Liverpool (A) - Pre Match Thread

[Brizzle]

Bravo will raise his game a la Gazzaniga

 

[Goater=Legend]

We'll play 10 yards further back and try and counter attack them, just need to get through the first 25 mins

 

[BlueMoonz1977]

You can’t overestimate how big Ederson out is. It’s less of an attack on bravo and more of a realisation of just how special and crucial Ederson is.

bravo’s decision making on when to sweep is woeful as we’ve all seen on numerous occasions which means we’re going to have to play further back to negate the potential need for him to do that, that’s going to invite crosses from their fullbacks all day long and we’ve seen how dog shit we are at tracking runners into the box and dealing with crosses, particularly at the back post which Liverpool thrive on.

yes bravo can pass from the back but the difference is night and day, he needs an extra few seconds on the ball and that’s not something we’re going to get at anfield and if gundogan is in the holding role too, us playing out from the back is going to be Liverpool’s greatest weapon. The biggest loss though is Edersons long range kicking, I was utterly convinced our tactics would centre around kicking long into the forwards to beat the inevitable press, now were just going to be giving it them back more often than not.

Half a team of starters missing, can you imagine them playing us at the Etihad without Allison, VVD, Robertson, Fabinho, wijnaldum and mane? We would tear them apart. If we come away from anfield with anything it will be a minor miracle and that’s not being negative, just the reality of the situation

Totally agree - half the bloody first team is unavailable for this one now so if we do get anything out the game it will be immense

Liverpool missing 6 first team regulars at our ground and we would annihilate them - unfortunately they will exploit this weakness

 

[1974Blue]

At least i can relax now we have already been beaten;

That said football is strange sometimes, cheer up blue's you just never know.

 

[Deleted member 81382]

I wouldn't say Zinchenko being out is necessarily a bad thing but the other injured players (Ederson, Laporte, Rodri, Silva, Sane) would all start if they were fit. That's literally half of our best eleven out of the game. If Pep somehow wins this it'll be by far the most impressive victory in his time here.

 

[Beanhead]

You can’t overestimate how big Ederson out is. It’s less of an attack on bravo and more of a realisation of just how special and crucial Ederson is.

bravo’s decision making on when to sweep is woeful as we’ve all seen on numerous occasions which means we’re going to have to play further back to negate the potential need for him to do that, that’s going to invite crosses from their fullbacks all day long and we’ve seen how dog shit we are at tracking runners into the box and dealing with crosses, particularly at the back post which Liverpool thrive on.

yes bravo can pass from the back but the difference is night and day, he needs an extra few seconds on the ball and that’s not something we’re going to get at anfield and if gundogan is in the holding role too, us playing out from the back is going to be Liverpool’s greatest weapon. The biggest loss though is Edersons long range kicking, I was utterly convinced our tactics would centre around kicking long into the forwards to beat the inevitable press, now were just going to be giving it them back more often than not.

Half a team of starters missing, can you imagine them playing us at the Etihad without Allison, VVD, Robertson, Fabinho, wijnaldum and mane? We would tear them apart. If we come away from anfield with anything it will be a minor miracle and that’s not being negative, just the reality of the situation

Thank you sir you saved me typing exactly this.

 

[The Black Shed]

If they attack the bus again, turn it around, go back home and reschedule the fixture for sometime next year, when everybody is fit again. And we win!

 

[alexmcity]

By saying Ederson is out gives the candle wavers a massive psychological advantage so I have never understood why we say who is injured or not. Maybe it's a double bluff although I doubt it.

If anything, it puts a massive pressure on them to win. They would be embarrassed, if they failed to win, let alone if they lost.

 

[JGL07]

I wouldn't say Zinchenko being out is necessarily a bad thing but the other injured players (Ederson, Laporte, Rodri, Silva, Sane) would all start if they were fit. That's literally half of our best eleven out of the game. If Pep somehow wins this it'll be by far the most impressive victory in his time here.

Five out of eleven isn't 'literally half'.

Leroy Sane was never a nailed-on starter for City. Plenty on here complained about it.

David Silva is being used more sparingly given his age.

