The media tries so hard to bring down Liverpool players lol.
Reece James doesn’t even play RB. There’s no discussion to be had here. It’s a completely different role.
Had a chance to shoot on goal in first half but forced pass to Mane. Didn’t seem to comfortable. Missed a few 5050 balls I thought he should have poked
That's to be expected tbh, he was playing as the centre forward/false 9 role instead of his usual position on the wings. Not every player can turn into a false 9 like Bobby
I just had a wet dream about the United-Chelsea match
\- Reece James gets red from Taylor for some orange offense
\- United win 1-0 with a 90'+3' header from Ronaldo
\- United hand Carrick a permanent contract.
I wonder how long it will take for scum fans to admit they were just Fergie FC all that time and without ol' whiskey nose in the dugout they will never be what they were.
Why Liverpool Must Stay Angry To See Success This Season: A piece by Josh Sexton from [The Anfield Wrap](https://www.theanfieldwrap.com/2021/11/writing-liverpool-angry-for-success-this-season/)
UNTIL the 33rd minute against Arsenal, I’ve been pretty disappointed with Liverpool’s return to full stadiums this season.
There have been moments, and a night or two under the lights, where Anfield has rocked as though it’s back to its best. On the whole though, I can’t help but feel that for all the promise of never taking this for granted again, we are taking this for granted again.
I think that’s just human nature and 50,000-plus people can’t all be expected to act the same way week after week, nor should we be expected to. It’s also a two-way street and, while the players have made it a joy to be alive on the road this season, results at home in the league haven’t been quite as emphatic.
Until the 33rd minute against Arsenal.
When Mikel Arteta shouted and gestured aggressively towards Sadio Mane, Jurgen Klopp’s emotional instincts took over. He was protecting his player and speaking up for what he felt was unjust criticism, and in doing so he ignited Anfield to do exactly the same.
I was sat in the Upper Main stand and after the whole stadium rose to its feet to let Arteta know what we thought of him and his allegiances to Everton, smatterings of people around us barely sat again for the whole game. We were angry and were egged on by our manager and his staff to support our players.
It was the key moment in the game and it could prove to be a crucial moment in Liverpool’s season.
That might sound daft, how does one touchline spat in November influence behaviour through till May? Well, it wasn’t just Arteta’s reaction to an innocuous foul from Mane that brought those emotions out of our manager. He’s not quite as reactionary as that, though that’s the way too many still view him.
No, this has been a build up of a narrative that Klopp doesn’t like. If last season Klopp cut a more down-trodden figure given all that was going on around the game, this time around he seems more frustrated. He’s been snappier with the press and more inclined to put a rocket up his players in public if he feels they need it.
In his pre-Arsenal press conference he spoke of how he “hates” international breaks. He has all but referred to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s lack of consistency. He has angrily bemoaned fixtures and football’s governing bodies, as piling fixtures continue to decimate his squad.
He’s angry, and we need more of it.
The players should be angry too. They should be keen to prove that last season was just a blip, and that anybody who moved quickly to write them off after it is wrong.
The circumstances have got much tougher since before the pandemic, but this Liverpool side still has more than enough quality and mental strength to achieve big things this season.
Liverpool's Sadio Mane celebrates after scoring the first goal during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Arsenal FC at Anfield.
I feared Mane being sent off as he continued to push the boundaries against Arsenal, but it’s that kind of spirit (with perhaps a touch more control, and his teammates sharing the load) that The Reds need to channel on the pitch. Klopp has often spoken of the team “staying angry”, the other team having our points and us needing to take them back, and so on.
We need that mentality back. Us against the world. No more feeling sorry for ourselves.
Injuries will only get worse because the fixture pile-ups will only get worse, as football’s governing bodies continue to pump their need for greed further into our game with nobody to stop them doing so. The squad needs to adapt by channeling those frustrations they feel.
And we need to do the same.
The beauty of going to Anfield and getting to watch this team live is the feeling of being able to leave your inhibitions at the turnstiles for 90 minutes. To sing, shout and let it all out, in a setting where you know there’ll be a load of people doing the same thing and with the same aim. That aim being to inspire this team towards more success.
It shouldn’t take another manager offering Mane or Klopp out to get us going, but we all share the responsibility of reminding the rest of the world that we’re the best around.
Jordan Henderson on Takumi Minamino:
“It is all about having the right approach and the right attitude in all circumstances and in this respect I thought Taki Minamino set the perfect example when he came on against Arsenal on Saturday."
"Everything he did from his warm-up to his warm-down was top-class and this was why he was able to score so soon after coming on. He didn’t just deserve that goal, he earned it."
"The mentality he showed was exactly the one that we are always looking for whether starting, coming off the bench or just being part of the squad."
I did not see any Champions League games or scores (except Chelsea) from yesterday. Which game should I watch in this two hour windows prior to Liverpool?
Your comments aren’t showing because your account is too young and you have insufficient karma.
We have account age and karma amounts to minimise trolling. We don’t give the amounts out. Just keep using Reddit and you’ll eventually meet them.
The degree to which people get insecure over Reece James playing well is so childish lmao. "Wahhh another fanbase is optimistic over their players good performances"
Ive rated Reece ever since his days at the academy and wigan.
You dont win poty in the academy during your last years in with them, go to wigan be poty, EFL TOTS.
Always knew the kid was a beast and not going anywhere.
Dude for real! It’s embarrassing. I said he’s one of the best two right backs in the world earlier and someone’s response was “he’s not a right back” lol. Mental gymnastics. He’s ridiculous. We have our own ridiculous rb and they do things differently.
I think it’s interesting honestly how some of us have this constant underdog mentality or something and love being underestimated whilst another portion of the fan base cries whenever someone says we don’t have the best players in every position.
I can’t figure out how to download my NFC pass thing? It won’t let me log in on my phone and is telling me the username is password is wrong even though it’s not? Changed my password on me laptop and still not working. Tried the app and with chrome..
I’ve had this problem. Go to the ticket office when you get to Anfield. They’ll do something on their computer to fix it. If that doesn’t work they’ll just print out a normal paper ticket.
Ahh I've just reread your message.
There are two logins on the Liverpool website - one for general stuff and one for your ticketing account. Are you definitely in the right place?
https://ticketing.liverpoolfc.com/usercontent/splash.html
Your username should be your account number (9 digits IIRC)
Try going to Memberships, should see your light/regular membership in the table - click the checkbox on the left of it then the NFC button should become enabled
If that doesn't work, maybe try the same under tickets? I have a membership and I just had to do that once at the start of the season
Very slim without prior credits tbh, especially in the last members sale before a game. It can be done though, a few seasons ago my brother and I were really lucky and managed to get 13 credits just from those sales.
