Liverpool (H) - Sat 1st April, 12:30 | Pre-Match Thread

[blueabdi]

Presumably a wind-up as everyone knows about his appendicitis surely? He will be out for 4-6 weeks.

Hopefully haaland will be in contention. Thanks mate.

 

[SebastianBlue]

KDB is a generational talent as well and he made the worse decision to take the pain killer at Euro.....


I will trust the medical staff rather than a young lad.

I encourage everyone—just in general, as it is an important cautionary tale—to look into one of the primary reasons Torres fell off a cliff after Euro 2012.

Spoiler: Spoiler

He decided to put off surgery and take pain injections to be able to play through injury. Some might say it was worth it given he got a second Euro winners’ medal, but it came at a big price, as coaches, trainers, and Fernando himself have said he was never near the same player after that tournament, despite actually being in what should have been his prime at that time. And Chelsea, AC Milan, and Atlético supporters will attest to that.

These decisions, often for their own good, really shouldn’t be left up to the players.

 

[Zin 'messiah' Zimmer]

No, Walker plays and Stones plays RCB with Dias & Ake on the left. Stones steps into RCM with Rodri from the RCB position, rather than pulling a FB out of position.

It’s why Lewis hasn’t had a look-in recently. Pep has tweaked the inverted FB position into a “step forward” position for Stones, who is uniquely qualified for that role amongst our CBs.

With Bernie, that gives us a 3-3-1-3/3-3-3-1. Indeed, we have even seen it morph into a 4-4-2, with KDB getting to hang out upfront with Haaland, and our “wingers” (Mahrez & Grealish) slotting in across the 4.

In the 3-3-3-1, they simply slot into “forward midfield” positions with KDB, as a first line of defence for the opposition to break through, in addition to giving the option of playing the 3-3 in behind them, and helping solidify the middle of the field.

Expect Liverpool to go over the top and down the lines, because they know they can’t compete in the middle of the park, and also that Mahrez & Grealish do not want to defend.

Mahrez, concur emphatically, however, much as I’m not a peaky fanboy, he’s improved his defensive game beyond any reasonable doubt, post World Cup; he’s grafting in that department, looks stronger, both physically and positionally, but also the gazbaz trait of nicking fouls to alleviate pressure…

Credit when due I say; he’s still a little rugged for me but that side of his game has come on leaps and bounds!

 

[SebastianBlue]

Is foden available tomorrow?

 

[foggy1974]

Fabinho is going to be busy having to do Thiago’s fouls as well as his own

He won't pick up Thiagos yellow cards thou

 

[Zin 'messiah' Zimmer]

He won't pick up Thiagos yellow cards thou

Oh he will, just 80 mins onwards as per

 

[youngbob]

I encourage everyone—just in general, as it is an important cautionary tale—to look into one of the primary reasons Torres fell off a cliff after Euro 2012.

Spoiler: Spoiler

He decided to put off surgery and take pain injections to be able to play through injury. Some might say it was worth it given he got a second Euro winners’ medal, but it came at a big price, as coaches, trainers, and Fernando himself have said he was never near the same player after that tournament, despite actually being in what should have been his prime at that time. And Chelsea, AC Milan, and Atlético supporters will attest to that.

These decisions, often for their own good, really shouldn’t be left up to the players.

He fell off before that, to be fair. He was never totally the same after that first season at Liverpool. It was the knee injury in the 09/10 season that started the downward trajectory. He was already struggling before Euro 2012.

07/08 season: 0.7 goals per game
08/09: 0.4 goals per game
09/10: 0.6 goals per game
10/11: 0.2 goals per game
12/13: 0.3 goals per game

 

[foggy1974]

Oh he will, just 80 mins onwards as per

Not if he's managed to pick up one for the several potential yellow card tackles before then. Know as the Milner rule

 

[The perfect fumble]

Is foden available tomorrow?

His appendix is.

 

[Zin 'messiah' Zimmer]

Not if he's managed to pick up one for the several potential yellow card tackles before then. Know as the Milner rule

He could take a truncheon on the field against us and still not get booked until 80+ minutes; it’s one of the greatest slight of hands I’ve ever seen in these games, he should, and I’m not exaggerating, have had a red in 5/6 of our games over the last 5 years, bonkers; the yellows have invariably come at times when games have got beyond us, in essence too late to impact outcomes should the 2nd follow!