Pre-Match: Liverpool V Man City (Champions League Quarter Final) 4th April 19:45

They play three in the middle so we need to match up with them. We'd get slaughtered if we go 5 at the back.

Midfield is key for this game.

we wouldn't in TAA made runs forward with matip covering.

On Jürgen's command unleash hell

All I hope is we come out faster than we started against Palace otherwise Citeh could tear us a new one. Sure Jürgen will have them fired up,  and a packed and noisy Anfield under the floodlights can only help.

Can't wait for this one although nervous at the same time,  think it is going to be close over the two legs, and whoever wins I think will go on to win the whole thing.

C'mon the Redmen.

This from the ''Liverpool'' Echo printed and sourced in Manchester:

Garth Crooks said ''For an hour Sadio Mane terrified the Palace defence but how Jürgen Klopp had the brass neck to even suggest the striker deserved a penalty after James McArthur appeared to make contact in the box I have no idea.
How many times do I have to say this - contact in the box doesn't automatically mean a penalty, a foul does.

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/liverpool-live-blog-salah-city-14482597

An affected description of the actual event.
 James McArthur did not appear to make contact, he definitely did make contact as a re-run showed, that constitutes a penalty.
The only conclusion is the official who seemed visually challenged from his previous decisions, did not see the contact and booked Mane for diving.

Garth Crooks is having it all day being the massive bullshitter he is.
 

I'm absolutely buzzing for this. I usually sit in the upper cenny but I'm bang in the middle of the kop on Wednesday and that's where you want to be for nights like this!

God I've missed these nights. I'm so excited. I still get as excited now as I did when I was 5. Anfield under the floodlights, scarves and flags out, the electric atmosphere, you just can't beat it. It really is magic.

Now that hippy stuff is out the way, onto the line up. For me, one of the key areas is right back. I've voiced my concerns about it for a long time now and for this game I would not start trent. Clyne won't be match fit so up you step professional and reliable James Milner. He did a cracking job for us at left back last season and now it's time to do the same at right back. Get in there and do a job on sane lad. Do not give him a sniff.

Another reason why I'd play milner at right back is that it frees up a slot in midfield for somebody much more quicker than him, with more energy, more skill, more buzz. How you doing Ox mate? Get your boots on son. You're going in.

My team would be:

Karius

Robbo
VVD
Matip
Milner

Gini
Can
Ox

Salah
Mane
Bobby


We're up against a top top team but we're also a top top team. Away goals in this leg, and the second leg, will prove vital. As long as they don't score on Wednesday then it'll be a good result.

Make us proud lads. Give it your all that's all we ask.

After reading your post you have me convinced that playing Milner at RB is the smart move, i had Clyney to come back in but its probably too much to ask him to perform at his best in such a pivotal game,
Playing young Trent there will play into their thoughts of him as a weakness, so yeah playing Milner to do a specific job makes sense,

Still not comfortable having Henderson starting for reasons already mentioned but i guess Jürgen will see him as a shoein alongside Can, i agree tho that Ox is a better option than Gini ,

Like i said before we need to keep the goals against to a bare minimum preferbly F**k all,

The whole world it seems has City in the semi's, the whole f***in world were wrong in '05' and their f***in wrong again !!


3-1 MIGHTY REDMEN


YNWA

Can see this happening but If I was Klopp I would go with
                               
                                                Karius
                            TAA   Lovren   VVD   Robertson       
                                         Henderson
                                  AOC                Moreno
                             
                             Salah       Firmino      Mane

Playing both The Ox and Moreno would really give both of city's fullback something to think about and they would have to sit back more, also would help both our full backs out with cover

Let me get this right you want to play 3 players out of position in our biggest game of the season ?

Why oh why would you play Roberston right wing back?

You need to get back to reality mate get off the smoke.

Can't for the life of me understand why people would want Milner at RB up against Sane. Do people not see him struggle in midfield whenever he comes up against quicker players? Do you want to put him up against one of the quickest and most agile players in the world? Milner struggled against the likes of Cabaye, Milivojevic and McArthur, making needless fouls. What do you think it'll be like against Sane? He'll be on a yellow within 30 minutes and limited in his play for the rest of the game.

Trent, with his flaws, is the only viable option for me. Have Chamberlain, who also has plenty of pace, start with him on the right side to help out with Sane and provide cover. I don't want to see Milner anywhere near the starting 11 against City. Did people not see what happened when he replaced Can in the 4-3 win against them? He just can't keep up with the pace anymore. He's a good option in certain games, but this is not one of those games.

As for the midfield: Can, Wijnaldum and Chamberlain provided a masterclass in the home game against them. Plenty of pace, power, energy in that midfield. Wijnaldum is tailor made for these quick transition type of games. Chamberlain can run at Otamendi and Kompany while Can harrasses Silva and De Bruyne. If Can isn't fit, Henderson gets the nod for me.

At CB I've gone for Matip. It'll be a football game, not a scrap fight against the likes of Lukaku and Benteke. We'll need footballers on the pitch and his passing is better than Lovren's.



Two changes from the side that beat that lot at home: Trent in for Gomez and Matip for Lovren.

3-5-2 or anything with three at the back isn't an option for me either. City started that way against the bitters and they can easily mirror that formation. We'd get 1 v 1 battles all over the pitch and we'll be getting torn a new one on the wings against the likes of Sane, David Silva on the left and De Bruyne, Walker on the right. We need to shut down the half spaces, much harder to do so when you're only playing 2 in midfield. We need the midfield 3 to effectively shut them down in those areas.

Really looking forward to this game!

