Pre-Match: Liverpool U23 v Shrewsbury Town (4th Feb 2020, Anfield)

FA Cup 4th round Replay

If I'm being honest, I'm still not on board with resting the first team. 

The League is as good a done deal and you could argue this is a glorious chance of winning a treble.

I'm not doubting the talent the kids have, but we're not playing a team of kids with first team support (like we did v Everton or Arsenal in the cups) - we're playing a team more similar to which played against Aston Villa in the League Cup.

Neil Critchley's press conference is coming up imminently.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3l3zLTkf_IM

FA Cup 4th round Replay

If I'm being honest, I'm still not on board with resting the first team. 

The League is as good a done deal and you could argue this is a glorious chance of winning a treble.

I'm not doubting the talent the kids have, but we're not playing a team of kids with first team support (like we did v Everton or Arsenal in the cups) - we're playing a team more similar to which played against Aston Villa in the League Cup.

Neil Critchley's press conference is coming up imminently.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3l3zLTkf_IM

Agreed with the sentiment. Still time for the lads to have a few days off after tuesday and the like lovren, matip, keita, lallana etc needing minutes

Mon the young padawans.

I think this is brilliant for the lads, NC just said its not an U23 team, our U23s squad is mostly U20s.

What an experience for them, full house at Anfield, every chance of winning.

We played very well V villa the 5-0 score was not fair refelction, we could have scored a few and they got some very fortunate goals via deflections.

Not on TV again I see though. so possibly need a stream again.

looking forward to seeing these lads at home with a crowd behind them. I am glad Jürgen has kept his word and given the lads time off.
The CL and the league are stand out competitions for us whilst the FA Cup has become a nice day out.
I still expect us to go through.

We'll have to outscore them...could be a 4-4 or something crazy. Danger is naive defending could cost. I'm OK with the Gaffa and the squad on the break. Great opportunity for the younger players. Williams and obviously Jones. I would start Elliott on the bench, can't push it to much with this lad. Main thing for me is giving a good account of ourselves.

Might be a real b***ard to watch this one,limited streaming available at the moment,nowt in america wonder if nesn can pick it up?

Might be a real b***ard to watch this one,limited streaming available at the moment,nowt in america wonder if nesn can pick it up?

http://hdstreams.club/hd/ch6.php?utm_source=lfcglobe.co.uk 

https://www.totalsportek.com/highlights/manchester-united-vs-ajax-match/

I nearly always manage to get a stream from one of those. Bit ify if you have no virus protection and the picture sometimes freezes for a second but I've managed to see 95% coverage. You put our game into their search bar and take it from there.

Might be a real b***ard to watch this one,limited streaming available at the moment,nowt in america wonder if nesn can pick it up?

I don't think ESPN+ has a feed it can pick up and they have the rights. They are showing the Newcastle replay looks like.

Steven Hunter radio comm for me sounds like.

I still think the FA cup is a trophy we should really try to win, playing the u23's will only take us so far, if we had drawn utd say, wonder if he would have still played the kids ?

Much rather we took it more seriously and played some senior players, think we would be in with a great shout of winning the cup and to be honest, our FA Cup record under Klopp so far has been piss poor. Probably the only real disappointment under his management. The senior players from the first game got us in this mess, I’d have them back out on that pitch to put it right! Likes of Lovren and Matip need the minutes.

Although the kids played well before vs Villa, they still took a hiding on the scoreline. Be a shame for it to happen again.

Shrewsbury will be up for this massively. As good as some of the youngsters are, I can’t see likes of VDB coping against their attack if they show the confidence they did against Matip and Lovren.

But hopefully get Adam Lewis starting, looks a good player, rate him ahead of Larouchi as a LB.

Will need a massive performance from Williams, Hoever, Elliot, Chirivella and Jones if we have any chance of going through.

We will be behind you, play as you know and play for the shirt. The rest is a bonus.

