:

I don't think he is. Good link up, comfortable with the ball, good vision, pace but a work horse like Shinji, especially in our custom 4-4-2? Doubtful, granted we still have to see more of him.

 

Bringing Okazaki on on Tuesday comforts my thoughts on this. I see no other reason why. If Shakey wasn't didn't absolutely want to play his mate, Nacho should have started and gain some precious game time

 

I thought that he, Iborra and Silva were meant to go away from the 4-4-2. I'm baffled that we buy expensive, possession oriented players, just to let rot on them bench or play them  out of position.

What a depressing thought if true, that we have bought another expensive, top striker that we won't be able to fit into a system we seem so obsessed with.

 

I do disagree though and think Iheanacho will at least be tried as a no.10 behind Vardy for this weekend and beyond that. Whether it works or not is another question, but he is definitely more mobile and able to that role than Slimani, and although I see the importance of Okazaki, we are limited in attack by having to accommodate him into our team, just to make our 4-4-1-1 work. It places too much importance on Vardy scoring our goals. 

 

We'll have to see what Shakey does at the weekend but be disappointed if we don't see Iheanacho from the start. The lad is a top player! 

 

 

[murphy]

2 hours ago, surrifox said:

Agree . I suspect that would be the approach that Klopp would be most worried about . CS 's inherently conservative approach and over reliance on the counter attacking style makes it unlikely though 

One of the first things CS said when taking over from Ranieri was that 'we are a much better team when we're on the front foot.'  Exactly what I wanted to hear.  I hope he hasn't stepped back from that.

[Danno]

2 hours ago, Clever Fox said:

I'd Keep Drago alongside Morgan and move Maguire forward into a midfield 4. 

This would stifle their possession game and give us a foothold in the game.

I'd go with Shingi and Slim up top and save Vardy for later in the game.

 

Schmeichel

 

Simpson

Morgan

Drago

Fuchs

 

Ndidi

Iborra

Maguire

Mahrez

 

Okazaki

Slimani

 

[the messenger]

4-0 to Liverpool if it's 442 our midfielders are outnumbered simply being asked to do much.

Liverpool will have better quality coming in to replace the reserves that played in the caribou cup.

Anyone that was there on Tuesday like me found Shakey in the first half once again tactically inept.

The jury is out with me before I suggest Shakey gets the bullet.

Lets hope I'm wrong.

 

[filbertway]

2 hours ago, Clever Fox said:

I'd Keep Drago alongside Morgan and move Maguire forward into a midfield 4. 

This would stifle their possession game and give us a foothold in the game.

I'd go with Shingi and Slim up top and save Vardy for later in the game.

 

Schmeichel

 

Simpson

Morgan

Drago

Fuchs

 

Ndidi

Iborra

Maguire

Mahrez

 

Okazaki

Slimani

 

That'd actually look half decent if you had Gray and Mahrez either side of Iheanacho or Vardy and let them actually do their attacking job and stay up the pitch instead of being 2nd full backs.

[AjcW]

Sounds like Lovren is out for them so another start for Klavan

 

Also a few murmurs from Klopp that Matip hasn't trained yet this week...

[Clever Fox]

11 minutes ago, filbertway said:

 

That'd actually look half decent if you had Gray and Mahrez either side of Iheanacho or Vardy and let them actually do their attacking job and stay up the pitch instead of being 2nd full backs.

I looked at trying to get Gray into the team but other than giving him the Shingi role I just couldn't see any way of making it happen. But if I was going to do that I'd give Vardy the Shingi role and leave Slim up top.

Mainly because Vardy has a similar work ethic as Shingi.

We're lucky now that we have good options up top.It's in midfield where we need strengthening. Maguire I feel would give us that presence in midfield and force Liverpool backwards. I also think Maguire and Iborra could work well together. Let's face it he's hardly going to lose any headers to Henderson or Coutino.

[smr]

After Shinji's performance the other night he has to start, full of confidence and quality right now. It'd be a stupid move to bench him.

 

 

[Koke]

28 minutes ago, AjcW said:

Sounds like Lovren is out for them so another start for Klavan

 

Also a few murmurs from Klopp that Matip hasn't trained yet this week...

 

They have a huge CL game in Moscow midweek so I hope Klopp makes that game his priority.

[Rigga]

Maguire CM ??? FFS.....

[ZeGuy]

3 hours ago, STUHILL said:

What a depressing thought if true, that we have bought another expensive, top striker that we won't be able to fit into a system we seem so obsessed with.

 

I do disagree though and think Iheanacho will at least be tried as a no.10 behind Vardy for this weekend and beyond that. Whether it works or not is another question, but he is definitely more mobile and able to that role than Slimani, and although I see the importance of Okazaki, we are limited in attack by having to accommodate him into our team, just to make our 4-4-1-1 work. It places too much importance on Vardy scoring our goals. 

