Sparta Prague (H) - EL R16, 2nd leg - Thu 14th Mar 2024 (8:00pm)

[Trumo]

Work-rate. Incisiveness. Nous.

 

I don't ask for much.

 

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

 

One of those match threads where I hope the players are more up for it than I am. Sparta gave it a good go in he first leg and Queef was a very busy man, and yet we were ruthless in attack and put 5 past them to make the second leg a formality, meaning it's difficult to really add anything here.

 

It was a closer-run thing back in 2011 when we faced Sparta in the second leg of the Round of 32. The away leg had finished goalless, and Kenny was still trying to wash away the combined stink of Hodgson, Hicks and Gillett. It was one of those games where we both struggled to get out of second gear, and yet simultaneously didn't look like a team that had more gears left, It was a slog, the Sparta fans were lively, and we couldn't really create much in the way of clear-cut chances. It took Dirk being in the right place at the right time with extra time looming to finally make the breakthrough, after which we comfortably saw it out, and could arguably have added to our tally if Joe Cole had been Chelsea's Joe Cole rather than Liverpool's Joe Cole. Dirk got on the end of a Meireles corner to head home, in case you were wondering.

 

As mentioned above, Sparta didn't do too badly attacking-wise in the first leg last week, missing some decent chances and being thwarted by Queef when they did manage to find the target. They have a bit of pace on the counter and their right back Preciado was one of their most impressive performers. At least until tiredness meant he failed to cut out Harvey's ball into Dom's path, allowing the Hungarian to run through and fire home the fifth. No idea if they will feel there is a remote chance of a comeback, so I've no idea if they will bring any intensity with them. They might decide to enjoy the Anfield occasion, in the knowledge that the domestic league is currently a close contest between them and their great rivals Slavia. Sparta were battered 4-0 by third-placed Viktoria Plzen at the weekend.

 

That being so, I don't want us to treat this like a pre-season friendly, mainly because our record at Anfield matters to me. While I don't expect us to go all out to grab another bagful of goals, I would hope that our players take it seriously. Some, like Cody, could really do with using this game to try and find some form in front of goal. Others, like Mo and Kostas, could do with some minutes to gain sharpness. I would like our team to be more like our teams at Anfield in the group stage rather than the teams away from Anfield, put it that way. I still demand the maximum in motivation, concentration, attitude and application from first minute to last, as winning begets winning. Let's see ourselves through the tie with the minimum of fuss. A win and a place in the next round please. Get it done!

 

 

[Creator Supreme]

0-5 after extra time.

[AngryOfTuebrook]

The good thing about the 4-goal cushion is it means we can afford to make a lot of changes.  We can go Southampton strength, with no more than one or two first-teamers on the pitch at a time.  Klopp might want to give some of the grown-ups a few minutes, to get them sharp for the weekend, but otherwise I just want to see the bairns.

 

Just get these beat (on aggregate, at least) Reds.

[El Rojo]

Something like this maybe, followed by a full running of the bench between 45-60 so that nobody plays for too long. I see Kelleher, Van Dijk and Nunez as our most important players right now so I wouldn't risk them if possible. Mo needs minutes. 

 

Do we've any kid centre halves?

 

Adrian(!), Tsimikas, Konate, Quansah, Gomez - Clark, McConnell, Elliott - Gakpo, Danns, Salah

[Mook]

Szoboszlai should get a chunk of this one to get some more match fitness ahead of Sunday.

 

Be good to see a few of the kids again, they've been great recently & some European Football will be good for them.

[Bjornebye]

I wouldn’t play Konate. I’d put Gomez and Quansah at CB. I’d also give Harvey the night off. 
 

Kellegher

Bradley

Gomez

Quansah

Tsimi

Clark

Szob

McConnell

Salah

Danns

Gakpo 

[Dapower]

Play the kids kids 

[AngryOfTuebrook]

20 minutes ago, Dapower said:

Play the kids kids 

The grandchildren of Lee Clark and Jason Koumas?

[Dapower]

2 minutes ago, AngryOfTuebrook said:

The grandchildren of Lee Clark and Jason Koumas?

 
Nah their sons ,silly

[Allan]

51 minutes ago, El Rojo said:

Something like this maybe, followed by a full running of the bench between 45-60 so that nobody plays for too long. I see Kelleher, Van Dijk and Nunez as our most important players right now so I wouldn't risk them if possible. Mo needs minutes. 

 

Do we've any kid centre halves?

 

Adrian(!), Tsimikas, Konate, Quansah, Gomez - Clark, McConnell, Elliott - Gakpo, Danns, Salah

Amara Nallo was on the bench against City. 17 year-old left footed centre-back we picked up from West Ham in the Summer gone.

 

He and Carter Pinnington, who were both 16 at the start of the season, have formed a good partnership this season while playing for the 21s.

 

Unfortunately, neither Nallo or Pinnington are on our B list. Nallo isn't eligible for the B list having only joined the club last Summer. I assume Pinnington wasn't added purely due to how young he was/is.

 

As for Sparta Prague, they followed up the 5-1 defeat last week with a 4-0 away defeat against third placed Viktoria Plzen on Sunday.

 

 

My line-up for Thursday would be;

 

Kelleher; Bradley, Quansah, Virgil, Tsimikas; Szoboszlai, McConnell, Clark; Gakpo, Nunez, Salah.

 

Adrian, Frauendorf, Gomez, Robbo, Endo, Mac Allister; Gordon, Koumas, Danns, Musialowski, Elliott, Diaz.

 

Gomez on for Virgil at half-time.

 

Kaide Gordon on for Salah on or around the hour mark, along with Koumas or Musialowski on for Szoboszlai with Gakpo dropping into midfield.

