Pre-Match | West Ham United vs Liverpool | PL matchday 21 | Sunday January 31st 16:30h | Olympic Stadium

The Albert Match Days
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As I said previously, we have lots of midfield options, but it is difficult to balance because it’s best with two of the defensive four we have and one of the more attack minded.

With Hendo and Fab in defence, our best midfield is the one that started at Spurs, with Milner/Gini the two remaining defensive type players and Thiago in the attacking role.

Due to needing to keep Milner from injury, that’s where rotation is needed.

Personally I think the next best midfielder is Keita when fit, his showing at Palace giving me much hope for him as a talent, it just is the injuries.

After that it’s a toss up between Jones, Shaq and Oxlade. With Shaq as a midfielder it’s the clumsy tackling, with Jones it’s that he is hit and miss and Oxlade clearly needs a run of games to get fit so we can see his post injury level, but we can’t afford to carry a midfielder with Hendo and Fab in defence.

Anyway, for me we just have to focus on what we’re good at, pressing and attacking, and maybe cast off the more conservative but understandable approach of late, before Spurs, due to protecting the defence and trying to find a midfield that worked.

Really hopeful we can turn a corner now and put some results together.

Up the reds.

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Some rumours on interweb that mane is 50/50 to start today.

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Season 3 Mustache GIF by Rick and Morty

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@RedOpium have you been the one who first posted about Fabinhos absence on Thursday?

If so, and if Mané doesn’t start today - than I would probably start to dislike you. :expressionless:

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Play Jota instead, oh wait…

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Fingers crossed Mane starts so. :smiley:

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Unbelievable.

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Mo Salah goes into this afternoon’s game one shy of becoming the fifth Liverpool player in history to score 20 times in four successive seasons.

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From the Echo… :flushed:

Mane’s teammate Robertson has not kept the faith, transferring him out of his Fantasy Football side , which is ironically called “Show Me The Mane”, this week.

Fans of the game have been left wondering whether the Liverpool left-back knows something they don’t ahead of the Hammers game.

So is he the mole that leaks the team news :thinking:

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I FUCKEN KNEW IT

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@RedOpium

youre dead ray donovan GIF by Showtime

Nothing personal mate :innocent:

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This is the most important game of the season, well at least it will be until the next one. It’s an absolutely must win game.

In the dank, dark corridors and echoing halls of PGMOL, there was, no doubt, a great wailing and gnashing of teeth that Thursday’s chosen pairing failed to deliver the goods. No purses of gold changed hands, and camels bearing apes, ivory and peacocks, returned, still laden, to the abode of their Trucial masters. Undeterred, they have chosen to retain faith in at least one of the desperate duo and have appointed jon “roly-poly” moss, a man for whom walking football could have been invented, as referee and craig “no pen for the Redmen” pawson to VAR. A veritable homage to Laurel and Hardy.

And while it is my earnest hope that they shall meet their nemesis at Philippi, this evening expect nothing from the ref or VAR, and you won’t be disappointed.

Boudica’s mood has brightened somewhat, like a veteran of Agincourt’s might have done at the mention of the name of Crispian. She has set her hands to the plough, and un-sheathed the sword. Observing the Mem, as she is going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it, I doubt Solomon in all his glory, arrayed for the banquet, could surpass her in splendour.

Rather like the son of Hilkiah, as one equally deficient in that simple faith which the poet ranks even more highly, I have taken myself off to the potting shed rather than risk incurring her wrath.

And what of Lawro, you may well ask; what of our would be Thane of Cawdor? No doubt he received Thursday’s result with as much unalloyed joy as one might perceiving Banquo’s ghost at the feast. His genius rebuked, he has predicted a 2 - 1 win to us, like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under 't.

Hopefully his attempted kiss of death won’t throw a spanner in the works and upset the apple-cart. :roll_eyes:

I’ll take a scrappy 1-0 win to us. :astonished:

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…what?

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WTF…?

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Team news: Confirmed Liverpool line-up v West Ham

James Carroll@James_Carroll84

Nathaniel Phillips is named in the starting line-up for Liverpool’s clash with West Ham United this afternoon.

The centre-back comes in for Joel Matip for the Premier League encounter at London Stadium as the champions make three changes from the midweek win at Tottenham Hotspur.

Sadio Mane is absent due to a minor muscle injury, which is expected to be only a short-term issue, while Roberto Firmino is also replaced, with Xherdan Shaqiri and Divock Origi restored to the XI.

Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Phillips, Henderson, Robertson, Wijnaldum, Milner, Thiago, Shaqiri, Salah, Origi.

Subs: Adrian, Kelleher, Firmino, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jones, Minamino, Tsimikas, R. Williams, N. Williams.

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So is Hendo/Phillips yet another new CB pairing?

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Mane out with minor muscle issue. Not happy about Origi starting over Bobby. But least we have him available off the bench.

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Looks like Mané was a last minute drop, seeing as Adrian’s on the bench in addition to Kelleher…

Surprised Minamino isn’t starting in place of Firmino.

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Another chance for Big Div to show that he hasn’t completely given up on football yet.

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Let’s hope he takes this one! Come on Div!

At least Bobby is available off the bench.

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