Pre Match | LFC v AFC Bournemouth (H) | 15/08/2025 - 8pm

Alrighty. I just find such word twisting uncomfortable, since its often malicious and igores nuances in an argument. Glad to see this was merely a joke.

Doth protest too much. :rofl:

Meh. honestly, I would like 1-2 :wink:

I took it as a joke, you are spending too much time in the American Thread :face_blowing_a_kiss:

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I’ve got 3 and they’re great but 1-2 sounds like a wise plan :rofl:

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Different circumstances will lead to different players starting. That’s what I’d do here, not what I think Slot will do (although it wouldn’t surprise me because it’s not something radical).

Whether you call it fluid (that can be a nice word of explaining evetything while saying nothing) or not, we are playing with double pivots under Slot. Within that, of course there are differences between Gravenberch and Mac Allister. In some games in the second half of last season, we did go more 4-3-3 shape.

What discussion? It’s nothing special of a topic, the realization of our midfield shape most of the time and if it’s this or that player in some positions. It’s what happens most of the time.

I didn’t like Szobo so far in one of the double pivot roles (even as the more offensive one of the two). I also don’t want Mac Allister who is not up to speed and doesn’t have 90mins in him (at least that’s what Slot said before the CS) as a single pivot in the 4-3-3 shape. Especially with how many counter attacks we are conceding at the moment. Szobo playing as the RCM in a 4-3-3, single #10 in a 4-2-3-1 and LCM in a 4-2-3-1 is all different. And partnerships matter of course.

It doesn’t matter if it’s “only a weakened Bournemouth at home”, that we would suddenly go with the more offensive option in every position by default. We went to Ipswich away last season and played Szobo behind Jota, so what. You can go too offensive at times.

Slot said a few days ago that the left side is also where he sees Wirtz playing. And yeah as it’s still early, we will see what that means for the way we use Kerkez.

My suggestion is nothing weird, I’m basing it on the circumstances of the moment, taking different situations into account and how we’ve looked so far this summer.

So
You don’t like Szoboszlai or MacAllister in the double pivot…
Who starts there? In your team…

Edit…
Fluid might say very little.
You can also overcook the onions.
A la Cardiffpete

I recall Slot saying last year that he wanted players to stay at home on the night before matches because they sleep better there.

From what women of child baring age have told me, most men wouldn’t be woken by a crying baby even if the baby monitor was attached to their ear via a Marshall anp.

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As long as Jones doesn’t start we should win this comfortably.

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A top European basketball player, who is now retired, would banish his wife and kids, all five of them, to the lower floors of his house before game days.

He was a great player, but also a total prick.

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You sure that wasn’t Josef Fritzl?

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Bravo! :clap:

Press conference is still on Friday morning at 09:00:

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Like I said in the original post, I’d go Jones (in Gravenberch’s role) and Mac Allister (hopefully he can give us at least 60 minutes) at the base, Szoboszlai in front at #10 and Wirtz in the left half space. With our difficulties in midfield (Gravenberch missing, Mac not being 100% up to rhythm), I think it’s not a bad idea to have an extra player for control. Because we didn’t have enough of it, Szobo lost a few very easy balls in the second half which led to Slot immediately pushing up further up (when we switched to that double false #9, after Ekitike went off). I’m not saying it’s a disaster if we go again with Szobo as one of the two deeper. We might play well and win, but I didn’t like how it looked so far.

The guy who had a 100% pass completion last game.

Yeah that guy. 100% completed back passes.

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https://x.com/LFC/status/1955572627692462396

“Frimpong vibes”

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With that sort of pressure, coming on the back of the loss to Palace, this is Slot’s first real test.

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Exactly !

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Match Officials

Referee: Anthony Taylor. Assistants: Gary Beswick, Craig Taylor. Fourth official: Farai Hallam. VAR: Michael Oliver. Assistant VAR: Thomas Bramall.

Translation for viewers in Scotland: Wank, wank, wank, good guy, wank, wank.

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Very excited for the season to start, I’m sick to the teeth of transfers! Never thought it would happen. My guess was we would start the season with as few changes as possible to the starting 11 to keep some stability and enforce the message that places have to be won. However seeing the last couple of preseason games, it doesn’t look like that’s how Slot sees it. Still my 11 would be;

——————Becker———
Frimpong—Konate-VVD—Robertson
——-————Grav———
————-Szobo—-Macca—-
——-Salah—-Wirtz——Gakpo

Assuming Grav is back and Bradley still out. Win the midfield battle first, assert some dominance and bring Ekitike on in the second half to score a brace.

Let’s bring home number 21 for our number 20.

Gravenberg is suspended for the first game!

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