Well, there’s a phrase I’ve not used often in recent seasons to describe us!
But it’s a justified label – a team battered, bruised and exhausted against a side who, yes might be feeling some tiredness themselves, but who also manged to rest SO many key players in midweek when we didn’t / couldn’t.
That’s not a case of “early excuses” from me…it’s simply a fact.
I can see a lot of changes for this one; time for other players to ‘step in’ AND ‘step up’, I would say; as I try to guess more than ever what team our manager will field this afternoon…
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| Wembley |
Predicted line-up, subs and outcome:
(Number correct from the starting line-up in the last game: 10/11).
First of all, Pep informed us that he will not know himself until this morning who he will have available to choose from; assessing, as his team does, the fitness of many players (fatigue / recovery as well as ‘knocks’). Nor would our manager disclose whether he’ll go with Zack in net or stick with Ederson – again, it’s a decision he said he was going to make ‘on the day’.
Put it another way, it’s even harder to predict ‘an 11’…
On both Kyle & Kevin, once again they will be checked on for a final time this morning before a decision will be made before today’s game – Kyle had twisted his ankle but is improving while it sounded more promising for Kevin; with the Belgium international receiving stitches rather than it being a muscular or ligament issue.
Fluid 3-7-0 / 3-5-2 / 5-3-2:
______________________________________________
___Sterling____________________________Jesus___
___________Grealish___________Gundogan________
___________________Fernandinho_________________
Zinchenko_______________________________Cancelo
___________Ake_______Laporte______Stones_______
______________________Steffen__________________
Subs: Ederson, Walker, Dias, Rodri, Foden, De Bruyne, Silva, Mahrez, Delap.
Right…so what I’m doing is sort of assuming the worst; the worst, in this case, being that the likes of Kyle, Phil, Kevin & Bernardo are not deemed fit enough to start / potentially play for 90+ minutes for a variety of reasons…but ARE deemed fit enough to be on the bench / potentially play some part in the game late on, as opposition legs begin to tire.
It’s 50/50 but I’m going for Zack to start in net.
If I’m right with so many key personnel not starting, I can see a shift in formation; partially forced by those absentees but also a tactical one.
A central-back 3 of Nathan, Aymeric & John are flanked by Oleksandr & Joao. Call it a ‘back 5’ if you want but should we go with this system, I would expect Zinchenko & Cancelo to spend 60%+ of their time going forward and helping to stretch Liverpool as wide as possible to help thin-out their midfield; giving our midfield-3 more room to do damage through the centre (that’s the tactical switch I was referring to).
Fernandinho might ‘get the nod’ if Rodders hasn’t fully recovered from Wednesday night’s scrap; Jack & Ilkay just ahead of the Brazilian with Raheem & Gabriel the wide, more advanced attackers.
Ederson steps back to the bench; Kyle & the returning Ruben, who may well start having successfully trained once again yesterday, are the defensive replacement options on the side. Rodders, Phil, Kevin, Bernardo, Riyad & Liam make up an impressive list of back-up midfielders / wingers / attackers in ‘the 9’.
Notable absences:
- Cole Palmer – No update, yesterday, on the England Under-21 attacking midfielder following a foot injury he sustained back in January. However, the last we heard was on Tuesday, where we were told that Cole was feeling better and that there was even a chance that he could have travelled to Spain with the rest of the squad. As it turns out, he didn’t. I’m assuming, therefore, that he’s still not ready to be in contention but having been kept behind in midweek, I just wonder also if the physios were continuing to work with him back home and whether he could be a surprise inclusion this afternoon; even if it’s on the bench.
Do I agree with Pep’s (predicted) line-up?
Result? I’ve already mentioned the advantage that Liverpool has with-having-resting so many of their star men in midweek but do we have any advantages? I say, yes.
Firstly, there is so much uncertainty about which of our players are going to be fit enough to start and, so, if Pep didn’t even know last night who was going to be available to him; what chance does Klopp have? Should we, therefore, go with a completely different system that the squad may have been training for since they returned from Spain, they could throw the opposition off balance a little.
An additional note to that is…if we do go with this system & personnel and have so many ‘big guns’ on the bench, then with 5 subs allowed from 9 this afternoon; we could completely change the system and dynamic of the game as opposition energies begin to fade.
I’ve had this scenario in my head for around 36 hours now, where our starting 11 do us so-very proud for the first 65 minutes or so; where they hold Liverpool before we make wholesale changes and slice our way through to take the game ‘in the 90’. It could happen.
Slightly more likely is that this largely-rested Liverpool side are just to flippin’ strong for our 80%-charged lads and they win it before extra time is needed.
I’m going for somewhere in-between…
I can see us, somehow, taking this to extra time and, so, my ’90-minute prediction’ is a draw.
Extra time then? I think that will be one step too much for our legs and they’ll hit us with a winning goal or two.
Should it go to pens? Well…that’s when it becomes a lottery and we could end up nicking it. 🤞
Last season’s, corresponding pre-match prediction and result…
Prediction: N/A
Result: N/A
Expected weather conditions during the game: Absolutely glorious day for a game of footy at Wembley! 19C / 66F and clear, unbroken sunshine is likely to feel more like 22C / 72F in the stadium and other suntrap areas. There’s just a light, easterly breeze wafting over the area to keep it from feeling even warmer.
Solidarity
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