Chelsea (H) - Sun 20th Oct 2024 (4:30pm)

[Trumo]

A return to club football and another very busy period prior to the next international break. In the news this week, FIFpro (the global players' union) and the European Leagues (representing 39 leagues in 33 countries) have brought about a lawsuit against FIFA, arguing that the governing body has prioritised its own events in order to monetise them, while also threatening players and teams who try to pull out. Too many games in the calendar means very little chance for players and coaches to re-energise, and many more games where no-one is at their optimum. While I agree that players are playing too many games these days (it's a much higher level of intensity and there is usually more at stake compared to say the 70s and 80s when some players were also playing a lot of games), it also feels like we've barely played any league games. 7 games out of 38, and we're in mid-October.

 

We welcome the lunatic asylum to Anfield. I think they have more points and goals than signings this time round, but it's hard to tell. It's also hard to tell whether they've return to the median or whether they are outperforming their stats. Under Poch, they did seem to create a lot of chances without converting them. Under their latest head coach Maresca, they have been creating a lot of chances but also converting a lot of them. They've also been quite open in midfield and defence. Their summer transfer activity consisted of trying to force out a lot of their home-grown players to book the whole transfer fee while signing new players on the never-never and only having to book the amortisation for PSR purposes. They also sold the hotel to themselves and tried to sell the women's team to themselves too. The PL and UEFA have actually been wise to the ruse on the whole. Amongst the incomings are Neto from Wolves (injury-prone but dangerous), Felix from Atletico (still yet to show he's the new Kaka), National Trust Estate from Leicester (part of the PSR fiddle than a player they actually needed), plus Sancho on loan from the Mancs (again a player they didn't actually need). Palmer has been their breakout player since the previous summer, far and away their best signing. Cucurella and Fofana both picked up their fifth yellows of the season so miss out through suspension, and they are checking on the fitness of Madueke, Colwill and Chukwuemeka. No idea on the rest.

 

For us, Ali will be missing for the next month at least so we will have Queef between the sticks. He has proved to be more than a capable deputy over the years, and it's understandable that he wants to be a number one. Ali is the clear number one but he's also very injury prone hence why we did the deal for Mamardashvili. We also have Jaros as back-up, who if he was a regular at club level would likely be first choice for his country too. Macca played against Bolivia so his little knock prior to the international break may well have cleared. Mo and Virg got to put their feet up this week, and Curtis returned early from international duty due to the birth of his daughter. The other internationals got a fair bit of game time and chipped in with a fair few goals to boot. That means that as I write, Ali and Harvey are the only absentees. Not heard any updates on Fede's situation.

 

Slot will want to avoid the shitshow against Forest that was the aftermath of our last return to domestic action after an international break. We'll of course need to be wary of Chelsea's attacking threat but we have enough to hurt them like we did last season. It needs the right level of control and intensity, and the substitutions need to have more impact in terms of being effective and not hampering the set-up and putting us needlessly under the cosh.

 

How have our previous managers got on in their first home fixture against Chelsea? It's pretty good on the whole.

 

Souness...05/09/1992...Liverpool 2-1 Chelsea (Saunders, Redknapp)

Evans...19/03/1994...Liverpool 2-1 Chelsea (Rush, Burley og)

Houllier...16/10/1999...Liverpool 1-0 Chelsea (Thompson)

Benitez...01/01/2005...Liverpool 0-1 Chelsea

Hodgson...17/11/2010...Liverpool 2-0 Chelsea (Torres 2)

Dalglish...08/05/2012...Liverpool 4-1 Chelsea (Essien og, Henderson, Agger, Shelvey)

Rodgers...21/04/2013...Liverpool 2-2 Chelsea (Sturridge, Suarez)

Klopp...11/05/2016...Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea (Benteke)

 

I don't ask for much. Maximum motivation, control, application, attitude and concentration from minute one. 3 points please. Get it done!

[Reckoner]

Perfect timing this.

 

[AngryOfTuebrook]

As a club, Chelsea is full of "spherical bastards" - whichever way you look at them, they're still bastards.  Profoundly unlovely shower of cunts.

