Pre Match: Porto (H) Wed 20:00

[Brizzle]

Home game with nothing to gain. given no travel i expect a few first teamers to play but we really need to protect the midfielders.

Alisson

Neco
Konate
Phillips
Tsimikas

Morton
Hendo or Milner (if he’s back)
Ox

Taki
Origi (if fit)
Gordon

hard to judge with so many of the players we’d rotate being injured too!

 

[MomoWASright]

I find it hard to argue with that team. Do we have any usual squad members ready to take that are coming back and need minutes? Is Milner the only one?

 

[LeTallecWiz]

Players who shouldn't play:

TAA
Matip
VvD
Robbo

Fabinho
Thiago

Jota


Mane and Salah are on great form - and they want to play ... let them play before their month in Africa.

 

[SummerOnions]

Kelleher
Gomez
Konate
Philips
Beck

Morton
Hendo (45)
Ox (45)

Neco
Taki
Gordon

I don't even think we can rest all our players. Let's do that funny Neco at RW test though

 

[Hansern]

Rotate as much as possible, but still would like to get a result and not lose at home.

 

[Dreambeliever]

2.6M to gain.
We’ll play a strong side sadly.

 

[Modo]

play Robbo, I'm team Tsimikas now.

 

[Brizzle]

play Robbo, I'm team Tsimikas now.

I’m also team Tsimi but think Robbo needs a few games off so let’s keep the Greek in for this then Southampton.

 

[Frogfish]

Players who shouldn't play:

TAA
Matip
VvD
Robbo

Fabinho
Thiago

Jota


Mane and Salah are on great form - and they want to play ... let them play before their month in Africa.

No. Did we not learn our lesson from Jota last season?

I'll also add that not only do we play the joint most games from now until the end of the festive period (12) we also have a tougher set of fixtures to Chelsea and City. I'll be delighted if we are not further behind at the end of those games.

Brizzle's team will do me. Bradley should be involved (as a sub or whatever) - he's playing great for the U23s.

 

[MomoWASright]

2.6M to gain.
We’ll play a strong side sadly.

Is it really that much after paying out our top earners bonuses?

It is also the short term view. Losing key players would hit our league position and we’d possibly weaken the knockouts. If we did lose it’s harder for Atletico to qualify. They’d be more difficult to beat if we are drawn against them later in the competition than Porto.

 

[Donavan Ried]

Home game with nothing to gain. given no travel i expect a few first teamers to play but we really need to protect the midfielders.

Alisson

Neco
Konate
Phillips
Tsimikas

Morton
Hendo or Milner (if he’s back)
Ox

Taki
Origi (if fit)
Gordon

hard to judge with so many of the players we’d rotate being injured too!

I like this,But.... A commentator pointed out during the Arsenal game that the owners will want Liverpool to secure wins in the last two Champions League games so as not to miss out on the money paid for winning games.. 2.8m euros per group-stage win, 930,000 euros per group-stage draw

 

[binomial]

Wouldn't even risk Alisson.

Kelleher

Neco
Konate
Phillips
Tsimikas

Morton
Hendo
Ox

Taki
Gordon
Karius

 

[MomoWASright]

I like this,But.... A commentator pointed out during the Arsenal game that the owners will want Liverpool to secure wins in the last two Champions League games so as not to miss out on the money paid for winning games.. 2.8m euros per group-stage win, 930,000 euros per group-stage draw

£2.5 million is the headline figure. Then knock off:
Appearance fees
Goal Bonus
Assist bonus
Clean sheet bonus

Then any players we lose, 500k for each position plus attached sponsorship deals.

 

[Donavan Ried]

£2.5 million is the headline figure. Then knock off:
Appearance fees
Goal Bonus
Assist bonus
Clean sheet bonus

Then any players we lose, 500k for each position plus attached sponsorship deals.

I bow to your knowledge of this. But the point i was trying to make,Not at all well was FSG will want the highest amount of money coming in, therefore they will want Klopp to field a team that has the best chance of winning.

