Liverpool FC Team Talk, Gossip, Rumours 2024/25

I see both sides of the argument, but with Covid not going away after 2 weeks I agree with Klopp's side of the argument. All you will do is give teams who are having an outbreak now a chance but it means any future outbreaks in teams that do not need to postpone a match now and can play now will not get that option. If there is a break until after Christmas it means no more postponements for anyone after that. That then means U23 or even U18 squads playing which is even worse than the current disaster, or even teams forfeiting points.

The problem is that the Nations League starts a week after the Champions League this year, the PL next season has to start a week early next year to try and accommodate the World Cup in 2022 in Qatar. So there is no way to try and just put a break into the season at any point, especially when there is only 2 free midweeks currently between all the Cup fixtures (FA and EFL), European fixtures and international matches also needed to complete.

It is easy to say just stop everything, but with Covid still there after you come back and no way to fit all the fixtures in without making the players play even more than they are scheduled to. I will also say, the Premier League is suffering from being in the UK with a government that doesn't know what it is doing. You see the coverage of the darts of people shouting and singing with no social distancing in the middle of a new outbreak and nothing is being even suggested to try and help to stop the spread. It is a perfect storm of vaccine skepticism, incompetent government and new strain that will make it interesting to see how this all turns out, happily from the sidelines.

That's sounds worrying but then why would COVID stop him attending a zoom meeting?

Maybe I'm just trying to find a reason to not believe the rumours!

Oh. That changes things then.

I'm not saying it's a good idea to postpone, I actually agree with what you're saying. I was just making the point that it's looks inevitable with the PL clubs now meeting Monday to discuss postponing all action until the 7/8th of January. Why they think there won't be a COVID problem in 3 weeks time is anyone's guess! And it doesn't look like there is going to be any restriction regards large gatherings or social get togethers in pubs etc over there so I can't see how things are going to improve.....I can see the EPL break away from the governments advice and confine PL squads to their own bubbles with restricted crowd capacities at games! They're going to have to do something anyway because if they leave it as it is currently there won't be a squad who is not badly effected across any of the divisions.

After annother game off today - tomorrow might go ahead - who knows, but I'd agree with the above that I'd say on Monday the PL will look for a pause.

Conte wants to play, Klopp wants to play, as does TV and Premier League Chiefs. It would be strange to cancel it will no covid cases in the match squads. For us to play without VVD and Fab is a disadvantage, but Klopp is Mr Optimistic, he will want it done and dusted, it's the last league game before Christmas.

Oh, well if those new cases are confirmed then it's a issue for sure.

If it's to key players we should postpone, no point in being naive with a title shot on the line.

What's the benefit of a pause? Do we expect the players to go into isolation if there's a pause? surely they keep training etc? Is it best not to continue as is, playing games that are viable.

Crowds are a different matter but I don't think pausing football will slow the public spread. As crap as it is I think we will end up with reduced or no crowds pretty soon.

Players, if Jota, Mane, Salah, Henderson, Alisson are missing, then we'd postpone, and of course it's to stop more spread, but if we were told to play anyway I think you'd find we'd say no thanks and postpone. We're not going to shoot ourselves in the foot.

The more I watch Raphinha the more I think he would be perfect under Klopp at Liverpool.

We need to make a bid for him in January and get him out of Leeds, he's far to good for them and is wasted there.

I'd fancy the under 23's against Leeds next week. They are terrible, like a Sunday league team have won a competition to play against a PL side. Might as well let the league cup team play back to back games.

FSG tried to buy Brazilian club Cruzeiro however they lost out to the Real Ronaldo who bought the club where he started his career.

I'm not going to cheat and google it!, but, did'nt he start his career at Gremio?

Liverpool's u23 game with West Ham tomorrow has been called off. It was meant to be played at the training ground. Liverpool are unable to fulfill the fixture.

Whether that's down to COVID cases, or needing the u23s for the senior squad, or a different reason, I don't know.

I wasn't being serious, I don't actually think they are a Sunday league team, they where just extremely poor today and earlier this week that the under 23s might actually give them a game.

Some fall from grace for Cruzeiro. They are kinda the team for the richer/middle class people of Belo Horizonte and were by far the most successful team of the city, there was shock and a little bit of violence when they got relegated a few seasons back. Then this season they were in serious danger of dropping to Serie C.

Belo Horizonte was the venue for the infamous Brazil 1 Germany 7 semi final.

Their neighbours, Atletico Mineiro, were generally for the poorer/working class people and were less successful. They were known to be like a "Paraguayan horse", that is they can start off very quickly but then get tired, i.e. they bottle it at the end.

But they just won their first Serie A title in around 50 years, the season finishes in early December, there was huge celebrations in the streets apparently. They have Hulk and Diego Costa in their side so are paying big salaries, hopefully sustainably. Some turnaround in fortunes for the 2 sides.

When will we know for definite if the match is on?

Really would like to get Spurs away done today. They haven't played in two weeks..should stand to us rather than them. Good time to play them even with our troubles

Milner will surely start?

Forgot about Millie actually.

Chelsea requested to have their game at 2pm today called off, but it was rejected.

Very strong starting line up though