The Final - Game Management

[Rory Fitzgerald]

We’re all consumed by Saturday - so a different angle for discussion to distract us for a mere few mins

 

What is it in the game that you want us to do or not want us to do ? Simple examples;

 

- Play safe first 5-10mins, get defenders to clip it down the lines of pressed, we don’t need another City or Istanbul

 

- Concede possession early and play tight to compress space and see how far Madrid are willing to come out and then decide where to engage/press

 

- If we go one up then don’t sit back, swamp them and don’t let them catch their breath after conceding.

 

- Jaysus, don’t make any mad lunges and get sent off

 

- If we’re winning by any margin, what time do we take a backward step and tell players not to get caught ahead of the ball and make sure there is no more than 10 yards between you and another player to the left and right of you.

 

- Play like we did away at Roma when they have it deep. Sit Mane and Salah inside on midfielders (Kroos and Modric on this occasion) with Firmino on Casimero and allow full backs to be the out ball with Henderson on Isco and Milner/Wijnaldum flexible to help full backs.

 

- Who’s the ref ? Are we getting in his ear. Who’s marshalling Ramos when there is a big challenge and they run to the ref.

 

A thread for the kind of stuff that plays on your mind about how the game might go or how we might manage it given the lessons we’ve learned this season.

[Molby]

Good thread

 

I want us to clutter up both flanks and stop Modric running the midfield

 

If that happened then after about 10 or 15 we’d get a chance like we had for our opener away in Rome

[Romario]

Tell the players nothing changes if we lose. Relax. Go full throttle for the first 30 and try and overwhelm them.

They haven’t played a team like us before so that first 30 is important.

Hopefully we’ll be 3-0 up on the half hour and “just” have to grind it out for the last hour in the most excruciating 60 minutes of our lives.

 

No containing b******s. We don’t do that.

 

I’m hoping mane has a 10/10 game. I think he can be the difference.

 

Terrified of ronaldo or / and bale on Lovren and Trent.

Edited May 23, 2018 by Romario

[Ripley]

Ref is Milorad Mazic

[doug_mac]

Let them have the ball in their own half at the start of the game. Let marcelo get really high down our left. As soon as they come into our half press like f*** and knock the ball into marcelo's empty left back position for mo and mane. Repeat this until its 4 nil for the redmen.

[Sir Tokyo Sexwale]

win the toss & take kick off, retain the ball for the first 2 mins or so, get a feel for it & get settled. 

 

After that fuuuuuuuuuuuck

[psl]

I'd like to see us score lots of goals and not concede any.

[Sir Tokyo Sexwale]

lots of early goals

 

oles kicking in around 25mins

[Cobs]

Just want us to turn up, not brick it (like say our 1st 45 at OT this season) and terrify their defence as we’ve been doing to others all season. After that let the cards fall where they may

 

Oh and no howlers from our defence/keeper

 

All that and I’ll be happy.

[Sir Tokyo Sexwale]

Yeah, what Cobs says. And let's not make it harder for ourselves than it needs to be (think 1H City away & late in both legs vs Roma)

 

Any Liverpool score to nil I'm ok with

[Knoxy]

it has to be just put in a performace and not panic if its not going well initially.

 

if we can get going for 30 minutes across the 90, you feel they wont be able to live with us, thereafter its whether we can take the chances in that period of time

 

My worry is we freeze and dont give a good account of ourselves, which could easily happen, but hey, if it doesn't happen it at least feels like we're back at the baize, its been a blast and recognising that to date, makes me somehow more confident that we wont freeze.

 

bring it on!

 

[Paul]

I could be wrong but I wouldn't be surprised if Madrid sat deep and tried to hit us on the break.

We have shown we often struggle against this approach and I'm sure Madrid will be aware of that.

 

 

We've just got to be cute about how we attack, make sure we don't leave ourselves overexposed and vulnerable to the counter.

 

 

If Madrid decide to bring the game to us, just press them like f***, score 3 goals and try not to s*** ourselves whilst defending.

Job done.

Edited May 23, 2018 by Paul

[Farmer's Tan]

We can't be anything other than ourselves so we will be patient but always waiting for the moment to pounce and then swarm, i hope the ref is strong enough to allow those challenges we make in the middle or up front to nick the ball off a RM player because some of those challenges are 50-50 and with a grunt and theatrical fall the ref could be blowing fouls and preventing us winning the ball high and basically f***ing our s*** up.