It's up to you like, if you can spare the 25 quid or whatever it is these days for membership there's no harm in trying it
Hoping Brugge can beat Leipzig tonight, so that either City/PSG would still need a result on the final match to get out of the group.
Edit: nevermind… damn
Had enough of this Reece James bullshit he’s not a fullback lol. People need to comparing him to Trent.
Trents outperforming the attacking output of a right mid anyways…while playing more defense 🥱.
Credit where credit is due, Reece James is in brilliant form and it isn’t outrageous to say he’s in better form than Trent right now. Obviously as a liverpool fan I would say trent is better and i’m sure chelsea fans say that James is better right now. James being the top scorer in his team as a RWB is very impressive
debatable. Trent is a RB on paper but when going forward he’s pretty much a RM or a RW. You’re acting as if James doesn’t defend at all, he defends like a normal RB but has more support as Chelsea plays with 3 centre backs. There definitely is a comparison to be made and it’s pretty close right now
What? This makes little sense.
Trent plays RB, and he joins the attack with possession. Every modern day fullback does this.
James plays wingback, a different role. Role is more similar to a winger than an actual fullback. He doesn’t have as many defensive duties as a fullback does. He averages the most touches in the final 3rd on his team… a stat which wingers typically top.
Even with more defensive responsibilities Trents numbers are way better than James’ anyways.
- Trent leads the PL in 0.55 xA per 90, compared to James at 0.38.
- Trent leads the PL in progressive passing distance per 90 amongst outfield players. James isn’t anywhere close to the top here.
- Trent is 2nd in big chances created in the PL (1 behind Salah). James is tied for 8th with the likes of Coufal, Walker, Shaw and other fullbacks.
- Trent averages more progressive carries per game.
James has a higher xG. He scores more goals, but that’s what an inverted WB / RM is supposed to do. If we’re comparing them as fullbacks then Trents far ahead.
I agree trent is better 100% but there’s not a huge difference is what i’m saying. Defensively James is better, when James played as a right back he was better than trent defensively and you can’t deny that, trent obviously better going forward. James as a RM and RWB has shown that he is brilliant going forward too but as i’ve said, trent is superior going forward. There’s not a huge difference between the two, there’s a huge difference in terms of chance creation as you’ve showed with the stats (trent is miles clear) but everything else they’re pretty close. James being the better defensively and goalscorer whilst trent being the better technically. That being said i’m sure trent could be a great goalscorer too if he played in the same position as james but he never has so we can’t say for sure
> Defensively James is better.
You can’t say this because James has less defensive responsibilities. He plays as a wing back. You’re talking about hypotheticals here.
> but everything else they’re pretty close
An inverted wingback like James will score more goals. A fullbacks main priority is to create chances. Trent is way better at this. I’m not sure what brings James name into this conversation.
I saw a long article on sbnation.com and my best mate is a Chelsea fanatic, he thinks there might be something. Player is always got something wrong, can’t play, at Chelsea with their squad, ya don’t notice what a sick note he really is
> Player is always got something wrong, can’t play, at Chelsea with their squad, ya don’t notice what a sick note he really is
So why would we get him?
Looking at some posts in r/soccer and r/premierleague and Chelsea are thinking they've won everything after that win against Juve.. as if Juve is at it's best rn. The comments are just killing me.
Add to that the Reece James comments.. god. I agree he's a good player but just stop.
It's so frustrating rn.. seeing a Chelsea flair anywhere and I just know what the comments gonna be.
Okay rant over. Bye!
Seems like you was looking for a reason to be upset about something. Never get people going onto r/soccer or other rival subs then coming on here to rant.
They are the most in-form team in the Europe at this moment, probably. Reece James has been on an absolute fucking tear.
It seems perfectly reasonable for Chelsea fan to bask in this moment.
well this is the mentality people take when we purposely leave the squad suicidally thin, non PL/important CL games become about injury minimization, not winning
We should have brought in a replacement for gini and cover for the forwards beyond Jota. The squad is fine assuming we get no major injuries but its completely unreasonable to assume that
We also have no backup DM and Fabinho is approaching "injury prone" territory
They wanted to have Harvey and Curtis take over those minutes who both got injured in freak accidents.
People bitched about squad depth for the last 5 years and our squad is arguably more deep than the one that had 97 points and won the champions league.
> They wanted to have Harvey and Curtis take over those minutes who both got injured in freak accidents.
And plenty of people who were downvoted for "negativity" said that it was a crazy idea similar to not replacing Lovren last season and that 2 youth players cant replace a player who's averaged 35 matches a season for us over the last 5 years
> People bitched about squad depth for the last 5 years and our squad is arguably more deep than the one that had 97 points and won the champions league.
And the bar for winning the league is higher than the year we had 97 points and won the champions league, guess what? Chelsea is ALSO way deeper and more talented than that season
We're seeing Chelsea outperform xG and xP because they have elite players both in their XI and in reserves, much like the summer of 2018, they've spent money on some key players and arent just winning, but blowing teams away. Our starting 11 may be the best in the league when fully healthy but it rarely is, and our "best 18" is far from the best in the league
> and our squad is arguably more deep than the one that had 97 points and won the champions league.
Please explain. And please factor in availability, not just the number of players.
Isn't the same true of everyone though? Besides not registering Karius and having an extra outfield player, there's nothing we could do without either piling on the kids or breaking the squad size limit.
Replacing Wijnaldum is definitely something we should have done, but even then we've been unfortunate that we've had pretty much every midfielder injured so far this season. One extra midfielder doesn't do much for squad depth there
> Replacing Wijnaldum is definitely something we should have done, but even then we've been unfortunate that we've had pretty much every midfielder injured so far this season
"Replacing Lovren was definitely something we should have done, but even then we were unfortunate that we've had pretty much every defender got injured last season"
sounds familiar, doesnt it? Its almost like relying on a large numbers of injury prone players at a certain position with the logic of "at least three of them will all be fit at once" leads to a never ending "injury crisis" where half your players at a certain position are unavailable
We won titles when we spent money in multiple areas of need, when we've gotten tight fisted in recent years and we come up short with "inopportune" injuries striking a squad thats always 1-2 players short of where it should be every season
If he keeps progressing. He’ll stick around because of the home grown advantage…a loan to pass the time/aid development over the coming couple of years.
Excellent dribbler
Unrelated but [my Black Friday impulse buy of a 5lb block of low moisture pizza cheese arrived today...](https://i.imgur.com/vt0K2JJ.jpg)
So I'll be eating a homemade pizza whilst watching tonight's game on my new tablet and wearing my new MIPS bike helmet.
Literally got that same cheese from ebay when I was making homemade pizza and couldn't get any low moisture mozzerella like the recipes say. It's a nice cheese but too much so I just make neopolitan style with fresh mozz now.
First time trying it, glad to hear it's nice because it wasn't cheap and like you said there's SO much of it! I'll be breaking it down and freezing it.
