26 Apr 2018 06:05:55
With only 3 recognised senior mids fit, which option would you go for:

1. Use TAA to rest mids when CL qualification assured. (4 points needed out of 3 games)
2. Change formation from 4-3-3 to a 4-2-3-1
3. Stick with same 3 mids for rest of the season (should be 5 games)
4. Use Woodburn, Herbie Kane, Curtis Jones.
5. Other.

1.) 26 Apr 2018
26 Apr 2018 06:25:49
We could play Emre Can?

2.) 26 Apr 2018
26 Apr 2018 07:12:18
We’ll still him alongside Lallana and Ox in our cripples 11 Mrplums.

3.) 26 Apr 2018
26 Apr 2018 07:32:30
TAA might need a rest too don't you think? He has been running his backside off at RB and just chucking him in midfield to rest others may not make sence. It could cause him to get injured and that wouldn't be great right now either. I say take each prem game as it comes and if any players need resting then make the decision there and then.

4.) 26 Apr 2018
26 Apr 2018 08:01:27
Use a combination of your options 1 and 4 for the Stoke game. Use the starting 3 for both Roma and Chelsea. Back to options 1 and 4 for the Brighton game.

5.) 26 Apr 2018
26 Apr 2018 08:45:53
Just play the strongest team who are match fit in every game we play?

People always seem to forget that these guys train far harder than they play. If your training sessions aren't harder than your games, you are not being coached or worked correctly.

A professional boxer could probably go for 15-18 rounds of they had to. Mo Farah used to run the 10k and 5k back to back, with practice runs in between. Tennis players play a far more physically gruelling sport in generally higher temperatures every 2 or 3 days.

The only real concern should be an impact injury, such as the one Ox sustained. Where do you draw the line though? Aguero got injured in a car crash! So do we ban players from cars in the build up to the final?

Spurs players got ruined by a dodgy lasagne! You can't live in fear. These guys could just as easily get injured in training. Dean Ashton's career was ended by Shaun Wright-Phillips in a training session.

Paisley's skin would crawl at the very thought of the next game not being the most important in the world.

If we get an injury, we find a way to cope. We rested Ox against West Brom, and he still ended up out for the season in an innocuous challenge. So it clearly doesn't help much, if at all to rest players. Matip got injured whilst he was being rotated. Ings did he knee ligaments in 2015 during training. Lallana got season ending injury after a handful of sub appearances.

It is the luck of the draw. I am getting tired of seeing footballers so pampered and bubble wrapped. I want to hammer Stoke, Chelsea and Brighton. Whether we need to or not.

Sorry for the rant. I'm sure it will go down like a lead balloon, but hey-hoh; This site is here for us to express our mad opinion!

6.) 26 Apr 2018
26 Apr 2018 09:22:42
Not to mention there is ample time between games now.

7.) 26 Apr 2018
26 Apr 2018 09:50:03
Exactly Southern Red! 5 games in the next 30 days. It's not like the Christmas period where you have 5 games in 12 days on dodgy pitches in cold weather.

The conditions and rest periods are perfectly fine. Salah will want to play every game to break the record. Firmino will want to make it 30 goals for the season. Mane will have his eyes on scoring 20. Milner and Wijnaldum are fit enough to play every week anyway.

My only real concerns are Henderson and Lovren who seem to naturally struggle with playing twice in quick succession. So just rest them against Stoke and go full strength aside from that. I'm sure Ben Woodburn and Joe Gomez could handle Stoke City!

8.) 26 Apr 2018
26 Apr 2018 09:52:33
Very well said MK.

9.) 26 Apr 2018
26 Apr 2018 10:11:51
Great post MK one of the best I've seen here for a while! As much as we'd all like to wrap them up in cotton wool there's no guarantee they won't drop a bottle of aftershave on their foot (canizares i believe before the world cup a few years ago) or something strange like that. Klopp knows if someone desperately needs a rest but we must still try secure top 4 as imagine the disaster that would bring (if we don't win the champs league)

These boys are professional and will want to play every game. particularly Mo as he targets the records!

