9 Dec 2014

Confirmed XI vs. Basel: Huge injury blow for LFC; BR drops 4 players worth £70m

Dejan Lovren returns to the starting line-up tonight for Liverpool's must-win Champions League clash with Basel.

The big news is that Kolo Toure is injured for the game, which is a big loss for the Reds, especially after conceding only 1 goal in 3 games with the Ivorian in the team.

According to the official LFC website:

"Kolo Toure has been ruled out of this evening’s clash with FC Basel due to a groin injury"

FULL TEAM: Mignolet, Johnson, Enrique, Lovren, Skrtel, Lucas, Allen, Henderson, Gerrard, Sterling, Lambert

SUBS: Jones, Sakho, Moreno, Can, Lallana, Coutinho, Markovic

* With Enrique, Lucas, and Allen in the team, Rodgers has clearly gone for experience in this game, which explains why the likes of Can, Markovic, and Moreno only make the bench.

* Lovren has endured a nightmare start to his Liverpool career, but he is more than capable of effectively covering for Toure, and if he has a good game tonight, he could win his place back.

* You have to feel for Toure, though. He took his chance brilliantly over the last three games, and this new injury could conceivably kill his LFC career. If Lovren comes in and starts performing, it's hard to see how Toure will get back in the team.

* £96m-worth of Rodgers' signings are on the bench. £96m! The fact that Lallana, Markovic, Moreno et al fail to start Liverpool's most important game of the season is another sad indictment of Rodgers' performance in the transfer market.

* This latest snub for Lallana clearly underlines the fact that the £26m summer-signing is not making the expected impact at Anfield. When a manager spends that amount of money on one player, it's fair to expect that player to feature in the club's crucial games, but that's not the case with Lallana.

* Four central midfielders in the team? That seems like overkill to me, and it suggests that Rodgers has an overly defensive game-plan in mind. Basel don't have to win this game, so that strategy may backfire.

* Based on the personnel, it looks like Rodgers is going with the much-maligned 4231 formation:

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

Johnson --- Skrtel - Lovren --- Enrique

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

--- Henderson -- Gerrard ---- Sterling--

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

* Lucas, Allen, Sterling (who hasn't scored in 14 games); Henderson (2 goals all season); Gerrard (1 goal from open play in the last 12 months) - where are the goals going to come from? Fabio Borini doesn't even make the bench, which is another massive snub for the Italian.

My prediction: 1-1 (Changed from 2-1 in the pre-match article)

Author:


113 comments:

  1. No kolo? Balls!!!

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  2. We have to win this game, with this line up, I can't see where we are going to get the goals,,, What happened to Lallan, Cotinho and what the hell is up with Moreno these days....spent 2 months trying to get him in, and now he won't play him.... If anyone can figure out Brendans thinking, let us know.

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  3. why on earth has he dropped moreno and manquillo also henderson needs dropping but regardless i am behind the manager and lfc today but if rodgers loses needs to be sacked asap! no pressure over to you rodgers!

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  4. Spot on Stan. The team has no teeth and won't bite the Basle defence. As for Lovren his selection is a disaster

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  5. Borini not even on the bench!

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  6. Nevergonnacrackthecode7:06 pm, December 09, 2014

    Alexis Sanchez girlfriend removed all his pics on instagram of him after he flirted with another girl
    Damm wish he done that 6 months ago maybe we would already be through to cl knockout stage and first in the league

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  7. No pace in the team besides Sterling. Then there is Johnson and Enrique who are both atrocious at defending. Basel will be very happy with this.

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  8. Nevergonnacrackthecode7:07 pm, December 09, 2014

    Coutinho and Lallana are our flair players so its weird rodgers expects us to win without them

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  9. Add Lovren to that defence.........Basel must be shaking in their boots

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  10. Mate, every single defender in that back four is an accident waiting to happen. Skrtel and Lovren CB pair = goal conceding machine.

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  11. 200m spent and yet we still dont have a single world class defender

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  12. Nevergonnacrackthecode7:13 pm, December 09, 2014

    no one ever buys world class defenders maybe PSG with Silva
    and Man utd with Ferdinand
    you have to produce them and make them or develop them


    like city with Kompany
    chelsea with Terry
    livepool with Hyypia

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  13. Nevergonnacrackthecode7:14 pm, December 09, 2014

    wish all liverpool fans thought like you
    support Lovren rather then writing him off before he kicked a ball

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  14. Blah Blah......so your piont

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  15. Nevergonnacrackthecode7:16 pm, December 09, 2014

    so rude did your mum not teach you manners?

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  16. We winning this one. But Jaimie, just because Lallana is on the bench doesn't mean he is not making an impact. Tactically we need a strong midfield in this one, explains Lucas as dm and Allen as cm. And the 4 up front we definitely need. I would have gone for Henderson as cm and Lallana for Allen as AM.

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  17. 10 years since Ya beauty!

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  18. Nevergonnacrackthecode7:30 pm, December 09, 2014

    no i dont
    he was playing for hamburg joined a city that was a mess that just lost 98-0 to middlesbrough
    kompany was dropped in his first season then in second toure and lescott were teh partnership
    tehn after toure got injured kompany got in never looked back

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  19. BR is thinking offence not defence

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  20. That dude Granit Xhaka is one to watch out for.


    Bit surprised with the latest Borini snub, not to mention Henderson in place of Lallana or Coutinho. Solidity is key, I suppose.


    Enjoy the game everyone. Let's savour the moment, because we have waited for this for so long.