Me personally I would field all the fringe players in the CL squad to give them the experience and save the start for the premier league games. We really don't need to win the last two games, plus If Porto beat us maybe it will be enough to put out alt if either AC gets a draw or defeats them, or Porto draws or beats them in their final group game

 

[Gary25]

No. Did we not learn our lesson from Jota last season?

I'll also add that not only do we play the joint most games from now until the end of the festive period (12) we also have a tougher set of fixtures to Chelsea and City. I'll be delighted if we are not further behind at the end of those games.

Brizzle's team will do me. Bradley should be involved (as a sub or whatever) - he's playing great for the U23s.

We have a tougher set of fixtures than Chelsea & City from now until the festive period?? That's very debatable. League wise, we have Southampton Villa Newcastle Leeds at home, Everton Wolves Spurs away. That's more than favourable. Not be easy by any means but could be much worse.

 

[MomoWASright]

We have a tougher set of fixtures than Chelsea & City from now until the festive period?? That's very debatable. League wise, we have Southampton Villa Newcastle Leeds at home, Everton Wolves Spurs away. That's more than favourable. Not be easy by any means but could be much worse.

They’re all shite.

 

[rurikbird]

Any chance Origi can return in time? If so, maybe a 4-4-2:

-------------------Kelleher--------------------
--------------Phillips----Konate-------------
Bradley-----------------------------Tsimikas
--------------Hendo----Morton--------------
Ox----------------------------------------Neco
-------------Origi------Minamino------------

 

[Frogfish]

We have a tougher set of fixtures than Chelsea & City from now until the festive period?? That's very debatable. League wise, we have Southampton Villa Newcastle Leeds at home, Everton Wolves Spurs away. That's more than favourable. Not be easy by any means but could be much worse.

Ours looks tougher to me. A resurgent Wolves (A) plus Chelsea, Everton, Milan, Leicester and Spurs under Conte, all away.

Chelsea's definitely looks easier, tougher games at home bar West Ham. More H games.

City only have 11 matches to our 12 and should win the lot on paper, all their away games should be bankers. Their next match vs PSG doesn't really matter as City have already qualified.

CFC. (12 games in 41 days)
Juventus H
United H
Watford A
West Ham A
Zenit A
Leeds H
Everton H
Wolves A
Brentford A (LC)
Villa A
Brighton H
Liverpool H

CITY (11 games in 39 days)
PSG H
West Ham H
Wed Dec 1 - Aston Villa (A)
Sat Dec 4 - Watford (A)
RB Leipzig A
Sat Dec 11 - Wolves (H)
Tues Dec 14 - Leeds (H)
Sun Dec 19 - Newcastle (A)
Sun Dec 26 - Leicester (H)
Wed Dec 29 - Brentford (A)
Sat Jan 1 - Arsenal (A)

LIVERPOOL (12 games in 40 days)
Porto H
Southampton H
Everton A
Wolves A
AC Milan A
Villa H
Newcastle H
Spurs A
Leicester H (LC)
Leeds H
Leicester A
Chelsea A

 

[Brizzle]

I still think a fully rotated team can beat Porto at home. Taki is in form, Hendo will be playing, in-form full backs. Origi has looked decent (if fit). Konate, Nat & Ali would be solid.

 

[King Binny]

Would be nice to see Cannonier getting involved. After all, he was the ball boy behind that quickly taken corner.

https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/clubs/7889--liverpool/squad/

[article]
Alisson Becker
Adrián
Caoimhin Kelleher
Harvey Davies

Virgil van Dijk
Ibrahima Konaté
Joe Gomez
Kostas Tsimikas
Andrew Robertson
Joël Matip
Nathaniel Phillips
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Neco Williams
James Norris
Jarell Quansah
Luke Chambers
Billy Koumetio


Fabinho
Thiago Alcántara
James Milner
Naby Keïta
Roberto Firmino
Sadio Mané
Jordan Henderson
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Curtis Jones
Elijah Dixon-Bonner
Owen Beck
Harvey Elliott
Dominic Corness
Tyler Morton
Max Woltman
Conor Bradley


Mohamed Salah
Takumi Minamino
Diogo Jota
Divock Origi
James Balagizi
Harvey Blair
Oakley Cannonier
[/article]

 

[rubans]

I would imagine we would pay a pretty strong team, we need the money regardless.
Would rest Jota, Salah, Fab and TAA.

