Pre-Match: League Cup Final v Chelsea Sun 25th Feb 15:00

Going to the Baltic Market in town to watch this one. Hoping to see van Dijk lifting his first trophy as captain!

A little League Cup warm up for Sunday....

https://youtu.be/StviqTR99Z0?si=qy1fBuuYuseL_dmE

Not looking forward to this at the moment.

Hoping to hear good news on Mo and Darwin. If we don't Chelsea go into this somehow as holding all the cards.

By the time of KO Chelsea may have gone from 4/1 outsiders down to odds on favourites such is the changing dynamic of the squads in the last time we faced them.

Chelsea seem to have found themselves in the last few weeks and with a full squad to choose from they'll be smelling blood and bang up for this.

Strange thing is, even with all our injury issues, the media still seem to have us down as favourites 🤷‍♂️
How can that be 😳

Sparring has started. Pochettino claiming we are favourites. Looks like we are going down to the wire on fitness of Mo, Nunez and Dom. Is it worth risking them. Already had a false start with Mo. Nunez similar story. Pace is what their all about and they push it to the limit.

Got to be 100%. But is any player absolutely 100% this far into the season. Bench at best, and obviously only used if needed.

Going to be very tough, Chelsea will be up for this since a trophy along with Euopean Qualification would be major positive for them in a season which has been pitiful for them so far in the league.

Think we will see Robbo and Konate slot in the back line and the mid/att stay the same. Be nice if we get a body or two back but feeling is if they are back they will be bench options.

I went for us to win in Pens

Strange thing is, even with all our injury issues, the media still seem to have us down as favourites 🤷‍♂️
How can that be 😳

Because Chelsea are sh*t.

We'd usually be heavy favourites against mid table dross, now we're slight favorites whilst evening out the possibility of a draw.

NB: Team no longer available

I believe that Szobozslai is the only player able to play and would put him instead of Elliott.

I would put Darwin and Salah on the bench to make them over think.

Come on Reds.

If Dom makes it, think I'd go with Elliott over Graver. Elliott has endless energy and if he's on blob he can be very effective. Graver is still growing into it. Be reluctant to risk the pace players, Mo and Nunez. Might have to risk them but it's a risk.

Strange thing is, even with all our injury issues, the media still seem to have us down as favourites 🤷‍♂️
How can that be 😳

Look at the league.

If we can keep it tight at the back I can see us prevailing. Chelsea are poor defensively, yet decent enough going forward. As others have said...there won't be much in it.

Because Chelsea are sh*t.

We'd usually be heavy favourites against mid table dross, now we're slight favorites whilst evening out the possibility of a draw.

Chelsea have improved over the last month and are certainly a better team than the one we beat last month. That coupled with our injuries makes this a proper 50-50 for me.

Chelsea have improved over the last month and are certainly a better team than the one we beat last month. That coupled with our injuries makes this a proper 50-50 for me.

Agree making this game very difficult to predict. Hope the Reds play with the same fire and pace, that blew Luton away, in the second half the other night.

@_pauljoyce

: Mohamed Salah, Szoboszlai, and Darwin Nunez are significant doubts for Carabao Cup Final.

Not going to be in squad I'm afraid..

@_pauljoyce

: Mohamed Salah, Szoboszlai, and Darwin Nunez are significant doubts for Carabao Cup Final.

Not going to be in squad I'm afraid..

Mind games

Mind games

dont see how? apparently they havent trained at all. dont see any way they can be involved.
Its kinda concerning i have to say. salah misses a month , comes back and plays an hour, and now isnt right again? i really really hope we're just being ultra cautious....

dont see how? apparently they havent trained at all. dont see any way they can be involved.
Its kinda concerning i have to say. salah misses a month , comes back and plays an hour, and now isnt right again? i really really hope we're just being ultra cautious....

Look.if they are not fit Klopp will.most probably no that now you don't think in 24 hrs the injuries will heal. Either way it's mind games whether start or not

dont see how? apparently they havent trained at all. dont see any way they can be involved.
Its kinda concerning i have to say. salah misses a month , comes back and plays an hour, and now isnt right again? i really really hope we're just being ultra cautious....

All smiles in the latest pics, believes me to hope they are fit and raring to go.

Poch speaking some sh*te about decisions and being all about Klopp . God I hope we absolutely nail these and their shitty fanbase

Look at the league.

Yeah, and chavs have hit a bit of form where their last 3 or 4 results, belies their current league position.
We on the other hand have a much weakened starting 11 including players who would normally come on as subs later in the game. This in turn also weakens our bench.
I would have thought the circumstances over the last 4 weeks would make chavs favourites 🤷‍♂️

Just how I see it.

Still got us down for 3:1 win though 😊😊

Agree making this game very difficult to predict. Hope the Reds play with the same fire and pace, that blew Luton away, in the second half the other night.

Yeah me too. We seem to get into games better in the second half lately. Let’s hope we can do it without going behind first this time 👍

I see chavs v spuds was postponed last night, as you’d expect. But as neither of them had played since last Saturday, why couldn’t they have played it on Wednesday, as we had to play Luton.
Was it to give chavs an advantage of their players being rested for 7 days, and ours for 3 ?
Or was it to make us play Luton with an injury decimated side hoping we’d lose it ?

Clearly something underhand was going on where once again we become the handicapped side. 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

I see chavs v spuds was postponed last night, as you’d expect. But as neither of them had played since last Saturday, why couldn’t they have played it on Wednesday, as we had to play Luton.
Was it to give chavs an advantage of their players being rested for 7 days, and ours for 3 ?
Or was it to make us play Luton with an injury decimated side hoping we’d lose it ?

Clearly something underhand was going on where once again we become the handicapped side. 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

There is no conspiracy- the club decided to play the game then instead of waiting later in the season where it could be in them middle of a fixture pile up

Yeah, and chavs have hit a bit of form where their last 3 or 4 results, belies their current league position.
We on the other hand have a much weakened starting 11 including players who would normally come on as subs later in the game. This in turn also weakens our bench.
I would have thought the circumstances over the last 4 weeks would make chavs favourites 🤷‍♂️

Just how I see it.

Still got us down for 3:1 win though 😊😊

I don' think we're as weakened as you suggest. Alisson is a better keeper for sure but games are not often decided on goalkeeping performances, and K. is more than capable. Trent, is class, and would be missed in most teams, but Bradley has shone in that position and so we've nothing to worry about there. Gakpo for Jones isn't a complete disaster. Jota is the biggest miss for obvious reasons not worth repeating. I have a feeling Szob, Nunez and Salah will all feature in the game....Players on the bench might be an issue, but It is what it is.