Great news about Konate. I’d be tempted to play him with Gomez and give VVD the night off.
Sadly nethier will actually happen on the Tuesday, though your in Australia so it might be Thursday or something then 
Though Slotty may get the 3 points.
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I am sure plenty of the British Karens have called in to the call centres, that’s how they learnt of their existence
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Slot’s pre-match press conference is at 15:30 this afternoon. I wonder if Arne will be grumpy having had his afternoon nap interrupted?
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Arne Slot turns to Liverpool academy
Slot’s squad depth has been tested throughout his record-breaking start to life as Liverpool head coach with the Dutchman utilising the academy with players like Vitezslav Jaros, Tyler Morton and Trey Nyoni earning first-team minutes.
With the Reds fighting on four fronts, it’s going to be an exacting campaign ahead. And prior to the club’s Champions League tie against Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday night, Slot has boosted his squad with the inclusion of two more academy stars.
Hill and Norris with first-team squad
Tom Hill has been in and around the first team for a few seasons now, making his debut under Jurgen Klopp back in 2019 during a heavy 5-0 League Cup defeat to Aston Villa.
The 22-year-old versatile midfielder was named in Slot’s Champions League squad earlier this season and he has been training ahead of the clash with Xabi Alonso’s Bundesliga champions.
Alongside him is fellow academy graduate James Norris, a 21-year-old left-back of considerable promise.
With Kostas Tsimikas now challenging Andy Robertson for his once nailed-on left-back spot, there could be an opportunity for Norris to stake his claim for a regular squad berth in the near future.
He too has been in and around the first team, playing twice for the seniors including that aforementioned game against Villa as well as in the FA Cup game against Shrewsbury in 2022.
While it’s unlikely either starts for Liverpool on Tuesday night, it will be pleasing for fans to see the academy continue to turn out talents deemed worth of a call-up by the first team.
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I await the @Sweeting report, but I believe he’s said before that it’s probably too late for Hill because of his injuries, and Norris seems to not have developed as well as we wanted?
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Chuck Norris and Terrence Hill? Who can stop us now?
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My reading of it would be that we are just bringing up some of the older/more experienced players who are a bit more physically developed in order to maintain a certain level of training. The issue with bringing up a bunch of young players all the time, while great experience, is that if they aren’t ready to contribute then you’re bringing the overall level of the squad down too much for the session to be effective. So by bringing up the 22 year old players you can probably expect a level of experience, maturity and physical development that younger players can’t bring - rather than necessarily those two being seen as able to come in and play first team football.
You see it regularly at youth level too. U21 teams will keep around players who they know will not make the grade - or even sign players they know won’t make it - just to assist the development of specific top talents. A 20 year old CB with a League Two future might be a better training partner for a potential superstar than a 17 year old CB with a Championship future, for example.
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Do I smell a Nat Phillips-type career revival?
https://www.youtube.com/live/PghTpUovbNc?si=msGihZqVByatWyxM
Alonso press conference, starts 12min10
“Stands”
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He already saw the new Main Stand.
Good to see many Konate photos.
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