Liverpool FC v FC Sion, Europa League, Thursday 1st October, 8.05pm

With everyone getting excited about the Derby on the weekend there is the little matter of a match in the Europa League against the might of Sion FC.
On paper it should be our easiest group tie but as we all know LFC never do easy.

A opportunity to give some of the youngsters a run out, no point having a squad otherwise and seeing as though we have gone back to the 343.

Bogdan
Gomez
Skrtel
Sakho
Ibe
Moreno
Rossiter
Can
Lallana
Ings
Origi

Liverpool vs FC Sion

Liverpool will look to secure a second comfortable home win against Sion, with their visitors in Group B the first away side to score three at Anfield in a UEFA game.

Liverpool FC picked up a point on matchday one and can seize top spot in UEFA Europa League Group A if they record a second home success against FC Sion.

Previous meetings
• Roy Evans' Liverpool eliminated Alberto Bigon's Sion in the 1996/97 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup second round, winning 2-1 in Switzerland and 6-3 at Anfield.

• Sion were the first visiting team to score three times in a European fixture at Anfield; only FC Barcelona (1-3, 2001), Chelsea FC (1-3, 2009), Udinese Calcio (2-3, 2012) and Real Madrid CF (0-3, 2014) have done so since.

• The teams for Sion's last visit on 31 October 1996 were:
Liverpool: James, Scales (Redknapp 60), McAteer, Babb, McManaman, Fowler, Barnes, Berger, Thomas, Bjørnebye, Matteo.
Sion: Lehmann, Gaspoz (Bühlmann 75), Quentin, Wicky, Vercruysse, Bonvin (Vincze 75), Chassot, Sylvestre, Colombo, Lonfat (Zambaz 46), De Sousa.

• Those were Sion's only previous games against English opponents.

Form guide
• Liverpool's 12 matches against Swiss sides have ended W6 D4 L2 (W3 D3 L0 at Anfield – W3 D1 L2 in Switzerland). Their last three home games against Swiss outfits ended in draws, most recently 1-1 against FC Basel 1893 in last season's UEFA Champions League group stage.

• Sion are without a win in six European away trips (D3 L3 – including a 3-0 default defeat at Celtic FC) – a run which stretches back to a 1-0 triumph at TPS Turku in the UEFA Intertoto Cup in June 1998.

• Liverpool made it through to the knockout phase in both of their previous UEFA Europa League group stage campaigns – 2010/11 and 2012/13.

• Sion are featuring in the group stage of a major UEFA competition for the first time.

http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/season=2016/matches/round=2000658/match=2016950/prematch/background/index.html


Just win for gods sake.

Ha ha just started a thread, please delete as this is much better than my puny effort 

Merged.

Just been reading on another site that Sion have had 18 managers in 4 years and are now managed by the same manager they had 17 managers ago

Didier Tholot (April 14, 2009 – May 21, 2010)
Bernard Challandes (July 1, 2010–Feb 22, 2011)
Laurent Roussey (Feb 22, 2011–April 23, 2012)
Rolland Courbis (interim) (April 2, 2012 – June 5, 2012)
Vladimir Petković (May 15, 2012 – June 2, 2012)
Sébastien Fournier (June 1, 2012–Sept 3, 2012)
Michel Decastel (Sept 4, 2012–Oct 30, 2012)
Pierre-André Schürmann (Oct 30, 2012–Dec 10, 2012)
Víctor Muñoz (Jan 1, 2013–Feb 25, 2013)
Gennaro Gattuso (Feb 25, 2013–March 25, 2013)
Luigi Riccio (interim) (March 1, 2013 – March 24, 2013)
Arno Rossini (March 26, 2013 – May 13, 2013)
Michel Decastel (May 15, 2013–Oct 21, 2013)
Laurent Roussey (Oct 22, 2013–Feb 11, 2014)
Raimondo Ponte (Feb 11, 2014–Jun 5, 2014)
Claudio Gentile (Jun 5, 2014–Jun 12, 2014)
Frédéric Chassot (Jun 12, 2014–Sep 28, 2014)
Jochen Dries (Sep 28, 2014–Dec 8, 2014)
Didier Tholot (Dec 17, 2014–)

              Bogdan

Clyne Gomez Toure Enrique

      Chirivella   Rossiter
Ibe                             Lallana

          Ings      Origi

Defo think he will rotate for this one, won't risk Injury prone important players like Studger or shako.

Can see Joe Allen starting though chaps, and maybe Can pushed forward.

Defo want to see Gomez with Kolo.

