Pre Match | Ajax Amsterdam vs. Liverpool | CL Matchday 1 | Wednesday October 21st 20:00h | Johan-Cruyff-Arena

@Livvy just posted it below for your benefit. Take a night off from one of your little extravagant French meals and watch it. And be nice and thank her.

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I know we can make 5 subs, but how many players can we have on the bench in the CL this season?

Felix Brych is the referee.

Jeez thatā€™s harsh. Heā€™s just been crippled for most of the season and now a ban as well? :wink:

I was really looking forward to this one as Ajax are a proper, classic football team. I canā€™t believe that we havenā€™t played them competitively in the last 50 years considering they were one of the dominant sides in the 70s along with Bayern and us.

Given the injuries we need to be thinking about this defence first. I noticed on TIA that Matip and Gomez have never started a game together for us. I was quite surprised by that. I rate both highly but they do seem to take time to get to speed after returning to the side. I think they did reasonably well on Saturday and Matipā€™s height adds that element that VVD offers going forward.

On a defence first basis would it make sense for Fabinho to drop back slightly to operate more as a mobile CB? Itā€™s more conventional to play 3 CB when operating with wing backs and falling further back could free up space for ManĆ© and Salahā€™s pace to have an effect.

In terms of CB cover, I noticed that Nat Phillips is available. He did OK at Stuttgart last season and has more experience than Rhys Williams. Itā€™s just looking like not getting another senior CB was not the smartest economy.

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In normal circumstances, with the fans and all, Iā€™d be excited for this one. Ajax is a club I like (sorry @Dutch).

But without the fans and the atmosphere to go with it, and with the newest injuries hampering us, and with that virus marching on ā€¦ (Holland have awful stats right now: 8k new cases each dayā€¦)

Dunnoā€¦ hopefully the players will show more motivation for this game than meā€¦ :grimacing:

:stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

No problem, it is not the club I don"t like but more their arrogant fans.

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Yep. Breaking this morning. Coots has hand a look at the incident, and concluded that Virgil deliberately kneed Pickford in the studs.

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Still cant think about this game - so annoyed and angry about Saturday.

Been in such a foul mood. So angry, even when I look at Pick-Up trucks or even Fords. Hate them.

Really disappointed with the FA too. And VAR.

Null and void the season I say. Now.

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Egregiousā€¦blimey. Youā€™ve been spending too much time dining with those Etonians at the Dorchester.

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Looking forward to this midweek game. A proper footballing side to go up against, and the perfect distraction to the doom and gloom is another game, and a chance for the defence to get set for the season without Virgil.

Sounds like Ali is gonna be out till the end of the month, so I assume Adrian continues.

At the back, if Matip and Gomez are fit, they both need to start. If not Fabinho drops in. Robbo and Trent to start too.

In Midfield, if Thiago is okay, Iā€™d like to see him in with Hendo and Gini. Up top, Iā€™d assume the usual front three start. In a game against a team like Ajax, I canā€™t see Klopp switching Bobby out. Suspect Jota or Taki start on the weekend rather than the opener of the CL Group games.

That makes it: Adrian, Trent, Gomez, Matip, Robbo, Thiago, Hendo, Gini, Bobby, Mo,Mane.

I wouldnā€™t be surprised if its vastly different. Although defensively we are a bit low on numbers, in midfield and up top, we have so many options. Any of Naby (if fit), Jones, Milner, Fabinho, Jota, or Taki could start.

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If Matip canā€™t start, it will have to be Fabinho at CB and then itā€™s probably Millie in midfield.

Eternal Millie. :sunglasses:

They will be very, very careful with Matip, he probably has a season ticket for the hospital now, just to have precautionary scans done after every game or something, I donā€™t think theyā€™ll let him play much longer than 45 minutes if at all.

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Itā€™s such a shame that he has an injury record that rivals Sturridgeā€™s. I would take him over every other defender in the league not named Virgil Van Dijk.

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So Matip needed a scan after the game on Saturday. I knew that ā€˜silly walkā€™ did some damage.

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Hmmmmā€¦ I wonder if we could sign John Cleese as emergency centre half cover? Tall, can do a silly walkā€¦ and still better than anybody at Man U.

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Hes a waste of time.
Bin him off and bring someone in who can play a full game without breaking.

Why play Fab out of position when we could keep him in his defensive midfield role and play a natural CB like Phillips?

Well, Fabinho will certainly have to play a lot more out of position in the coming weeks/months, so he better get used to it. Itā€™s not like his midfield form is great lately, either. I think before putting a Nat Phillips out there from the start, weā€™ll first try and improve his fitness/get him more involved in proper team training, first and foremost and use our more experienced players.

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Latest report is before the end of the month.

Phillips only returned to training over the weekend i believe.

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