 

Not too many options at right back to give Conor a rest, unless Robbo or Tsimkas shifted over for the back end of the game. Frauendorf made his return to the 21s side against Reading on Sunday coming off the bench, so if he's fit enough, I suppose he could spell Conor for the last 15 minutes or so.

 

If at all possible, I'd want to rest Diaz, Elliott, Endo and Mac Allister for the entire 90.

 

[Bjornebye]

What’s happened to Ben Doak? 
 

EDIT: just remembered knee injury 

[Dapower]

6 minutes ago, Bjornebye said:

What’s happened to Ben Doak? 
 

EDIT: just remembered knee injury 

Probably return for start of next season seems like he’s been injured for a long long while

[Bjornebye]

6 minutes ago, Dapower said:

Probably return for start of next season seems like he’s been injured for a long long while

Would have been handy to have him now. Some talent there 

[Dapower]

1 minute ago, Bjornebye said:

Would have been handy to have him now. Some talent there 

Yes another cracking young player to go with the lot we have just been unlucky 

[Lee909]

The loss of Matip has left us just that bit short for full rotation at the back. At the same time it's allowed Quansah to get games. So long term its don't us good. But a neckline of Gomez-Quansah-Matip-Tsmikas would have been great for these. Even Ramsey and Nat Phillips. I guess had we known Trent injury would be so long we would have kept Ramsey

 

I'd be tempted to go

 

Gomez-Quansah-Robbo-Tsmiskas for this

 

Robbo could do the job for a game like this. Gives him minutes and protects Virg

 

 

I'd play this at a slow tempo aswell. Happily keep possession if they sit off us. 

[an tha]

 

16 minutes ago, Lee909 said:

The loss of Matip has left us just that bit short for full rotation at the back. At the same time it's allowed Quansah to get games. So long term its don't us good. But a neckline of Gomez-Quansah-Matip-Tsmikas would have been great for these. Even Ramsey and Nat Phillips. I guess had we known Trent injury would be so long we would have kept Ramsey

 

I'd be tempted to go

 

Gomez-Quansah-Robbo-Tsmiskas for this

 

Robbo could do the job for a game like this. Gives him minutes and protects Virg

 

 

I'd play this at a slow tempo aswell. Happily keep possession if they sit off us. 

Gomez is far, far too important to us to be anywhere near this game.

[Lee909]

12 minutes ago, an tha said:

 

Gomez is far, far too important to us to be anywhere near this game.

 

I'd agree but we don't really have much choice to play him or Bradley. We don't have anyone registered according to the reports on the squad from last week and I'm not sure you can ammend the squads between games, though I could be wrong 

 

 

Apparently Danns hasn't travelled as still dealing with concussion protocols

 

The B list we put in is the youth players and we registered

 

GK

Marcelo Pitaluga (out on loan),

Fabian Mrozek

 

Def

Luke Chambers (out on loan),

Jarell Quansah,

Conor Bradley,

callum Scanlon(injured)

 

Mid

Harvey Elliott,

Stefan Bajcetic,

James McConnell,

 

Fwd

Lewis Koumas,

Thomas Hill,

Kaide Gordon,

Jayden Danns,

Mateusz Musialowski,

Melkamu Frauendorf. 

[an tha]

6 minutes ago, Lee909 said:

 

I'd agree but we don't really have much choice to play him or Bradley. We don't have anyone registered according to the reports on the squad from last week and I'm not sure you can ammend the squads between games, though I could be wrong 

 

 

Apparently Danns hasn't travelled as still dealing with concussion protocols

 

The B list we put in is the youth players and we registered

 

GK

Marcelo Pitaluga (out on loan),

Fabian Mrozek

 

Def

Luke Chambers (out on loan),

Jarell Quansah,

Conor Bradley,

callum Scanlon(injured)

 

Mid

Harvey Elliott,

Stefan Bajcetic,

James McConnell,

 

Fwd

Lewis Koumas,

Thomas Hill,

Kaide Gordon,

Jayden Danns,

Mateusz Musialowski,

Melkamu Frauendorf. 

Yeah we have some issues with who is eligible from kids...Read that some of those who have been around squad of late are not on lists/can't be added.

 

But i'd be doing whatever it takes not to play Gomez here.

[aws]

5 minutes ago, an tha said:

Yeah we have some issues with who is eligible from kids...Read that some of those who have been around squad of late are not on lists/can't be added.

 

But i'd be doing whatever it takes not to play Gomez here.

Play both Robbo and Tsimikas. They both need the minutes. 

[an tha]

2 minutes ago, aws said:

Play both Robbo and Tsimikas. They both need the minutes. 

No issue with that...just keep gomez away from this.

 

I'd play Bradley too to keep Gomez safe given way things are.

 

Bradley - Quansah - Robertson - Tsimikas

 

If no other kid/s we can play back there.

[Tony Moanero]

White Ladder by David Gray is shit.

[VladimirIlyich]

9 hours ago, Dapower said:

 
Nah their sons ,silly

Their great grandchildren then.

[Carra_is_legend]

Konate won't be in the squad.

[aws]

8 hours ago, an tha said:

No issue with that...just keep gomez away from this.

 

I'd play Bradley too to keep Gomez safe given way things are.

 

Bradley - Quansah - Robertson - Tsimikas

 

If no other kid/s we can play back there.

I think Gomez will play but will share the minutes with either Virgil or Bradley.  

[El Rojo]

Am I alone in wanting Adrian to start? As Sunday showed, goalkeeping injuries aren't uncommon, particularly given how much teams play out from the back now and we're utterly dependent on Kelleher for the forseeable future. 

 

If Adrian's the next in line, it would be useful if he wasn't utterly rusty if we do need him at some point. 

 

I fully appreciate that this isn't ideal.