Pre-Match: Middlesbrough v Liverpool Wednesday 14th Dec, 19:45 GMT

Games are coming thick and fast now, time to look forward to the next one. We visit Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium. Time to get back to winning ways!

Current league form:



Middlesbrough have only conceded seven in seven home games, winning two (Hull 1-0, Bournemouth 2-0) and drawing one (Stoke 1-1).

Team news:

Liverpool: Can is a doubt for Wednesday's game, no news on Lovren yet. He had a hamstring issue.

Middlesbrough: Friend has been back in full training, both Ramirez and Negredo have been training individually and are doubts.

Jürgen's pre-match press conference:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fl6cHd5w_rU

My thoughts:

Middlesbrough are a solid team defensively and I think that it's time to shake things up a bit. Origi has been scoring goals, but I feel like he interrupts our rhythm and fluidity up front. Maybe it's an idea to get Lallana higher up the pitch again? That would give us a front three of Lallana - Firmino - Mane and an option from the bench which we have been lacking in the previous two games. It would allow Firmino to take back his spot where he is much better than out wide. This of course leaves a gap in midfield to fill and with Can being a doubt and Grujic still coming back from injury, I'd put Milner in there. He could get back in positions on the right where he can actually get in some crosses with his right foot instead of Clyne firing them at the first defender. Maybe even give Clyne a rest and give Trent-AA a shot. Get Moreno in at LB to give us width and a decent left foot to put in crosses from the left.



I know this won't happen and maybe some of you may think I'm crazy, but it's just my two cents.

Either way: Come on Red men! Let's get the three points and get back on track!

Where are Middlesborough in the table , I haven't checked, but if they're in the bottom 5 we'll probably lose this one. Citeh struggled, as did the rent boys, so they will undoubtably park the bus. Not sure we'll have the guile to get past the clippie, but i'll still go for an optimistic 2 - 1 to us.
Nervous as F**k though, I have to say.

Straight into them and F**k them off!

Won't be easy this, they have had a mixed start to being back in the Premier League but we can do this quite convincingly provided we keep our heads!

A bit of momentum to take to the Bitters!

Come on redmen!

Could be doing with the 3pts against these on Wed night. Think we can score goals but whether we can keep enough out at other end, we will see. If we can put in a solid performance at the back, would be huge boost. Great to have Matip back - not sure what happened Lovren at HT actually against WH, and whether Klavan will start. Hope Lallana can continue his good comeback form, and interesting to see if Origi starts out and out, rather than Firmino (anyone else think Firmino has lost a few pounds?). We have the ability to beat these, hopefully we can take our chances when they come.

A simple boring 1-0 win will do me...

Can't see it being an end to end 4-4 draw.....surely not.

but then is the pope catholic?... and did that bear sh*t in the woods?

 

A simple boring 1-0 win will do me...

Can't see it being an end to end 4-4 draw.....surely not.

but then is the pope catholic?... and did that bear sh*t in the woods?

 

Does the Pope sh*t in the woods?

Does the Pope sh*t in the woods?

The old one would have done when he was in the Hitler youth!

Does the Pope sh*t in the woods?

At this time of year ?  possibly.. are there any woods around Bethlehem?

I would most definitely go with TAA for this. Boro aren't conceding too many goals and their games against the better teams they've been very happy to sit off and try to soak up the pressure. In those situations Clyne has been destroying our momentum in attacks and I'd like to give the young lad a look in, not sure how Jürgen could sell that to Nat without hitting his confidence though. For what it's worth Clyne has been doing really well with getting into the positions it's just not enough to only be there, you have to be able to produce and I've been bitterly disappointed with a lot of his recent work.

Bobby needs to go back to the central role too, with Origi up top we don't have the fluidity of movement and we become really quite repetitive with our patterns.

I'd be lining up like this:

            Karius
 TAA   Matip Lovren Milner
          Henderson
      Lallana      Gini
   Mane               Origi
             Firmino

Need to get back to winning ways and try to not to let Chelsea get out of sight, they will falter and there will be opportunities to make ground but the margin for error is getting very slim indeed.

For me, Firmino needs to play thru the middle. This game is probably where I would like to see a formation change. I would stick in Lucas as the 'horizontal' player and Hendo the 'vertical' one in a 4-2-3-1

Firmino
Lallana-Wijnaldum-Mane
Lucas-Hendo
Milner-Klavan-Matip-TAA
Karius

Subs- Mignolet, Moreno, Clyne, Stewart, Woodburn, Ejaria, Origi

Coyd

Let's get the three points. 

I would most definitely go with TAA for this. Boro aren't conceding too many goals and their games against the better teams they've been very happy to sit off and try to soak up the pressure. In those situations Clyne has been destroying our momentum in attacks and I'd like to give the young lad a look in, not sure how Jürgen could sell that to Nat without hitting his confidence though. For what it's worth Clyne has been doing really well with getting into the positions it's just not enough to only be there, you have to be able to produce and I've been bitterly disappointed with a lot of his recent work.

Yeah, deffo a switch he could make to give us a bit more going forward, Clynes a big boy, that's why we want competitions for places. Not sure he'll make the change though.

Coyd

Let's get the three points. 

What is coyd?

What is coyd?

Come on you doubters.

Sorry but not feeling to confident about this Unless Klopp switches the team around a bit, for example switching Origi and Firmino. I'm also open to TAA getting a start.

You don't start 18 year old kids in away Premiership matches unless you absolutely have to.

What is coyd?

 


coyr  SORRY, Auto fill faults. 

Quick turnaround helps get over the last two games.

I'd drop Gini and put Firmino and Lallana together in the middle. Or Bob swaps with Divock. Anything to get Bob central.

And TAA for Clyne. Done with his sh*t decisions and delivery with the ball.

Swap Bobby with Origi only change I would make.

Interesting last 6 results for Boro.  Their games seem to be pretty tight and not too much shame in losing by one goal against just Southampton and Chelsea in the last half dozen games.

The premier club now in the North East.

Hopefully back to winning ways because 5 points was probably the most you wanted to drop this whole month and we've already done it in 2 games.

If can't beat these then we are in trouble, their really poor championship team just come up to premier league

If can't beat these then we are in trouble, their really poor championship team just come up to premier league

The same really poor championship team that got points against Man City and Arsenal?

Footballs not that simple

KARIUS NEEDS TO BE DROPPED! CLYNE IS USLESS AND HENDARSON IS POOR. WE WILL GET BEAT:

       Manninger

TAA   Lucas   Sakho     Moreno

           Lucas
     Grujic       Can

Mane       Origi       Lucas


I'm just glad we've got a game so quick after the weekend and we need 3pts by whatever means necessary to silence some of the nonsense that's being posted.