Thing is, we didn’t play 4-3-3, so there wasn’t a left wide forward like Mane, but a left winger or to be more accurate, left wide midfielder.
First season under Klopp we were very much 4-4-1-1. Millie played a lot off the sides of a midfield 4, some games even centrally. That unfortunate final in Basel was when I said I didn’t want to see Millie in a double pivot ever again. I still prefer him as one of the 8’s rather than in a double six.
Coutinho was moved basically to that left inside channel when Klopp took over. He never played the single #10 under Klopp, you must bring something defensively in that position.
Ibe (think he played about 40 odd games that season) was our only pacy player off the sides and that resulted in an urgent need for someone like Mane.
Lallana played more inside as a #10 or inside from the right in Klopp’s first season. Bobby played more the inside left channel from his and Klopp’s second season on, when we moved to 4-3-3. But that didn’t happen much, only when we had to do it.
I think after Klopp’s first season, but since his first proper season which means having a summer to make a few moves… Millie stopped being a wide player, we flipped the formation and he first had that full season at LB before being used as a central midfielder more.
That was the season when Millie genuinely surprised me. I thought okay, he wasn’t Klopp’s signing, he did a solid to good job off the sides in a 4-4-1-1, he did a season for the team at LB, but now I’m curious to see how he does back in midfield.
And he was quality, especially as he grew into the season. In that season he still has the most assists in a single CL campaign. 8 assists in 11 games.
Yeah, you got me and my bad joke. I remembered incorrectly ! Thought it was 25 for some reason. Actually it’s not that bad half the movie, the second one is way worse.
I think he will play on Sunday, but that’s largely because I think Klopp will play the second string. The focus will be on finishing in the top four if not winning the league, and the FA Cup will be secondary.
Of course the FA Cup is secondary (or 3rd most important competition), but it’s not non-important (as sometimes fans like to say). Especially with our latest results. We need a win here as soon as possible, regardless of the competition. Plus, United is not the same as a lower league side. I expect rotation, but healthy rotation and not totally our second string team. We already made a few changes against Burnley. I imagine United will do more or less the same.
Jürgen Klopp: “James Milner shouted at Hendo ‘you better be careful, because if you keep playing like this, you’ll be centre-back for the rest of your career’”