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  21. Belgian Golden Shoe: 2004
    Belgian Young Professional Footballer of the Year: 2004, 2005
    Belgian Ebony Shoe: 2004, 2005
    Okay these were at the age of 18

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  22. we will concede 1 no doubt and can't see us scoring 2- prove me wrong please and score 3

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  23. Liverpool's starting 11 cost 100 m
    Liverpool's bench costs 113 m
    BR you are a genius

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  24. Lallana, Markovic (if he comes good), Sterling, Jordan Ibe when he returns and potentially another winger(No.10) during the winter/summer.


    He'll be quite some way down that pecking order and then his heart may never return. I haven't given up yet, I fear he has not much time left to become consistent. I wish him no ill tho.

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  25. And how old was Babel before he improved? Sometimes players reach a certain point and never get past that, maybe why Inter allowed him to leave so cheaply.

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  26. No chance we can come back with this team selection.. It is so negative and we have zero pace

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  27. This transfer committee is rubbish.

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  28. All basel gave to do now is sit back and hit us on the break as we no imagination, no creativity and no pace

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  29. we are being outplayed all over the park!

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  30. Could see it coming they always look dangerous coming forward

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  31. a complete numpty basel have a good coach maybe offer him a the managers position if they win

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  32. And they are well organised in defence

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  33. Basel are literally all over us

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  34. No need to panic BR has a specific way of working and 'implementing' his plan.


    IT's called, concede first then show resilience and character, to either only lose one - nil or maybe draw one-one and if the gods are on our side we may get a late penalty..

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  35. It is so easy for basel

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  36. Superb snore fest served up - Basel are better than us

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  37. In the words of Bob Geldof

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  38. yep bring back Rafa!!!!! the real genius

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  39. I don't like tuesdays

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  40. mingo is utter rubish

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  41. I'd take Mr T right now over BR

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  42. i pity you fool!!!! (rodgers)

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  43. they look organized and composed and there team cost a fraction of ours

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  44. i pity you f00l!!!! rodgers

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  45. Our whole team is

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  46. We are so bad... I don't know whether to laugh or cry

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  47. Give BR a new 7 year contract

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  48. it makes sense selling reina

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  49. he gives suicide balls to players in front of him he is a complete idiot

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  50. Just as well we've still got the best and most loyal supporters

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  51. FSG will categorically stand by him if we lose this ......

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  52. how can we play it from the back if the goalie is so ill equipped to do it ...

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  53. It was. .. All he cared about was money, he didn't give a damn about liverpool, the mistake was buying mugs

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  54. Deserves a seven year rash

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  55. jordan henderson is playing more like katie price aka jordan

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  56. Yup that is why we should give BR a 7 year contract

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  57. we are being played of the park by a country of bankers

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  58. I know what.. let's put out the most negative team I can in a game we have to win.. genius

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  59. We don't have the players to play out from the back we are not Barca

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  60. that has no army!!

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  61. basel are giving us the brush off

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  62. 7 years of piles more like

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  63. And makers of fine cuckoo clocks

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  64. Barca... we're not Fleetwood Town, let alone Barca

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  65. tell me why i dont like rodgers

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  66. renford rejects!!

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  67. BR is't over soon

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  68. can't really blame us for that, he only cared for money, didn't want to stay and is injured all the time

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  69. I really feel sorry for lambert... I've seen better service in a Little Chef!!!!

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  70. They do. I've met two of their soldiers. Asked what they do with their time, they answered: we drink.

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  71. Basel are doing what they have to do - I get the feeling they could score more if they tried

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  72. nobody is playing to his strenghs... everybody expects lambert to do the same as sturridge

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  73. with a midfield containing 4 cm its no wonder

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  74. suarez made sterling look like the new messi rodgers makes him looks like the new aaron lennon!!!!!!!!!!

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  75. Yep, this is a terrible performance so far.


    Sent from Samsung Mobile

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  76. thank god for that!

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  77. And yet none of the bench will make an impact when they come on. Transfer committee 1 - fans - 0

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  78. It might of been offside but that was so easy for basel

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  79. Chasing the game n we don't look like scoring ...... If they get another it's TAXI for Rodgers

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  80. jamie do you think gerrard is finished as a starter! should only be impact player?

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  81. lambert and gerrad have been dreadful in attack

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  82. Oh good Masterchef is on

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  83. Brilliant from players to hold mighty Basel from scoring the 2nd

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  84. Can't blame lambert

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  85. WTF is that in my wardrobe

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  86. This is an insult to the fans. The players have no skill or desire. Useless!!

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  87. first half gone pretty much how i expected.......... no attack nervy defence and two many similar ilk players in midfield

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  88. I dont want your Lovren at any cost especially that much.

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  89. No you see its all part of BR'S to bore the opposition to a stuper

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  90. Our midfield is being overrun and then you have our defenders ball watching, especially Johnson and Skrtel. Basel targeting the right side and making a mockery of us. .

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  91. Sterling and Lucas are doing okay.

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  92. Brendan is laughing at us when they show the bench with all our best players nicely seated.

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  93. your Lovren what you mean?

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  94. boy..this team stinks..BR s not gonna leave johnson..but both of them might as well stick together while we part with them in january

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  95. it was bullying..They know wat this team does..they know wat these guys r upto while they themselves aren't sure of it.

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  96. Absolutely painful to watch......gosh, is this LFC?

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  97. I wonder where the Swiss Army knife comes from then...

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  98. OMG just re-watched the goal.. It was like step by step on how not to defend

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  99. After just watchin doctor who i now realize there's more important things in life than football.

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  100. BR THE TACTICAL GENIUS

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  101. looks like you're ready to do the post-match conf instead of BR

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  102. Now can Be realistic ?

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