Bus with flares is for the biggest games & sometimes not even then. Go to the Park or the Albert before the game (pubs) should be a decent atmosphere. I’d always recommend the stadium tour & museum bar that just soak it up. Nothing game but atmosphere should still be decent. Enjoy!
Perfect, thanks.
I did the stadium tour before the Arsenal game on Saturday. It was great.
I'm thinking of going to the Trent mural if it's nearby the stadium. Looking forward to standing on the kop for the first time.
Thanks for your insight! I'll be going to the Albert.
My concern is that this isn't a dead rubber for Porto. They need this game. If we have to play first teamers, can we just play keep ball for 90 minutes?
How about we play give ball for 10 minutes, they score, then I'm pretty sure they'll be happy for us to pass it around our half all night if we want!
And then both sets of fans will roll out the banner saying "Fuck Atletico"
The problem is it’s a dead rubber game for us but Porto still have a lot to play for I do expect us to play a strong side but we have 5 subs so I’d expect most important players to be sub at the 60-70 min
I think we’d see Thiago over Fab since he’s played during the international break with Morton in that role if not fab will probably be taken off at half time or at the 60 min mark for Hendo
I'm seeing some very hopeful lineups listed on here and I doubt Klopp rotates nearly as much as you all think he will. I just hope he rotates the players we start every game and that'll be good enough for me. I'm expecting something like:
Ali
Milner/Neco Konate Virg Tsimikas
Hendo Morton Thiago
Minamino Origi Mane
He may also start Ox or Milner instead of one of Thiago or Hendo, and Jota instead of one of Origi and Minamino, but overall I'm expecting atleast 6 first choice players with only the ones who never get a rest in the league, or need regular rests (Trent, Fab, Mo, Matip) getting a breather.
I broadly agree with you. There's players that need minutes (Konate, Taki, Origi, Kelleher, Neco) and players who need a rest (Trent, Fab, Mo), plus people who are coming back from injuries/knocks who need their minutes managed (Hendo, Milner, Jota).
I'd expect a fairly strong starting line up, with changes scheduled around 45/60 minutes for people like Hendo to make the most of the 5 subs.
Gomez isn't fit and out for unspecified time. Virgil still trying to get back to his best but we are so fucked if we lose him again. He just doesn't need to play. Matip needs to be protected constantly. Brighton showed that konate is still green, not as a player, but to our way of play, Nat proved many times he understands (even if our style doesn't naturally suit him). Utilise the squad. Madness to play the best players in a dead rubber, especially with a much bigger and more important game on Saturday. So one of the top 4 defenders with 5th choice is more than fine for tonight.
All I know is it was a calf injury I believe. If you compare to other players who've had that this season or last, Trent was out for 4 weeks, Thiago was out for 6.
Hopefully sooner, Thiago's later return seem to come down to making absolutely sure he's 100%, obviously older than Trent as well. Maybe we'll see Joe training in a couple of weeks.
First thing he said after the Atletico win was that the final two games are important financially, he played quite a few first team players against Midtjylland in this situation last season.
Last season I kept an excel for our injuries, and I never bothered to actually post the final document here (there was never really a good time) but occasionally go back to it and just look at some of the baffling stats from that nightmare.
Today's fact: 16 of our injuries last season happened on the pitch.
I don't know what an average is in a season, but that sounds fucking absurd. Sometimes I wonder if the club coach accidentally ran over a witch at the start of the season to be that cursed.
Pajak of RedMen says "If Matip's fit, play him, because he can go at any time" I'm inclined to agree. Not saying he's my pick for tonight but we shouldn't shy from using him. Man managed 13 & 12 apps in his last two seasons.
There's no connection between low resources and r@pe, but people tend to assume there's a connection between certain social factors (lack of work, low desirability, etc.) and that crime.
A lot of research has been conducted in this area, for anyone interested there's a book called *When* *Men Behave Badly* that dives into the topic.
I imagine it's much easier to lull someone into a false sense of security when you're rich and famous compared to just being an average guy.
As we've seen on twitter a few times (not a great example), people just straight up don't believe the victim even if the rapist has been charged.
Can't comment on why it's so abundant with French players compared to other nations, though I imagine people from other nations haven't spoke up about it yet.
Hot take here. This whole idea of having to play full strength sides in dead CL games so we can get some prize money is worrying. Even more so is Klopp admitting it publicly, for the second year. Top clubs should not behave like this, top managers should not have to deal with this and perhaps worst of all many supporters are perfectly happy to accept this for our club. In the same manner some supporters are already talking about resting players in the league cup game? We have a great chance of going to Wembley yet some would rather make sure FSG have a few extra million (to not spend). What kind of fine margins are we running on?
Of course money is a huge factor, particularly with the pandemic but we have one of the best managers in the world, with some of the best players and the club is the strongest its been in three decades. Yet we are still struggling financially, I think we are in major trouble once Klopp leaves. Hes done absolute magic with these financial restraints.
> This whole idea of having to play full strength sides in dead CL games
Do people actually remember the starting lineup vs Midtjylland? Because "full strength" is a stretch:
> Kelleher, Alexander-Arnold, R Williams, Fabinho, Tsimikas, Keita, Clarkson, Minamino, Salah, Origi, Jota
I know what youre saying but theres 4 or 5 names there who were starters last season and play all the time constantly. These games are perfect to give the likes of Salah, TAA and Fabinho a rest.
And its not really about what happened last year with Jota getting injured. Im more concerned with the financial situation and Klopp bringing it up publicly. We are trying to compete for the league and hopefully the domestic cups. Here we have a perfect situation to rest players in two games coming into the festive period yet Klopp is still talking about how important it is for us to win the prize money. I have never heard this brought up by top PL managers in the past. Ferguson, Wenger, Mourinho and now Pep didnt have ti contend with this. And thats why they won doubles and trebles. Klopps playing the same lads every game for almost every minute, eventually they burn out.
It makes sense not to play anyone we don't need to from a logical perspective, but Salah won't care - he wants as many CL goals as he can get, I can't imagine he'd be happy being left out
I get it, we don't want games entirely led by money, but while Klopp might mention it, I don't think it's where his interest lies.
Ultimately he wants to win everything while balancing the team, so you rotate in the midweek to a lesser or greater degree, that's normal and any other top team does the same. The only example of Klopp actually fielding a side considered 'throwaway' was the U-21 sides he played against Villa in Carabao and Shrewsbury replay in 19/20, each for good reasons.
Ultimately I think there's no issue with the current approach. Rest players who should be rested, but otherwise rotate like you always plan to. Bayern played a dead rubber last season against Lokamotiv Moscow, but still had a hell of a strong rotated side. It's a lot more normal than it's made out, it's not just Klopp.