 

We'll have to see what Shakey does at the weekend but be disappointed if we don't see Iheanacho from the start. The lad is a top player! 

 

 

I have no problem seeing Nacho behind Vardy, he's also way more mobile and technically gifted than Slim. Against Liverpool he'd be perfect, I'd say. I just don't think it will work defensively nor see him trying to win flicks on all those hoofballs that will inevitably come when we play in a midfield two.

 

That's the most fundamental question. Either we keep playing a wonky 4-4-2 that doesn't work very well anyway and bench the strikers (and the midfielders) we bought for so much money or we go to a more flexible system that allows us to vary our game.

[foxy boxing]

Lovren, Matip and Can are all doubts for Liverpool. the reports are Liverpool are suffering a defensive crisis ahead of the game so let's get at em with plenty of pace with Shinji starting

[NotTheMarketLeader]

1 hour ago, murphy said:

One of the first things CS said when taking over from Ranieri was that 'we are a much better team when we're on the front foot.'  Exactly what I wanted to hear.  I hope he hasn't stepped back from that.

Well he has gone away from that.

 

Look at Shakey's last 12 games.

 

The Liverpool win in the week can hardly be put down to his bringing Shinji on as it was an enforced change due to Ulloa. 

 

The manager needs to inspire the team to come out of the blocks - shit or bust, on the front foot as you suggest.

[Monsell1976]

Big test for Shakespeare, get it as wrong as the first half Tuesday, we will be punished.

 No respect should be shown, klopp has his own pressure, no sitting back, high press.

 If Iborra is fit, he needs to come in, with James and nididi in a 3, to stop them over running us.

 Sorry to piss on the ozakaki love in, he did well Tuesday, but doesn't change that he isn't that clever, like has been said over and over before Tuesday, but as good as his impacted was, it was against Liverpool reserves.

 If vardy isn't fit, I would play slim and nacho up top, bringing Okazaki off the bench when nacho gets tired towards the end of the game.

[Lovejoy]

Schmeichel

 

Simpson

Mag

Drag

Chilly

 

Iborra

Wilf

 

Mahrez

Shinji

Rudeboi Gray

 

Vardeh

[filbertway]

56 minutes ago, Clever Fox said:

I looked at trying to get Gray into the team but other than giving him the Shingi role I just couldn't see any way of making it happen. But if I was going to do that I'd give Vardy the Shingi role and leave Slim up top.

Mainly because Vardy has a similar work ethic as Shingi.

We're lucky now that we have good options up top.It's in midfield where we need strengthening. Maguire I feel would give us that presence in midfield and force Liverpool backwards. I also think Maguire and Iborra could work well together. Let's face it he's hardly going to lose any headers to Henderson or Coutino.

The thing is already having 3 in the middle, it negates the need to have some mental person frantically running between midfield and attack, we've for the three in there and are matching them up already.

 

If you leave the 3 lads up top, they're not going to commit so many forward, if they do then we will get plenty of attacking opportunities on the break when their attacks inevitably break down against 7 at the back.

 

[daddylonglegs]

Would love to see a Man City at home esc performance on Saturday. Show them no respect.

 

 

[st albans fox]

18 minutes ago, daddylonglegs said:

Would love to see a Man City at home esc performance on Saturday. Show them no respect.

 

 

No one will ever play like that against us again 

[murphy]

1 hour ago, NotTheMarketLeader said:

Well he has gone away from that.

 

Look at Shakey's last 12 games.

 

The Liverpool win in the week can hardly be put down to his bringing Shinji on as it was an enforced change due to Ulloa. 

 

The manager needs to inspire the team to come out of the blocks - shit or bust, on the front foot as you suggest.

I agree.

 

We're a match for anyone when we go for it.

[Wymsey]

2 hours ago, AjcW said:

Sounds like Lovren is out for them so another start for Klavan

 

Also a few murmurs from Klopp that Matip hasn't trained yet this week...

They really need to start looking on improving their defence, which is suffering from Klopp's offensive style.

I thought Matip and Lovren would be the answer, but like the other defenders - aren't consistent enough for a want-to-be top-four team.

[Clever Fox]

1 hour ago, filbertway said:

The thing is already having 3 in the middle, it negates the need to have some mental person frantically running between midfield and attack, we've for the three in there and are matching them up already.

 

If you leave the 3 lads up top, they're not going to commit so many forward, if they do then we will get plenty of attacking opportunities on the break when their attacks inevitably break down against 7 at the back.

 

I do like the idea of 3 up top but this is not the match for it. They've completely overrun us in midfield the last few games which is why I believe we need an extra one in there for this match. If we can control the midfield i feel we will win the match. Our back four can handle their front players. But if we can control the midfield, push them back, then attack them by taking the game to them. i feel gives us the best chance win the Match.

I'm not sure Shakey has the were with all to mix things up in order the get a result.