Brighton vs Liverpool - Premier League (18/19 - Game 22)

[S-RED]

The bench will be poor on Saturday, by the looks of it

[The_weatherman]

The bench will be poor on Saturday, by the looks of it

Origi, Lallana, Shaq, Hoever, Jones, Sturridge, Moreno

Nah, it should do for us IMO.

[Pablo]

Beyond a joke carrying these sicknotes, our chance to win the prem could get blown away here...

Need a ****ing major clear out, no prisoners.

Pressure has got to you already baitman

[The_weatherman]

Pressure has got to you already baitman

I'm by nature a pessimistic Liverpool fan, but if we fail to win Brighton, it will be because they have defended very well, our players have underestimated them or we've been very unlucky, or all three, the team should be strong enough to win the game on most days, but of course everything can happen.

[Pablo]

I've said for a while that the team that wins the league will be the one that's luckiest with injuries or copes with injures the best.

Right now we've been hit pretty hard with defensive injuries but I'd prefer that than injuries to the front 3 where we have worse like-for-like cover.

One more win and we'll be right back on track. It's very important for our confidence that we win this one. Anything other than a win here and the pressure will build.

So attack in this game. Get the goals we need to win the game.

After that Matip and/or Gomez should hopefully be available and we should be sorted at the back again.

It is slightly worrying times, but it was never going to be easy.

[dom9]

I've said for a while that the team that wins the league will be the one that's luckiest with injuries or copes with injures the best.

Right now we've been hit pretty hard with defensive injuries but I'd prefer that than injuries to the front 3 where we have worse like-for-like cover.

One more win and we'll be right back on track. It's very important for our confidence that we win this one. Anything other than a win here and the pressure will build.

So attack in this game. Get the goals we need to win the game.

After that Matip and/or Gomez should hopefully be available and we should be sorted at the back again.

It is slightly worrying times, but it was never going to be easy.

And we've still got VvD

[Yozza]

Liverpool team news

A quick team news update from Jurgen Klopp on the fitness of his squad.

“Joel [Matip] trained yesterday for the first time with the team which is really good but we have to see and decide day-by-day.

“Hendo [Jordan Henderson] will train today for the first time and see what that means exactly."


'We have lost two games, not nice but not a real problem'

Jurgen is told this is the smallest-ever points gap at the top of the table at this stage of a Premier League season.

“Statistics from the past have no relevance in the present. We don’t think about last season or 20 years ago," he said.

“This is our season. It’s really good so far. Now we have to carry on.

"Two weeks ago everyone was so excited about the distance between (us and City). Now we have lost two games, not nice but not a real problem."


'Young stars must stay confident, be humble, but show up'

Klopp on Virgil Van Dijk: “He has so many things already good and so many he can still improve. Most important that he is fit. It’s all good.

“I think much more positively about my players than I talk to you about them.

“He can play until he’s 39 or so and there is a lot to come. He has outstanding potential.”

On Ki-Jana Hoever, Rafael Camacho and Curtis Jones: "They need to improve every day, their potential is fantastic. We won a youth tournament in Germany with the youngest team last weekend which shows the next generation are waiting. Stay confident, be humble, but show up."


'We have to get as many points as possible'

Klopp on playing Fabinho as centre-back: “If Fabinho has to play as a centre-half what we want is the natural understanding of the game.

“If you are a holding six or a centre-half with the ball it is easier.”

On only having one game per week: "It's my preferred rhythm. It's our situation, it's not that we decided to go out of the cups. We got Chelsea at home, we got Wolves away and had to make changes because of the intensity of the games.

"Pep said he would prefer to be in all four competitions and I'd prefer the same.

“We have to make the best of the time we have now and get as many points as possible.”


'Who deals the best with their problems has the most success'

On the line-up against Wolves: “The players who didn’t play in that game either played all nine games in December or were a little bit injured.”

On injuries: “They are not out for long. It’s not cool in this moment but in two weeks it will probably be okay.

“We are fine. A season is always like this. Who deals the best with their problems has the most success.

“Let’s play football. Nothing else. Using the quality and the potential of the boys in the best way we can, train on all-important things like different systems.

“Hopefully we don’t have a lot of normal weeks because we want to stay in the Champions League as long as possible."


'The best way to create the pace is get points'

On facing new challenges: “That’s normal. Every year is the same. Last year when we fought for the Champions League, everything was fine and then Chelsea found their feet back and it was really difficult.

As long as you can stay completely focused and completely with yourself the better it is. So far that is what we try to do and it has been pretty easy for us to stay focused.

“There is no game in the Premier League where you can count the three points beforehand. I like that. It is good. It should be okay line-up wise but we have problems.

“I seen Chelsea Tottenham in the [Carabao Cup] semi-final and both benches were full of players I know. That means no kids around.

“The best way to create the pace is get points.”


'We have to make life as difficult as possible for Brighton'

On Brighton: “It’s really difficult in the Premier League to be in the position they are in and not have the money.

“[Lewis] Dunk and [Shane] Duffy are outstanding centre-halves. [Davy] Propper is playing his best season in England is a good pairing with [Dale] Stephens.

“It is just a good team. They are in the shadow of all other teams but then you think ‘oh right, we could have had this player as well.’

'We have to make life as difficult as possible for Brighton' and will try everything to win that game.”


'We have to use the time and understand the challenge right'

On whether Liverpool have an advantage being out of the FA Cup: “We will see it. I don’t know. It’s quite special to have three centre-halves in the same moment. Bad luck, eh? That makes it quite tricky but we have to use our situation.

“If we could be in another situation now with more [FA Cup] games, then what is it? We have the Champions League at the start of February. Other teams have other games. We can deal with it and they can deal with it.

“There’s no advantage. You can do a lot of wrong things when you have a week to train. That is possible. We have to use the time and understand the challenge right.”

Klopp ends by confirming Rafael Camacho will not leave Liverpool this winter.

[Tribute]

...so Fab playing as an 'intuitive' CB this weekend with VVD. :-)
Be good to get off to a quick start, grab a goal or two and manage the game and players that we have left...

[Shaggy]

'Intriguingly, Henderson was pencilled in to to play centre-back alongside Fabinho in the FA Cup tie prior to his injury.'

Intruiging is one word for it.

[SB]

So I’m assuming their Aussie keeper Matty Ryan is out as he played in an Asian Cup qualifier last night. Do they have a decent number 2 keeper or a Mignolet type as back up?

[red g]

So I’m assuming their Aussie keeper Matty Ryan is out as he played in an Asian Cup qualifier last night. Do they have a decent number 2 keeper or a Mignolet type as back up?

Jason Steele, **** Ex Sunderland keeper....cue a worldie.

[SB]

Always my concern too but I’m glad Ryan is out as he’s a decent keeper.

[RedReet]

Jason Steele, **** Ex Sunderland keeper....cue a worldie.

Button is their number 2. 29 and made his PL debut against Everton 2 games ago, although kept clean sheet and played very well by all accounts.

[Norbs]

Beginners luck hopefully

[Fosterbloke]

So I’m assuming their Aussie keeper Matty Ryan is out as he played in an Asian Cup qualifier last night. Do they have a decent number 2 keeper or a Mignolet type as back up?

Does it matter? A worldie performance awaits regardless..