Liverpool (H) 15/3 - Sky Sports

[jlo]

I was painting my living room wall during the game yesterday, and it was literally more interesting watching that dry - I wish I was joking.

So rather than even contemplating commenting on the game, looking forwards whatever the fixture I think we should be focusing on next season now. With that in mind, and assuming Boly is able to play 90 mins, I think we should go back to 4-2-3-1 and try something slightly different. Boly gives us more room to be expansive at the back I reckon, and Rui is in form so why not especially if it's the thought for next season. Liverpool are a mixed bag at the moment, I don't think keeping things tight will make all that much difference at the moment when their back line is worth getting at. So something like the following would be the team I'd put out (though I doubt it will be):

Patricio
Semedo - Boly - Coady - Jonny
Neves - Vitinha
Neto - MGW - Traore
Silva

Tbh, I could make an argument for trying Ait Nouri instead of Traore I'm so annoyed with him, and we need to see if either Vitinha or MGW have a future with us by playing them in their best positions. I don't think we'll get anymore of a tanking than if we played the same team as yesterday.

 

[YoungWolf]

Be interesting to see what chance Podence has of being fit, it's been over a month since he was injured now (I think?) and we have another 8 days for him to be at least in the squad. It might come slightly too soon if he hans't trained yet I guess.

I'd like to see a 4231 with MGW or even Vitinha as the ten. The WJ debate has been done to death but I still think him or Fabio would still be much better with three attackers around them rather than two!

If Podence isn't fit though, I think it will be 343, Boly back in, Traore and Neto as they have been recently behind José.

 

[redvictor]

Well...... If we ever wanted a better chance to beat Liverpool that time is now. I just hope we have the bollocks to go out there and actually press them from the 1st minute. We have the quality to do that. Have we got the stones?
Hopefully Boly is fit, maybe even Podence is near. Just get at them!

 

[Jinky]

I’m sure we can play Liverpool back in to some form...

 

[redvictor]

I’m sure we can play Liverpool back in to some form...

#fact...

 

[Tony Towner]

Liverpool are in poor form and low in confidence, so i think we should let them have the ball and dominate possession for the first half

 

[Tredman]

Rui
Boly - Coady - Saiss
Semedo - Neves - Moutinho - RAN
Neto - MGW - Traore​

 

[Paul]

You'd bring Traore back over on the right ?

 

[Tredman]

You'd bring Traore back over on the right ?

Dunno what you are on about

 

[sycophantia]

Rui
Boly - Coady - Saiss
Semedo - Neves - Moutinho - RAN
Neto - MGW - Traore​

Wow, I like MGW and would like him to get some game time, Silva isn't ready and Jose is cack.......but please, please don't let us play with a 'false 9' or with no actual striker ever again.

 

[Tredman]

Wow, I like MGW and would like him to get some game time, Silva isn't ready and Jose is cack.......but please, please don't let us play with a 'false 9' or with no actual striker ever again.

We’ve been playing with no actual striker since Arsenal away.

 

[redvictor]

We’ve been playing with no actual striker since Arsenal away.

It's a good point well put..

 

[sycophantia]

We’ve been playing with no actual striker since Arsenal away.

The strikers we have available aren't good enough but when we have someone in a central forward position ( not MGW, Otasowie etc) we've looked better imo, small differences I know but its what we've got. If Nuno starts with a false 9 in any more games this season I'll turn it off......and I've never done that.

 

[Tredman]

The strikers we have available aren't good enough but when we have someone in a central forward position ( not MGW, Otasowie etc) we've looked better imo, small differences I know but its what we've got. If Nuno starts with a false 9 in any more games this season I'll turn it off......and I've never done that.

That comes across as pretty self-entitled (I guess it wasn’t meant that way).

 

[AndyWolves]

The strikers we have available aren't good enough but when we have someone in a central forward position ( not MGW, Otasowie etc) we've looked better imo, small differences I know but its what we've got. If Nuno starts with a false 9 in any more games this season I'll turn it off......and I've never done that.

That'll show em

 

[Parkins left foot]

Until Raul can come back then we will probably have to live with Jose starting & Fabio ending - neither are the answer (either yet or ever - take your pick) or just not bother

Podence back (if he does) will help & would be inclined to drop Moutinho now & use him more sparingly - he is coming to the last stages of his career. I've loved seeing him here but the midfield needs more energy & go forward than he can provide now. Neto is more than capable of taking the relevant corners & FKs.

 

[AndyWolves]

It's really weird, when Podence played he got battered for giving the ball away. Now he seems like the key to playing 4231

 

[Parkins left foot]

It's really weird, when Podence played he got battered for giving the ball away. Now he seems like the key to playing 4231

We are predictable just now - everything slows down (apart from Neto as he has Duracell batteries)

Podence isn't as predictable (& I don't mean Adama unpredictable as no one knows what that is including himself a lot of the time) so may just produce something - we are not getting more than mid table this year & probably don't need that many more points to be certain of security so just get there & have a rest which most of the team haven't had since July 2019.

Nuno home to see his family - Neves to be able to hold his baby & the rest of the team to draw breath & see their family and spend time away from this.

 

[sycophantia]

That comes across as pretty self-entitled (I guess it wasn’t meant that way).

No it wasn't, more that I'll have no interest in watching the game.....many on here have been banging on about not enjoying watching us this season

 

[YoungWolf]

It's really weird, when Podence played he got battered for giving the ball away. Now he seems like the key to playing 4231

Both can be true but although Podence can come across as wasteful, often he is trying to do the more creative options and in the middle of the pitch, he's going to give the ball away more. I'd really like to see him have an extended run in that role because when we have played him in that set up:

Southampton (h) for last fifteen minutes: Played very well and team looked far more cohesive
Arsenal (a): Played very well and team looked far more cohesive.
Villa (h): Played fairly well and team looked far more cohesive.
Spurs (h): Played fairly well and team looked far more cohesive.
Arsenal (h): Was probably poorest of the lot but made the chance for Jose, although we were awful at the back for 20-25 minutes of that first half.

Only lost the Villa game out of those fixtures and that was an unfortunate/annoying one we should have won. Small sample but it's what I'm holding out for to see more of.