Liverpool Vs Tottenham: Match Thread

[Everlasting Seconds]

Later?

Poch is in a no-win situation now - unless, of course, he wins while playing youngsters. For a certain group of supporters, Cup games must be used to play academy products - to give those players their only chance to prove themselves. For a group of supporters, Cup games must be played at full strength to ensure our greatest chance of winning a trophy.

If Poch plays youth - he obviously does not care about winning, and therefore must hate the club. If Poch plays a full-strength squad, he obviously hates the academy, and therefore must hate the club.

But, but, but ... he is so GOOD at playing kids ...

 

[Hazardousman]

Moancommunity

Great name for a porn site.

 

[Bobbins]

Well Klopp thinks this is a "Big Tournament".

Ok mate.

To be fair, I'd love to win it, wouldn't you?

 

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

Later?

Poch is in a no-win situation now - unless, of course, he wins while playing youngsters. For a certain group of supporters, Cup games must be used to play academy products - to give those players their only chance to prove themselves. For a group of supporters, Cup games must be played at full strength to ensure our greatest chance of winning a trophy.

If Poch plays youth - he obviously does not care about winning, and therefore must hate the club. If Poch plays a full-strength squad, he obviously hates the academy, and therefore must hate the club.

Perfectly articulated

 

[Bobbins]

Later?

Poch is in a no-win situation now - unless, of course, he wins while playing youngsters. For a certain group of supporters, Cup games must be used to play academy products - to give those players their only chance to prove themselves. For a group of supporters, Cup games must be played at full strength to ensure our greatest chance of winning a trophy.

If Poch plays youth - he obviously does not care about winning, and therefore must hate the club. If Poch plays a full-strength squad, he obviously hates the academy, and therefore must hate the club.

It's true that he's in a lose-lose situation. It's why I was absolutely gutted to draw Liverpool, and away at that. Of all the teams we could've drawn we get the one on the best form with no European football to bother them, who will desperately want to win this trophy.

We on the other hand desperately need to win something to keep out trophy record up this decade - I will be unbelievably gutted were we to lose that after all this time. Sadly I don't think we have much chance of keeping it up.

 

[robbiedee]

I don't think Liverpool will be at full strength. Palace away isn't an easy fixture on Saturday, and footballers always say the evening games are harder to get yourself ready for.

We'll have a mixture of fringe and senior players...half and half I'd say, and I don't think Liverpool will be dissimilar.

This will be a tightly fought match with maybe 1 goal separating the 2 teams and I wouldn't be surprised to see it go to ET at 0-0 after 90 mins.

 

[ajspurs]

I'd be surprised if they had Lallana and Coutinho starting but they may very well be on the bench. I look forward to seeing some of our fringe players but I hope we have a strong core to our team tonight.

Hopefully Lamela plays because I think he can set the tone to our pressing sometimes which would be useful if we've got a couple of young hungry players playing too.

 

[Lemon]

Later?

Poch is in a no-win situation now - unless, of course, he wins while playing youngsters. For a certain group of supporters, Cup games must be used to play academy products - to give those players their only chance to prove themselves. For a group of supporters, Cup games must be played at full strength to ensure our greatest chance of winning a trophy.

If Poch plays youth - he obviously does not care about winning, and therefore must hate the club. If Poch plays a full-strength squad, he obviously hates the academy, and therefore must hate the club.

Yossarian?

 

[mpickard2087]

My take on it is that this is Poch's third season in charge now. Whatever team he puts out, whether that be a team of academy kids or billion pound superstars, should have the solid foundations of the performance - work rate, press, etc - and so be extremely competitive within the game, no matter if we ultimately win, lose, or draw. If we don't then there is only own guy to blame, we can't always play the favourites.

The early rounds of the cup, whoever we draw, have to be used to rest and give a midweek break as we have a long slog of fixtures especially in the middle of PL and then CL games.

 

[millsey]

Full Anfield crowd live on tv. Chance for some boy to become men. Simply couldn't be a harder fixture. Don't have a great feeling about this one but here's hoping!