We have a few first teamers who haven't played much tbh and should be crying out for the minutes.  It's very likely that the lads will rest for the last five league games if need be. I don't get it, especially origi

I can fully understand some of you guys feelings regarding Jürgen playing the ressies V Shrewsbury, and not playing Any of the first team squad, however, Jürgen is sticking to a promise he made to his players following a letter from the EPL,
the letter I believe stated that no games will be played during the so called’winter break, the promise he made to his players was that they could take days off to be with their kin/ loved ones,

I think it’s safe to say that he didn’t believe a replay would be required V Shrews, as you know, we do, but that should not impact on the promise he made to his players,

I don’t believe he is deliberately snubbing the FA, nor their cup, the FA just assumed that they could pencil in the replay during the ‘Winter break’ and LFC would just get on with it,

Jürgen on principle is standing his ground, why should he break a pledge to his players in favour of a organisation that assumes footballl clubs, it’s mangers, players, playing staff  will just drop everything to appease their competition, when said football club were instructed not to play ANY matches during the ‘Winter Break’ by the EPL.

It is not Liverpool FC’s fault nor Jürgen’s for that matter that aforementioned organisation’s cannot bang their collective heads together and come up alternative solutions .

ANYHOO....

It gives our young lads another opportunity to show what their made of, Jürgen may not be their in person but you can bet his Snood he’ll be watching, so them young lads will bust a gut to impress and that’s a great incentive to win.


2-1  Kopkids





YNWA

Lallana minimino and origi should be playing imo. No excuse for them going on holiday. Same goes for a few others but I'm not completely upto date on injuries atm

Will Adrian at least play?

Will Adrian at least play?

No Kelleher.

http://hdstreams.club/hd/ch6.php?utm_source=lfcglobe.co.uk 

https://www.totalsportek.com/highlights/manchester-united-vs-ajax-match/

I nearly always manage to get a stream from one of those. Bit ify if you have no virus protection and the picture sometimes freezes for a second but I've managed to see 95% coverage. You put our game into their search bar and take it from there.

   

The problem is gonna be so many folks trying to get on the available streams causing  F**k ups etc.I've not seen a listing for any english speaking country so we'll all be piling on the asian streams.Least i think that's how it works!Having the cup on ESPN plus was supposed to mean all games were available,but apparently not replays,dicks.

Listening to Neil Critchley’s press conference today I’m trying to guess who the starting XI will be vs. Shrewsbury tomorrow. A few names are pretty obvious, but he does have some decisions to make.

The goalkeeper will be Caoimin Kelleher. The backup should be Ben Winterbottom

Neco Williams will start at right back. Left back will either be Yasser Larouci, Adam Lewis or possibly Tony Gallacher. Larouci was hurt in his last U23 match but Critchley says he has a chance to make this game, maybe. Lewis was playing more in midfield prior to getting injured early in the season and missing 3 months, but he was switched there mainly because of Larouci’s emergence during the preseason tour. Gallacher has also played some at left back although he’s a more natural right back.

Center back is basically three players vying for two slots (and Critchley could possibly go with 5 at the back, they used that formation some earlier in the U23 schedule). Kijana Hoever seems likely to start and many of you will recognize Sepp van den Berg as a summer transfer from Belgium, but Morgan Boyes has developed well this season and might be preferred to partner Hoever (or as I say, all three of them could play from the beginning in a defensive formation).

The midfielders used last Wednesday seem to have an inside lane for starting tomorrow. That’s Leighton Clarkson, Pedro Chirivella and Jake Cain. But Elijah Dixon-Bonner leads the U23s in appearances this year and is a bit older. Cain is an attacking midfielder and Critchley could opt to use Curtis Jones or Harvey Elliott there instead of playing those at forward. Adam Lewis could play In midfield and while he’s only a U18 player, Clarkson has impressed when he’s gotten in. Switches play very well a la Hendo.

Jones, Elliott and Joe Hardy would seem the most likely front 3 if we go 4-3-3, but if one of those play in midfield, then you might see Liam Millar up front.

There have been 5 first team games where a number of kids were used. The appearance statistic from those for our kids are as follows:

Harvey Elliott started all five of these matches and is nailed on for Tuesday. Curtis Jones started four and subbed on for the fifth. Pedro Chirivella has appeared in all five matches. Neco Williams has played in three but he actually missed one because he was in Qatar with the first team for cover at right back. Kelleher started three while Van den Berg and Hoever each started two. Boyes and Gallacher each started at Villa.

Predicted lineup with age: Kelleher (21), Williams (18), Hoever (18), Boyes (18), Gallacher (20), Chirivella (22), Lewis (20), Dixon-Bonner (19), Elliott (16), Hardy (21), Jones (19). Subs: Winterbottom (18), Van den Berg (18), Clayton (19), Clarkson (18), Longstaff (18), Cain (18), Millar (20).

