Burnley (A) - Sun 13th Feb 2022 (2:00pm)

[Trumo]

Nearly every weekend game over the past month has been in that Sunday two o’clock slot. The PL could have scheduled the Leicester game for the Wednesday so we could play on Saturday, in order to have reasonable time to recuperate before travelling to Italy for a game in midweek in the Champions League. This is the PL though, famed for money-grabbing short-sightedness. And so we travel to Turf Moor, a ground in a part of the world where monsoon conditions are the norm. Anyway:

 

Bravery. Ruthlessness. Efficiency. X-factor. Intelligence. Timing.

 

I don’t ask for much.

 

Last season’s fixture came towards the tail end of the season at a time when we were starting to put a run together to climb back into a top 4 spot, while others began to fall by the wayside one by one. It was expected to be a hard-fought affair but ended up being a bit of a walk in the park. Bobby put us ahead late in the first half when getting on the end of a low ball in from the left flank. Big Nat got his first goal for the club in the second half, reacting well to plant a header into the net. He’d been a big part of the team’s renaissance in the spring, with his no-nonsense defending giving the team a sure-footed platform that had been lacking over the winter months. Ox wrapped things up late on, picking the ball up on the left side of the area, taking his man on and firing a sharp effort in at the near post.

 

We had an even better time of it up in deepest darkest Lancashire on Boxing Day 1969, thrashing the Clarets 5-1. Most players used to pile in on the Christmas dinner and had more than their fair share of booze. It’s probably why Boxing Day games are so well regarded, because you usually get a hugely entertaining full of the inexplicable because some players are so obviously out of it. With smaller squads in those days, managers used to pick the same team week-in week-out so quite a few regulars would make an arse of themselves over the festive period.

 

It was a squad player, Ian Ross, who set us on our way, with Graham and Lawler adding to the lead before half time. Further goals from Peter Thompson and Callaghan rubbed further salt in Burnley’s wounds, with only a consolation goal from O’Neill for the home fans to cheer. This wasn’t a Liverpool side on the brink of something great, but rather the last hurrah of Shanks’ 1960s stalwarts. The boss would shake things up at the end of the season to build his second excellent team around younger, hungrier players. We had an early FA Cup exit and finished miles behind champions Everton in the league. Here’s a match report from The Guardian.

 

 

The big box office draw after Christmas 1969 was Sydney Pollack’s They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? It was based on a novel that was released a few years earlier, and starred Jane Fonda. I’ve heard of the film but though it might be a western of some sort, but it’s actually a film about a dance competition. It’s set during the Great Depression of the 1920s, where people sought an escape via ‘dance marathons’, basically dancing ‘til you drop in an endurance contest in an attempt to gain some local, and maybe some national, fame. If you think I’m basically cribbing off Wikipedia, you’d be right! I’ve not seen this film but it was a critical and commercial success, and got nominated for a slew of Oscars - a record of nine, though not Best Picture. That was taken by the brilliant Midnight Cowboy.

 

 

The manager might have Sadio available for this one, in addition to everyone else who has returned recently. He’s got a squad depth not always available to him this season, so he can afford to give a number of players an hour or so before bringing on someone else without weakening the team. Indeed the changes might even push the team on to do even better. Make the most of it, do all the right things, and grab the 3 points. We are more than capable.

[Anubis]

[an tha]

Will be interesting to see what side Klopp picks here - he probably has more options than he has in a long time.

 

Got a feeling we might see a few changes ahead of Inter.

 

 

 

[Creator Supreme]

We'll lose obviously.

[aRdja]

Alisson; Trent, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Fabinho, Elliott, Milner; Salah, Mane, Jota

[KMD7]

7 minutes ago, aRdja said:

Alisson; Trent, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Fabinho, Elliott, Milner; Salah, Mane, Jota

No Thiago? 

[AngryOfTuebrook]

Ugly unpleasant team with an ugly unpleasant manager. Still, I'm starting to get the feeling from a couple of years ago where I expect Liverpool to find a way to win (which, let's face it, we need to do if we're going to keep the title race interesting).

 

Just get these beat, Reds.

[aRdja]

7 minutes ago, KMD7 said:

No Thiago? 

Rest him. We should be able to win against Burnley without him. I want Milner in there as he’s probably the most physical midfielder we have in the squad, and that’d come in handy against those grocks. Elliot to provide the guile.

[an tha]

James Milner should not be starting football matches for us these days when we have all our midfielders fit/available.

[3 Stacks]

This is a textbook game for Keita to try to show he's still somebody.

[devilsadvocate]

Be interesting to see who doesn’t make the squad assuming the four absentees return.

 

Origi & Gomez would miss out I’d guess but you’d imagine if Henderson/Mane return which 2 players drop out of the match day squad, possibly Millner/Ox! 

[El Rojo]

Ridiculous strength in depth at the moment, but thankfully no complacency last night. 

 

Thiago was really good last night but with his injury record I'd wonder how wise it would be to play him twice in four days when he's just back. 

 

Salah in for Bobby, Sadio on the bench. 

[Razoray]

Allison 

Trent Konaté VVD Tsimikas 

Elliott Fabinho Henderson

Salah Firmino Jota

 

Mané to play 30 minutes. 

Ideally we go a couple ahead early and Trent, Fabinho and Jota get subbed off early. 

Matip, Robbo and Thiago get a rest for Inter and Salah, Harvey and Henderson give fresh legs. Thursday night to Sunday afternoon turnaround is as short as it should get. 

[Razoray]

1 hour ago, devilsadvocate said:

Be interesting to see who doesn’t make the squad assuming the four absentees return.

 

Origi & Gomez would miss out I’d guess but you’d imagine if Henderson/Mane return which 2 players drop out of the match day squad, possibly Millner/Ox! 

Either Gomez or Milner make the match day squad as they are the RB cover. 

 

Origi, Taki, Milner (or Gomez) and Ox will probably lose out. I think that may be why Minamino was brought on last night as he may not make the 20 on Sunday. 

[Razoray]

1 hour ago, El Rojo said:

Ridiculous strength in depth at the moment, but thankfully no complacency last night. 

 

Thiago was really good last night but with his injury record I'd wonder how wise it would be to play him twice in four days when he's just back. 

 

Salah in for Bobby, Sadio on the bench. 

Bobby instead of Diaz for set-pieces? 

[Anubis]

Burnley fans crying again because Klopp has mentioned they’re physical.

[Pete]

Twat em. Move on.

the reds are coming up the hill. 

[Bjornebye]

22 hours ago, KMD7 said:

No Thiago? 

I wouldn’t play him against these ale house cunts. Save him for Inter 

[Carvalho Diablo]

21 hours ago, 3 Stacks said:

This is a textbook game for Keita to try to show he's still somebody.

Stacksy channeling the great Blackie Lawless. What a time to be alive.

[Code]

13 hours ago, Bjornebye said:

I wouldn’t play him against these ale house cunts. Save him for Inter 

Are Inter less alehouse than Burnley?

[sir roger]

More red wine, but snidier.

[the chimp]

13 hours ago, Carvalho Diablo said:

Stacksy channeling the great Blackie Lawless. What a time to be alive.

Tune.

 

[Chip Butty]

 

[Bobby Hundreds]

We need to play to the level we are capable of. Our side and squad is incredibly strong it should be brushing the likes of Burnley aside. Better individuals by absolute miles, better coached side by miles and by far a better manager there is absolutely no excuses to drop any points if we gave ambitions.

[Creator Supreme]

That Weghorst is a big lump, but he looks a handful, decent feet as well as good in the air. Virgil and Joel need to be on their game with this cunt!