Brilliant performace from the team last night in what was a really difficult fixture. You just cant fault this team at all at anfield, performance levels are always high and we just seem to always find a way.
Which brings us onto saturday where lately the opposite could be said. Performance wise we havent turned up in our last 2 away league matches. On saturday we go to palace and yes invariably we get the result there but never ever get it easy against them. Zaha tends to have a blinder against us and the boy eze looks to have given them a much needed new dimension. I think this will be a huge test for us.
To have come through this period with the injuries we have had top of the league is an unbelievable effort. Things seem to be easing off slightly with hopefully matip milner shaq and thiago all back in the next couple of weeks. If we can get the 3 points saturday i fancy us to go on a bit of a run from there. The away form is the only concern at the moment. Cant put my finger on it.
Saturday
posted on 17/12/20
Palace away is a funny one. We always win, but is never convincing, and always seems to be 2-1.
posted on 17/12/20
Palace is always 1 of our most difficult fixtures of the season, whether its anfield or selhurst. They always seem to be on it for us. Its a quick turnaround no doubt about that so we may see some changes but I really hope we just go with the same side with maybe only matip back if hes fit and ox or keita in to give jones a breather.
Having got ourselves out in front lets ram home the initiative. Get the game won, then decent rest before west brom.
posted on 17/12/20
comment by Klopp klopp (U17359)
posted 15 minutes ago
comment by moreinjuredthanowen (U9641)
posted 3 minutes ago
a PROPER article
saturday is crucial now. as other have rightly pointed out, the christmas is generous to us so we need to get past this early kick off against a well organised team with a very dangerous couple of forwards.
we need to manage a few people.
first TAA. do you play him again. (i would)
second matip. do you bring him in? (I would)
third Fabinho. Do you back the kid now and move him to no 6? (I would)
fourth Jones. do you rest him for keita? maybe.
firth henderson. do we have to take a look and mind him? one to watch.
We need to see that we have rotated others in the fornt line but we saw a huge game for the season and made no subs yesterday until it was over. So everyone had to be looked at here. It is difficult to know what is right to keep players fit here.
I would be looking at henderson most of all with my thinking on fabinho moving back to CM for this game and giving williams a reward for doing ok v spurs.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
If Matip is fit I’d play him and fab . I thought Williams was good but he made one big error with the missed header and I would let him have a break before we need him again . Re the midfield it’s tricky as we have 3 players that are similar in ox Jones and keita and we only need one of them in the team . So would have to be hendo and Gini plus one of the 3 and then I’d go same front 3 . Hope to get a lead and then do some subs in second half
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Its hard to see how we can rotate safely and win the game.
Taa and henderson would be the immediate questions. We cannot rest any of the front 3 as shaqiri is glass and you might as well pick me as pick origi.
The only advantage is they have the quick turnaround just the same as us but should be far fresher having only played one a week.
Its fine to say go win it but if in doing so we lose 2 players for 4 weeks its just the same old issues.
We need to think about how to get it done using keita, ox, and the few subs we might rely on (as i said you might as well pick me or start with 10 men as pick origi)
posted on 17/12/20
comment by Klopp klopp (U17359)
posted 15 minutes ago
comment by moreinjuredthanowen (U9641)
posted 3 minutes ago
a PROPER article
saturday is crucial now. as other have rightly pointed out, the christmas is generous to us so we need to get past this early kick off against a well organised team with a very dangerous couple of forwards.
we need to manage a few people.
first TAA. do you play him again. (i would)
second matip. do you bring him in? (I would)
third Fabinho. Do you back the kid now and move him to no 6? (I would)
fourth Jones. do you rest him for keita? maybe.
firth henderson. do we have to take a look and mind him? one to watch.
We need to see that we have rotated others in the fornt line but we saw a huge game for the season and made no subs yesterday until it was over. So everyone had to be looked at here. It is difficult to know what is right to keep players fit here.
I would be looking at henderson most of all with my thinking on fabinho moving back to CM for this game and giving williams a reward for doing ok v spurs.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
If Matip is fit I’d play him and fab . I thought Williams was good but he made one big error with the missed header and I would let him have a break before we need him again . Re the midfield it’s tricky as we have 3 players that are similar in ox Jones and keita and we only need one of them in the team . So would have to be hendo and Gini plus one of the 3 and then I’d go same front 3 . Hope to get a lead and then do some subs in second half
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Its not easy. We don't have milner back nor thiago so its about how you try and mind players without failing to win.
I'd be happy to see keita and matip once they are good to go. equally they could go down injured (again)
GK alisson/kelleher
RB: Taa/williams (can't see working unless we are 2-0 up)
LB: robertson
RCB: matip/williams
LCb: fabinho/ phillips
No 6 Henderson
LCM: jones/keita (again the reserve is made of glass)
RCM: windy/ox (ox won't start, he is looking for 10mins somewhere)
LW: mane/ origi (reserve is playing terrible)
ST: frimino/minamino (reserve will be bullied off the park)
RW: salah/ ox?
I would try sub a couple on 70mins here. give origi and ox an run about if it goes really well.
There is a case to try minamino in midfield again but i really don't like it. I just don't see it.
posted on 17/12/20
Saturday will be one where it may needs to be ground out, much like last night. Continue to show signs of a team worthy of winning the league, not many wins last year were by convincing scorelines, but wins were wins.
posted on 17/12/20
No interest in seeing Williams playing. Thought he was pretty ropey last night. Caught under the ball a few times, slow as anything. Against a team that wants to attack and play football, I’d worry for him
posted on 17/12/20
comment by Manfrombelmonty (U1705)
posted 10 minutes ago
No interest in seeing Williams playing. Thought he was pretty ropey last night. Caught under the ball a few times, slow as anything. Against a team that wants to attack and play football, I’d worry for him
----------------------------------------------------------------------
As I said earlier I thought he had a few difficult moments which isn’t a surprise given his age . Wouldn’t want him playing against zaha
posted on 17/12/20
Williams i thought was ok but nit great. He seemed very slow and he did make that bad mistake when berg went through on goal.
Jones on other hand was fantastic. His control and balance is brilliant.
posted on 17/12/20
Jones is a class above most of the other youngsters to come through in recent times after TAA. Has something about him which offers something different, a willingness to get into the box and score goals.
posted on 17/12/20
I liked Jones last night, composed and a maturity beyond his tears. A real gem👍