Average age of starters: 19.9

Just to add you cannot overstate what a big ask this is of these young players against first team professionals, even if they are from League One. Our boys are giving up a lot of size and experience and will have no senior players to turn to for guidance. We are heavy underdogs.

But as Jürgen mentions, when this group all play together, the best 11, they can play a nice game of football. They will have a hopefully boisterous crowd behind them and if they can avoid giving away an early goal like the one conceded at Villa, then Shrews can start feeling a little pressure. I think it will be a tight match and wouidn't be surprised one bit if it goes to penalties.

C'mon the Kids.

                                                   Kelleher
                               Williams.   Hoever.   Boyes.   Larouci
                                    Dix-Bon.  Chirivella.    Lewis
                                        Elliot.   Hardy.    Jones         


I think I’m right in saying these lads have all played together as a team before,   If so I’d go with this, whilst the Shrews are obviously more experienced I feel the pressure on them will be greater, they won’t want to crash out to a “bunch of kids “,
The “Kids” being at home will have a home crowd behind them, and will want to impress Jürgen, who will be watching from somewhere, I bet he sends words of encouragement right before KO, Anyhoo, they’ll want it more I reckon,  but whatever happens, they can all be very proud, and I’m sure they will do the club proud too.


2-1 Kop Kids



YNWA                                 

Honestly believe if Jones and Elliot are at there best we can get through this tie.

I think it will be a case of who can outscore who rather than anything else.

Would much rather us take the F.A Cup seriously and have the likes of Lovren, Keita, Lallana etc. start BUT if this helps in the long run to getting no.7 alongside no.19 who gives a F**k.

Guess one way of looking at it, even though they are youngsters with little experience, Jones, Elliot, Williams and potentially Hoever too would have a strong chance of being first choice in the Shrewsbury side so it's not like they will be coming to Anfield being better in all areas.

As I said earlier and many will probably say the same. Naive defending is the problem we will have. Nothing improves defenders better than experience and they have to learn harsh lessons on the way. Can we make up for it at the other end. That will I think decide the tie.

Still I've gone for 4-2. ..but more in hope than expectation.

I think this is a tough fixture but hoping the power of Anfield and some raw talent can see us through.

Without being funny a few of these lads when they hit peak will be playing in League 1 and a few perhaps lower than that. A few though will make prem players and a select few will break into our first team.

I think Chiravella at this stage is the classiest midfielder on show and Elliott and Jones the 2 best players. I think our defence will struggle for 90 minutes against their physicality that our boys have yet to develop.

We also wont have Adrian this time to bail us out.

It's a very tough one to call and I'm still not entirely comfortable with it, but I'm hoping we get a decent crowd in and get our young lads home in the tie.

3-2 home win!

The lads have not had a proper rest since last season, you may have forgotten just how intense the previous season in league & Europe was, we have kept that pace up which is remarkable & a big factor in the Boss giving the lads a much deserved rest.. we have been relentless from last season.

So that point the Boss is right to play our U23 squad.

Fancy a 2-1 win to the Reds..

Loving the optimism from some of you and I wish I shared it but unfortunately I think it's very likely our lads will get tonked. I've no doubts we'll play some nice football but it's the back four and keeper that worries me. We lost 5-0 at Villa but they stopped playing at 4-0 up at half-time. I think we'll need an early goal and to get the crowd's back up to stand a chance.

Do we think Klopp will be in the stands? I think he will.

Loving the optimism from some of you and I wish I shared it but unfortunately I think it's very likely our lads will get tonked. I've no doubts we'll play some nice football but it's the back four and keeper that worries me. We lost 5-0 at Villa but they stopped playing at 4-0 up at half-time. I think we'll need an early goal and to get the crowd's back up to stand a chance.

Do we think Klopp will be in the stands? I think he will.

I think he has booked a holiday months ago with his Mrs, and shes holding him to it. Hence the staunch stance on having the break 

By the way the thread has us down as an U23 side, I think we will field 1 player who's 21, the rest under 20.

Loving the optimism from some of you and I wish I shared it but unfortunately I think it's very likely our lads will get tonked. I've no doubts we'll play some nice football but it's the back four and keeper that worries me. We lost 5-0 at Villa but they stopped playing at 4-0 up at half-time. I think we'll need an early goal and to get the crowd's back up to stand a chance.