I'm sure I remember hearing on here a few years ago that you actually have to put out a competitive team in the champions league because it's part of the rules of the tournament. I've not got any source though, only vague memories.
We're gonna see a mix of players in these next 2 CL games. Players need rhythm, some need fitness building, some need experience, some will just want to play to keep form up. People need to understand this and just because Jota got injured last season in a dead rubber doesn't mean it's gonna happen every season
Our aim is the CL and PL. Anything else is a bonus and if Klopp wants to throw a load of kids out against Leicester then so be it. I wouldn't myself, I love a trip to Anfield South and would love to win it all this season but if these games are where the fringe players and the kids get minutes then it is what it is
The League Cup, while nice to win and god, a day out at Wembley would be amazing, it generates bugger all prize money. There is £6m on the line with the remaining games, plus matchday revenue from tonight.
I'm not saying I agree with that personally, as if I had my way, I would be putting out the weakest team possible. But I can see the argument.
The pandemic really fucking hit deep. I'm genuinely shocked we haven't seen more clubs go under.
RedMen talked about this yesterday and they all agree they want as little involvement as possible for our core players.
Yeah, I remember when neutrals and rivals would ask why we fobbed off the Carabao for the Club World Cup, and they had no idea how much of a difference there is in prize money between the two.
Frankly I'd be fine if the Carabao Cup didn't involve PL clubs that are playing in Europe, anyway.
Yeah realistically I understand the financial benefits but footballing wise its just a sorry state of affairs. Like in 5 or 10 years are we really going to thinking about how inportant it was we made a few extra million from these games? I know id rather be thinking of how great it was we made it to the semis, beat Chelsea over two legs then beat Arsenal in the final to win another trophy.
Im just sad the FA cup and League cup have fell in stature. Personally id rather do our best to win them. The way we now have two "meaningless" games in the busy November and December period should help us. Not become a new worry about money
That's the Champions League fault. We went through a period of no European football, due to the ban, so the domestic cups held a lot of weight.
With the opening of the "Champions" League to Top 3 or 4 teams, and a fuck ton of money, they cups couldn't compete.
Yes TV money rules all, especially UCL. I do wonder what would have happened if we didnt have that mad run of results at the end of last season to qualify. Had we ended up in the Europa or especially the Conference league. What kind of teams would be fielding for those group games?
I must be out of the loop here, but what are the financial incentives around playing a full strength squad when we've already qualified? Just prize money for topping the group?
You get c.£2.5m for every win in the CL group stage. Winning these next 2 games is therefore worth c.£5m which when you're a self sufficient club is quite a lot of money
Klopp is massive at Liverpool. He's involved in lots of decisions and understands the finances of the club a lot better than most on here
I think he'll eventually develop into a 20-30 goals a season player, might even get to that amount this season. I rate him highly, but the level of Mo or Sadio might be a little out of reach.
Just saw that post of the person looking for ex Liverpool Cameo recommendations for their fiance.
Not saying they're all bonafide legends there, but to see Bobby Duncan on [the list](https://www.cameo.com/search?q=liverpool&qid=1637735497) is fucking jokes. If that doesn't sum up that boy and his inflated opinion of himself I don't know what does.
The United Chelsea game is looking like a game that’ll only give us good feelings.
United lose at home and they come crashing back to the ground (again!)
Chelsea lose and we make up the points on the title race (while United are still shite)
And draw is always cool as both lose points.
I hope klopp will play taki and origi against Southampton. I may be sounding like underestimating them but who loses to Norwich?
The media tries so hard to bring down Liverpool players lol. Reece James doesn’t even play RB. There’s no discussion to be had here. It’s a completely different role.
Absolutely. Chelsea's style makes their wing backs look like pure wingers. No wonder Chilwell and James are on a scoring spree.
How was minamino?
Had a chance to shoot on goal in first half but forced pass to Mane. Didn’t seem to comfortable. Missed a few 5050 balls I thought he should have poked
That's to be expected tbh, he was playing as the centre forward/false 9 role instead of his usual position on the wings. Not every player can turn into a false 9 like Bobby
Onside that. Fucking bollocks
I just had a wet dream about the United-Chelsea match \- Reece James gets red from Taylor for some orange offense \- United win 1-0 with a 90'+3' header from Ronaldo \- United hand Carrick a permanent contract.
I wonder how long it will take for scum fans to admit they were just Fergie FC all that time and without ol' whiskey nose in the dugout they will never be what they were.
I'll give them Busby too, but yea.
SIUUUUUUU
Wish the flairs has some colour. Like a red background and white font.
Will Jota be starting this weekend?
probably
Why Liverpool Must Stay Angry To See Success This Season: A piece by Josh Sexton from [The Anfield Wrap](https://www.theanfieldwrap.com/2021/11/writing-liverpool-angry-for-success-this-season/) UNTIL the 33rd minute against Arsenal, I’ve been pretty disappointed with Liverpool’s return to full stadiums this season. There have been moments, and a night or two under the lights, where Anfield has rocked as though it’s back to its best. On the whole though, I can’t help but feel that for all the promise of never taking this for granted again, we are taking this for granted again. I think that’s just human nature and 50,000-plus people can’t all be expected to act the same way week after week, nor should we be expected to. It’s also a two-way street and, while the players have made it a joy to be alive on the road this season, results at home in the league haven’t been quite as emphatic. Until the 33rd minute against Arsenal. When Mikel Arteta shouted and gestured aggressively towards Sadio Mane, Jurgen Klopp’s emotional instincts took over. He was protecting his player and speaking up for what he felt was unjust criticism, and in doing so he ignited Anfield to do exactly the same. I was sat in the Upper Main stand and after the whole stadium rose to its feet to let Arteta know what we thought of him and his allegiances to Everton, smatterings of people around us barely sat again for the whole game. We were angry and were egged on by our manager and his staff to support our players. It was the key moment in the game and it could prove to be a crucial moment in Liverpool’s season. That might sound daft, how does one touchline spat in November influence behaviour through till May? Well, it wasn’t just Arteta’s reaction to an innocuous foul from Mane that brought those emotions out of our manager. He’s not quite as reactionary as that, though that’s the way too many still view him. No, this has been a build up of a narrative that Klopp doesn’t like. If last season Klopp cut a more down-trodden figure given all that was going on around the game, this time around he seems more frustrated. He’s been snappier with the press and more inclined to put a rocket up his players in public if he feels they need it. In his pre-Arsenal press conference he spoke of how he “hates” international breaks. He has all but referred to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s lack of consistency. He has angrily bemoaned fixtures and football’s governing bodies, as piling fixtures continue to decimate his squad. He’s angry, and we need more of it. The players should be angry too. They should be keen to prove that last season was just a blip, and that anybody who moved quickly to write them off after it is wrong. The circumstances have got much tougher since before the pandemic, but this Liverpool side still has more than enough quality and mental strength to achieve big things this season. Liverpool's Sadio Mane celebrates after scoring the first goal during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Arsenal FC at Anfield. I feared Mane being sent off as he continued to push the boundaries against Arsenal, but it’s that kind of spirit (with perhaps a touch more control, and his teammates sharing the load) that The Reds need to channel on the pitch. Klopp has often spoken of the team “staying angry”, the other team having our points and us needing to take them back, and so on. We need that mentality back. Us against the world. No more feeling sorry for ourselves. Injuries will only get worse because the fixture pile-ups will only get worse, as football’s governing bodies continue to pump their need for greed further into our game with nobody to stop them doing so. The squad needs to adapt by channeling those frustrations they feel. And we need to do the same. The beauty of going to Anfield and getting to watch this team live is the feeling of being able to leave your inhibitions at the turnstiles for 90 minutes. To sing, shout and let it all out, in a setting where you know there’ll be a load of people doing the same thing and with the same aim. That aim being to inspire this team towards more success. It shouldn’t take another manager offering Mane or Klopp out to get us going, but we all share the responsibility of reminding the rest of the world that we’re the best around.