Really looking forward to this game and I think the two legs will produce some great football.

I can see where Danzel is coming from in regards to Milner at LB but also see why many would play him there.

I thought I would like to see Milly there as Trent can be very open but thinking about it again today we will beat them by playing our best football and taking the game to them so I'd go:

Karius

Trent    Matip    Virgil   Robertson

Henderson

Chamberlain      Gini

Salah    Firmino    Mane

Agree with Danzel Milner would be absolutely rinsed by Sane.
It’s clear Clyne won’t be starting otherwise he would have seen some action against Palace.
So it’s really a toss up between TAA and Gomez if he is fit, both will need major baby sitting and in particular from the 3 in front.

Having slated Gini against Palace this is the sort of game he excels where there is a midfield battle, his athleticism and running power will be needed.
Hendo will start so a toss up between Ox and Can, I would be tempted to start Can and bring on Ox in the second half.

We showed in the last game that if you knock City if their stride and press them into mistakes that is how to beat them.
No point trying to dominate the play as our midfield is just not good enough.

One things for sure they will know they have been in a game!

Agree with Danzel Milner would be absolutely rinsed by Sane.
It’s clear Clyne won’t be starting otherwise he would have seen some action against Palace.
So it’s really a toss up between TAA and Gomez if he is fit, both will need major baby sitting and in particular from the 3 in front.

Seeing how Gomez was hurt on International and Klopp said he was out for 3-4 weeks and he's not even back to practicing yets I dont think it's any sort of toss up.

Seeing how Gomez was hurt on International and Klopp said he was out for 3-4 weeks and he's not even back to practicing yets I dont think it's any sort of toss up.

That’s why I said if fit 

RB has to be Trent really, just no other viable alternatives. Hopefully he'll be alright, at least City won't expose his poor positioning from the long ball like United and Palace have but Sane does obviously pose a different sort of threat.

Ox simply has to play in that midfield, we sorely missed his energy and ability to run with the ball against Palace. I'd put Can in there if he's fit and then it's a toss up for final spot really but I'd edge towards Gini and have Hendo miss out.

As for the match itself - who knows what the F**k will happen. They're probably favourites as it's over two legs but if we play to our potential for the whole 180 minutes then we can do it. Just can't afford five minutes of madness like Saturday when Benteke missed twice as a team like City will punish us like they did to Everton.

Trying to be realistic, think this game might end up 2  2. Obviously not the result wanted, problem is any sort of lead can be wiped out, by a side as capable as City. Certainly need to defend better than of lately, whilst our strike force can tear up any defence, so who knows what will happen over the two legs.

Agree with Danzel Milner would be absolutely rinsed by Sane.

Agree here. There is little point us worrying about which right back because Sane would do all of our options over.

We've got to concentrate on giving them something to worry about.

Agree here. There is little point us worrying about which right back because Sane would do all of our options over.

We've got to concentrate on giving them something to worry about.

Yup. There's no perfect option there for us, but as I said just after the Palace match, TAA is still the one Klopp is most likely to select. Milner would get the nod over Ox, but I don't think we'll ever see Ox at outside back for us unless there is some kind of mysterious Red rash going around the changing room.

Our strength is going forward and TAA is our best option re that.

Jürgen's choice for our midfield three is harder to predict, for me.
 

Let me get this right you want to play 3 players out of position in our biggest game of the season ?

Why oh why would you play Roberston right wing back?

You need to get back to reality mate get off the smoke.

It is at left back that i have placed Robertson mate, think that you need to stop smoking 

Guarantee they are much more nervous about this than we are.

I wouldn't be that sure... our attack is great, but to put it in perspective they have scored 13 more goals with one game less...

Let's get the same result we did against Porto in the 1st Leg.

I would still sh*t myself at the thought of going to their place, even if it was the same 1st Leg score as Porto.

I wouldn't be that sure... our attack is great, but to put it in perspective they have scored 13 more goals with one game less...

Yeah mate, but to put that in perspective,  we've scored 28 goals to their 19 in the Champions League this season (I think).

Just on the RB options..

Sure Sane would have the edge on Milner for pace, no doubt.
But its not pace at RB that is the main concern in recent games - it's TAA's concentration, allowing guys to get the wrong side of him, getting into bad positions relative to his man. Happened at least twice against Palace, and those plays were almost a copy of the ones in the Manure game - long ball from the back, big man heads on, TAA's man is in on goal. Nothing fancy.
Cost us against Utd, lucky enough to get away with the points at Palace.

Tbh I don't expect Jürgen will start Milner. He hasn't played there. But from a defensive point of view, think he would have better concentration and more intelligence with his positioning, which can make up for a lack of pace. Being in the right position means you don't need to make up yards.

In saying that, maybe we're less likely to see that kinda of approach from Pep - a big man heading a long ball on into space. He's not one for percentage plays, so could be that TAA doesn't come up against a similar ploy. We'll see.

small print - think TAA has bags of potential and if he plays, will be rooting for him. But would be nervous based on what have seen recently.

I think for the first time in my life I am going to be rooting for Mancs to get a result against City on Saturday. Confidence goes a long way in footbal and I really don't want City to win the league 3 days prior to the return leg, and roll that confidence with them to the pitch.

Yeah mate, but to put that in perspective,  we've scored 28 goals to their 19 in the Champions League this season (I think).

Fair enough, but the difference is that in the league we all play the same teams, in the UCL we probably had the easiest of all groups.
And still they qualified with 15 pts whilst we had 12

Is it the case, in this game, to fight fire with fire, which sure could be a cracker for the fans.