26 Nov 2014

Confirmed LFC XI vs. Ludo: Ruthless BR dumps £58m trio after Palace fiasco. Good move?

After the weekend capitulation against Crystal Palace, Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has made several changes to the starting line-up for tonight's must-win Champions League game with Ludogorets.

FULL TEAM: Mignolet, Manquillo, Skrtel, Toure, Johnson, Lucas, Allen, Henderson, Gerrard, Sterling, Lambert.

SUBS: Jones, Lovren, Coutinho, Moreno, Lallana, Borini, Can.

Probable formation:

----------------- Mignolet

Manquillo ---- Toure -- Skrtel ----- Johnson

------------- Lucas --- Allen

------- Hendo --- Gerrard --- Sterling

----------------- Lambert

* Toure's inclusion makes sense, especially after he had such a good game against Real Madrid. Plus, Lovren is not doing enough to justify an automatic starting place right now, so it's an understandable change.

* Lallana is unlucky to miss out; he grabbed a great assist against Crystal Palace, but even that is not enough for a starting place tonight. £26m on a regular bench-warmer? Bravo, Brendan.

* Coutinho's exclusion is predictable. The Brazilian is not having a huge impact on games at the moment, and his status as one of Rodgers' only successful transfers is increasingly on the line.

* This is Moreno's second straight game on the bench, which suggests that he's been dropped, rather than rested, yet...Glen Johnson keeps his place?

So, Rodgers has dropped three summer-signings bought for a combined cost of £58m, and left another £20m buy (Markovic) out of the squad completely. All of which begs the question, why buy them in the first place?

My prediction: 2-2

Author:


72 comments:

  1. brendans love child jhonson starts again..i think his lethargic approach earned him a place in 11

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  2. Johnson starting ahead of Moreno is beyond strange. I really can't understand that. Can should be getting a look in also. Anyway time to get behind the team we have put out.

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  3. mig
    manquillo toure skrtel moreno
    lucas
    can henderson
    lallana
    sterling lambert


    why cant you field this once brendan why

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  4. is there anyone out there (besides the manager and coaching staff) that thinks Johnson deserves another start, why drop Lovren if he's keeping Johnson in, both were as bad as each......cant work it out.

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  5. Based on current form, I would have preferred to see one of Lallana or Coutinho playing over Sterling. Happy with the inclusion of Lucas (at least he will provide protection for the defence), but hopefully this means Gerrard will play in an advanced attacking role.


    A win and a decent performance would boost confidence no end. Best of luck, lads.

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  6. Someone has to have some explaination for John Glenson's 'key' status in Rodgers' books?

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  7. johnson at Lb ...i give up

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  8. he will never drop gerrard

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  9. Uuggghhh Johnson just typing his name brings on waves of nausea

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  10. Sterling looks really down - hate to see him like this

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  11. what this team shows is that Rodgers has no trust in his signings or the ability to make the big decisions ,no doubt carra has swayed his judgement so lucas is back in and gerrard ( pirlo 2 ) moves into a number 10 role ahead of lallana,tino and marko even though he was moved backfield because he didnt have the pace for the role hahaha talk about shambles

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  12. Rodgers comments today annoy me more than his lineup.


    Hes suggested he still picks Gerrard because hes first into training at 8.30 and also the effect he has on other players.


    I want Rodgers to keep his job but if he keeps playing players for reasons other than their performances its his own fault if he gets sacked.


    I feel for Markovic, Moreno and Balotelli to some degree. Scapegoats.

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  13. Johnson? Gerard? Pathetic.

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  14. the man surely knows more about football and running a club more than all of us on here combined but his choices are consistent with some one who is seemingly at the end of his rope...

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  15. Nevergonnacrackthecode7:44 pm, November 26, 2014

    i aint watching this match
    cant bear seeing lambert up front with gerrard
    just hope we can win

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  16. Raaaalphh ( the Johnson effect) this is gonna be a long 90 mins

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  17. Nevergonnacrackthecode7:48 pm, November 26, 2014

    mignolet is so funny

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  18. Game over already

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  19. Oh so funny...knew he was going to flap it before the player pulled the trigger!

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  20. Kolo and Mig errors, typical.

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  21. We are so easy to beat- we will struggle next season in the Championship

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  22. Cant sack the 2 responsible, Kolo/Mig.