 

Just get these beat, Reds.

[Megadrive Man]

Kelleher

Trent

VVD

Konate

Robbo

Gravenberch

Mac

Szobo

Gakpo

Nunez

Salah

 

Squad rotation is going to be massive over the next few weeks.

[Red Banjo]

We have to play Diaz in this. He's been our most potent attacker this season. I'd play Gakpo as the 9 personally- but if he doesn't see that as his position, fine - but it doesn't come at the expense of Luis Diaz.

 

Rest of the team picks itself.

 

Just beat these horrible, cheating cunts please lads. Enough with the fantasy that they are back competing again. 3-0.

[Mook]

I'm nervous about this game.

 

Chelsea look a decent side again. Maybe our first proper test under Slot, other than the Forest one we failed spectacularly.

[Binomial]

Smash the cunts.

 

I suppose if they come to Anfield playing like they have done defensively, that'll happen naturally.

 

Going with a 5-2 win.

[Bjornebye]

1 hour ago, Megadrive Man said:

Kelleher

Trent

VVD

Konate

Robbo

Gravenberch

Mac

Szobo

Gakpo

Nunez

Salah

 

Squad rotation is going to be massive over the next few weeks.

 

Nunez played a full 90 minutes last night (early hours) for Uruguay. Doubt he starts. 

[Scott_M]

I’m greatly looking forward to this. 
 

Agree that the side more or less picks it’s self.

 

Just. Fucking. Win. 

[Megadrive Man]

3 minutes ago, Bjornebye said:

 

Nunez played a full 90 minutes last night (early hours) for Uruguay. Doubt he starts. 

 

Didn't realise this. Thought he was banned for Uruguay. Didn't realise that it had been overturned. 

[Bjornebye]

Just now, Megadrive Man said:

 

Didn't realise this. Thought he was banned for Uruguay. Didn't realise that it had been overturned. 

 

Not sure but he defo played. 

[Scott_M]

2 minutes ago, Bjornebye said:

 

Not sure but he defo played. 

0-0 with Ecuador and were boo’d off. 
 

Seems harsh, Ecuador are currently in the qualifying positions. 
 

All doesn’t seem well with Bielsa. 

[Binomial]

12 minutes ago, Scott_M said:

0-0 with Ecuador and were boo’d off. 
 

Seems harsh, Ecuador are currently in the qualifying positions. 
 

All doesn’t seem well with Bielsa. 

 

No goals in their last 4 qualifying games probably doesn't help, against dross like Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela too. I'd boo too and I didn't see a single 1 of those games.

[Elite]

They are a glass cannon. Plenty of goals but can be got at. We need to get the first goal and then frustrate the fuck of them and hit them on the counter.

[Barrington Womble]

These look in better shape this season. Hopefully that's not a long term thing and we can take them apart on Sunday. The game last season was probably our best performance. More of the same please reds. 

[suzy]

Just win! I’m nervously looking forward to this.

[beejay]

Tough game, real test for us. They have won all 3 away games, 2nd best league goalscorers and flying. But we are quietly going about our business too. 

 

This should ignite the home support and could be a cracker. 

[Bruce Spanner]

This will be their reality check when we fuck ‘em up good and proper.

 

1-0.

[Carvalho Diablo]

Just cripple Palmer, he's all they have.

[Anubis]

Just win. 
 

Will also take a forearm smash to Palmer’s smug face as well, please.

[an tha]

Despise these cunts.

 

Hate chelsea as well.

[VladimirIlyich]

Brian Cox,the actor from Succession,has been rumoured to be buying shares in their club. The Chelsea Bent Roys.

[Binomial]

40 minutes ago, VladimirIlyich said:

Brian Cox,the actor from Succession,has been rumoured to be buying shares in their club. The Chelsea Bent Roys.

Fuck Brian Cox.

[AngryOfTuebrook]

1 hour ago, Binomial said:

Fuck Brian Cox.

Whoosh?

[VladimirIlyich]

6 hours ago, AngryOfTuebrook said:

Whoosh?

Yep. Very much so.