Stoke City 0-3 Liverpool: In game and Post Match discussion

Warm-up





A cold night at Bet365 Stadium to be remembered






Starting XI: Mignolet, Gomez, Matip, Lovren, Moreno, Wijnaldum, Can, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mane, Solanke, Firmino.

Subs: Karius, Milner, Coutinho, Salah, Henderson, Sturridge, Alexander-Arnold.

 Dominic Solanke makes his first Premier League start as Liverpool make six changes for this evening’s clash with Stoke City at the bet365 Stadium.

The forward joins Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino in attack, with Daniel Sturridge, Philippe Coutinho and Mohamed Salah named on the bench.

Elsewhere, Dejan Lovren and Emre Can return after injury, while Georginio Wijnaldum is back in midfield.

Ragnar Klavan is ruled out due to illness, while Adam Lallana is not part of the matchday squad as a precaution due to a minor muscle strain.

Can't get my head to understand how Can gets game time.

Interesting to see how Solanke gets on. What a chance he has!

Bit of a gamble like.

Lallana left out due to a minor strain apparently.

Big gamble, but I think Solanke deserves it and offer us more than Sturridge.

Come on Reds, we need a win.

Would have preferred Klavan over Lovren but I suppose Klavan has played the last 5 or so games so we'll have to go with it.

Prefer Can to Henderson, bit surprised that Wijnaldum's returning in an away game and got no problem with Salah having a spot on the bench.  Been pulling up trees for us when Coutinho, Mane and Firmino have all had skives this season.  Get back to it next game and score 15 in the next 20.

Feeling fairly optimistic.

Solanke’s time to shine. Show us what you got kid.

Robertson aka the scarlet pimpernel.

We have a better squad than last season, where if we left anyone out the whole thing would go to sh*t.

Bit still a bit of a gamble without Coutinho who could be the link from midfield to attack that we need tonight. That midfield looks a bit straight lines and deliberate to me.

Perhaps he can do the damage later on with Salah it the starting xi dont manage it.

I'm happy for Solankie who puts himself about and wants to score goals.

Easy to see what Stoke will be upto with Crouchy making his first start of the season.

In for a bit of a battle, we need to compete first and then let our talent do the talking.

Still no Robertson which is all rather baffling.

Hopefully Klopp will be a bit more pro active with subs and not leave till the 86th minute.

I like the look of the midfield.
Lallana is a right sick note.

Has Robertson died? He doesn't even make the bench again!

Crouch starting I think we know they're tactics.

We have a better squad than last season, where if we left anyone out the whole thing would go to sh*t.

Bit still a bit of a gamble without Coutinho who could be the link from midfield to attack that we need tonight.

Re: squad strength - Just a bit!  Here's our team that beat them at Stoke last year

Mignolet, Klavan, Clyne, Matip, Lovren, Milner, Can, Wijnaldum, Woodburn, Origi, Alexander-Arnold,

With regards to Coutinho - don't think we've had many good results with him in the side this season so not a huge issue there for me personally.  If I was handed a magic wand to change only two players in that line up it'd still probably be the keeper and the centre-half!

Would have preferred Klavan over Lovren but I suppose Klavan has played the last 5 or so games so we'll have to go with it.

Prefer Can to Henderson, bit surprised that Wijnaldum's returning in an away game and got no problem with Salah having a spot on the bench.  Been pulling up trees for us when Coutinho, Mane and Firmino have all had skives this season.  Get back to it next game and score 15 in the next 20.

Feeling fairly optimistic.

I'd prefer Klavan too, but he tends to get worse when he's on a run of games He's good for the odd game or two, maybe three, but not for an extended run in the starting eleven.

Can see why he prefers Lovren in this game though. He's a more aggressive header of the ball and we're likely going to need that this game. Had Lovren for example been in Klavan's position for Sevilla's third, I don't think they score, he clears that easily.

I like the midfield three, it's the one I wanted to see for this game. There's no way Henderson deserves to be in the starting eleven and Wijnaldum and Chamberlain are closest to what we had last season in Wijnaldum - Lallana.

Surprised to see Solanke starting though.

This 11 looks like a 4 2 3 1 set up to me. Then again it could be 3 4 3.

Is this the end of Sturridge?

I posted a while ago about Robertson that he will only be on the bench if Milner isnt or if Moreno isnt fit end of

I posted a while ago about Robertson that he will only be on the bench if Milner isnt or if Moreno isnt fit end of

Real shame for the lad - better lb than the two together.

Can (6), Wijnaldum (8 ), Firmino (10) in the middle with Solanke (9), Mane (11) and Ox (7) ?

So happy to see Solanke giving a run out!

3-1... We have enough quality to beat them but as all teams have sussed us out, we will probably see a late attack on our defences..

Feel bad for Robertson think he better player then milner even moneo can't blame him what leave in January be honest think he be loan or sold klopp must not rate lad

Re: squad strength - Just a bit!  Here's our team that beat them at Stoke last year

Mignolet, Klavan, Clyne, Matip, Lovren, Milner, Can, Wijnaldum, Woodburn, Origi, Alexander-Arnold,

With regards to Coutinho - don't think we've had many good results with him in the side this season so not a huge issue there for me personally.  If I was handed a magic wand to change only two players in that line up it'd still probably be the keeper and the centre-half!

Well if that lot beat them then this crop should be up to the task.
 

Yeah I've seen the with and without Coutinho stats but I'm inclined to believe it's total coincidence/anomaly at this stage. Just think he would be useful today but obviously Klopp wants to try and win this without him and stick him back in at weekend.

Real shame for the lad - better lb than the two together.

Rumour is he's seriously struggling with the tactics and training intensity.

No idea if there's anything in it, but would explain why he has only featured at home against Palace and Burnley where he was given some protection by Milner for example in the Palace game and where we barely had any defending to do.

Is this the end of Sturridge?

Yep. Although, it has been the end since Klopp joined.

January can't come fast enough for Danny. He'll be desperate for a club who know what a striker can do.

Can (6), Wijnaldum (8 ), Firmino (10) in the middle with Solanke (9), Mane (11) and Ox (7) ?

So happy to see Solanke giving a run out!

Actually, looking at it again, think this could be a 3-5-2?

Back three, Moreno and Chamberlain wingbacks, Can and Wijnaldum in front of the defence, Firmino #10, Solanke and Mane as a pair up top. I quite like that, similar tactics as we used last season when we beat them and looks similar to what we did against West Ham.

Firmino could be our link between midfield and attack today, plus his extra workrate in midfield could help too. Moreno and Chamberlain providing the crosses for Solanke.

Could be anything really, our formation changes a lot.