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  23. Nevergonnacrackthecode7:52 pm, November 26, 2014

    rodgers what are you doing?


    i hope you have some answers
    no lovren,lallana,markovic,moreno ,can

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  24. And after three minutes we suffer the consequences

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  25. Nevergonnacrackthecode7:52 pm, November 26, 2014

    i hate ricky lambert eventhough he scored

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  26. Our geriatric saviour

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  27. 2 goals 2 games for Lambert, just shows how bad Ballo has been.

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  28. Nevergonnacrackthecode7:55 pm, November 26, 2014

    he is a big fat man
    we need skinny mobile players bu not aspas skinny

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  29. Nevergonnacrackthecode7:56 pm, November 26, 2014

    sanchez is awesome
    wish we had him

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  30. Ludo will start shooting from 50 yards

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  31. lambert 2 goals in 11 Balotelli 2 goals in 12. yes you are exactly correct *rolls eyes*

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  32. Yeah but I think you'll find it was Lucas who was walked past like a pedestrian. GJ was not at fault for that one, no matter how much he is detested

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  33. Cannot believe Gerrard and Johnson are starting maybe they need to sleep with the managers wife to get dropped!! I've never seen a brown tongue manager like Rodgers

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  34. BR is divorced :)

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  35. how many of them were starts ?

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  36. Consecutively.

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  37. Nevergonnacrackthecode8:00 pm, November 26, 2014

    al of you are happy
    but i dont care if lambert scores he is not lfc quality
    ow can you guys stand him he is overweight

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  38. The difference is Ballotelli plays near enough a whole game while Lambert comes on in the last 15 minutes. It normally takes longer for a player to score than 15 minute. So lambert has a better goal/minute average.

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  39. I was referring to Rodgers weird team selections rather than Johnson specifically

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  40. Nevergonnacrackthecode8:01 pm, November 26, 2014

    listening on 5 live
    cannot watch lfc anymore with lambert and johnson playing
    wow lawrsenson hates henderson
    but never says anything bad about gerrard

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  41. No from reality ;-)

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  42. I don't care if Frank Cannon scores as long as it's for us

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  43. not denying that. There are mitigating circumstances behind Balos performances that I have already posted on. Lambert is an out and out number 9 and should have played up front on his own all day long id that is the system BR wanted to play. But he chose to play a drop off striker there. Some players can do it, some players cant and Balo cant so BR should stop flogging the horse whilst it lays there dead.

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  44. I'm watching Anderlecht vs Galatasaray and I've spotted five players already that would walk into our first 11

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  45. Then you shouldn't attack(lack of a better word, attack is harsh) Lambert, you should attack Rodgers. It's not Lambert fault Rodgers is cracking up.

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  46. Was snjeider one of them? Felipe melo?

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  47. They could join our walking midfield

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  48. And Ballo is not a number nine, ?? what is he then.

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  49. just 5... Ive seen about 22

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  50. thats funny coz i was just dropping someone off at the retirement home and i saw like 8 invalids who could walk into out starting line up.. or pushed there on a wheelchair...

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  51. Cantona was played as a number 9 for Leeds but struggled. He played no.10 at Man Utd the rest is history.


    Bergkamp played number 9 at Inter milan but struggled. He played no.10 at Arsenal the rest is history.


    Sometimes even the best players in the world can't make the adjustment so I'll give make judgement on Balo when he plays where he is most comfortable.

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  52. Anyone spotted our midfield?

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  53. I've seen your posts for quiet a while and I've given you the benefit of the doubt but the fact is you know very little about football. Surely there is something else you could comment about? Something you actually knew something about? Or if you have no knowledge on any subject, there is no shame in staying quite.

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  54. So he is a number 10, is that what you are saying.
    As you used two number 9's who were better at 10.

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  55. And not just talking about Mignolet ....

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  56. We are slow... I've seen paint dry quicker

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  57. Midfield midfield nope can't say I have

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  58. Happy with that, coz Jones might be having another quick nap on the bench.

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  59. Ludogrets would finish 4th in premier league the most overrated league in Europe

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  60. he definitely isn't a lone striker he likes to drop deep and wonder into space whilst having another player who prefers to go in behind. Call this particular role what fits it best.

    And no I didnt use to number 9's who were better at 10. Both players played at no.10 there entire career before some smart arse ar Leeds (Wilkinson) and Inter (cant remember :) ) decided they knew best..... But they didn't know best they wasted elite talent by utilising them incorrectly

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  61. Hope he wakes up before SH we might need him - can't be amy worse surely !

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  62. Does anyone know how to run with ball ?

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  63. this is so painful to watch

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  64. Paint Dry? Is he available for transfer?

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  65. welcome to the internet

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