Liverpool predicted XI vs Derby: Squad rotation time!
BIRKENHEAD, ENGLAND – JULY 08: Loris Karius of Liverpool warms up during the Pre-Season Friendly match between Tranmere Rovers and Liverpool at Prenton Park on July 8, 2016 in Birkenhead, England. (Photo by Dave Thompson/Getty Images)
Liverpool play Derby County in their third round League Cup tie and Jurgen Klopp would be wise to rotate the team best he can.
The League Cup, or the Extra Cup, or the Unloved (Unless We Win It) Cup, or the Side Piece Cup has creaked into the third round and Liverpool travel to Derby County and take on FC Will Hughes.
Other than their ignominious recent season in the Premier League, in which they set lows for goals scored and highs for goals conceded, Liverpool fans have “Will Hughes” down for word association when it comes to Derby.
The bleached midfielder– Hughes, not Alberto Moreno, has been linked with Anfield for years. He was the prominent and most used “next Steven Gerrard” since his debut season at Derby. Of course the deal never happened.
Now Liverpool face his side in the League Cup and it’s time for Jurgen Klopp to rotate the team so some of the fringe players can be redeemed for their training work with some real life minutes.
Danny Ings has yet to grace the pitch this season, nor has our prince Loris Karius. To be fair, in the last League Cup match we all figured Klopp would rotate the team but he named a strong side that eviscerated Burton Albion 5-0 in the last round.
BIRKENHEAD, ENGLAND – JULY 08: Loris Karius of Liverpool during the Pre-Season Friendly match between Tranmere Rovers and Liverpool at Prenton Park on July 8, 2016 in Birkenhead, England. (Photo by Dave Thompson/Getty Images)
GK Loris Karius
The moment we’ve all been waiting for. The debut of Loris Karius.
How would this season be different had he not been injured? In all likelihood, Karius would’ve started ahead of Simon Mignolet, it was absolutely trending that way in the few days that Mignolet returned and Karius was healthy.
Now, it’ll be quite difficult for Karius to usurp Mignolet after five matches into the season. Mignolet has been, at worst, competent. In reality, he’s been pretty good. He’s stayed mistake free for the most part, thus not particularly giving Klopp an easy out for this decision.
For Karius, all he can do is impress against Derby and take it from there. The Loris Karius era is upon us, we need to show patience.
Liverpool’s English midfielder Connor Randall controls the ball during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Newcastle United at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on April 23, 2016. / AFP / PAUL ELLIS / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo credit should read PAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images)
RB Connor Randall
Remember him? Yeah, he stepped up and played some rotational minutes last year and was splendid. The few times Nathaniel Clyne needed a break, Randall came in seamlessly for seven appearances across all competitions.
Now, without having a glut of fixtures, the League Cup is the most he can expect to play without injury to Clyne. Randall deserves to get some minutes in a makeshift backline against the Championship outfit.
Liverpool’s German manager Jurgen Klopp (R) and Liverpool’s Estonian defender Ragnar Klavan celebrate on the pitch after the pre-season International Champions Cup football match between Spanish champions, Barcelona and Liverpool at Wembley stadium in London on August 6, 2016.
Liverpool won the game 4-0. / AFP / Ian KINGTON (Photo credit should read IAN KINGTON/AFP/Getty Images)
CB Ragnar Klavan
When Joel Matip was unavailable to begin the season, Ragnar Klavan showed he’s a worthy rotation option in the first two Premier League matches. Since Matip’s proved his fitness, his quality shone through. The quality that made Liverpool want him so badly.
Klavan then picked up an injury anyway and was unable to capitalize on Dejan Lovren’s late knock before Leicester thus allowing Lucas Leiva into the side in his stead.
The Estonian should get to play again against Derby.
WEST BROMWICH, ENGLAND – MAY 15: Lucas Leiva of Liverpool arrives for the Barclays Premier League match between West Bromwich Albion and Liverpool at The Hawthorns on May 15, 2016 in West Bromwich, England.
CB Lucas Leiva
Other than his egregious mistake against Leicester, Lucas played quite well against the champions. Unfortunately, it was so abhorrent that it’s borderline unforgivable. Games changes on moments, and it wasn’t one mistake, there was about four in one.
First a bad touch, followed by another bad touch, followed by an opprobrious decision and trumped with a horrific pass. There were so many mental exit ramps for Lucas to take, but he just stayed in the car until it went off the cliff.
