Liverpool FC v Cardiff City - FA Cup 4th Round - Sun 6 Feb @ 12:00

[Gethin]

Two weeks. TWO WEEKS. Between f***ing games. And a midday Sunday KO. Madness. Live on ITV for what it's worth.

Hopefully most of the squad will have had a bit of a rest in the weird International Break. Ali, Bobby, Fab potentially away with Brazil & Minamino with Japan, the AFCON lads will be back unless their countries reach the Semis.

We *could* put out a team that should be good enough for Cardiff without involving any of those players, something like (making assumptions on fitness of Origi, Thiago and Elliott) 

Kelleher

Neco Gomez Konate Tsimi

Morton Milner Curtis

Ox Origi Gordon

Bench: Adrian, Bradley, Matip, Robbo, Hendo, Thiago, Jota, Elliott & another ressie.

Or do we go a lot stronger and get some continuity going for the next run of league/CL games?

Edited January 24, 2022 by Gethin

[mofus77]

At least it's two weeks off the back of a few good results with the AFCON lads away, this could've been much darker but instead hope is abundant. 

Love a victory directly before the international break.

[Big Red Machine]

We're usually s***e after a break so I imagine we'll go as strong as possible for this. 

Depends on when the Brazilians are due back I would imagine 

[Falconhoof]

Cardiff will 'eye a valuable scalp'

[Gethin]

53 minutes ago, Falconhoof said:

Cardiff will 'eye a valuable scalp'

Cardiff fans will eye a valuable scrap more like. I feel like I should apologise in advance for them.

1 hour ago, Big Red Machine said:

Depends on when the Brazilians are due back I would imagine 

Brazil and Japan both play on 27 Jan and 1 Feb - so would imagine they'd be back in plenty of time, but the question is whether we want to give them a few days off.

[Gethin]

Well we'll definitely have Naby back - Guinea knocked out of AFCON

[Hassony]

7 minutes ago, Gethin said:

Well we'll definitely have Naby back - Guinea knocked out of AFCON

Salah will be back as well as there's no way Egypt are beating Ivory coast

[Gethin]

1 minute ago, Hassony said:

Salah will be back as well as there's no way Egypt are beating Ivory coast

Blaming you if this doesn't happen.....

[Tommy Cockles]

19 minutes ago, Hassony said:

Salah will be back as well as there's no way Egypt are beating Ivory coast

The non-capitalised c in Coast might be a weakness.

[growler]

I reckon we’ll go strong and then change it up. Players will want rhythm quickly and s*** gets real after this game - we need to win 10 in a row or something similar - and we can looking at the fixtures.

[Rory Fitzgerald]

7 hours ago, Gethin said:

Or do we go a lot stronger and get some continuity going for the next run of league/CL games?

 

I think will determine 90% of Klopp's decision on the team and squad for that day. There is a group of 4 games after that with only a few days apart including travelling to Italy. 

Whatever way squad management goes for this kinda stuff, he could decide to play some of our best players after a long break to get them in the groove for Leicester. Probably depends on how far Egypt and Senegal go in the AFCON to see what rest/break as well. 

I could see him starting his 1st team (except Henderson maybe) and give them 60 mins together and then take 5 players off for subs on 60. Its a big block of game.

If we can win the 3 league games and win the Cup Final, then the squad will be buzzing. I am not saying the team that we pick against Cardiff influences any of that  But its a small but very important block of games coming back after 2 weeks off and easing back in with Cardiff. If we can use this time and Cardiff game to optimise players condition, then I think thats the focus - cause if we hit March with 9 more points and a the buzz of a cup final win, then we'll be all feeling very good.

• Sunday 6th vs Cardiff (H)
• Thursday 10th vs Leicester (H)
• Sunday 13th vs Burnley (A)
• Wednesday 16th vs Inter (A)
• Saturday 19th vs Norwich (H)
• 1 week break to Chelsea in the League Cup Final

 

[Gethin]

5 minutes ago, Rory Fitzgerald said:

• Saturday 19th vs Norwich (H)
• 1 week break to Chelsea in the League Cup Final

Said in the 2021/22 thread but reckon you'll see either the Leeds or Arsenal PL game re-arranged into that midweek. Chelsea play CL on that Tuesday so it won't be a major advantage to them if we do that

[Rory Fitzgerald]

1 minute ago, Gethin said:

Said in the 2021/22 thread but reckon you'll see either the Leeds or Arsenal PL game re-arranged into that midweek. Chelsea play CL on that Tuesday so it won't be a major advantage to them if we do that

Good thinking.

I think we need to be resisting that and pointing the league to the end of the season when we have a few spare weeks. Of course, if we go far in Europe and FA Cup then those weeks fill up.

But take the chance, don't go chancing dropped league points and a build up to a cup final on the chance of a possible European semi final in late April and early May.

Tell the league to slot that into April.

[Gethin]

1 minute ago, Rory Fitzgerald said:

Tell the league to slot that into April.

Ideally, yeah but there's some teams with 4+ postponed games need rescheduling so reckon the PL will be putting pressure on to get them rearranged as soon as possible. Mind you from what I can see, us Leeds and Arsenal only have 2 each to sort out.

[downunder]

Bobby is not away with Brazil.

[Gethin]

1 minute ago, downunder said:

Bobby is not away with Brazil.

That's why I said "potentially" cos I hadn't seen the squad. Good news if he isn't.

[smithdown]

7 hours ago, Gethin said:

Cardiff fans will eye a valuable scrap more like. I feel like I should apologise in advance for them.

.

They seemed bemused that no one could be the least bit arsed with what they were on about last time and they settled down and behaved and sat nice after a while.  
 

 

[kop205]

19 hours ago, smithdown said:

They seemed bemused that no one could be the least bit arsed with what they were on about last time and they settled down and behaved and sat nice after a while.  
 

 

Aye, absolute no-marks.

[Dan]

After a couple of tickets for this if anyone has any spares. Ta.

[cymrococh]

On 24/01/2022 at 17:46, Gethin said:

Cardiff fans will eye a valuable scrap more like. I feel like I should apologise in advance for them.

Most of them are actually Liverpool fans anyway, never known a Championship side with so many fans of a side relatively close to them in the league.

[Gethin]

14 minutes ago, cymrococh said:

Most of them are actually Liverpool fans anyway, never known a Championship side with so many fans of a side relatively close to them in the league.

Cardiff and Swansea being Championship / PL level is a relatively recent thing isn’t it. Mostly flitted between the (old) D3&4 before that, most people in South Wales tend to follow their local team and us/United/Arsenal/Spurs. There’s a Wolves enclave around here for some reason

[surf]

On 24/01/2022 at 19:08, Hassony said:

Salah will be back as well as there's no way Egypt are beating Ivory coast

[Hassony]

Just now, surf said:

Don't worry, they're definitely losing to Morocco at the weekend

[cymrococh]

12 hours ago, Gethin said:

Cardiff and Swansea being Championship / PL level is a relatively recent thing isn’t it. Mostly flitted between the (old) D3&4 before that, most people in South Wales tend to follow their local team and us/United/Arsenal/Spurs. There’s a Wolves enclave around here for some reason

Kit similarity?

[Gethin]

1 hour ago, cymrococh said:

Kit similarity?

This is in Merthyr, not Newport. Although saying that, one of my classmates in primary school in Newport got bought a Wolves kit cos his mum thought it was a County kit