Do we think Klopp will be in the stands? I think he will.

Pretty sure he is out of town.

I have every confidence in the lads to give Shrewsbury the hiding of their lives.The Shrews will not know what has hit them.

Loving the optimism from some of you and I wish I shared it but unfortunately I think it's very likely our lads will get tonked. I've no doubts we'll play some nice football but it's the back four and keeper that worries me. We lost 5-0 at Villa but they stopped playing at 4-0 up at half-time. I think we'll need an early goal and to get the crowd's back up to stand a chance.

Do we think Klopp will be in the stands? I think he will.

Could have been two or three up in that first 10 minutes against Villa. The defence was a bit shaky but they were 17/18 year olds up against fully grown Premier League attackers, Shrewsbury are a good few levels below that.

Definitely a possibility that we could go through (bookies have us as pretty clear favourites), also a possibility that they could beat us but I don't think we'll get a hiding, definitely not at Anfield

VDB needs to step up tonight and show why we signed him perfect opportunity  for him and others to showcase their talent

Could have been two or three up in that first 10 minutes against Villa. The defence was a bit shaky but they were 17/18 year olds up against fully grown Premier League attackers, Shrewsbury are a good few levels below that.

Definitely a possibility that we could go through (bookies have us as pretty clear favourites), also a possibility that they could beat us but I don't think we'll get a hiding, definitely not at Anfield

Hope you are right mate, an early goal would be nice to really lift the crowd and give the youngsters that bit of belief. We need big games from Jones, Hoever and Elliott tonight and someone needs to get hold of their lad in midfield, can't remember his name but he ran the 2nd half in the first game and was really impressive.

I know this is right out of the X files but do we know for certain that Klopp and the 1st team are on a beach somewhere?
Would be really funny if he suddenly appeared an hour before kick off and announced a full first 11 line up!!!
 

Massively disrespectful to Shrewsbury so of course it won’t happen but would have been great mind games against one of the other big teams.

Hope you are right mate, an early goal would be nice to really lift the crowd and give the youngsters that bit of belief. We need big games from Jones, Hoever and Elliott tonight and someone needs to get hold of their lad in midfield, can't remember his name but he ran the 2nd half in the first game and was really impressive.

I really think Elliot could announce himself tonight, seems to have a bit of momentum after that belter he scored against Wolves last week and he shown flashes of brilliance against Villa in that first half.

Think the stage could be set for him tonight!

I know this is right out of the X files but do we know for certain that Klopp and the 1st team are on a beach somewhere?
Would be really funny if he suddenly appeared an hour before kick off and announced a full first 11 line up!!!
 

Massively disrespectful to Shrewsbury so of course it won’t happen but would have been great mind games against one of the other big teams.

Could be on Crosby beach - Only a 20 minute drive!

If LFC win this it'll be about Jones & Elliott.
Would be fantastic if they scored a couple of worldies.

It is going to piss off an awful lot of people when we win tonight.

I know this is right out of the X files but do we know for certain that Klopp and the 1st team are on a beach somewhere?
Would be really funny if he suddenly appeared an hour before kick off and announced a full first 11 line up!!!
 

Massively disrespectful to Shrewsbury so of course it won’t happen but would have been great mind games against one of the other big teams.

That would be quite funny and could see a Rugby score, but I think these youngsters have a good chance, yes they got tonked by Aston Villa, but as we have seen Aston Villa are not half bad, just ask Leicester, it is actually a mystery to me why they are struggling so much in the league.
Anyway Shrewsbury at Anfield in front of a big crowd, if that doesn't affect them then I'll be amazed, the first goal is absolutely crucial though.

that tw*t Danny Mills still having a pop at Jürgen for not going to the match he simply will not accept this is Neil's team and he wouldn't want Jürgen standing behind him all of the game its respectful of Jürgen to allow him to take total charge of the game tonight and let him get on with it.

Would not surprise me one bit if the kids turn these over tonight & I certainly think they will do just that.

Likes of Lovren and Matip need the minutes.

This is my main issue really.  Are we really saying that Keita, Fabinho, Lovren, Matip need a mid-season break?  Between them they've probably had a combined 12 months out injured just this season.

Fair enough if you've played 35 or so games for us in the past 5 and a half months - have a week off.  No problem with that.