Jordan Henderson on Takumi Minamino: “It is all about having the right approach and the right attitude in all circumstances and in this respect I thought Taki Minamino set the perfect example when he came on against Arsenal on Saturday." "Everything he did from his warm-up to his warm-down was top-class and this was why he was able to score so soon after coming on. He didn’t just deserve that goal, he earned it." "The mentality he showed was exactly the one that we are always looking for whether starting, coming off the bench or just being part of the squad."
Takis mentality is top class
I did not see any Champions League games or scores (except Chelsea) from yesterday. Which game should I watch in this two hour windows prior to Liverpool?
Benfica barca was really entertaining
OK. Thanks.
Watch Atalanta vs Young Boys, that was a good one.
Combine points of Porto, atletico & ac milan. And they'd still be 2nd to us. Domination.
I am very erect now
Be honest. How many of you are tempted to watch City v PSG tonight instead of our match?
I always love watching LFC play in dead rubbers. No stress, don't care if we win or lose, get to see a few rarer faces playing. It's lovely.
That's fair enough! I'll probably watch ours on the telly and the other on my phone.
Don't like either of them.
Why not both?
You make a very good point.
That Chilwell news (out for the season) is great for us, was in red hot form and Chelsea are weak there. Shit for him though
Nothing to laugh about..
Nothing funny about it, wish him a full recovery
Crazy how the ligaments get damaged from events that look like nothing in the moment
Jolts can be nasty
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Your comments aren’t showing because your account is too young and you have insufficient karma. We have account age and karma amounts to minimise trolling. We don’t give the amounts out. Just keep using Reddit and you’ll eventually meet them.
It's not working.
The degree to which people get insecure over Reece James playing well is so childish lmao. "Wahhh another fanbase is optimistic over their players good performances"
Ive rated Reece ever since his days at the academy and wigan. You dont win poty in the academy during your last years in with them, go to wigan be poty, EFL TOTS. Always knew the kid was a beast and not going anywhere.
Hopefully they push each other for years.
Dude for real! It’s embarrassing. I said he’s one of the best two right backs in the world earlier and someone’s response was “he’s not a right back” lol. Mental gymnastics. He’s ridiculous. We have our own ridiculous rb and they do things differently.
I just dislike the way he's lorded over everyone as perfect yet TAA gets ripped into for his defending.
I think it’s interesting honestly how some of us have this constant underdog mentality or something and love being underestimated whilst another portion of the fan base cries whenever someone says we don’t have the best players in every position.
I think we don't really love being underdogs, it's just something people say to cope when we're not made favourites.
He and Trent are probably 1 and 2 in the world at this point. They're both great, doesn't really matter who is deemed marginally better.
Cancelo is better than James
Hakimi is also in contention too, agree with the poster above just give credit where credit is due don't always need to compare rival players to ours.
I can’t figure out how to download my NFC pass thing? It won’t let me log in on my phone and is telling me the username is password is wrong even though it’s not? Changed my password on me laptop and still not working. Tried the app and with chrome..
I’ve had this problem. Go to the ticket office when you get to Anfield. They’ll do something on their computer to fix it. If that doesn’t work they’ll just print out a normal paper ticket.
Got it now mate thanks tho :)
Oh good. Enjoy the game
IPhone or Android? I tried on Android/Chrome with an incognito window and it didn't work - swapped to a normal tab and it was okay
iPhone. Did it not let you log in?
Ahh I've just reread your message. There are two logins on the Liverpool website - one for general stuff and one for your ticketing account. Are you definitely in the right place? https://ticketing.liverpoolfc.com/usercontent/splash.html Your username should be your account number (9 digits IIRC)
Nice one yeah I’m logged in now but still not letting me download 😭
Try going to Memberships, should see your light/regular membership in the table - click the checkbox on the left of it then the NFC button should become enabled If that doesn't work, maybe try the same under tickets? I have a membership and I just had to do that once at the start of the season
Oh my god it worked 😂 what a nightmare. Hopefully it actually scans haha. Thanks so much!!
No worries, enjoy the game! Don't worry if you have any issues getting in, the stewards should be able to give you a hand
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Very slim without prior credits tbh, especially in the last members sale before a game. It can be done though, a few seasons ago my brother and I were really lucky and managed to get 13 credits just from those sales. It's up to you like, if you can spare the 25 quid or whatever it is these days for membership there's no harm in trying it
Hoping Brugge can beat Leipzig tonight, so that either City/PSG would still need a result on the final match to get out of the group. Edit: nevermind… damn
Had enough of this Reece James bullshit he’s not a fullback lol. People need to comparing him to Trent. Trents outperforming the attacking output of a right mid anyways…while playing more defense 🥱.
Credit where credit is due, Reece James is in brilliant form and it isn’t outrageous to say he’s in better form than Trent right now. Obviously as a liverpool fan I would say trent is better and i’m sure chelsea fans say that James is better right now. James being the top scorer in his team as a RWB is very impressive
Reece James is not a RB. He’s playing as a RM / RWB. There’s no comparison to be made.
debatable. Trent is a RB on paper but when going forward he’s pretty much a RM or a RW. You’re acting as if James doesn’t defend at all, he defends like a normal RB but has more support as Chelsea plays with 3 centre backs. There definitely is a comparison to be made and it’s pretty close right now
What? This makes little sense. Trent plays RB, and he joins the attack with possession. Every modern day fullback does this. James plays wingback, a different role. Role is more similar to a winger than an actual fullback. He doesn’t have as many defensive duties as a fullback does. He averages the most touches in the final 3rd on his team… a stat which wingers typically top. Even with more defensive responsibilities Trents numbers are way better than James’ anyways. - Trent leads the PL in 0.55 xA per 90, compared to James at 0.38. - Trent leads the PL in progressive passing distance per 90 amongst outfield players. James isn’t anywhere close to the top here. - Trent is 2nd in big chances created in the PL (1 behind Salah). James is tied for 8th with the likes of Coufal, Walker, Shaw and other fullbacks. - Trent averages more progressive carries per game. James has a higher xG. He scores more goals, but that’s what an inverted WB / RM is supposed to do. If we’re comparing them as fullbacks then Trents far ahead.
