FC Porto 0-5 Liverpool: In game and Post Match discussion

Finally got to watch the game, holy crap!!!



What a demolition that was. So that's us through to the final 8 eh?


Gave MOTM to Milner....he was everywhere and without his work tonight, I think it's a much harder hill to climb.

It's crazy how he got away with so many fouls. I suspect he wouldn't have been so effective if he had an early booking. He was my MOTM too. A shout out to Wijnaldum who, along with Milner covered a lot of ground and played well too!

Normally I would be right there with you advocating playing the strongest 11, but in this case with this score line (5 away goals) Porto would need six with out reply and I don't see that happening... Plus the players I named need game time... CB Lovren/VVD need more time working together so I would risk them... So we play our strongest 11

Or, you can field the strongest team, pick up one or two injuries which fucks your season both in the CL and the Perm...

Player management doesn't have to be only in games.
How they approach the games will help too.

I've no problem with making a few changes, and Klopp has done that more than anyone else this season.
Gomez, Matip, Lallana, Ox are all options that could keep players fresh,
maybe even with Ox or Lallana in the front 3.

4 changes from the team that won last night without weakening it.
I'd still rather see Solanke and Ings coming on early in the 2nd half.

European Master Class Performance!

Being so close to the game can you explain to me how James Milner managed to blag the referee that the late tackle he'd just done wasn't a yellow card on at least ten different occasions?

God like.

He should have had at least three yellows

I don't think we should do ourselves down by being over critical of the opposition.  The media like to do that enough. 

Let's not forget they got out of the group at the expense of Naby Keita's Leipzig and Monaco. 

Last night was their heaviest ever home defeat in European football and the first time they've conceded more than 3 at home in a European game.

We were simply very very good.  Imagine what the teams in Germany are thinking after their league's second placed side were knocked out over 6 games by a team we've just taken apart.

It's crazy how he got away with so many fouls. I suspect he wouldn't have been so effective if he had an early booking. He was my MOTM too. A shout out to Wijnaldum who, along with Milner covered a lot of ground and played well too!

Thought the same, Milner could easily have copped for 2 yellows there only for some brilliant refereeing.
The game flowed well despite some Spurs-like cheating/diving from Porto and a weaker ref could have affected the result, comparisons with the Spuds game are again appropriate.

Porto,s manager has a conundrum...
Does he field his strongest team and go all out for the win and in doing put their hope of winning the title back home in jeopardy, or use it as a friendly and give some of the player coming back from injury and his fringe a run out...?   

Porto will need to score six unanswered goals at Anfield to go through to the QF, which I can see them doing...

For the return at Anfield I would like to see the front three on the Bench and players like Ings , Woodburn and Solanke given an outing Gomez for AA, Moreno for Robinson Can, Lallana and the Ox in midfield. CB Lovren and VVD

Bench should consist of...

                     SUBS...Salah, Mane, Milner, TAA, Matip, Migs and Brewster


                                                              Karius

                                     Gomez      Lovren     VVD   Moreno

                                                            Can
                                   AOC                                   Lallana


                               Ings                 Solanke           Woodburn

Even if we lose this 2 or 3 nil it will give these players 90 mins or so of football

That's all very well Donovan (or the real Donovan) but who is Robinson?

... and now off to Marbs for a few days.

Deserved.

I agree but for the sake of the players in the long run it will do us good. It feels like it's been non stop since before Christmas and as good as these runs are for momentum to keep the players in peak condition for as long as possible makes these breaks very welcome in my opinion!

Jürgen could invite us to the training camp in Spain to be towel boys, couldn't he?

Wouldn't want to take anything away from that performance, but how sh*t were Porto? I don't think we even had to leave second gear to win that.😁

Has anyone ever mentioned that you could ruin a wet dream?

Unreal.

There is NO taking away from THAT performance.

Football is about momentum, about sending a message.
This isn't Rodgers v Madrid where he put up the white flag before the match started.

Start the strongest team.
Maybe even get a record CL scoreline.
Hook the front 3 when the job is done.
Send a f**king message.

Sorry mate, but I completely disagree.  We've got United at the toilet a few days after this return fixture.  The tie is in the bag.  We've got an opportunity to rest the "Thrilling Three" and get some minutes for Ings, Lallana, and Ox. 

If Chelsea do us a favor then we could be in 2nd by the time we play the scum.  This is an ideal opportunity to stick the knife in.  I'd rather see Mourinho in agony than post another 5-0 "statement win" against an already beaten side.

I know Porto were pretty poor and that was partly down to us, but i don't think we played as well as we could have either.  it was a perfect display.

If it we were only 2 or 3 up then i would agree to play a strong team to finish the 2nd leg off ASAP then make changes, but i cannot see us letting 6 goals in without reply.  So i am all for changes to the team.

YNWA

Player management doesn't have to be only in games.
How they approach the games will help too.

I've no problem with making a few changes, and Klopp has done that more than anyone else this season.
Gomez, Matip, Lallana, Ox are all options that could keep players fresh,
maybe even with Ox or Lallana in the front 3.