But

Lovren's played 1 game out of the past 14.
Lallana's played 90 minutes once since the Club World Cup.
Matip's played 79 minutes since September.
Fabinho's started two games since November.
Keita last started a game on Boxing Day.  He's played about 50 minutes since then.

I honestly don't think Klopp had to draw a line in the sand of every single first team player because they have all had different workloads, not only since August, but some of them basically never stopped in the summer.

They could have played tonight, and then still gone and had a week off.

Rant over.  Feel better now!

that tw*t Danny Mills still having a pop at Jürgen for not going to the match he simply will not accept this is Neil's team and he wouldn't want Jürgen standing behind him all of the game its respectful of Jürgen to allow him to take total charge of the game tonight and let him get on with it.

Hopefully that pr**k will be the first to get fu**ed off when the BBC once again  reshuffles it’s radio  programmes this year in a bid to save more money ,five live being one such programme & talkshite,I’d be getting shut of some of the hangers on on knobhead of the day & football (out of) focus.

Listening to Neil Critchley’s press conference today I’m trying to guess who the starting XI will be vs. Shrewsbury tomorrow. A few names are pretty obvious, but he does have some decisions to make.

The goalkeeper will be Caoimin Kelleher. The backup should be Ben Winterbottom

Neco Williams will start at right back. Left back will either be Yasser Larouci, Adam Lewis or possibly Tony Gallacher. Larouci was hurt in his last U23 match but Critchley says he has a chance to make this game, maybe. Lewis was playing more in midfield prior to getting injured early in the season and missing 3 months, but he was switched there mainly because of Larouci’s emergence during the preseason tour. Gallacher has also played some at left back although he’s a more natural right back.

Center back is basically three players vying for two slots (and Critchley could possibly go with 5 at the back, they used that formation some earlier in the U23 schedule). Kijana Hoever seems likely to start and many of you will recognize Sepp van den Berg as a summer transfer from Belgium, but Morgan Boyes has developed well this season and might be preferred to partner Hoever (or as I say, all three of them could play from the beginning in a defensive formation).

The midfielders used last Wednesday seem to have an inside lane for starting tomorrow. That’s Leighton Clarkson, Pedro Chirivella and Jake Cain. But Elijah Dixon-Bonner leads the U23s in appearances this year and is a bit older. Cain is an attacking midfielder and Critchley could opt to use Curtis Jones or Harvey Elliott there instead of playing those at forward. Adam Lewis could play In midfield and while he’s only a U18 player, Clarkson has impressed when he’s gotten in. Switches play very well a la Hendo.

Jones, Elliott and Joe Hardy would seem the most likely front 3 if we go 4-3-3, but if one of those play in midfield, then you might see Liam Millar up front.

There have been 5 first team games where a number of kids were used. The appearance statistic from those for our kids are as follows:

Harvey Elliott started all five of these matches and is nailed on for Tuesday. Curtis Jones started four and subbed on for the fifth. Pedro Chirivella has appeared in all five matches. Neco Williams has played in three but he actually missed one because he was in Qatar with the first team for cover at right back. Kelleher started three while Van den Berg and Hoever each started two. Boyes and Gallacher each started at Villa.

Predicted lineup with age: Kelleher (21), Williams (18), Hoever (18), Boyes (18), Gallacher (20), Chirivella (22), Lewis (20), Dixon-Bonner (19), Elliott (16), Hardy (21), Jones (19). Subs: Winterbottom (18), Van den Berg (18), Clayton (19), Clarkson (18), Longstaff (18), Cain (18), Millar (20).

Average age of starters: 19.9

I'm sure the kids will do much better tonight, think it'll be a 2-0 win.

the lads had a footballing lesson in the first half at Villa and they did ever so well in the second half and were the better side.
Shrewsbury aint no Villa and Shrewsbury will not have that giant killer tag coming into tonights game facing a bunch of "kids".
We will also have a few lads who played in the first game so all good to go and with the crowd behind them it will be game on.

Coyr

Boom boom boom

FA Cup 4th round Replay

If I'm being honest, I'm still not on board with resting the first team. 

The League is as good a done deal and you could argue this is a glorious chance of winning a treble.

I'm not doubting the talent the kids have, but we're not playing a team of kids with first team support (like we did v Everton or Arsenal in the cups) - we're playing a team more similar to which played against Aston Villa in the League Cup.