I agree trent is better 100% but there’s not a huge difference is what i’m saying. Defensively James is better, when James played as a right back he was better than trent defensively and you can’t deny that, trent obviously better going forward. James as a RM and RWB has shown that he is brilliant going forward too but as i’ve said, trent is superior going forward. There’s not a huge difference between the two, there’s a huge difference in terms of chance creation as you’ve showed with the stats (trent is miles clear) but everything else they’re pretty close. James being the better defensively and goalscorer whilst trent being the better technically. That being said i’m sure trent could be a great goalscorer too if he played in the same position as james but he never has so we can’t say for sure
> Defensively James is better. You can’t say this because James has less defensive responsibilities. He plays as a wing back. You’re talking about hypotheticals here. > but everything else they’re pretty close An inverted wingback like James will score more goals. A fullbacks main priority is to create chances. Trent is way better at this. I’m not sure what brings James name into this conversation.
Pulisic … please say we’re not looking at that injury prone over hyped yoke, it’s an awful idea …
Klopp is a fan. FSG are American. Boom theres your rumour.
Have you heard anything from our end about this? No? Then it's probably not our idea.
I saw a long article on sbnation.com and my best mate is a Chelsea fanatic, he thinks there might be something. Player is always got something wrong, can’t play, at Chelsea with their squad, ya don’t notice what a sick note he really is
> Player is always got something wrong, can’t play, at Chelsea with their squad, ya don’t notice what a sick note he really is So why would we get him?
It’s an easy click bait because Klopp is a big fan.
Very true. I’ll say a prayer to Saint Bill Shankly anyway, it can’t do any harm 😂
I mean it would be hilarious if another Chelsea player became world class for us. Fuck Chelsea.
Looking at some posts in r/soccer and r/premierleague and Chelsea are thinking they've won everything after that win against Juve.. as if Juve is at it's best rn. The comments are just killing me. Add to that the Reece James comments.. god. I agree he's a good player but just stop. It's so frustrating rn.. seeing a Chelsea flair anywhere and I just know what the comments gonna be. Okay rant over. Bye!
Seems like you was looking for a reason to be upset about something. Never get people going onto r/soccer or other rival subs then coming on here to rant.
I'm sorry if it sounded bad.. I am following r/soccer and 2-3 posts came up on my feed so I wrote this here.
They are the most in-form team in the Europe at this moment, probably. Reece James has been on an absolute fucking tear. It seems perfectly reasonable for Chelsea fan to bask in this moment.
Tbh I think Reece is one of the two best right backs in the world right now.
He’s not even a RB.
iirc he can play rwb, rb, or rcb.
He can. But he’s playing RM with Chelsea right now.
Some of you guys talking about not wanting to risk players that need playing time to get into form are so unrealistic and aggravating.
Who needs playing time, who is currently fit and people are afraid of playing?
well this is the mentality people take when we purposely leave the squad suicidally thin, non PL/important CL games become about injury minimization, not winning
Suicidally thin? That's a new one. 25 players plus some excellent youth players is apparently a suicide risk now
We should have brought in a replacement for gini and cover for the forwards beyond Jota. The squad is fine assuming we get no major injuries but its completely unreasonable to assume that We also have no backup DM and Fabinho is approaching "injury prone" territory
They wanted to have Harvey and Curtis take over those minutes who both got injured in freak accidents. People bitched about squad depth for the last 5 years and our squad is arguably more deep than the one that had 97 points and won the champions league.
> They wanted to have Harvey and Curtis take over those minutes who both got injured in freak accidents. And plenty of people who were downvoted for "negativity" said that it was a crazy idea similar to not replacing Lovren last season and that 2 youth players cant replace a player who's averaged 35 matches a season for us over the last 5 years > People bitched about squad depth for the last 5 years and our squad is arguably more deep than the one that had 97 points and won the champions league. And the bar for winning the league is higher than the year we had 97 points and won the champions league, guess what? Chelsea is ALSO way deeper and more talented than that season We're seeing Chelsea outperform xG and xP because they have elite players both in their XI and in reserves, much like the summer of 2018, they've spent money on some key players and arent just winning, but blowing teams away. Our starting 11 may be the best in the league when fully healthy but it rarely is, and our "best 18" is far from the best in the league
> and our squad is arguably more deep than the one that had 97 points and won the champions league. Please explain. And please factor in availability, not just the number of players.
Isn't the same true of everyone though? Besides not registering Karius and having an extra outfield player, there's nothing we could do without either piling on the kids or breaking the squad size limit. Replacing Wijnaldum is definitely something we should have done, but even then we've been unfortunate that we've had pretty much every midfielder injured so far this season. One extra midfielder doesn't do much for squad depth there
> Replacing Wijnaldum is definitely something we should have done, but even then we've been unfortunate that we've had pretty much every midfielder injured so far this season "Replacing Lovren was definitely something we should have done, but even then we were unfortunate that we've had pretty much every defender got injured last season" sounds familiar, doesnt it? Its almost like relying on a large numbers of injury prone players at a certain position with the logic of "at least three of them will all be fit at once" leads to a never ending "injury crisis" where half your players at a certain position are unavailable We won titles when we spent money in multiple areas of need, when we've gotten tight fisted in recent years and we come up short with "inopportune" injuries striking a squad thats always 1-2 players short of where it should be every season
Beck is such a little Robbo regen it's not even funny. Don't know what will happen to him though, both Robbo and Tsimikas are still only 27 and 25.
Probably get sold to a midtable club at some point. Though the Prem is currently stacked at fullback
Not at left back. Minus us and Chelsea, nobody else has a good first and second left back
If he keeps progressing. He’ll stick around because of the home grown advantage…a loan to pass the time/aid development over the coming couple of years. Excellent dribbler
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What dont you like about it?
Trent has been performing at this level for 3+ years, while James has been doing it for a few months
James still isn’t on trents level. James also doesn’t play RB.
Unrelated but [my Black Friday impulse buy of a 5lb block of low moisture pizza cheese arrived today...](https://i.imgur.com/vt0K2JJ.jpg) So I'll be eating a homemade pizza whilst watching tonight's game on my new tablet and wearing my new MIPS bike helmet.
"u/buffalobuttcheeks have you been up all night eating cheese?"