Jose Enrique played with the ressies the other night how did he do ?

              Bogdan

Clyne Gomez Toure Enrique

      Chirivella   Rossiter
Ibe                             Lallana

          Ings      Origi

Not far off how I'd go mate although if 3 at the back is seen as the way forward for Brendan then he should be using it more often.

This is one of my main problems with him this season in that yet again we've went into a season without any real identity to our football and he's just flip flopping from on system to another.

maybe this...

------------ Bogdan ----------
----- Can - Kolo - Gomez ---
- Ibe -Rossiter - Allen - Enrique -
----------- Lallana -----------
--------- Ings - Origi --------

Originally I thought we may play three at the back but seeing the players that are expected to rested I can see us playing this side:

Mignolet

Gomez
Skrtel (c)
Toure
Moreno

Allen
Rossiter

Ibe
Lallana
Origi

Ings

Subs: Bogdan; Clyne; Lucas, Emre Can, Chirivella, Brannagan; Sturridge.

Confident of a win here, 3-0 to us.

Guessing we will go with 3-4-1-2:

Mignolet

Gomez
Skrtel
Sakho

Ibe
Milner (c)
Rossiter
Moreno

Lallana

Ings
Origi

Subs: Bogdan; Clyne, Toure; Lucas, Emre Can, Chirivella; Sturridge.

Confident of a win here, 3-0 to us.

Really can't see him risking sahko mate, not with Lovren being out, and the big man being injury prone. Mibees risk Skrtel cos Kolo can do a job if needed sunday.

It will be interesting to see if some guys get a rest here. The derby is on Sunday, but then we do have a nice lay off for rest. Could be a chance for some guys to get their chance (I wish we hadn't left Enrique off this roster), but we also need the wins at home. I'd go with:
             Bogdan
   Toure   Skrtel   Gomez
Ibe   Rossiter  Allen   Moreno
       Lallana    Couts
               Origi

We'll have Ings and Studge on the bench if this lineup stutters. I'd like to finally see Teixieira at some point too. Anyone know if/how long  Firmino is out for?

Play the strongest X1 just win the game and let the Derby take care of itself

maybe this...

------------ Bogdan ----------
----- Can - Kolo - Gomez ---
- Ibe -Rossiter - Allen - Enrique -
----------- Lallana -----------
--------- Ings - Origi --------

That's the team for me. Enough experience with Kolo, Allen, Enrique and Lallana. Ibe, Ings, and Origi provide a decent attacking threat. A win of any kind will do to help build confidence and momentum.

(I wish we hadn't left Enrique off this roster),

ffs. forgot that.

That's the team for me. Enough experience with Kolo, Allen, Enrique and Lallana. Ibe, Ings, and Origi provide a decent attacking threat. A win of any kind will do to help build confidence and momentum.

Just don't think he will risk certain players with the derby on sunday. And this is supposedly the easiest game in Europa.

A chance for these guys to say right give me a game in league. Bench will be strong if needed.

Play the strongest X1 just win the game and let the Derby take care of itself

won't happen but mate. We have too many injuries, if he risked guys like sturridge & shako we could be playing a ressie team v everton, just as some of the 1st team are finding some form.

There is the other argument tho, that the more games together the better, so don't change it.

But sunday is an early kick off, really only leaves Saturday for lighting training session for most players.

Play the strongest X1 just win the game and let the Derby take care of itself

amen to that , no danger of it happening though

Echo predicting changes as well, mentioned these guys;  Bogdan, kolo, Gomez, Allen, Ibe & Origi.

So probably looking at a minimum of 5 changes.

Enrique is not registered!!!

Let's hope they perform better than the latter stages against Bordeaux. Anything less than a win will be unacceptable.

won't happen but mate. We have too many injuries, if he risked guys like sturridge & shako we could be playing a ressie team v everton, just as some of the 1st team are finding some form.

There is the other argument tho, that the more games together the better, so don't change it.

But sunday is an early kick off, really only leaves Saturday for lighting training session for most players.

It seemed to work for many years and players knew once they were in the side they were in it until injury or poor form made them lose their place. Great if you have 24 players equal too each other but we simply don't have enough quality to put out a strong 2nd string team.
Can he afford another poor performance let alone defeat

                            Bogdan

              Gomez   Toure    Sakho
                       
     Ibe          Allen    Rossiter          Moreno

                      Lallana 

               Origi           Ings

Maybe Benteke instead of Ings if he is fit? Brendan knows we need to win our home games if we are to progress and I think he will have to put out a reasonably strong team.