Seeing as there isn’t one, thought I’d kick it off.
This time we go last, getting the opportunity to see what our rivals achieve on boxing day. We will be up against Big Sam, so we know what we are in for.
Looks like Milner, Thiago and Shaq are back in training, and our numbers are beginning to look less like a crisis day by day.
I expect our starting line up to be back to the current norm;
Alisson
Trent, Matip, Fabinho, Robbo
Gini, Hendo, Jones
Salah, Bobby, Mane
Think it’s important to start this little burst of games with another solid win. This games is followed by Newcastle Away (Weds 30th) then Southampton away on (Mon 4th), making the WBA our easiest of the fixtures in theory, so may see one of the top 3 and Matip rested and Taki and Rhys given another go to keep legs fresh.
Would be nice to see the likes of Ox or Thiago get some minutes off the bench.
The team picks itself, good to see the three amigos back in training today so possibly a place on the bench for whoever is fittest. Fat Sams first game back ended in disaster let’s make the second game even worse for him.
Don’t think Thiago is ready. Klopp said something about new year, so he probably needs those extra days to shape up. Would be happy is just one of Milner (pick me, pick me) and Shaqiri makes the bench. It’s still few days, so let’s keep our fingers crossed for Matip.
It’s a difficult game. I can visualize 11 WBA players camping inside their box.
Possibly this? I know this one might be too early for some of those on the bench who only joined group training, but hopefully we see a similar squad of 20 soon. Maybe with a lot of offensive options now and being linked with a move out, Origi could lose his place on the bench for another defender.
Alisson
Trent Matip Fabinho Robertson
Keita Henderson Wijnaldum
Salah Firmino Mane
No need to rest anyone for this or any of the games over the festive season. In fact I wish we had a game before this one because these blokes thrive on it. Take Palace for example…short turnaround, 3rd game in 6 days and we wiped the fucking floor with them.
Strongest side and then a few minutes for Milner, Shaq etc if the game is won, which it should be. These are shite, absolute shite, and the point they got at Abu Dhabi was the sort of point teams would spawn off us on a regular basis pre-Klopp. I don’t see their goal leading the charmed life it did at the Emptyhad.
If we’re half as clinical as we were at Palace it’ll be more than enough.
We’ve had over a week to West Brom. After that it’s only three days to Newcastle, so I’d expect Klopp to look at those as a pair. Quite a bit of rotation - maybe Rhys, Jones and Minamino getting the Newcastle game?
Then five days to Southampton, and then the FA Cup four days later. I’ve no fucking interest in that, to be honest, and Klopp can throw it for all I care. Although it would be good for Tiago to get 45 in that, so he can play against Utd. That would be funny.
Anyone know why there are nine days without a fixture between Villa in the cup and Utd?
If you look at the fixture list going forward now there are a few weeks now where there is no midweek game. The problem with the first half of season been so crammed was they were trying to get roughly same amount of games in as usual but with the season starting 5 weeks later.
