I’m talking myself into playing both new CBs, to have Fabinho and Henderson in midfield, with Thiago hopefully. Maybe a bit too much, but the squad needs a bit of a jolt, and that would certainly provide one.
Come the game, if Liverpool tweet out a lineup with both in, I may then be shitting myself a bit with worry, but sounds great to me now a few days away from kickoff.
I don’t think so. All teams must currently have low-intensity training sessions, as the matches keep piling up.
But I wonder if something different was done at pre-season level. Our pre-season was intense as ever, albeit shorter than usual. Injuries hit us very early in the season, and it went from bad to worse.
On the other hand, both Cheaty and Utd had a difficult start to the season, not many injuries, and reached gradually top form, especially Cheaty. Maybe their respective pre-season trainings were less intense than ours?
As silly as it sounds because Citys season started late everyone seems to have forgotten about them.
Flavor’s of the week this season have been (early champions) Everton & Spurs plus Villa. Leicester and United - and all the while City have gone about quietly winning games. They aren’t blowing teams away so not getting headlines - but winning 2-0 playing in 3rd gear gets the job done and because they finally have a settled CB pairing they can take the 2nd half of games as a stroll.
They’ve silently gone back to the top of the league while every point United get is shouted about from the rooftops by every media outlet available.
I hate City’s oil money but they’ve done well this season. Aguero hasn’t featured, De Bryune missed a few and at one point they had no forwards but still have managed to go top.
Alisson, Trent, Kabak, Fabinho, Robertson, Henderson, Thiago, Gini, Salah, Bobby, Mane.
Smash these shower of cunts. 
Keep the bad feelings coming then. None of my voodoo magic (Lucky undies and hanky. Lucky tee shirt, watch and bracelet) haven’t really worked recently. Any superstitions that any TAN members have need to be used fully from now on.
As to the game, I’ll trust Jürgen and his team to work out the formation, tactics and personnel to bring the points home.
COYR YNWA 
Just tea thank-you 
And a little of the old westman’s weed, obviously.
My Dad was Scottish. One of the fondest memories of him is him scaring the 5h17 out me and my sisters by telling ghost stories in a similar tone to Fraser’s “We’re doomed”. Me and my sisters would be squealing and ducking under the covers and my Mum would be shouting at him to stop so she could get us to sleep. 
COYR YNWA
Pep saying he is going to “set the record straight” with The Boss when he sees him. Evidently he didn’t take too kindly to The Boss saying City had 2 weeks off. He said he “didn’t expect these comments” from Jürgen. Ok, Pep.
More:
I’m not irritated, I didn’t expect it, not from him," Guardiola said.
“I’m surprised. I thought Jurgen was not that type of manager, like other ones who are usually doing it. I didn’t expect that comment. But maybe it was a misunderstanding from him. If he sees the calendar again he will realise it was not two weeks, it was two months.”
I hope Jurgen will also set the record straight - how Pep is a cheating fraud who couldn’t win a bean if he had any kind of budget and has spent more on full backs than our entire team.
More from the Pep talk:
"He knows it’s not true, come on! Nobody in the Premier League has had two weeks off! Some of them [managers] with that kind of situation, they do it for a purpose but I didn’t expect he would.
“I thought he’s not that type of guy, but if he did it: OK. Maybe I was wrong.”
Pretty sure Klopp will just laugh that off. Will be interesting to see. Pep once again surprises with his petulance. Easy to talk shite when you are winning I suppose.
We really need to see Fabinho back in midfield. Henderson’s passing ability is needed from centre back. Either of the new boys alongside him. Sterling and Jesus believe their own hype and are pretty shit tbh. This’ll be won or lost in midfield. FFS Firmino, get a grip, senor.
I’d like JK to ask the hypocritical yellow-ribbon wearing bald cunt if he’s the “type of manager” who takes blood money from human-rights abusing, gay-persecuting fucking scum.
Don’t let facts get in the way of a good argument…
City did not have two weeks off. The longest gap they have had was eight days, between Newcastle on Boxing Day and Chelsea on 3rd January.
Yes, Guardiola is a whiny, cheating fraud. But he is right in this particular instance.
Fuck him anyway.
Did klopp say something like ‘about two weeks’ very flippantly
As though tge actual timing wasn’t the point.
I do like though that peps run with it, I get the feeling klopp was making a completely different point about rest breaks, but pep wants to act the big cheese, could’ve just ignored but he’s started banging on about having 2 months off or something…,… whatever mate
PS
Go on pep, confront Juergen…I’m sure he won’t give a fuck about your flat track bully routine…
[quote=“Commando, post:46, topic:1660, full:true”]
Keep the bad feelings coming then. None of my voodoo magic (Lucky undies and hanky. Lucky tee shirt, watch and bracelet) haven’t really worked recently.
Thought if you were Commando… you didn’t wear any…!! 
The point is why is Pep making a big deal of some clearly said in passing.
He is trying to make a mountain out of a molehill.
Because he’s a passive aggressive, hypocritical cheating cunt. I hope Jurgen gives him the ‘twice’ gesture
Can’t stand City, they’ve become so cocky and entitled, they cheat, and they’ve developed a deep resentment towards LFC. They try and justify the latter on the bus incident, what they see as ref bias in our favour (laughable), or some other weird reason that only they could concoct, but basically it’s envy because their club is just a soulless place full of hypocritical mercenaries.
Clearly the team selection depends on availability and I’m hoping that Alisson, Mane and Fab are available.
The 433 has worked well for us in the past, but unless I’m just not skilled enough to see what he’s contributing just now, for me Bobby’s form leaves us at least half a man down, and a lack of any viable alternative false 9 is a concern. If Jota was fit I’d go 433, but think that we’d be better off with an extra midfielder for this one, rather than Bobby dropping off into midfield looking for the ball.
We need to compete in midfield, and protect the defence with good ball winners sitting directly in front of it, where City do a lot of damage between the lines.
Fitness permitting, I think we definitely need ether Hendo or Fabinho in midfield and I wonder whether Phillips is suited to City’s type of forwards.
Maybe a diamond midfield of Hendo or Fab at the base (the other at centre back), Milner and Gini either side, Thiago at the tip, with Mane and Mo as roaming forwards, is the way to go.
If Milner is feeling his recent exertions, we could always rest him, but I’ve seen nothing from Oxlade or Shaqiri recently to suggest they warrant a starting place in this one. Jones has been hit and miss too, but maybe he could play in the diamond.
Fitness permitting, nailed on starters would be Alisson, TAA, Robbo, Hendo, Fab, Thiago, Mane and Mo, with three from Phillips, Kabak, Milner, Gini, Jones and Bobby.
We can’t afford any passengers in midfield or attack, so I’d probably use Gini and Milner, and try Kabak in defence.
Tomorrows match is a dress rehearsal for CL…
COYR