Liverpool (A) | Pre-Match Thread

[willipp]

13 goals conceded all season is it? Including 4 to Leicester? Pep should show that article to Dias before kick off and the whole locker room can have a great big belly laugh.

5 to Leicester. 8 goals conceded in 20 games, absolutely remarkable.

 

[Zin 'messiah' Zimmer]

5 to Leicester. 8 goals conceded in 20 games, absolutely remarkable.

5 of those are also penalties, which means we’ve conceded 8 from open play in 21, which is outstanding!

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Sorry but this season still has many twists and turns yet. Too early to count chickens.. A couple of injuries to key players could mess things up.

That’s the media narrative of course, and I don’t want to be too cocky. But I know a title winning side when I see it and this is one. We are already missing our best player and I can’t see another major injury that we couldn’t cope with.

 

[domalino]

5 of those are also penalties, which means we’ve conceded 8 from open play in 21, which is outstanding!

No opposition player has scored against Ederson since November. 14 games, only 2 goals conceded - both own goals.

 

[malg]

That’s the media narrative of course, and I don’t want to be too cocky. But I know a title winning side when I see it and this is one. We are already missing our best player and I can’t see another major injury that we couldn’t cope with.

I think you'll find Mahrez is available....

 

[ws01]

Ederson
Walker
Stones
Dias
Cancelo
Fernandinho
Gundogan
Bernardo
Foden
Torres
Jesus

Keep it simple, don't go into your shells.

We need Dinho and Foden to play. They have the energy and fight required for this.

We don't need Raheem to play. He sucks everytime he's up against them.

Please, let's learn from our mistakes and just play to our biggest strengths. Go and there and fucking batter 'em.

 

[alexmcity]

13 goals conceded all season is it? Including 4 to Leicester? Pep should show that article to Dias before kick off and the whole locker room can have a great big belly laugh.

It's far from impossible that we concede 3 goals in one game, shit happens. Objectively seen, City conceding 3 against Liverpool is not less likely than Liverpool with their first-choice CBs conceding 7 against Villa. Football is a game where highly unlikely things can and do happen. We had a good defence when we conceded 4 in January 2018. Not as good as now, but still pretty good overall.

That said, I hope we finish the game with another clean sheet. Would be fantastic. Hope Pep is calm enough after Klopp's irritating comments and shows patience. Tire them down and beat them in the 2nd half.

 

[BringBackSwales]

Jon richardson , from the express i think , he is the little chap who always looked like he was about to burst into tears on the supplement , rag lover

Thanks Karen. He sounds like a very small man, a stereotype creepy rag

 

[Blu1]

Klopp is a total tit.
His sky sports interview is embarrassing

 

[Ric]

Just hope Guardiola doesn’t overthink things, as he sometimes does at Anfield, and throws a curveball into the starting XI. Just keep playing the way we have been in recent weeks.

 

[abu13]

Maybe I am the only one who believes there should be an asterix against our name if we are to win the title this year.

* Had to contend with a shorter pre-season than any other PL club.
** Had to cope with a major Covid-19 outbreak that our challengers were fortunate enough to avoid.
*** Did not benefit by having home fans at some games due to the tier system put in place.
**** Had to start the season with a worse injury crisis than any other top 4 club,
***** Still managed to win the league dispite playing more games due to once again getting through to the LC Final.

 

[TINY]

Just hope Guardiola doesn’t overthink things, as he sometimes does at Anfield, and throw a curveball into the starting XI. Just keep playing the way we have been in recent weeks.

My worry is always that he plays Liverpool at Anfield instead of the crap team they have right now.

He did the same v Rags and has form for it. Would love us to approach this game likes its WBA at home.

 

[abu13]

That’s the media narrative of course, and I don’t want to be too cocky. But I know a title winning side when I see it and this is one. We are already missing our best player and I can’t see another major injury that we couldn’t cope with.

Exactly, can you imagine going into a run of games without KDB and missing Aguero for a chink of the season, we would be screwed :)

Seriously i do agree with you, Imagine if Dias, KDB and Gundo were all out for a significant time together, we would be in a different situation.

 

[Shirley]

Think this is from the embargoed part of the pre-match press conference. First question is - will there be an asterisk on who ever wins the title ? I remember previously there was discussion of how great it is to be champions this year as teams have struggled more than in a normal season due to Covid. Now, that City are likely to win it, the narrative has to change.

Certain that’s Steve “master” Bates who asks the first question.

 

[Protein Junkie]

What part will OliVAR play today. All the bent feckers will do everything they can to ensure a title race.
Play to win and FC Asthmatico will not live with us.

 

[abu13]

Just hope Guardiola doesn’t overthink things, as he sometimes does at Anfield, and throw a curveball into the starting XI. Just keep playing the way we have been in recent weeks.

I agree, for the first time that Pep has been with the club I feel confident that we know 9 of our strongest starting 11. The two places I would say were still up for grabs are left back and right wing.

 

[BillCarlisle]

My worry is always that he plays Liverpool at Anfield instead of the crap team they have right now.

He did the same v Rags and has form for it. Would love us to approach this game likes its WBA at home.

I'd rather we approach it like WBA away !!

 

[Ric]

It's far from impossible that we concede 3 goals in one game, shit happens. Objectively seen, City conceding 3 against Liverpool is not less likely than Liverpool with their first-choice CBs conceding 7 against Villa. Football is a game where highly unlikely things can and do happen. We had a good defence when we conceded 4 in January 2018. Not as good as now, but still pretty good overall.

That said, I hope we finish the game with another clean sheet. Would be fantastic. Hope Pep is calm enough after Klopp's irritating comments and shows patience. Tire them down and beat them in the 2nd half.

Given that we’ve conceded three or more at Anfield on four of the six games played there under Guardiola, it’s far from impossible as you say. Seem to have a habit of scoring worldies against us, and taking the lead early which we often struggle to come back from. Hopefully that’ll change today. It’s our best chance of winning there for a while, but they’re still a hugely dangerous opponent (especially with Mane back) so we’ll need to be at our very best.

 

[york away to this!]

Is it too early to fire up the crack pipe?

 

[Ric]

I agree, for the first time that Pep has been with the club I feel confident that we know 9 of our strongest starting 11. The two places I would say were still up for grabs are left back and right wing.

I think you’re probably right, although now I’m wondering whether he might play Fernandinho in midfield and push Bernardo out to the right. Probably just pre-match nerves/caution, but he was excellent in the cup win at Old Trafford and is a leader on the pitch.