Pre Match - Liverpool v Leicester City - Sat Dec 26th 3pm

So, Here we go again...
First time I have ever started a pre match thread so I hope I can bestow a bit of much need luck towards our performance.

Our first 3pm Saturday kick off for ages and who better to welcome than league leaders Leicester City.

A traditional bogey team throughout many generations of Reds and a team who have taken the Premier League by the scruff of the neck this year..

A deserved unbeaten run of 5 wins out of 6 for the foxes and a 5'10 striker who has the golden boots on at the moment..

Can we stop them?

Jürgen and his back room staff have had a good week to work on game plans at Melwood and i'm sure the players have had a few home truths rammed down their necks behind closed doors after our very poor display against Watford.

We are thin on the ground as far as central defence goes so Sakho and Toure are gonna have to man handle Vardy and the Japanese national forward as best they can..
Our Midfield will need to be sharp as a razor and whoever Jürgen picks to run the frontline will need to muscle in on their solid back 4..

With home crowd advantage and every player playing with a sore arse from Jurgens kicking I'm going for a tough sneaky win.

Attack is our only option..

2-1 home win..Benteke with the winner.

C'MON !!

1. I don't want to see Benteke start at home. Despite their derisory performance I'd stick with the same front three. They at least give us movement.

2. That being said, I do want to see Klopp improve after his poor performance as manager last week and be prepared to change things fast to adapt to Leicester if they're doing something unexpected.

1. I don't want to see Benteke start at home. Despite their derisory performance I'd stick with the same front three. They at least give us movement.

2. That being said, I do want to see Klopp improve after his poor performance as manager last week and be prepared to change things fast to adapt to Leicester if they're doing something unexpected.

Agree with point 1 mate.. think he could come off the bench and Toshack the winner kop end..last 10 minutes.. Boxing Day knockout !

Agree with point 1 mate.. think he could come off the bench and Toshack the winner kop end..last 10 minutes.. Boxing Day knockout !

That's how I'd use him. Forget his price tag, deal with how we can get the most out of him and that's as an impact player. We're playing at home on a very good pitch, we shouldn't need to have to lump the ball up to a big man.

Agree again mate...
If he does get on as we reckon he will as an impact player he has to utilise his upper strength and we have to deliver crosses on to his head.. Ibe, Henderson, Clyne, Lallana, Moreno and Coutinho all need to deliver early balls in to him when they get the chance..

Their run ends here. I have a feeling they'll be underestimating a team for the first time this season. Never underestimate Liverpool at Anfield. Let's smash them.

Disagree with everybody above on Benteke.
Leicester will sit pretty deep and play on the counter - there's not going to be much space in behind for our pass and move boys up front. I would pair up Benteke and Origi  to give us maximum penalty box goal threat to capitalise on the possession I expect us to have.

To me though, our biggest headache is at the other end. Skrtel is out and it looks like Lovren too. So we have Sakho still getting up to speed probably paired with Kolo, who is (a) getting on and (b) not going to be match sharp either. This worries me against Vardy!

I am usually a stickler for a flat back 4, but this is a rare occasion where I'd be tempted by a back 3 - with Clyne brought in to just man mark Vardy, Sakho as our only orthodox CB and somebody, probably Lucas, playing as a sweeper. This would minimise their threat on the counter imo, and let our midfield go and play.

The slight drawback of the above is that we would be relying just on wing backs to get the crosses in, rather than wingers, so they would have to put in a real shift. But if Leicester are sitting pretty deep, or we force them deep, then the WB's should be high enough to supply a fair few crosses. ( Ibe would be my right wing back, Moreno obviously left.)

No reason why we couldn't start with Origi as part of a front 3..He's been the only one these last few games who has shown any intent when he gets the ball..
His two second half goals against Southampton should've been enough to cement a regular start for me..

                          Mignolet
           Clyne   Can    Sakho   Moreno
                            Lucas
                Henderson   Milner
                   Lallana     Coutinho
                             Benteke

Bogdan; Toure, Smith; Allen, Ibe, Firmino; Origi

Weather forecast looks horrendous for Saturday

Gale force winds and torrential rain...

Perfect opportunity to blow them away !!

