GK - Alisson
LB - Robbo
CB - VVD
CB - Matip
RB - TAA
DM - Fabinho
CM - Thiago
CM - Elliott
FW - Diaz
FW - Jota
FW - Salah
Strongest line up we have at the moment surely (and perhaps ever?). That midfield especially - I'm almost certain that this is the midfield we'd want for at least the next two-three years.
Re-watching the Leicester game - superb victory. Any openings that Leicester had were directly the result of slackness from us, to be expected when you dominate possession so much. Highlight for me had to be the partnership between Robertson and Diaz on the left - remarkable that this was their first game together. They look like they had played for years. That relationship may already be grounds to displace Mane in the starting eleven.
I get anguished over leaving Firmino out of that best eleven above. He still plays a pivotal role at this club but he is high risk and I wonder if, with a midfield like that above, do we need him? It's important to realise that he has been the bolt, the joint (pivot...whatever word you want to use) that has mattered for us over the years. Counter attacks succeed or fail on his ability to play that high risk ball on the ground when it pops out of our penalty box after an ineffective opposition corner/free kick. If he succeeds with his disguise, pivot and technique, we're getting a shot on their goal. If he fails, they're getting a shot on our goal. And in play he has a very real physical, tactical presence when coming deep but the reason why I leave him out is that too often when coming deep there is a slack ball in there which leaves us totally exposed and more often than not, a chance for the opposition. In truth, it's a side of his game that has always been there.
Jota doesn't offer that deep, complex tactical play that Firmino does but I'm pretty sure that with Elliott coming through we won't need that from our central attacking forward. A midfield trio as technically gifted and eclectic as Thiago, Fabinho and Elliott probably doesn't require that role anymore. It is our most technically astute midfield under Klopp.
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