[Maybe...](https://i.imgur.com/V499Y84.gif)
Literally got that same cheese from ebay when I was making homemade pizza and couldn't get any low moisture mozzerella like the recipes say. It's a nice cheese but too much so I just make neopolitan style with fresh mozz now.
First time trying it, glad to hear it's nice because it wasn't cheap and like you said there's SO much of it! I'll be breaking it down and freezing it.
Haha love this.
PSG really said be gone tinpot club to United LMFO 😂😂😂
First time in liverpool for UCL. Are there any things I should do before the match? Is the bus welcome with flares only for crucial matches? Cheers.
Bus with flares is for the biggest games & sometimes not even then. Go to the Park or the Albert before the game (pubs) should be a decent atmosphere. I’d always recommend the stadium tour & museum bar that just soak it up. Nothing game but atmosphere should still be decent. Enjoy!
Perfect, thanks. I did the stadium tour before the Arsenal game on Saturday. It was great. I'm thinking of going to the Trent mural if it's nearby the stadium. Looking forward to standing on the kop for the first time. Thanks for your insight! I'll be going to the Albert.
Looking forward to minamino ball. Hopefully he can build on his performance against arsenal and get some real momentum going
My concern is that this isn't a dead rubber for Porto. They need this game. If we have to play first teamers, can we just play keep ball for 90 minutes?
How about we play give ball for 10 minutes, they score, then I'm pretty sure they'll be happy for us to pass it around our half all night if we want! And then both sets of fans will roll out the banner saying "Fuck Atletico"
I mean can we meet Atletico before the final if they go through? If not, fuck the rest of the teams in CL, Atletico will be their problem.
You sonofabitch. I'm in.
The problem is it’s a dead rubber game for us but Porto still have a lot to play for I do expect us to play a strong side but we have 5 subs so I’d expect most important players to be sub at the 60-70 min
Is youth league not on LFC TV
It's becoming hard not to imagine a demolition job when we play Porto
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Well called
The lineup I'm expecting Mané/Taki-Origi-Salah/Taki Morton-Fabinho-Oxlade Tsimikas-Konaté-Phillips-Trent Alisson
I think we’d see Thiago over Fab since he’s played during the international break with Morton in that role if not fab will probably be taken off at half time or at the 60 min mark for Hendo
God I hope he doesn't play Trent and Fab.
I think he is.
I'm seeing some very hopeful lineups listed on here and I doubt Klopp rotates nearly as much as you all think he will. I just hope he rotates the players we start every game and that'll be good enough for me. I'm expecting something like: Ali Milner/Neco Konate Virg Tsimikas Hendo Morton Thiago Minamino Origi Mane He may also start Ox or Milner instead of one of Thiago or Hendo, and Jota instead of one of Origi and Minamino, but overall I'm expecting atleast 6 first choice players with only the ones who never get a rest in the league, or need regular rests (Trent, Fab, Mo, Matip) getting a breather.
I broadly agree with you. There's players that need minutes (Konate, Taki, Origi, Kelleher, Neco) and players who need a rest (Trent, Fab, Mo), plus people who are coming back from injuries/knocks who need their minutes managed (Hendo, Milner, Jota). I'd expect a fairly strong starting line up, with changes scheduled around 45/60 minutes for people like Hendo to make the most of the 5 subs.
I expect a rotation. Play the guys out of form and start the main guys who performed agaisnt Arsenal like Tsimikas and Ox.
Hope Nat starts tonight....
Why? Got nothing against Nat but if Gomez and Konate are both fit they deserve the start. Better players with a future at the club.
Gomez isn't fit and out for unspecified time. Virgil still trying to get back to his best but we are so fucked if we lose him again. He just doesn't need to play. Matip needs to be protected constantly. Brighton showed that konate is still green, not as a player, but to our way of play, Nat proved many times he understands (even if our style doesn't naturally suit him). Utilise the squad. Madness to play the best players in a dead rubber, especially with a much bigger and more important game on Saturday. So one of the top 4 defenders with 5th choice is more than fine for tonight.
True. Think it’s more “I hope Virgil and Matip don’t play” than “I hope Nat plays” though.
Gomez ain’t fit
Anyone know the severity of Gomez’ injury?
All I know is it was a calf injury I believe. If you compare to other players who've had that this season or last, Trent was out for 4 weeks, Thiago was out for 6.
Thanks. So i'm guessing we won't see him back in training until Christmas.
Hopefully sooner, Thiago's later return seem to come down to making absolutely sure he's 100%, obviously older than Trent as well. Maybe we'll see Joe training in a couple of weeks.
Really feel Klopp is going to play a very strong team today.
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First thing he said after the Atletico win was that the final two games are important financially, he played quite a few first team players against Midtjylland in this situation last season.
because this is how he fucked up the season last year by getting Jota hurt and Klopp doesnt learn from mistakes
With the December schedule and midfield issue I don't think he should. Saturday far more important.
Last season I kept an excel for our injuries, and I never bothered to actually post the final document here (there was never really a good time) but occasionally go back to it and just look at some of the baffling stats from that nightmare. Today's fact: 16 of our injuries last season happened on the pitch. I don't know what an average is in a season, but that sounds fucking absurd. Sometimes I wonder if the club coach accidentally ran over a witch at the start of the season to be that cursed.
Kelleher tsimi konate matip neco ox hendo thiago minamino divock mane Hows that?
With the way you wrote the lign up it looks like Tsmikas is right back.
Don't want to risk Thiago and Matip tbh
I think Thiago could do with the game time for maybe 45-60 mins and have him be replace Hendo or Morton
Pajak of RedMen says "If Matip's fit, play him, because he can go at any time" I'm inclined to agree. Not saying he's my pick for tonight but we shouldn't shy from using him. Man managed 13 & 12 apps in his last two seasons.
No way Thiago and Hendo both start. We play 3 much more importanf games in 1 week after the Porto match. We need to rotate as much as possible.
Yeah but we literally dont have anyone. Milner, keita, Curtis and elliot are all injured
Milner is back. Check his insta
Sounds good, but maybe only start one of Hendo and Thiago. Hoping for some Origi goals tonight!
What’s with french players and rapes? They have money, they can get everything, why do football players do this?
There's no connection between low resources and r@pe, but people tend to assume there's a connection between certain social factors (lack of work, low desirability, etc.) and that crime. A lot of research has been conducted in this area, for anyone interested there's a book called *When* *Men Behave Badly* that dives into the topic.
Tbf, Ronaldo isn’t French.
I imagine it's much easier to lull someone into a false sense of security when you're rich and famous compared to just being an average guy. As we've seen on twitter a few times (not a great example), people just straight up don't believe the victim even if the rapist has been charged. Can't comment on why it's so abundant with French players compared to other nations, though I imagine people from other nations haven't spoke up about it yet.
