West Ham (H) - Sun 24th Sep 2023 (2:00pm)

[Trumo]

Work-rate. Incisiveness. Nous.

 

I don't ask for much.

 

This is how it's gonna be. Build from the ground up.

 

Last year's fixture ended in a 1-0 win for the Reds thanks to Darwin's tidy header. It was his first Anfield goal in Liverpool colours. Ali saved a penalty from Bowen after a clumsy challenge by Joe just before half time. Apart from that, I can't recall anything else without watching a highlights video.

 

Both sides go into this one off the back of a comeback win in the Europa League. Moyes and West Ham have had a bit of a run in Europe in the past 12 months, winning the Conference League last season to take their place in this competition. They sold the influential Rice to Arsenal but have added Mexican international Alvarez and Ghanaian international Kudus from Ajax with the money. That's a touch more depth and versatility. Bowen has become a key player for them over the past year too, and poses a threat for a team that will look to play on the counter at Anfield.

 

For us, Thiago and Trent will be out. Grav was subbed against Linz late on, but they are saying that was just a touch of cramp. He hasn't played a lot recently so that would explain the physical struggles late on in Austria. Other than that, we should have a full compliment. Ali, Robbo, Curtis and Diogo were rested in midweek, so the starting line-up should look a lot stronger than against LASK.

 

Hopefully we start sloppily and concede a shit and wholly avoidable goal early on. I've been hoping for the opposite for weeks/months now, so you never know! As ever, concentration, attitude and application need to be spot on. Go out there, do all the right things and come away with another 3 points. We know we can. Get it done!

[bossy]

Just keep winning Red Men. Be nice to do it comfortably, but if I’m slagging everyone off and calling for the managers head at half time and we come out winners by the end, I’ll be happy enough. 2-1 us.  

[sir roger]

Even when we were terrible last season, it was mainly the away games.

Hopefully more of an Aston Villa type afternoon than a life and death struggle, but as long as we win.

[Bjornebye]

Start Nunez. Kill them with pace and hair the jellied eel shagging twats. 

[bizzle10]

You know the whole go behind in the game thing how about we try and take the lead instead just a suggestion 

[Creator Supreme]

0-6, we're wank!

[3 Stacks]

Based on the team against LASK, will likely be the same 11 as against Wolves, just with Virgil instead of Quansah. 

[Anubis]

That fucking lump, Antonio, has been banging on about this being a six-pointer and how they’re going to beat us. Add to that their deluded, knobhead fans singing about being Champions of Europe. Destroy these bubble blowing fuckers. Absolutely destroy them.

[Pete]

3 points for us and an apoplectic David Moyes will do for me.  

[Reckoner]

What the fuck is going on with Thiago? 

[sir roger]

Weirdly enough Jurgen seems to get on better with Moyes than practically any of the other managers.

[aws]

18 minutes ago, sir roger said:

Weirdly enough Jurgen seems to get on better with Moyes than practically any of the other managers.

Moyes’s bitterness quotient seems to have plummeted since leaving his previous clubs. 

[Mook]

11 hours ago, sir roger said:

Even when we were terrible last season, it was mainly the away games.

Hopefully more of an Aston Villa type afternoon than a life and death struggle, but as long as we win.

 

We were absolutely brutal in this fixture last season, West Ham were the better side in the second half from what I remember.

 

Most of that was down to our abyss, where a midfield should have been so hoping for better on Sunday.

[Pete]

Never change Moyes, never change...

[coachpotato]

Kudus looks decent, Benrahma played well when he came on, but, according to my WHU supporting mate, he’s too inconsistent, Antonio is a handful and Ward-Prowse is pretty good at dropping the ball into dangerous places, as Soucek’s goal proved last night, it looked right off the training ground. They’re only West Ham though.

 

Perhaps we should just let them score from the kick off and get on with it.

 

It’s worked so far.

 

 

[El Rojo]

Assuming Trent is out, I think we’ll go with:

 

Alisson

 

Robbo

Konate

Van Dijk

Gomez

 

Mac Allister

Szloboszlai

Jones 

 

Salah

Gakpo

Jota

 

Salah aside, I find it difficult to pick our front three as all options are quality in their own way. It’s a good problem, and if means we always have top class options coming on fresh after an hour.

 

I also think that we sometimes overstate the absence of an out-and-out 6. I reckon Klopp is trying to evolve to having three more rounded options in the centre.

[VladimirIlyich]

4 hours ago, Reckoner said:

What the fuck is going on with Thiago? 

Who?

[Dave D]

12 minutes ago, El Rojo said:

Assuming Trent is out, I think we’ll go with:

 

Alisson

 

Robbo

Konate

Van Dijk

Gomez

 

Mac Allister

Szloboszlai

Jones 

 

Salah

Gakpo

Jota

 

Salah aside, I find it difficult to pick our front three as all options are quality in their own way. It’s a good problem, and if means we always have top class options coming on fresh after an hour.

 

I also think that we sometimes overstate the absence of an out-and-out 6. I reckon Klopp is trying to evolve to having three more rounded options in the centre.

 

Nunez deserves a start but he's becoming useful at changing the rhythm of games if they aren't going to plan- whereas Gakpo is a bit pedestrian to be making an impact as a a sub 

[Grinch]

Neither Gakpo or Jota deserve to be anywhere near the starting line up.

[El Rojo]

11 minutes ago, Grinch said:

Neither Gakpo or Jota deserve to be anywhere near the starting line up.

I think both are more likely to start because they didn’t figure last night. Both are also goal threats even when otherwise anonymous. 
 

I also think Diaz and Nunez on early in the second half of a tight game is absolutely massive for us.

[VladimirIlyich]

5 minutes ago, El Rojo said:

I think both are more likely to start because they didn’t figure last night. Both are also goal threats even when otherwise anonymous. 
 

I also think Diaz and Nunez on early in the second half of a tight game is absolutely massive for us.

Gakpo? Why not? He's a tremendous goal threat either scoring or assisting.

[El Rojo]

12 minutes ago, VladimirIlyich said:

Gakpo? Why not? He's a tremendous goal threat either scoring or assisting.

He’s had a slow start compared to how he was doing last season. He’s a huge talent though. 
 

Any three of Salah/Nunez/Diaz/Gakpo/Jota probably isn’t as potent as peak Salah/Mane/Firmino, but there’s definitely more depth from the bench there than before, as the pattern of some of our games this season is already showing.

[an tha]

Set pieces are the worry with these.

 

They are bastards off corners anyway and with Ward-Prowse now even more so....and of course his free kicks.

[Bobby Hundreds]

When Gakpo and Jota start I think we are going to struggle to attack yet they both score. Im not Jotas biggest fan, I think he's sound when you have the options we do but often his overall game is messy and he's exactly how wolves fans said he was very prone to purple patches and lulls. Like I said though he's a great option to have off the bench and to play cup games, maybe the odd league one.

[magicrat]

Can we please not concede a sloppy opener . All very good winning from behind but it’s not the best long term strategy