 

[StevieM]

I’d be tempted to give Thiago a start - give him 65 mins to get some more fans time and get up to match fitness.

Kelleher in Nets

Neco, Konate, Big Nate and the Greek at the back.

Thiago, Hendo & Ox in midfield.

Mini, Divvy & Mo up front.

Get Morton & one of the young forwards on from 65 mins for Thiago & Mo... get Hendo off for someone for the last 15 mins or so.

I probably wouldn’t care if we did put out a full reserve side and took a loss - if it helped Porto finish 2nd and Atletico got fucked off to the Euro vase or whatever they call it now.

 

[Markeh]

- if it helped Porto finish 2nd and Atletico got fucked off to the Euro vase

That sounds delightful

 

[Modo]

It fucking scares me that we only have one DM.
Seriously, Fabinho along with Alisson, Van Dijk and Salah have to be our most important players?
I mean take out one of them and it can actually cost us points.

 

[Markeh]

It fucking scares me that we only have one DM.
Seriously, Fabinho along with Alisson, Van Dijk and Salah have to be our most important players?
I mean take out one of them and it can actually cost us points.

Fabinho finished the Arsenal match with his hands on his knees I’d be amazed if we see him Wednesday

 

[RedStar]

The line up here will be heavily dependent on whether any of Keita Milner and Origi are available. If they are then all three could use some game time along with Thiago to sharpen up. The likes of Neco, Konate, Phillips, Minamino are in need of a run. These 2 CL games are coming at a good time in terms of playing a few fringe players and returning injuries into form ahead of the Dec/Jan clusterfuck of games where we will need everybody to pull their weight.

I expect a very young bench similar to the Arsenal game. Let's hope Klopp actually uses his 5 subs this time instead of just talking about them.

 

[Modo]

Yeah I'm fine with us playing without Fabinho if Milner is on the pitch.

 

[Frogfish]

Sounds like Klopp is going to be sensible and heavily rotate the team.
________

Team news

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will try to spare as many of his senior players as he can from the Champions League dead rubber at home to Porto. His side are already qualified as group winners with two matches to spare but with injuries still significantly affecting his squad, he admits he will prioritise their welfare over playing a full-strength side.

"We always respect the competition but we have to think about ourselves and our schedule and the situation of our players first," he said.

"We didn't make these decisions yet, to be honest, because, how we all know, in this time of the season, the medical department has a big hand in line-ups."

Jordan Henderson was only fit enough for a substitute role against Arsenal on Saturday after returning from England duty with a minor problem, while left-back Andy Robertson was left out entirely after injury with Scotland.

Both are fit enough to face Porto but Klopp has a balancing act.

"Hendo, we will see. Yesterday, I would say maybe he was not at 100 per cent. So he can play, he can do pretty much everything but it's about really being at 100 per cent fit," added Klopp.
"Robbo, similar. Both are OK, but are both now ready to play, ready to start but with the schedule, with games coming up? We have to make these decisions."

 

[Hansern]

Milner, Robbo, Origi and Neco back in training today.

 

[Alan Hardaker]

Got to be careful of injuries obviously so will obviosly be changes. Thiago, Morton,Ox in mid. Not a lot of options up front. Mini & Gordon and Jota maybe. Options in defence. Might not make wholesale changes because Klopp doesn't give games away easily. We are Liverpool and this game is still there to be won.