Leicester (H) - CC QF, Wed 22nd Dec 2021 (7:45pm)

[Trumo 16,310]

Another game where we don’t know the state of the opposition with regards to Covid. Leicester have had their last 2 games called off and had to shut their training ground for a few days as the Omicron variant swept through the camp. Even before that, it wasn’t clear how strong Rodgers would go for this one. He’s had to contend with centre back issues this season (one could argue that he’s always had to content with centre back issues, although this time it is down to injuries and not Keystone Cops training being put into practice). Still, it’s a League Cup quarter final with a place in the semi finals at stake.

 

Toughness. Resolve. Effort. Skill. Energy. Nous. Vitality. Effervescence. Luck. Organisation. Panache. Electricity. Shape.

 

I don’t ask for much.

 

We played this lot at the King Power a few years ago in the 3rd round, with a scratch XI doing OK against an almost-full-strength Leicester for whom ‘Japanese Dirk’ Shinji Okazaki opened the scoring, and Islam Slimani got the other. Not much is made about Leicester spending close to £30m on the Algerian striker. He spent most of his time bench-warming or off on loan somewhere, until Lyon signed him in the summer.

 

It was better back in October 1986. This was the post-European football landscape English clubs were in, so teams were taking the League Cup much more seriously. Oxford and Norwich had won the previous 2 editions, after Liverpool had claimed 4 on the bounce. Liverpool would go on to reach the final in 1987 against Arsenal, but first they had to negotiate a 3rd Round meeting at Anfield against Leicester. It was a routine hammering, with Liverpool emerging 4-1 winners thanks to a hat-trick from Steve McMahon and another goal from Kenny. Steve Moran, once supposedly a star in the making at Southampton at the beginning of the decade, got the consolation for the Foxes. That Leicester side contained a young Gary Mac in midfield and a young boring Brummie bastard named Alan Smith up front. I can’t find highlights but here’s the match report from the Echo.

 

 

The big box office hit in late October 1986 was a fish-out-of-water tale about a rugged yet charming Aussie bushman Mick Dundee and the American journalist initially sent to the Australian outback to write a story about the crocodile-slaying exploits of said bushman. She is annoyed by him at first having realised that the legend around him was absolute bollocks, but ends up falling for him and asks him to come with her to New York so she can write more about him as she gets to know him better. Cue loads of New Yorkers surprised yet intrigued by the funny talking foreigner in the hat with a big fuck-off knife as he mingles with high society and subway station dregs. Crocodile Dundee became a global hit and made a (sort-of) star out of Paul Hogan. He would go on to make 2 sequels alongside Linda Kozlowski (who became his wife in real life), the first of which was alright and mostly set in the outback, and the third sounding like a massive pile of shit that was set in LA. Crocodile Dundee is very much in the same vein as Jewel Of The Nile and Romancing The Stone, although Hogan is a lot more convincing as someone who deals with rugged terrain on a daily basis, compared to Michael Douglas.

 

 

Leicester and Rodgers have had a so-so season thus far, hampered by inconsistency, a few injuries and a Covid outbreak. His Europa League campaign has been typically Rodgers as his team now find themselves in the Conference League in the early spring. It’s hard to know if, assuming this quarter final actually goes ahead as scheduled, he’ll go for a strong line-up or go with the kids. Jurgen is in the same boat. He’s thus far used the competition to give game time to the kids and also the first-team fringe. I’ve a feeling, again assuming we are not hampered by Covid ourselves, that he’ll want to use a mix of youth and experience in both this week’s games. I’d expect the likes of Keeva in goal, Neco and Big Joe in defence, Taki in attack and maybe Div if he’s recovered from his recent knock. The rest of them I imagine will be from the under 23s. I don’t think he’ll want to use Kostas as Robbo will be serving a suspension following his straight red at Spurs. Whatever he chooses, the attitude and application need to be there. Ensure those and we stand a very good chance of making the semis, which would be fair dinkum.

[TheDrowningMan 720]

Has to be a team akin to the one that played Villa in 2019. It’s all about damage limitation in terms of the potential loss of players.

[AngryOfTuebrook 24,972]

In normal circumstances, I'd expect a blend of first-teamers and fringe players like we saw today; I'd expect something similar from Leicester. On that basis, I'd expect us to snot them. As it is, both teams will be affected to some degree by the bastard virus, so it's anyone's guess who will play.

 

I expect us to snot them anyway.

 

We're only a few wins away from a trophy that should be ours. Just get these beat, Reds.

[AngryOfTuebrook 24,972]

15 minutes ago, TheDrowningMan said:

Has to be a team akin to the one that played Villa in 2019. It’s all about damage limitation in terms of the potential loss of players.

Fuck that cowardly, defeatist shit.

[chrisbonnie 1,150]

I'll be disappointed if any of our starting 11 have reached puberty yet

 

[dockers_strike 4,190]

Utter coincidence Leicester had their league game called off while we played today, innit?

[VladimirIlyich 9,749]

21 minutes ago, AngryOfTuebrook said:

Fuck that cowardly, defeatist shit.

Its how football has now become,unfortunately.

[AngryOfTuebrook 24,972]

2 minutes ago, VladimirIlyich said:

Its how football has now become,unfortunately.

Nope. There's never any excuse for wanting Liverpool not to try to win a game.

 

And I won't accept "but we're 3 points behind City and there's only 60 points to play for" as an excuse for shithousery.

[VladimirIlyich 9,749]

3 minutes ago, AngryOfTuebrook said:

Nope. There's never any excuse for wanting Liverpool not to try to win a game.

 

And I won't accept "but we're 3 points behind City and there's only 60 points to play for" as an excuse for shithousery.