 

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

My take on it is that this is Poch's third season in charge now. Whatever team he puts out, whether that be a team of academy kids or billion pound superstars, should have the solid foundations of the performance - work rate, press, etc - and so be extremely competitive within the game, no matter if we ultimately win, lose, or draw. If we don't then there is only own guy to blame, we can't always play the favourites.

The early rounds of the cup, whoever we draw, have to be used to rest and give a midweek break as we have a long slog of fixtures especially in the middle of PL and then CL games.

I think we've had this since last season. In fact, it's one of the things that has pleased me most about Poch's reign. I was always jealous of teams such as Man U and Arsenal that for seasons would play youth sides in the league cup who replicated the style of the first team. Where as under managers such as Redknapp we would just cobble a team of fringe players together who would have no discernible style.

Whatever happens the team will be well drilled tonight but that won't be a substitute for lack of experience. We just have to hope the exuberance and fearlessness of youth push up over the line.

 

[Tom Pops]

Fully rotate the squad. If we win, dont change it until the final(if we make it that far). If we lose, who cares. This is a crap competition. We have more imporant tasks at hand.

Can someone explain to me how this is a crap competition? I see a lot of people saying that but no one ever says why. We haven't won a trophy in 8 years so what right do we have to be snobby about it?

If we go out of this then what do we have to focus on, getting knocked out of the CL by Barcelona or finishing 4th in the PL? Glory glory...

 

[Shadydan]

Can someone explain to me how this is a crap competition? I see a lot of people saying that but no one ever says why. We haven't won a trophy in 8 years so what right do we have to be snobby about it?

If we go out of this then what do we have to focus on, getting knocked out of the CL by Barcelona or finishing 4th in the PL? Glory glory...

I'm gonna go with it's a comfort blanket to say that just in case we lose I guess

 

[mattie g]

They have no Europe so are they going to play pretty much full first team?

It is possible. But it is also possible to not.

 

[yankspurs]

Can someone explain to me how this is a crap competition? I see a lot of people saying that but no one ever says why. We haven't won a trophy in 8 years so what right do we have to be snobby about it?

If we go out of this then what do we have to focus on, getting knocked out of the CL by Barcelona or finishing 4th in the PL? Glory glory...

The league already determines the champions of England. The FA Cup is a competition with all of England. I dont see the point of a cup with just the League clubs when we already have a league competition to determine champions of England. Its just another way for EFL to get more money.

 

[nightgoat]

So what do we reckon Sky's all-Scouse pundit line up's going to be?

 

[talkshowhost86]

Can someone explain to me how this is a crap competition? I see a lot of people saying that but no one ever says why. We haven't won a trophy in 8 years so what right do we have to be snobby about it?

If we go out of this then what do we have to focus on, getting knocked out of the CL by Barcelona or finishing 4th in the PL? Glory glory...

You can't play in four competitions without fucking yourself up in all of them so you have to prioritise.

The Champions League is the pinnacle of the game. It's what every team is striving for both financially and in terms of glamour (just remember those games against Inter, AC Milan and Real). It has to be top priority.

The league is our bread and butter and something that, improbably, we're not that far off being able to win. It needs to be the second priority.

That leaves the two cups. The FA Cup is clearly the most prestigious of the two so has to take priority.

And that means the EFL cup is the lowest priority and quite rightly.

 

[Shadydan]

So what do we reckon Sky's all-Scouse pundit line up's going to be?

Rebecca Ferguson
John Bishop
Sinbad

 

[dagraham]

So what do we reckon Sky's all-Scouse pundit line up's going to be?

I'm half expecting John Bishop and Jimmy Tarbuck to make an appearance.

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

Nobody remembers league cup winners. The only ones I remember are when Spurs won and when Spurs lost in the final.
Otherwise, it comes with low prestige, low public interest, low prize money (5% of FA cup prize money to the winner), teams featuring rotated squads, and the possibility of reaching the final by only playing lower league teams.

That being said, the reason why I want a highly rotated line up today is not for the prestige of the competition, but because I genuinely believe the second string can beat those suckers.