Neil Critchley's press conference is coming up imminently.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3l3zLTkf_IM

I get what you're saying, and part of me agrees, but I read yesterday, that the PL, FA & EFL all agreed that there would be a winter break. Now if the FA knew about the break, why did they not have a contingency plan if PL teams need a replay? Similar with the League Cup, why did the EFL not accommodate our World Club Cup games, we have pointless international breaks that are mandatory, but only affect a few clubs.

Newcastle, Southampton & Spurs all have replays too, but they are not going for their 1st Championship in 30 years, and I wonder how much of a 1st team they will play, Soton are looking good, and I guess they will play a strong team against Spurs, who in turn may play a strong team as CL football next year in not close, and EL football may not be guaranteed either, unsure what Newcastle will do away to Oxford.

Prize money is OK at the sharp end, and the Final would be a good day out for the few fans that may get a ticket. But £3.6m is not the bee all and end all, ever since the Semi's went to Wembey, it has lost its allure, no Cup-Winners Cup, for me it's a glorified League Cup.

Fourth Round Proper winners   (16)   £180,000
Fifth Round Proper winners   (   £360,000
Quarter-Final winners   (4)   £720,000
Semi-Final winners   (2)   £1,800,000
Semi-Final losers   (2)   £900,000
Final runners-up   (1)   £1,800,000
Final winners   (1)   £3,600,000

So I get what you're saying, but the FA have brought this lack of interest on themselves, I know City won it last year, but apart from 2006, I haven't got a clue who may have won it between those years.

FA Cup needs a revamp desperately, and I can see why Klopp and the Board have done what they have done.

If we win, great, if we don't, we don't.

I get what you're saying, and part of me agrees, but I read yesterday, that the PL, FA & EFL all agreed that there would be a winter break. Now if the FA knew about the break, why did they not have a contingency plan if PL teams need a replay? Similar with the League Cup, why did the EFL not accommodate our World Club Cup games, we have pointless international breaks that are mandatory, but only affect a few clubs.

It’s because they’re simply incompetent.

Gonna need the crowd to get behind the lads tonight, Shrewsbury have been given both tiers of the Anfield Rd end due to FA Cup allocation & completely sold them out, so there'll be 4x the amount of Away supporters in the stadium as opposed to standard league games & I'm sure they'll be wanting to make themselves heard due to the magnitude of the tie

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/curtis-jones-chance-become-liverpools-21423994

Curtis Jones' chances of setting a new all-time Liverpool record could rest on the flip of a coin.

That is the suggestion from his Under-23 boss Neil Critchley, with the 19-year-old in line to become the youngest-ever captain in the club’s history against Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup tonight

Critchley, who will be in the dug out at Anfield with manager Jürgen Klopp taking the week off with Liverpool supposed to be on a winter break, says that, with Pedro Chirivella captaining the side when they played Aston Villa on the Carabao Cup, he may have to toss a coin to decide between the two.

“Curtis has been our captain for the U23s this season but he wasn’t captain in the Aston Villa game because he was away at the Club World Cup,” said Critchley.



“So I shall toss the coin and see which one [player] it lands on. Would he be the club’s youngest-ever captain? Well, he might give me a double-headed coin to flick then.”

Jones’s birth day was on January 30 and if, as expected, he is given the armband, that would make him the youngest captain at 19 years and 5 days.

You have to go all the way back to Alex Raisbeck in 1900, who was 20 years and 250 days when he first led the team. Steven Gerrard is next on the list, after being made captain at the age of 22.

For Jones, it would cap what has been an incredible few weeks, with Klopp saying the midfielder would “definitely” become a Liverpool regular if he continues his current progress.

He has scored two goals in his last two games for the first team Critchley says he has a belief and confidence that will take him far.



“He is a young player who wants to prove himself,” said Critchley. “I don’t see a problem with that. He has belief in himself and he’ll learn through experience of when to show that on the pitch and when not to show it.

“He couldn’t be learning off better people here, the senior players around him and the staff.

“He is who he is. We are here to support him and guide him. You have to let Curtis have a certain amount of freedom in the way he plays because that’s when he’s at his best.

"But he has to do some of the other things in his game otherwise he won’t be part of the team.”

Critchley led Liverpool in the cup game at Villa when Klopp was away at the World Club Cup with the first-team squad.

There is some controversy this time around with no first-team players appearing, after the manager insisted they have a week off.