4 changes from the team that won last night without weakening it.
I'd still rather see Solanke and Ings coming on early in the 2nd half.

A rare time I disagree with you on here. Resting a number of our starters would be reaping the fruit of our success in the first leg. The benefit is primarily the United match, 3 1/2 days later. It allows us to play a full strength team at Newcastle the weekend before, and have our first XI with a proper week to prepare for what will be a huge rivalry match.

(EDIT: Should add that it is all about freshening up our starters. The minutes for the others are of limited value as I doubt they are going to be playing that much for the rest of this season. They'll be rusty before and after this match.)
 
5-0 win away to the Portugese league leaders is message enough for now.

Player management doesn't have to be only in games.
How they approach the games will help too.

I've no problem with making a few changes, and Klopp has done that more than anyone else this season.
Gomez, Matip, Lallana, Ox are all options that could keep players fresh,
maybe even with Ox or Lallana in the front 3.

4 changes from the team that won last night without weakening it.
I'd still rather see Solanke and Ings coming on early in the 2nd half.

You still have the possibility of the front three picking up an injury that way, and the others as I said before need game time...Our defense would still remain strong and Midfield only slightly weakened while giving the front three of Woodburn,Ings and Solanke some much needed and valuable game time, minutes and sharpness against quality opposition without the added pressure of a must win game...

We would also retain a strong bench...
It would be a win win for us...

Yes I would like to see us set records, but at the end of the day If it is a choice of  setting a record in the CL or a possibility of resting players so we may advance in the League and CL then it would have to be the latter...

I would rather have a fresh Mane,Salah and Bobby if we have to face, Bayern or Chelsea,Barca, Real, Juve', Spurs, Utd, City,Seville all are still possible opponents and records will be scant consolation if we can not get pass these teams.

Just like it is saying that we finish second to Man City in the 2013/14 premier league table with our highest points total ever. Do you think that Chelsea and Arsenal gives a F**k..?? City won the Title that's all what matters

That's all very well Donovan (or the real Donovan) but who is Robinson?

...  Sometimes (Most of) it is down to my phone, but on this occasion It is all me... I get carried away and  i'm too lazy to proof read 

And who is Donovan..??

how is the Portugese  sports press reporting it ? anyone. Are they stunned ?

Porto would need six with out reply and I don't see that happening.

If Porto win 6-1 (no chance, I know!) they go through on away goals.  Just saying....

Sorry mate, but I completely disagree.  We've got United at the toilet a few days after this return fixture.

I genuinely don't think this 'resting' thing has much traction here.  The players are going to have had 10 days off.  We beat Real Madrid and then United a few days later with strong sides. 

Sure they don't have to play for 90 minutes but I think we should select a strong XI.

Let's hope United have a tricky time in Seville next week because then they will also have to be concerned about their second leg after the game v us.

One of the best performances by an English side in Europe ever.
we didn't even play at our best.

I hope we get a great quarter final draw.

I genuinely don't think this 'resting' thing has much traction here.  The players are going to have had 10 days off.  We beat Real Madrid and then United a few days later with strong sides. 

Sure they don't have to play for 90 minutes but I think we should select a strong XI.

Let's hope United have a tricky time in Seville next week because then they will also have to be concerned about their second leg after the game v us.

Agree, start with the same X1, get ourselves a two/three goal lead, then we can start resting, there are 3 1/2 days to recuperate and re-charge before we batter scumchester.

YNWA

If Porto win 6-1 (no chance, I know!) they go through on away goals.  Just saying....

Yep that why i advocate our three main strikers on the bench, shouldn't need to use them thought as I believe Porto will also rest players with the League in mind

Sorry mate, but I completely disagree.  We've got United at the toilet a few days after this return fixture.  The tie is in the bag.  We've got an opportunity to rest the "Thrilling Three" and get some minutes for Ings, Lallana, and Ox. 

If Chelsea do us a favor then we could be in 2nd by the time we play the scum.  This is an ideal opportunity to stick the knife in.  I'd rather see Mourinho in agony than post another 5-0 "statement win" against an already beaten side.

100% agree, with a 5-0 lead we just need to make sure we have a fairly decent defence in place plus a solid "DM" and then we can experiment a bit with the attack and midfield. Have some firepower on the bench if needed.

I genuinely don't think this 'resting' thing has much traction here.  The players are going to have had 10 days off.  We beat Real Madrid and then United a few days later with strong sides. 

Sure they don't have to play for 90 minutes but I think we should select a strong XI.

Let's hope United have a tricky time in Seville next week because then they will also have to be concerned about their second leg after the game v us.

Just want to point out Sturridge got injured in the first tree minutes the other night... Now I know that was Sturridge but that is how easy things can happen and IMO If Porto plays a team of mostly fringe players and players wanting to prove themselves to the manager tackles will go flying in...

But that's what I would do. But I am not Klopp am I