Nobody is saying we 'don't' want to win the game but the financial 'reward' is simply not worth it.

[an tha 8,633]

Taking the lad this and then on the ground tour the next morning as one of his crimmy presents.

 

Hope he gets to see a decent liverpool team take another step towards what the club exists for....winning trophies.

[aRdja 2,921]

Kelleher; Neco, Konate, Gomez, Robertson; Morton, Keita, Milner; Ox, Minamino, Firmino

[dockers_strike 4,190]

13 minutes ago, VladimirIlyich said:

Nobody is saying we 'don't' want to win the game but the financial 'reward' is simply not worth it.

Correct. I expect every team Jurgen puts out to go for the win. But leeds is the bigger priority. The EFL are already talking about changing the 2 legged semi final format into a single game due to fixture postponements.

[Joey8FrogsLegs 1,056]

Keep all first team players at home, we dont need any more covid cases or injuries.

 

Leeds at home on Boxing Day should be the focus now.

[AngryOfTuebrook 24,972]

28 minutes ago, aRdja said:

Kelleher; Neco, Konate, Gomez, Robertson; Morton, Keita, Milner; Ox, Minamino, Firmino

This (with the addition of one or two of Jota, Mané and Salah, if only on the bench) would be about right.

[aws 8,093]

Isn't this the first game of Robbo's ban? 

[Allan 2,800]

3 minutes ago, aws said:

Isn't this the first game of Robbo's ban? 

Should be, so long as the game goes ahead.

 

I'd go with something along these lines:

 

Kelleher; Neco, Konate, Gomez, Tsimikas; Morton, Ox, Milner; Gordon, Firmino, Minamino.

 

Suspect we'll see at least a couple of the 23s on the bench for this, most likely Beck & Bradley, perhaps Quansah and Dixon-Bonner too. I don't think Balagizi is fit enough yet, else I'd have suggested he might be involved.

 

Personally, I'd not have Salah in the squad for this, but there's not much in the way of alternatives in attacking areas if Div is still injured, and I'm sure Mo will want to be involved.

[Bjornebye 34,222]

It probably shouldn't go ahead but regardless, fuck the idea of resting loads of players for this. It's a domestic cup quarter final at Anfield. Get it won. 

[Total Longo 3,680]

15 hours ago, VladimirIlyich said:

Nobody is saying we 'don't' want to win the game but the financial 'reward' is simply not worth it.

I'm 99% certain (barring injury catastrophe) that we will finish in the top 4 again. Obviously i would love us to win the league again but FSG i imagine are looking at top 4.

 

This is a potential trophy, and we are potentially three games away from winning it. Screw the "financial reward", that should be taken care of by a good run in Europe and another top 4 place. Personally i don't want to be just aiming for that though, I would love us to win some more silverware. 

[dockers_strike 4,190]

13 hours ago, aws said:

Isn't this the first game of Robbo's ban? 

Suspensions only apply to the competition they were earned in. So a PL suspension shouldnt carry into the EFL, FA Cup or European games.

[VERBAL DIARRHEA 9,805]

21 minutes ago, Total Longo said:

I'm 99% certain (barring injury catastrophe) that we will finish in the top 4 again. Obviously i would love us to win the league again but FSG i imagine are looking at top 4.

 

This is a potential trophy, and we are potentially three games away from winning it. Screw the "financial reward", that should be taken care of by a good run in Europe and another top 4 place. Personally i don't want to be just aiming for that though, I would love us to win some more silverware. 

Get what you’re saying but we don’t have the players with Possible AFCON and Covid. But you never now.

[an tha 8,633]

16 minutes ago, dockers_strike said:

Suspensions only apply to the competition they were earned in. So a PL suspension shouldnt carry into the EFL, FA Cup or European games.

Echo seem to think red card carries across domestic comps.

 

Which was as i understood it.

 

Suspensions for yellow cards were comp specific but reds carried across domestic comps.

 

They change rules so often you could be right but as i say echo says he misses league cup game.

 

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/andy-robertson-kostas-tsimikas-liverpool-22513687

 

 

[Lario 1,523]

The best part was when we went to their place, when they were second in the league, and we were knackered from winning the World Club Championships.

 

Arguably the greatest 90 minute performance in our illustrious history.

[Joey8FrogsLegs 1,056]

7 hours ago, Total Longo said:

I'm 99% certain (barring injury catastrophe) that we will finish in the top 4 again. Obviously i would love us to win the league again but FSG i imagine are looking at top 4.

 

This is a potential trophy, and we are potentially three games away from winning it. Screw the "financial reward", that should be taken care of by a good run in Europe and another top 4 place. Personally i don't want to be just aiming for that though, I would love us to win some more silverware. 

All opinions I guess, but if I could choose from a 90% probability of winning the league cup and a 10% probability of winning the league I’d go for the latter.

 

Edit: That said I agree that FSG probably are only concerned about top 4.

[magicrat 7,104]

6 hours ago, an tha said:

Echo seem to think red card carries across domestic comps.

 

Which was as i understood it.

 

Suspensions for yellow cards were comp specific but reds carried across domestic comps.

 

They change rules so often you could be right but as i say echo says he misses league cup game.

 

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/andy-robertson-kostas-tsimikas-liverpool-22513687

 

 

Not fussed whether he misses this or the Leeds game.  The Greek is a top notch replacement and chances are he would have been rested for one of these games anyway.

[No2 1,761]

If we need to play the Keita, Milner and Morton against Leeds then they can't play this one. If we're down to our 9th, 10th and 11th choice midfielders then I don't see much point in playing any regulars with them, that will be pissing into the wind.