Even James Milner, who trained with the kids on Monday afternoon as he hit the injury comeback trail, will not take the chance to find fitness.

But the stand-in boss said it is a good chance to learn for his kids, after a harsh lesson at Villa Park.

“We got a lot of praise for the performance at Villa and we played well in parts but we didn’t do well enough in both penalty boxes,” he added.

“If you are going into a results-driven business you have to win games of football. We didn’t keep the ball at one end and didn’t score at the other end and that’s not a recipe for success, they have to learn that.”

First 20 minutes are crucial for both teams, hopefully being the home side and with a big Anfield crowd behind them it will settle our lads and we'll begin to control the game as time goes on, these lads will be used to playing with each other, so unlike the first game when we had a sprinkling of first teamers upsetting the normal side, that won't be the case tonight.
I'm confident we'll get the win we need to progress through to meet Chelsea in the fifth round, but at the end of the day we have bigger fish to fry, if we win great, if we don't, I won't lose any sleep over it.
Come on you youngsters, do yourself proud and wear that shirt with pride and passion. YNWA.

I was watching that, I had to turn off.

He said Critch had contradicted himself in the presser by saying it was nice what Jürgen said to them at half time in the last match the lads played and for that reason Jürgen should be there. He wasn't there at the last match, he was on the phone you f**king pr**k.

Sky sports news are doing the usual sh*t, for the last couple of days they've been interviewing people and using terms like 'slap in the face', 'disrespectful' etc in the hopes that we lose and then they're set for a day of no mark talking heads banging on about it.

Still laughing at sky sports website asking if ighalo is the new cantona

so its radio only today :S

I'd like to see the kids do well, but other than that, I'm not really fussed.

so its radio only today :S

Yeah one article mentioned Jürgen will be watching on his laptop....not unless he's tapped into someone's secret Facebook Live stream, he'll be listening like the rest of us.

First 20 minutes are crucial for both teams, hopefully being the home side and with a big Anfield crowd behind them it will settle our lads and we'll begin to control the game as time goes on, these lads will be used to playing with each other, so unlike the first game when we had a sprinkling of first teamers upsetting the normal side, that won't be the case tonight.
I'm confident we'll get the win we need to progress through to meet Chelsea in the fifth round, but at the end of the day we have bigger fish to fry, if we win great, if we don't, I won't lose any sleep over it.
Come on you youngsters, do yourself proud and wear that shirt with pride and passion. YNWA.

Hoping the crowd is really switched on for them tonight, the way the away support at Villa was. It's a tough, tough match for these kids but positive crowd support can really make a difference. Here's hoping.

Yeah one article mentioned Jürgen will be watching on his laptop....not unless he's tapped into someone's secret Facebook Live stream, he'll be listening like the rest of us.

 

Wait till closer to kick off,one of these  will come thru.
   

Great bunch of lads!

Match tonight, you know, the one we are devaluing, the one we don't respect, the one we are fielding an U20 team, is.... SOLD OUT.

This is my main issue really.  Are we really saying that Keita, Fabinho, Lovren, Matip need a mid-season break?  Between them they've probably had a combined 12 months out injured just this season.

Fair enough if you've played 35 or so games for us in the past 5 and a half months - have a week off.  No problem with that.

But

Lovren's played 1 game out of the past 14.
Lallana's played 90 minutes once since the Club World Cup.
Matip's played 79 minutes since September.
Fabinho's started two games since November.
Keita last started a game on Boxing Day.  He's played about 50 minutes since then.

I honestly don't think Klopp had to draw a line in the sand of every single first team player because they have all had different workloads, not only since August, but some of them basically never stopped in the summer.

They could have played tonight, and then still gone and had a week off.

Rant over.  Feel better now!

Agree that the lads you mentioned *could* have played tonight, or Jürgen himself could have even flown back for the night and done the game with the kids and flown back out again - but it's not got anything to do with how rested or not the lads are, Jürgen's decided to make a stand, and is sticking to it. He's probably talked to the lads about it in advance, and is not going back on it for the replay.

And maybe not playing Keita, Fabinho, Lovren, Matip reinforces to them that they are important players for the rest of the season, and is not distinguishing them apart from the more regular first XI starters like TAA, VVD, Hendo, Bob, Mo etc. which must be good for togetherness and moral. That might be a stretch though.

