Liverpool vs AFC Ajax - Tuesday 1 December, 20.00h - European Cup Gp D - Game 5

[Sir Tokyo Sexwale]

11 men - without Thiago - let's batter these lot - then have a massive doobie with them afterwards and qualify for the knockouts

[Big Red Machine]

I can't even think up a starting team 

We're going to have to start Gini but god knows how many more minutes he can playing without picking up an injury. 

We're losing a player a game at the moment pretty much 

When's TAA due back? 

[Barnesy_10]

Yeah surely Trent is due back soon.. 

[Conrad]

I’d rest gini

jones and Henderson in a 4231 

Or Fabinho in midfield and matip and r Williams as centre backs 

[Jarg Armani]

15 minutes ago, Big Red Machine said:

I can't even think up a starting team 

We're going to have to start Gini but god knows how many more minutes he can playing without picking up an injury. 

We're losing a player a game at the moment pretty much 

When's TAA due back? 

We’ve got some midfielders. One of them will probably be in defence because of the situation back there. We’ve not got any right backs afaik. 

[Swipe]

This 4-2-3-1 never looks good. 

[Cam]

Gotta be:

Alisson 

Williams Matip Williams Robertson 

Henderson Fabinho Wijnaldum 

Salah Jota Mane

Maybe Jones or Firmino (and a formation tweak) for Wijnaldum. A strong midfield protects the defence, get the job done and get some subs on. 

Subs 4 and 5 should come on with "Wilder" on their shirts. 

[Hightown Phil]

Would do Alisson, Henderson, Fabinho, Matip, Robertson, Jones, Wijnaldum, Firmino, Jota, Mane, Salah.

[Swipe]

I think he might go: 

Fabinho Matip Williams Robbo

Jones Hendo Gini

Mane Firmino Salah 

[Ethan]

Yeah Fab at RB would be a smart move 

[Sir Tokyo Sexwale]

2 hours ago, Barnesy_10 said:

Yeah surely Trent is due back soon.. 

how long's be been out - 3, 4 weeks? 

4-6 you'd say for a mild-ish strain

[Cam]

Given how our fullbacks operate (bombing forward, legging it back, kilometres covered, twisting like a winger etc) I'd be keeping Henderson and his hamstrings away from there.

Fabinho is slightly less susceptible but given how crucial he is as centreback cover at the moment he can stay away from there too.

The options are Neco, Jones or Tsimikas.

[Hightown Phil]

Is there any actual evidence Tsimikas is an option? 

[Begbie]

Not Jones! He was almost comical in his cameo on Saturday...charging after the ball and leaving his position and his man free

I've never seen Fabinho at RB but doesn't feel a great fit. Think it has to be Neco 

[Nebraska Red]

6 minutes ago, Begbie said:

Not Jones! He was almost comical in his cameo on Saturday...charging after the ball and leaving his position and his man free

I've never seen Fabinho at RB but doesn't feel a great fit. Think it has to be Neco 

Neco, with orders not to go flying up into the opposition box. I know we love our full backs to bomb forward, but maybe for 90 minutes we try to get him to focus on defending. 

Ajax had a piss easy game at the weekend and have few injuries. 

Could be in for a nervous afternoon.

[honourablegeorge]

8 minutes ago, Begbie said:

Not Jones! He was almost comical in his cameo on Saturday...charging after the ball and leaving his position and his man free

I've never seen Fabinho at RB but doesn't feel a great fit. Think it has to be Neco 

Would be a pretty severe indictment of Neco if he didn't get the start, given the total lack of other options.

[Alonso]

Especially after only playing 45 minutes v Brighton 

[cocknose]

Fabinho played RB at Monaco a lot

[Swipe]

Henderson will be in midfield. Absolutely has to be.

I'd go Fab at RB and bring Phillips in. Williams has been atrocious two games in a row now. 

f*** me we need a defender in January. Apart from anything else, we can't just sacrifice Fabinho in midfield for the entire season.

[Hightown Phil]

Phillips can't play. 

[Swipe]

Sorry I meant R. Williams. 

Edited November 30, 2020 by Swipe

[Hightown Phil]

Ah yeah, obvious now. Feels like Rhys WIlliams might be the least likely option to me. It feels like you're going with a strange choice at full back if you play him to fit him in. Neco Williams at right back and Fabinho at centre back feels a better option to me than Rhys Williams at centre back and Fabinho at right back. Would probably just have Neco with Henderson babysitting him as the choice of the two I think. 

 

 

[Swipe]

Probably will do that. And hopefully Neco pulls it out of the hat. He absolutely terrifies me though.

Hopefully we just have so much of the ball it's fine. 

[Big Red Machine]

Id play Neco, tell him to play like Milner at RB instead of Trent and drop our entire defensive line back 5 yards.

 

 

[Hightown Phil]

24 minutes ago, Swipe said:

Probably will do that. And hopefully Neco pulls it out of the hat. He absolutely terrifies me though.

Hopefully we just have so much of the ball it's fine. 

I think he's alright with the ball so if he's got Fabinho on his inside and Henderson around him we should be ok defensively. Looks lost defensively at lot of the time though. As alright as Phillips has been I'm not sure him being the man on his inside was particularly helpful for him on Saturday. And that probably works both ways.

Edited November 30, 2020 by Hightown Phil