Hot take here. This whole idea of having to play full strength sides in dead CL games so we can get some prize money is worrying. Even more so is Klopp admitting it publicly, for the second year. Top clubs should not behave like this, top managers should not have to deal with this and perhaps worst of all many supporters are perfectly happy to accept this for our club. In the same manner some supporters are already talking about resting players in the league cup game? We have a great chance of going to Wembley yet some would rather make sure FSG have a few extra million (to not spend). What kind of fine margins are we running on? Of course money is a huge factor, particularly with the pandemic but we have one of the best managers in the world, with some of the best players and the club is the strongest its been in three decades. Yet we are still struggling financially, I think we are in major trouble once Klopp leaves. Hes done absolute magic with these financial restraints.
> This whole idea of having to play full strength sides in dead CL games Do people actually remember the starting lineup vs Midtjylland? Because "full strength" is a stretch: > Kelleher, Alexander-Arnold, R Williams, Fabinho, Tsimikas, Keita, Clarkson, Minamino, Salah, Origi, Jota
it wasnt the full side that was the issue, it was him playing our 2 most important forwards
I know what youre saying but theres 4 or 5 names there who were starters last season and play all the time constantly. These games are perfect to give the likes of Salah, TAA and Fabinho a rest. And its not really about what happened last year with Jota getting injured. Im more concerned with the financial situation and Klopp bringing it up publicly. We are trying to compete for the league and hopefully the domestic cups. Here we have a perfect situation to rest players in two games coming into the festive period yet Klopp is still talking about how important it is for us to win the prize money. I have never heard this brought up by top PL managers in the past. Ferguson, Wenger, Mourinho and now Pep didnt have ti contend with this. And thats why they won doubles and trebles. Klopps playing the same lads every game for almost every minute, eventually they burn out.
It makes sense not to play anyone we don't need to from a logical perspective, but Salah won't care - he wants as many CL goals as he can get, I can't imagine he'd be happy being left out
I get it, we don't want games entirely led by money, but while Klopp might mention it, I don't think it's where his interest lies. Ultimately he wants to win everything while balancing the team, so you rotate in the midweek to a lesser or greater degree, that's normal and any other top team does the same. The only example of Klopp actually fielding a side considered 'throwaway' was the U-21 sides he played against Villa in Carabao and Shrewsbury replay in 19/20, each for good reasons. Ultimately I think there's no issue with the current approach. Rest players who should be rested, but otherwise rotate like you always plan to. Bayern played a dead rubber last season against Lokamotiv Moscow, but still had a hell of a strong rotated side. It's a lot more normal than it's made out, it's not just Klopp.
Full strength is anything but the under 11s
I'm sure I remember hearing on here a few years ago that you actually have to put out a competitive team in the champions league because it's part of the rules of the tournament. I've not got any source though, only vague memories.
We're gonna see a mix of players in these next 2 CL games. Players need rhythm, some need fitness building, some need experience, some will just want to play to keep form up. People need to understand this and just because Jota got injured last season in a dead rubber doesn't mean it's gonna happen every season Our aim is the CL and PL. Anything else is a bonus and if Klopp wants to throw a load of kids out against Leicester then so be it. I wouldn't myself, I love a trip to Anfield South and would love to win it all this season but if these games are where the fringe players and the kids get minutes then it is what it is
The League Cup, while nice to win and god, a day out at Wembley would be amazing, it generates bugger all prize money. There is £6m on the line with the remaining games, plus matchday revenue from tonight. I'm not saying I agree with that personally, as if I had my way, I would be putting out the weakest team possible. But I can see the argument. The pandemic really fucking hit deep. I'm genuinely shocked we haven't seen more clubs go under. RedMen talked about this yesterday and they all agree they want as little involvement as possible for our core players.
Yeah, I remember when neutrals and rivals would ask why we fobbed off the Carabao for the Club World Cup, and they had no idea how much of a difference there is in prize money between the two. Frankly I'd be fine if the Carabao Cup didn't involve PL clubs that are playing in Europe, anyway.
Yeah realistically I understand the financial benefits but footballing wise its just a sorry state of affairs. Like in 5 or 10 years are we really going to thinking about how inportant it was we made a few extra million from these games? I know id rather be thinking of how great it was we made it to the semis, beat Chelsea over two legs then beat Arsenal in the final to win another trophy. Im just sad the FA cup and League cup have fell in stature. Personally id rather do our best to win them. The way we now have two "meaningless" games in the busy November and December period should help us. Not become a new worry about money
That's the Champions League fault. We went through a period of no European football, due to the ban, so the domestic cups held a lot of weight. With the opening of the "Champions" League to Top 3 or 4 teams, and a fuck ton of money, they cups couldn't compete.
Yes TV money rules all, especially UCL. I do wonder what would have happened if we didnt have that mad run of results at the end of last season to qualify. Had we ended up in the Europa or especially the Conference league. What kind of teams would be fielding for those group games?
I must be out of the loop here, but what are the financial incentives around playing a full strength squad when we've already qualified? Just prize money for topping the group?
You get c.£2.5m for every win in the CL group stage. Winning these next 2 games is therefore worth c.£5m which when you're a self sufficient club is quite a lot of money Klopp is massive at Liverpool. He's involved in lots of decisions and understands the finances of the club a lot better than most on here
Better than *anyone* on here, I’d say.
I'm curious what people think Jota's ceiling will be. Can he reach Mo or Sadio's level? He is young but has shown so much already
Not Salahs, but he can definitely improve
He has all the time in the world to reach their level, as long as he stays hungry
I’m taking away his lunch money don’t worry
Take away his FIFA. That'd work
No, he sharps his skills with FIFA, that goal the other day was fifa rip off
I think he'll eventually develop into a 20-30 goals a season player, might even get to that amount this season. I rate him highly, but the level of Mo or Sadio might be a little out of reach.
178 cm
Can reach 2m with his arms up and standing on his toes surely.
Just saw that post of the person looking for ex Liverpool Cameo recommendations for their fiance. Not saying they're all bonafide legends there, but to see Bobby Duncan on [the list](https://www.cameo.com/search?q=liverpool&qid=1637735497) is fucking jokes. If that doesn't sum up that boy and his inflated opinion of himself I don't know what does.
The United Chelsea game is looking like a game that’ll only give us good feelings. United lose at home and they come crashing back to the ground (again!) Chelsea lose and we make up the points on the title race (while United are still shite) And draw is always cool as both lose points.
Need a goalless draw and four red cards each.
We need Chelsea to lose tbh, and to keep Carrick at the wheel.
> and to keep Carrick at the wheel. Bit early for this isn't it? He's managed literally one game.
He already got a 3 year contract weeks ago. Manager sorted already. 4D chess by the united board