Could argue that given the way the league is going, could afford to put a little more into the FA cup run. But this season he has a great chance to win the two big Cups and maybe doesn't want the distraction. Either that, or he really does feel very strongly about fixture congestion.

so its radio only today :S

I remember the radio-only FA Cup match from a few seasons ago, I had the radio on one tab and every time something happened I kept clicking back onto to it so I could see it.

Match tonight, you know, the one we are devaluing, the one we don't respect, the one we are fielding an U20 team, is.... SOLD OUT.

 

Hopefully they all show up and not just keeping up the acs thingy for bigger games to come.

Match tonight, you know, the one we are devaluing, the one we don't respect, the one we are fielding an U20 team, is.... SOLD OUT.

More than City can do for the CL or a semi final of the mickey mouse cup

commentary on lfctv its 2020 and we still cant watch the REDS when they play even if we want to pay to watch each game. It will be like the old days in the 70's tuning into the Radio to hear the away European games.

Match tonight, you know, the one we are devaluing, the one we don't respect, the one we are fielding an U20 team, is.... SOLD OUT.

That would give the lads a huge boost playing in a full stadium & in full voice.👊🏼

That’s backing.

Come on we got to win this. Hope the kids put a performance of their lives.   The thing is the FA Cup final is very important for the Champions league.   This time the CL is 2 weeks later which is far better than 3 weeks, but with the Cup final in the middle gives us a better chance to have a better performance if we get to the final of the Champions League. 

I know some are uneasy with Jurgens decision but this is Neil's team he has set up and managed having Jürgen come in or putting a few rusty first teamers in wouldn't be the same these lads will relish this chance to play in front of a full house I am convinced they will make us proud and STFU pundits like Mills

Hoping the crowd is really switched on for them tonight, the way the away support at Villa was. It's a tough, tough match for these kids but positive crowd support can really make a difference. Here's hoping.

Definately Robby, I'm sure every red will be up for this game to help the young lads get through tonight.

This is my main issue really.  Are we really saying that Keita, Fabinho, Lovren, Matip need a mid-season break?  Between them they've probably had a combined 12 months out injured just this season.

Fair enough if you've played 35 or so games for us in the past 5 and a half months - have a week off.  No problem with that.

But

Lovren's played 1 game out of the past 14.
Lallana's played 90 minutes once since the Club World Cup.
Matip's played 79 minutes since September.
Fabinho's started two games since November.
Keita last started a game on Boxing Day.  He's played about 50 minutes since then.

I honestly don't think Klopp had to draw a line in the sand of every single first team player because they have all had different workloads, not only since August, but some of them basically never stopped in the summer.

They could have played tonight, and then still gone and had a week off.

Rant over.  Feel better now!

Exactly how I feel but like you I've had my rant and I'm not ready to get on message. I just pray we get through, then it would be quite funny tbh seeing the likes of Mills lose their minds about it.

Given all the broadcasters have pulled out I don't understand why they don't just let lfctv put it on, as you say it's 2020.

The DFB pokal or german cup is all over youtube in the next few days and on an official channel. The english fa has alwayd been an absolute shambles

All the fuss about it and it's not even on TV.
Oxford vs Newcastle though, that should be a classic 

All the fuss about it and it's not even on TV.
Oxford vs Newcastle though, that should be a classic 

is Woodburn at Oxford ?

I’m hoping our lads will be lifted and not overwhelmed. They won’t be used to playing in front of a full house either.
For raw talent, they are far superior to shrews, but they could get bullied a bit from hardened old pro journeymen.
Gonna be tough, and shrews will no doubt be full on for first 15-20 to tryget a lead to defend. If we can prevent that, as time goes on, I think the lads have the ability to play through them.
I’ve gone for our lads to win 2-1 but depends on the first quarter of the game.

On another note, all the bleating about shrews losing £s due to reduced prices etc. If they were that confident, they’d be looking ahead to a big payday at Chelsea!
Clearly not then 😁
They deffo would have taken an embarrassing beasting if we put the first 11 out.
Like I used to say to the boys I coached over the years.
Fast Feet- Calm Head. Make sure you’ve always got two passes ahead planned, and that gives you an option.

is Woodburn at Oxford ?

Yeah, he is. But not sure could watch Newcastle for 90 mins...

Yeah, he is. But not sure could watch Newcastle for 90 mins...

that's a fair point but I had forgotten about the lad. Nice if he gets a goal or two