PODCAST: Fulham 1 Liverpool 1 - Match Reaction

Good pod, as always. 

Robertson is just going to have to wait his turn to get back in the team. Gomez is playing brilliantly. And Robbo wasn't pulling up any trees before he got injured - in fact, he was a bit of a scapegoat (rightly or wrongly) at the start of the season when we weren't playing so well. 

On form, Joe deserves to be in the first team. Plus - that first goal must be getting closer....

Good chat. I  agree that Gomez will get plenty of games even if not in our first choice 11.  For example, I can see him being on the bench for Chelsea but starting at Arsenal.  

As for Newport, they just  beat Wrexham so must be slight favourites against the Mancs. 

I'm not sure Klopp does sentimental but if he does Gomez should start in the final. That much he deserves, beyond that is he any more deserving of a start than Virgil, Konate, Trent or Robbo? It's only the later that the answer is yes too and even that's open for debate. It can only be healthy, Robbo with someone grabbing on his shirt should be a sight to behold.

Speaking of sentimental, I read before the game we had won 50 trophies and Fulham had never even been to a league cup final. I did feel a tiny tinge of pity for them in that moment, lasted about 7 seconds.

3 hours ago, aws said:

Good chat. I  agree that Gomez will get plenty of games even if not in our first choice 11.  For example, I can see him being on the bench for Chelsea but starting at Arsenal.  

As for Newport, they just  beat Wrexham so must be slight favourites against the Mancs. 

That's totally it, mate. It'll be a horses for courses situation. There are games when he will be first choice in the same way as Macca/Endo are. I'd definitely want him in for Arsenal at right back. 

5 minutes ago, No2 said:

I'm not sure Klopp does sentimental but if he does Gomez should start in the final. That much he deserves, beyond that is he any more deserving of a start than Virgil, Konate, Trent or Robbo? It's only the later that the answer is yes too and even that's open for debate. It can only be healthy, Robbo with someone grabbing on his shirt should be a sight to behold.

 

Speaking of sentimental, I read before the game we had won 50 trophies and Fulham had never even been to a league cup final. I did feel a tiny tinge of pity for them in that moment, lasted about 7 seconds.

Michael Jackson supported them and they don't have to support Chelsea. What more do they want? 

I should have added its an absolute banker that Gomez gets called up by England they wreck him again.

Well if we're talking Michael Jackson then we can't not have...

This...

And this...

1 hour ago, No2 said:

I'm not sure Klopp does sentimental but if he does Gomez should start in the final. That much he deserves, beyond that is he any more deserving of a start than Virgil, Konate, Trent or Robbo?

I'd have two comebacks to that. One, I still believe to some degree (although massively less than I used to before the days of squad rotation) that the man in possession of the shirt keeps it until someone beats him out of it. That's a lot more difficult these days when you're not playing the same eleven each week. 

Two, and this is more valid than one I think, is that there is a strong argument to be had that we look a lot more defensively solid with Gomez in the side, and more creatively well balanced with him at right back and Trent let loose in midfield. This is more important in some games than others, but we've seen a few times now during games when that change has been made and I like the balance.

It's mostly as Chris said on the pod though, that it will be a case of just rotating everyone and Joe will still get his games. I wasn't saying that's not what we should do, I'm just saying that leaving Gomez out of a final or, let's say against Arsenal next week, seems incredibly harsh.

I think the point I'm trying to make is that if this was the 80s or 90s and someone came in and played the way he did, I doubt they'd drop straight out when others were fit again. I can't recall anybody coming in as a back up and playing as well as Gomez has only to then immediately lose their place when the 'first choice' player came back.

The closest example I can think of was Michael Thomas when Redknapp was injured. Roy couldn't wait to get Redknapp in and if I remember rightly he played an extra man in midfield for a game so he didn't need to drop Thomas, and then with Redknapp back in the side the next week Thomas was out!

1 hour ago, Chris said:

I'd definitely want him in for Arsenal at right back. 

Me too probably. But do you think he will be? 

Enjoyable episode. Found it funny how Chris firmly jibbed the croissant talk. That had the potential to add on another 5-10 minutes of pod time. I felt a bit robbed but it was understandable on his part.

Just to add that we need to give our team more credit at times. The talk of "West Ham didn't show up" and "Fulham didn't really try in the 2nd leg" doesn't tell the whole tale. Liverpool prevented both teams from turning up or gaining a foothold.

First half yesterday, Fulham tried getting out but we kept strangling them, nicking the ball off them and then passing it around making them chase shadows. It wasn't for want of trying, we simply didn't give them a kick until Nunez and Mac Allister went off.

Belting couple of pods, the last two. Listened to them on the plane to the canaries this afto. If you'd had the common fucking decency to make the Fulham one as long as the Bournemouth one I wouldn't have had to spend the final 30 minutes of my flight listening to some whining little brat a couple of seats away. Tossers. 

14 hours ago, dave u said:

 

Me too probably. But do you think he will be? 

I'd want him at left back, he's been excellent against Saka.