League Cup 2021/22 (Winners: Liverpool)

[moomba]

Liverpool have released positive numbers prior to Spurs & Chelsea away.

Interesting you believe 16 players out of a senior squad isn't enough for a postponement but Newcastle with nowhere near that many out were correct in postponing their game.

In the league it's not about how many are out, it's about how many are available.


You played a youth team in the cup last year and a lot of youth players this year. According to league rules they are all eligible to play and should be counted in any decision on whether a club has enough players to fulfil a fixture.

Whether that applies in the cup or not I'm not sure. Similar to the league and I think you'll have to play.

FWIW I don't have a clue how many injuries Newcastle had/have. I don't follow them that closely. I did see that they were touch and go to fulfil the fixture against United.

I doubt they have anywhere near the number of eligible youf as clubs like Liverpool (and us fwiw) though.

 

[Cruyff14]

Yeah I am not sure the big sides (City, United, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Arsenal and Spurs to an extent), can really complain about depth.

 

[moomba]

According to the Mail, there is speculation that all of Liverpools keepers have tested positive (including Kellegher, Karius and Adrian), in which case you would expect the first leg to be postponed, and the FA cup at risk as well.

 

[Zidane98]

According to the Mail, there is speculation that all of Liverpools keepers have tested positive (including Kellegher, Karius and Adrian), in which case you would expect the first leg to be postponed, and the FA cup at risk as well.

Could play the U23s in the FA Cup as they are in a separate bubble.

Covid is the first thing Karius has caught in years.

 

[Frank Bunn]

By my count, we’ve got 3 still in isolation (Alisson, Matip, Firmino), 8 injuries (Phillips, Thiago, Hill, Balagizi, Elliott, Minamino, Origi, Stewart) and 3 at afcon (Keita, Mane, Salah).

So 14 players unavailable. And that’s before any new amount of positive tests that may have occurred today.

Based on that list Liverpool could start with

Kelleher
Alexander-Arnold
van Dijk
Konaté
Robertson
Fabinho
Milner
Henderson
Oxlade-Chamberlain
Jones
Jota

That's not too shabby!

Then a bench from the following

Adrián
Karius
Tsimikas
Gomez
N Williams
Beck
Quansah
Gordon
Morton
Bradley
Koumetio

 

[RossFC]

Based on that list Liverpool could start with

Kelleher
Alexander-Arnold
van Dijk
Konaté
Robertson
Fabinho
Milner
Henderson
Oxlade-Chamberlain
Jones
Jota

That's not too shabby!

Then a bench from the following

Adrián
Karius
Tsimikas
Gomez
N Williams
Beck
Quansah
Gordon
Morton
Bradley
Koumetio

A bunch of these players, including all the keepers, all may have covid.

 

[Frank Bunn]

A bunch of these players, including all the keepers, all may have covid.

Of course, if confirmed, that would be a different scenario. But so far it's just Daily Mail speculation.

If your list was the basis of Liverpool's request to postpone the game then I don't think the postponement is justified. Liverpool are capable of fielding a very strong 11 if they chose to. They have been using reserve players in the tournament so I think it's valid to include them in the mix for who is available.

 

[RossFC]

Of course, if confirmed, that would be a different scenario. But so far it's just Daily Mail speculation.

If your list was the basis of Liverpool's request to postpone the game then I don't think the postponement is justified. Liverpool are capable of fielding a very strong 11 if they chose to. They have been using reserve players in the tournament so I think it's valid to include them in the mix for who is available.

Training being cancelled yesterday should be a strong indicator that we are in trouble with new cases, although not confirmed yet.

 

[Zidane98]

Of course, if confirmed, that would be a different scenario. But so far it's just Daily Mail speculation.

If your list was the basis of Liverpool's request to postpone the game then I don't think the postponement is justified. Liverpool are capable of fielding a very strong 11 if they chose to. They have been using reserve players in the tournament so I think it's valid to include them in the mix for who is available.

Including players that have played a game or 2 against lower level opposition is ridicilous realistically. All keepers have covid apparently plus further outfield players in addition to the positives from pre Chelsea game. Add injuries & AFCON and theres probably going to be 18 players plus out of the squad. Plus 4 staff and the manager. We probably will hear soon exactly how many positives there are sometime today.

Any team that will be fielded will be with a youth keeper, a few senior players & mostly u20 youf. Not appropriate for a League Cup semi IMO. The EFL have form in this department though forcing us to play a quarter final fixture with 0 of the senior squad available.

 

[Frank Bunn]

Training being cancelled yesterday should be a strong indicator that we are in trouble with new cases, although not confirmed yet.

From the Daily Mail article.

Though they did not need to completely close down their training base in Kirkby on Tuesday, there was enough concern over possible new Covid cases among players and staff that they abandoned plans for a scheduled 4pm session.​

​

Clearly we can't know the exact situation but it does leave open the possibility that clubs are exploiting the rules to their advantage.