                          Mignolet
           Clyne   Can    Sakho   Moreno
                            Lucas
                Henderson   Milner
                   Lallana     Coutinho
                             Benteke

Bogdan; Toure, Smith; Allen, Ibe, Firmino; Origi

The bar was not high for Bogdan to maintain his place in the squad was it! He had one thing to do...

First proper test for Klopp's tactical abilities.

He has got to know the league and his players now - we have been bullied off the ball, exposed at set pieces and been kept away from goal by low-block teams who hit on the counter.

The manager has to demonstrate he has a plan to cope with this method of play.

I have a feeling that Klopp will bring the team out that will end Foxes run and land them down on the earth.
It is going to be an interesting match with a lot of goals and i hope that the Reds will score a few more than Leicester.
I dont know what to expect,i dont know what to hope for,i just wish that they forget the Newcastle game,i wish them to forget a kick in the groin at the Vicarage Road,just go out on the pitch and leave your heart there,play like you played in the old days and dont forget whose badge is on your chest!

Leicester play 442 so time to leave the 4231 and just match them up.

Player for player we are a better team.

Agree with two up top - Origi and Benteke for me, Lucas and Henderson in the middle, Milner and Ibe on the wings.
Bold statement with Coutinho, Firmino, Lallana and Can dropped for their gutless performance at Watford.
Hope Lovren is back fit, otherwise Kolo and Sakho as our CB pairing.
Strong bench of skillfull players to change the game if needed.

Jürgen has said Lovren is available to play.

Milner is out. Mignolet is training, sounds like he could play.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/liverpool-press-conference-live-Jürgen-7067171

Agree with two up top - Origi and Benteke for me, Lucas and Henderson in the middle, Milner and Ibe on the wings.
Bold statement with Coutinho, Firmino, Lallana and Can dropped for their gutless performance at Watford.

I wouldn't disagree with this, although I don't think Milner will be fit. I'm not sure what natural winger would be left to play that, unless we go with a diamond.

The best formation to counter Leicester would be a possession-based 1352 but i highly doubt Klopp will go with that.

Whatever happens, the first priority is being able to put ourselves around a bit and imposing our game on them.

                          Mignolet
           Clyne   Can    Sakho   Moreno
                            Lucas
                Henderson   Milner
                   Lallana     Coutinho
                             Benteke

Bogdan; Toure, Smith; Allen, Ibe, Firmino; Origi

Putting Can in at CB is asking for trouble at best...

Suicidal would be a more befitting label Imo... Would rather see Kolo there. It is his natural playing position after all...

Will Jürgen stick with formation he's been using, or will he mix it up after the Watford humiliation? I don't even really know what I want to see, but I'll throw this out there:
       
           Bogdan
Clyne  Kolo  Sahko  Moreno
            Lucas
     Hendo    Lallana
            Couts
      Firmino  Origi

I want to see us press the hell out of them, and not allow any of them time on the ball. Vardy is always a handful, and Mahrez will cause problems. But, we need to be on the front foot. Couts gives us creativity, Origi and Firmino the movement, and Hendo/Lallana as our box-to-box guys. Clyne and Moreno should have defense first on their minds, attack only when safe and feasible. Hopefully the game can open up a bit, as I feel that is when we are at our best.

Very difficult to decide what to do after our last few games. I would go for a pretty attacking 4-3-3 but don't care what formation Klopp plays as long as it is not three at the back .... then we will know we are truly lost!

                                  Mignolet
 
Clyne           Lovren/Toure         Sakho          Moreno

              Henderson                Can   

                              Coutinho

        Ibe            Benteke           Origi                         
                           

Feeling low in confidence ahead of this game with dropped points and passionless displays. If only the players turn up for this, fighting for the ball and space. I also hope we concede possession to the foxes, their counter attacking play makes them clueless when they have a lion share of the possession in their half... Hopefully, we'll be the one playing most of the counter attacking football.... Chelsea & City lost to us when we played that way.

I love Big Mamo Sakho but please, please please mate, don't try any of that fancy sh*t against this mob, 1 mistake and we will be fu**ed.

I honestly think they wil be too pacy for us so we have to counter that by being 2 steps ahead of them all the time.

I do fear the worst if Kolo and Sakho on this occassion, are our CB's.

Looks like it's going to be one of those games in that whatever they score, we are going to have to score more or double.