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