 

[west didsblue]

Of the six injuries, only two (Ederson and Laporte) definitely make it a weaker starting 11.
Still confident we can do it, and if we do it with six out it will make it all the sweeter.

 

[Marvin]

I wouldn't say Zinchenko being out is necessarily a bad thing but the other injured players (Ederson, Laporte, Rodri, Silva, Sane) would all start if they were fit. That's literally half of our best eleven out of the game. If Pep somehow wins this it'll be by far the most impressive victory in his time here.

I would say that we will miss Laporte & to a small extent Ederson and Zinchenko. I don' think we will miss Rodri, Silva or Sane. Maybe we miss them from their bench. I don't expect all to agree, but David Silva, Sane, or Rodri would not be in my first XI. Zinchenko would. Rodri will probably better in his 2nd season. At the moment he is a bt slow and I think it will take him a season. A bit like Jorginho at CFC (though that may also be down to Sarri / Lampard)

 

[cookster]

If they attack the bus again, turn it around, go back home and reschedule the fixture for sometime next year, when everybody is fit again. And we win!

Probably the best outcome we can hope for.

Bravo aint a bad keeper but he puts the shits up our Defenders, especially Ota & Stones.

Never usually back against us but all the momentum is with them.

 

[Citizen in Pakistan]

At least i can relax now we have already been beaten;

That said football is strange sometimes, cheer up blue's you just never know.

We have lost there with full strength sides, who knows we might get something.

 

[hihosilva]

Sorry but with that defence and keeper it is a joke,i see nothing but a battering and at least one pen for them

That's the spirit Karen

 

[citymad]

We'll play 10 yards further back and try and counter attack them, just need to get through the first 90+mins

Edited for reality. Our defence is heading into a storm. The press from Liverpool will be immense. We just won’t be able to hold onto the ball enough to hurt them. It’ll be a miracle if we get something out of this. Even Peps not this good.

 

[Bellamy's Caddy]

Big test for Bravo but he will be desperate to prove a point.

If our midfield and fullbacks/wingbacks can stifle the supply to their fullbacks I still think we can do this.

Bravo

Walker
Fernandinho
Stones

Cancelo
KDB
Gundogan
Bernardo
Mendy

Sterling
Jesus

Subs;
Carson
Otamendi
Garcia
Angelino
Foden
Mahrez
Aguero

 

[BoyataIsGod]

I may get berated for this opinion but here goes:

Surely, with a big game incoming at the weekend one that although early in the season could define it, you attempt to rotate in a competition where you are already as good as through? I understand that the Champions League is something we all want to win (just to shut uefa up) but playing that team on Wednesday night did not win us the game and resulted in us losing a player who is so crucial to the way we play.

I can't understand why Bravo wasn't played in that game, i know you can't predict when injuries will happen but it was always a risk in my eyes didn't need to be taken. I think we will be beaten this weekend there isn't a team out there who can withstand so many injuries to so many crucial non-replaceable players, then again it is City were talking about.

COME ON YOU BLUES.

 

[blueste41]

If we win this game with 6 of our starting XI out of the side, at Anfield, it will go down as one of Pep's greatest ever victories.

Take your point but in reality it's 4 of our starting XI, Zinchenko and Sane wouldn't be definite starters and if Sane was fit he would probably be playing in the Bundesliga this weekend.

 

[AshtonBlueMooner]

We've got a squad of players that every other team, apart from Liverpool, would die for. It's going to be tough but there is enough quality to get something from the game. Would I prefer for us to have a full squad, course I would, but I ain't giving up on these boys because of half a dozen injuries. We'll be up for the fight, without any doubt. I'm going full optimism, 2-1 to us.

 

[Marvin]

Suggest you watch the press conference.

fast forward to 9.22 to see Guardian reporter ask Pep about conseuqences of losing. Then he asks about Claudio Bravo. Then someone follows it up and asks about tactical fouling. Seriously they have some cheek. Pep dealt with it very well. I don't think he always deals with the press too well, but today he was very good. Jamie Jackson should be embarrassed. Disrespecting our players. They are CHampions. What are you? Your living comes from their play. I wouldn't mind but as Karen wll confirm, JJ very often asks these types of questions. Link to press conference is in the Media Thread if you want it. Easy to find online.