I’ll be at this one as usual with the home CL games, in the Anni, but going with my brother rather than brother in law on this occasion.
Expect us to go stronger than most expect/want, and want the win to guarantee we finish in the top 8, with the liklihood we finish top. Winning 8 from 8 would surely be something not achieved often going forward.
I think we will go relevatively strong maybe changes at Full back and rotation of forwards.
The last time i was at Anfield Bradley put that challenge in. Would happily see him from the start.
Very likely starter I’d imagine.
Not sure how long the current format is likely to last - I’d expect it’s the sort of thing that would happen every few years so not that rare. Equally I doubt we still have this format in 10 years time so no-one is going to remember 24/24 points. I also can’t remember if the top 8 are seeded for the round of 16 aka 1 plays against the lowest playoff winner etc. Maybe a slight advantage if so but equally the positioning of several of the tougher clubs may be a little random. What really matters is that we win our next four league games, so definitely on board with resting a few key players to aid that.
I think as @Mascot pointed out we tend to need rhythm in order to do well. I suspect resting will come in the form of players like Gravenberch, Alexander-Arnold, and Robertson starting on the bench to come on after 60 minutes or vice versa.
Maybe even a van Dijk-Quansah pairing.
By all accounts Lille are a decent outfit. Being in 8th place they will be looking to get something out of this match and being underdogs will suit them. They could give us a run for our money and my feeling is Slot will not be messing around.
French commentary will be annoying for me.
Good.
Nice to have you on the receiving end of annoyance for a change.
Didn’t you miss this against Brentford and then put it in the second half? If that’s what it takes for Nunez to score…
Arne Slot pre-Lille press conference, 15.30 GMT. Arne obviously having a lie-in today:
Exactly my point.
Yeah, that was a real glitch in the Matrix.
At least this game’s on Prime, so no dodgy streaming required.
At least it’s not Heitinga taking these like Lijnders did. Can only imagine the fume…
Paramount + here. So hopefully unlike peacock they will actually show goals.
Konate just did the presser so doesn’t that usually mean he’ll start? Surely VVD will get the night off if that’s the case.
If they both play then it probably means we’re going full strength with Grav, Macca, Salah etc all starting.
This isn’t quite a dead rubber, and I think the team performs better in a two games a week rhythm. I expect a strong side, albeit maybe under instruction to play high tempo in moments rather than the whole game.
It’s also £2m for the the win, and you get home advantage all the way to the final for finishing first.
I also think the players and slot will want to top the group phase, which I think will, in time, take on a prestige of its own.
I think we can probably name our strongest team, and I think Tuesday night might be 80% of that. I think Nunez has to start for obvious reasons, and I would think about a 50/50 split for Virgil and Konate, giving Gravenberch the night off and starting Elliot.
Yeah it’s not a dead rubber to be honest.
Also being at home there is no travel and so on. Win this and I expect a fair bit of change away in PSV.