 

[Frank Bunn]

Including players that have played a game or 2 against lower level opposition is ridicilous realistically. All keepers have covid apparently plus further outfield players in addition to the positives from pre Chelsea game. Add injuries & AFCON and theres probably going to be 18 players plus out of the squad. Plus 4 staff and the manager. We probably will hear soon exactly how many positives there are sometime today.

Any team that will be fielded will be with a youth keeper, a few senior players & mostly u20 youf. Not appropriate for a League Cup semi IMO. The EFL have form in this department though forcing us to play a quarter final fixture with 0 of the senior squad available.

Liverpool chose to play reserve players in the League Cup against Preston and Leicester. Based on current information I highlighted that they could field a very strong team if they chose to. Without further withdrawals they could certainly pick a line up consistent with their previous League Cup selection policy.

 

[Zidane98]

Liverpool chose to play reserve players in the League Cup against Preston and Leicester. Based on current information I highlighted that they could field a very strong team if they chose to. Without further withdrawals they could certainly pick a line up consistent with their previous League Cup selection policy.

Early rounds are not comprable to a two leg semi final. Most teams field strong lineups at this stage. With 18 players out plus a manager and 4 staff out with covid the integrity of the two leg semi final is undernined.

Liverpool didn't request a postponement after outbreaks prior to Chelsea & Spurs in the league so we can reasonably assume it is a significant one.

 

[moomba]

Early rounds are not comprable to a two leg semi final. Most teams field strong lineups at this stage. With 18 players out plus a manager and 4 staff out with covid the integrity of the two leg semi final is undernined.1

Liverpool didn't request a postponement after outbreaks prior to Chelsea & Spurs in the league so we can reasonably assume it is a significant one.

So just to be clear, postponing games damages the integrity of the comp, unless its your club and then it would affect the integrity of the comp not to postpone it.

 

[Zidane98]

So just to be clear, postponing games damages the integrity of the comp, unless its your club and then it would affect the integrity of the comp not to postpone it.

Coming from the person defending the farcical Leicester & Newcastle postponements this is rather funny.

Just to be clear you quoted a post where I said the integrity of the two legged tie is undermined if one side is forced to play a severely undermanned team in one leg, not the entire comp. Not surprising in the slightest you go for the strawman. Classic moomba.

When both manager & assistant manager are isolatmg with covid along with 4 other staff members plus 18 of the first team / no keepers are unavailable that for me would severley undermine the semi final tie as a whole.

We had outbreaks prior to Spurs / Chelsea and there was not a hint of postponing those games.

 

[moomba]

PMSL. I'm happy to defend any postponement (including yours if it happens) as until someone provides some meaningful evidence to the contrary I presume that the authorities have investigated and found that a postponement is justified based on the current rules and guidelines.

 

[RossFC]

"As a result of the postponement the order of the ties has now changed with the first of the two-legs to take place at Anfield on 13 January 2022 at 7.45pm. The rearranged game (now the 2nd leg) is scheduled to be played at the Emirates on 20 January 2022 at 7.45pm."

 

[Art Vandelay_]

"As a result of the postponement the order of the ties has now changed with the first of the two-legs to take place at Anfield on 13 January 2022 at 7.45pm. The rearranged game (now the 2nd leg) is scheduled to be played at the Emirates on 20 January 2022 at 7.45pm."

Headache for the Goons.

Now means this is sitting either side of the NLD, and the 2nd leg is less than 48 hours before they have to play Burnley in the league, which cannot be pushed back to Sunday because of London police rules as Che v Tot in the league is on Sunday.

 

[RossFC]

Headache for the Goons.

Now means this is sitting either side of the NLD, and the 2nd leg is less than 48 hours before they have to play Burnley in the league, which cannot be pushed back to Sunday because of London police rules as Che v Tot in the league is on Sunday.

I bring up my suggestion again of more flexibility with the schedule. When a game is postponed, instead of an empty gap for Arsenal, maybe they can find another prem side to play to fill the slot, which would open up a gap for Arsenal + whatever club later.

I believe they may have done it with Spurs and Fulham in the past.

 

[Bradesmaen]

Karius can't even catch COVID

 

[kreglze]

That hurts a lot this being either side of a NLD. Probably really dents our chances of progressing.

 

[And_ROOS]

Can't wait for covid to hit Arsenal and for the league to force us to play the u13s.

 

[chef]

Not a great 11 for us, mid field looks a real worry. Hopefully we can keep the score respectable and go into the second leg a bit stronger.

 

[jd2010]

Not a great 11 for us, mid field looks a real worry. Hopefully we can keep the score respectable and go into the second leg a bit stronger.

We have Matt Doherty at LWB you'll be fine

 

[chef]

Kante and Silva out with covid

 

[chef]

We have Matt Doherty at LWB you'll be fine

We will have Alonso and Saul. The wingback battles are going ro be fun to watch