Edited May 23, 2018 by Farmer's Tan

[Tommok]

I think we'll score, my primary concern is a Lovren howler, which always seems to lead to a goal or TAA getting caught out by Ronaldo,

 

I think our best bet is the shock and awe tactics we used against City and Roma - absolutely bombard them for the first 30 mins and knock them out of their stride.

 

They've been vulnerable in defence all season in La Liga and in the CL and we just need to put away our chances when they come which I'm sure they will. It could be a night when Mane can be the hero more than Salah if he's on it and finishes his chances

Edited May 23, 2018 by TommoK

[muleskinner]

They will target Trent all night, he needs to not be exposed to 2 v 1 as much as he was v Roma. But it's gonna be like a home game atmosphere in there on Saturday so we can use that and swarm all over them

Edited May 24, 2018 by muleskinner

[Rory Fitzgerald]

What about at tip off, Van Dijk trots forward to give Bobby an instruction but instead leathers it at their goal and try catch the keeper

[Mick_G]

Defend well, no nonsense. Make sure Trent has someone tucked in from midfield supporting him when they attack, he is gonna have Ronaldo and Marcelo bombing on which we could actually exploit. Tuck in a midfielder and let Salah find the space for the counter then pounce, break quickly and snot them, we will get chances early doors i reckon and it is imperative we take them.

 

Essential our midfield 3 have the game of their lives.

 

Alternate Salah & Mane if things are tight switching wings. 

[Conrad]

I don't think we'll go full throttle, but I think when we attack we will do so bravely and commit men forward quickly, and we will be brave and press high. everyone has to be swirched on, as they will create chances out of a breakdown in our play.

 

we have to get on the ball early on, and have midfield posession. I'd like to see Bobby drop a bit deep to link with midfield.

 

intrigued to see what the plan is for attacking on Marcelo's side

[Begbie]

Feels like we'll have one our spells where we swamp them, crucial to take our chances during this spell. If we take the lead keep Salah hugging the right touch line to fill the space Marcelo will leave...

 

Milner to help out Trent if he's getting targeted

 

Rile Ramos, Mane and Salah to run at him once he's booked. Keep talking to the ref. Kick Ronaldo

[Falconhoof]

Madrid were very fortunate to go through against Bayern.

 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=onebox&v=Sgu6I0ZEu7k

[doug_mac]

They will target Trent all night, he needs to not be exposed to 2 v 1 as much as he was v Roma. But it's gonna be like a home game atmosphere in there on Saturday so we can use that and swarm all over them

Its not like hes up against a winger like sane. These play a diamond with full backs giving the width. Marcelo will attack him but will also need to keep an eye on mo at the other end. These c**** are so cocky they think the trophy is already theirs

[rednotdead]

Our natural game is perfectly set up to catch them. 

 

Salah to fill the space that Marcelo leaves, but Milner or even Firmino as in City must cover TAA unlike what happened in Rome.

Then Firmino to take Ramos for a walk when we break. He will follow and leave more space for Salah in behind.

Mane to run direct at their RB and at card-magnet Ramos.

Bobby and the mf to not allow Modric and Kroos time to set the tone with their passing.

Designated tracker for Ronaldo for the knockdown when they try those diagonals towards Benzema/Bale v Trent.

if we do go a few ahead like City or Roma, we have to keep doing the same. The only way we control the game is with goals and attacks. We just don't have it in us to grind it out even when a few goals ahead. But we have Can and Lallana as subs now to come on and freshen us up in this scenario, unlike in Rome.

If we're behind and chasing the game late on, bring on Solanke for a midfielder and have Bobby dropping back as worded so well v Brighton.

Don't take Klavan on for a striker even if we're 5 up with 5 to go.

[Gerrardrules]

Be brave and win 2nd balls in midfield.

[cymrococh]

I think this is set up to be a hell of a match. They are our ultimate opponents, the biggest test yet of Klopp's approach of dragging teams out of their comfort zone and then killing them.

 

The closest thing I can think of is the match in Escape to Victory.

Edited May 24, 2018 by cymrococh

[pipnasty]

Getting round the back is the only way to beat them

We have to defend and attack because they will hit us and hurt us

We've got to get to the line - either slowly or quickly

And when the time is right, we've got to hold or give it