Watford v Liverpool - EPL - Dec 20 [R]

Hmmmm. I hope with Watford being at home they'll decide to come out and play.

 

Watford's ground is around the corner from a friend of mine - have to get to this fixture next time I visit him (assuming they stay up).

Agree - hope they come out and play.

 

Rather see Henderson in place of Milner and Lucas next to Can.

 

I'd rather see a 4-4-2 diamond with Can at the base, Henderson and Lallana wide and Coutinho behind Firmino and Origi.

 

i wonder whether the best penetrating passer should be at the base of the diamond -- and would that be Henderson rather than Can? if it's Can, based on his delivery to Sturridge against Soton, then your set up makes good sense. but if we think it's Henderson, then Can might play on the right side of the diamond and Lallana on the left -- or they can switch up. i like Firmino and Origi together...

Coutinho is the straw that mixes the drink...we all know that.

 

Agree that Benteke needs to be dropped.

The most intriguing aspect of the diamond for me is whether Klopp would be prepared to use one of Lallana/Coutinho/Firmino in CM. I don’t think he’d ever play one of them in a MF two, but he may view a MF three differently. Coutinho played that role well a few times under Rodgers.

The ‘back eight’ (GK, 2 x FBs, 2 x CBs, DM, 2 x CMs) is ostensibly the same in a 4-3-2-1 as in a 4-4-D, and in the five matches Klopp has used a 4-3-2-1 in at Liverpool, that MF three has always consisted of Lucas/Can/Milner/Allen. In the one game he’s used a 4-4-D in so far, the MF three was Allen-Lucas-Can.

So all the evidence thus far indicates that Lallana/Coutinho/Firmino won’t be used in midfield.

 

Not only that but we need somebody who runs beyond the defence when the central strikers [hopefully] pull centre-halves out of position. We scored the first goal by breaching the walled masses using quick one-two passing and a runner behind the centre-halves.

 

We need him or someone like him. Even our stodgy midfield looks passably decent when he runs the channels and attacks the ball.

 

I saw this morning he should go straight into the team.

 

I would not object either way. Just think Henderson may have more stamina to play the wider/more advanced role and use his ability to make runs into the box?

 

But maybe they should against teams that will park the bus?

 

Origi has to start. He's on fire. Let the kid play

 

He should - for confidence if nothing else.

 

I agree that we need to try a different approach. I just think that switching to a diamond might in itself be enough of a change for Klopp, without also tampering with the midfield.

I'd like to see how Firmino as a false #9 works against teams that defend deep and in numbers. Playing Benteke against West Brom's brick shithouse defenders just seemed to mean that we met them on their own terms, which was a mistake. Chelsea and City both have plenty of big guys in their back 6, but our formation when we played them allowed us to sidestep that physical presence for the most part.

If Klopp persists with one up front, then I hope Origi starts in place of Benteke.

 

Does Watford sit deep? I've seen little of them but they strike me as a team that tries to play bit.

 

They've got to be doing something well - they are ahead of us in the table...another opportunity to move up the standings...

 

is he injured? I won't lose any sleep if he is .... get Hendo in there, plus Can and Ibe/Lucas.

not much at all imo. he's a great athlete but not a great footballer. kinda like Djimi but without the 30-yard vertical passes to himself .....