It's also not to be underestimated that this time around unlike the city games we have Tuesday - saturday - wednesday rather than for the quarters it was wednesday-saturday-tuesday. so effectively an extra 2 days between, not much but definitely should help.

3 points against stoke sat is a must, go finish the job against roma on Wednesday and let us dream! Come on you redmen!

10.) 26 Apr 2018
26 Apr 2018 11:16:35
Sorry MK but i don't understand your logic. Do you think there is more, or less, chance of Firmino or Salah being fit for the Roma game if they play versus Stoke?
Sure they have the physical attributes to play three games in 8 days but the probability of injuries increases so why not play Solanke or Ings this weekend? Excluding them vs Stoke isn't just about preseving their energy. Stoke are a bunch of thugs on a good day so give our other strikers an opportunity.

11.) 26 Apr 2018
26 Apr 2018 11:29:19
I don't think option 3 is realistic as Henderson's fitness means it really is important he rests. I know some people want the strongest possible side out there every game but Henderson is very important and, whilst we are still in the CL, he needs preserving. Using TAA is OK but I am unconvinced by either Clyne or Gomez at right back and think TAA is by far the best option there. I think Woodburn and Curtis Jones are the most likely, and most common sense, selections in my opinion. As somebody else stated on another thread I just hope Klopp doesn't revert to a back 3 - it really does not suit the personnel as well and defensively we look much more vulnerable. 4-2-3-1 is an idea but its still essentially a similar formation to the one we play now - how would that formation realistically change personnel selected? I think giving the youngsters a chance is both the best way and the only proper way forward - as ED and others have said countless times how will we know if they are good enough if they do not get a chance?

12.) 26 Apr 2018
26 Apr 2018 11:36:00
Does it increase though RedLorry? If they Don't play, from experience I know you are slightly less sharp for the next game.

If that lack of sharpness sees you stretching to retain a loose touch, or mistime a tackle etc then you could argue there is greater risk of injury?

I personally Don't see the fuss. The minimum recovery period is supposedly 48 hours. They have that and then some!

As Traore said, they could drop an aftershave bottle and break their foot at home! I fractured a metatarsal in January slipping on laminate flooring because my toddler left his blanket there in the dark.

Aguero got given a night off and was in a car crash! You can't wrap players up in cotton wool to the detriment of the team. There is no guarantee we will win the CL, and top 4 is not safe yet. We lose to Stoke and then lose to Chelsea, all of a sudden the game against Brighton is a must win. Why risk That? Just bury Stoke and get the job done.

13.) 26 Apr 2018
26 Apr 2018 11:57:01
Can we use our full backs in some sort of formation. We can easily play all four, Robertson, Moreno, Clyne and Gomez.

Remember when Jose Enrique played for us in the midfield? ok Im sorry.

14.) 26 Apr 2018
26 Apr 2018 13:51:58
But you are talking possibilities not probabilities, MK. Salah could drop a bottle of aftershave on his foot in the dressing room before Saturdays match, Firmino could break a tooth warming up vs Stoke. Anything could happen at the match or if they stay at home.
Id like to see a few changes on Saturday. Give the likes of Ings, Solanke, WOodburn, etc a go and keep a few first teamers injury-free for next week.

15.) 26 Apr 2018
26 Apr 2018 16:57:10
Next two games both important, and then after that there’s plenty of time to rest until the final anyway and we can’t wrap all our starting 11 in cotton wool for fear of injury.

I think with that in mind, only change I’d make vs Stoke is resting Hendo, and playing Gini, Milner and Woodburn in midfield.

16.) 26 Apr 2018
26 Apr 2018 18:29:03
But using the scary logic that's coming from a lot of people.

What if Woodburn plays against Stoke and gets a really bad injury that ruins his career?

We can't risk him either. Haha.

17.) 27 Apr 2018
27 Apr 2018 11:01:39
How about a 5th option?

5) trust in Klopp.
:)