But the way that gets put behind him is game reps to build his goodwill back. For what it’s worth, Lucas put the mistake behind him and stayed mentally strong and finished off the game as he started it before the mistake; very well. Most players would fold under that. He didn’t, that’s hugely commendable.
LIVERPOOL, UNITED KINGDOM – APRIL 10: Alberto Moreno of Liverpool (18) celebrates as he scores their first goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Liverpool and Stoke City at Anfield on April 10, 2016 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
LB Alberto Moreno
James Milner has continued to play at fullback. It’s more than a once-in-a-while fill in, Milner is a replacement in the starting XI for Moreno.
But the Spaniard will get the chances to rectify his confidence and try to prove to Klopp that he’s progressing in his development as a fullback. Namely, his positioning and concentration.
Moreno has clipped his man-bun and has followed in the footsteps of Lionel Messi, Aaron Ramsey, Neymar and early-in-his-career Eminem. Maybe he’ll get some footballing magic that the first three have, or at least some lyrical ingenuity that Eminem has.
Hey, it’d be better than nothing.
LIVERPOOL, UNITED KINGDOM – APRIL 10: Kevin Stewart of Liverpool is watched by Geoff Cameron of Stoke City during the Barclays Premier League match between Liverpool and Stoke City at Anfield on April 10, 2016 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
DM Kevin Stewart
Kevin Stewart leads the league in fewest minutes per appearance.*
*There’s a 100% chance that stat wasn’t fact checked. But still. You know what I mean.
Stewart has been Klopp’s human rendition of a victory cigar, entering very deep into matches. Against Tottenham, he pretty much had the time only to run onto the field, walk around a bit before the final whistle went.
A full 90 minutes will do him wonders. If, of course, he remembers how to perform for longer than five minutes.
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 06: Marko Grujic of Liverpool watches his header hit the back of the net for his team’s fourth goal during the International Champions Cup match between Liverpool and Barcelona at Wembley Stadium on August 6, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
CM Marko Grujic
Grujic is still somewhat of a unicorn to Liverpool fans. Our strongest points of critiques came in friendlies where, while impressive he was, it’s not the best medium for forming opinions on players.
At any rate, his first impressions were positive ones but that could change with a few clunkers in real matches. He’s even admitted that we likely won’t see the best version of him until next season, too.
Grujic’s top moment of the year wasn’t scoring against Barcelona at Wembley, it was his reaction to Jordan Henderson’s goal against Chelsea. Absolutely brilliant, conspicuously in the background stealing the spotlight from Klopp– no small feat.
WIGAN, ENGLAND – JULY 17: Ovie Ejaria of Liverpool during the Pre-Season Friendly match between Wigan Athletic and Liverpool at JJB Stadium on July 17, 2016 in Wigan, England. (Photo by Nigel Roddis/Getty Images)
CM Ovie Ejaria
On the bench against Chelsea, in the team against Derby.
The midfielder ostensibly arrived out of nowhere this summer and massively impressed in his preseason chances around the first team.
Ejaria had the typical still-in-the-academy-mistakes, such as procrastinating on the ball in excess of one or two touches, but he also showed I’m-just-about-ready-to-come-off-the-bench-for-the-first-team quality.
After being a surprise inclusion to the 18 man team against Chelsea with Firmino’s late scratch, Ejaria should be in line to get his first team debut.
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 06: Danny Ings of Liverpool during the International Champions Cup 2016 match between Liverpool and Barcelona at Wembley Stadium on August 6, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)
RW Danny Ings
To keep the same system Klopp has been using this season, Ings will get pushed to the wing. I’m sure he’ll be content being anywhere on the field after a tough beginning to the season where Klopp hasn’t even had room for him on the bench to suit up for the most part.
Klopp continues to assert he has a place in this squad and Ings is, in fact, is in the plans. I’d love to see a blueprint of those plans if he doesn’t start in the third round of the League Cup, though.
I’m still yearning to see Ings in Klopp’s Liverpool outside of the preseason. It happened for just 20 minutes last year and now he hasn’t gotten into the team. Tuesday, he’d better.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – APRIL 14: Divock Origi (L) of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team’s opening goal with Adam Lallana during the UEFA Europa League quarter final, second leg match between Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund at Anfield on April 14, 2016 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
ST Divock Origi
Super Divock Origi leads the lines in this rotated team as a player who’ll have majority of the attacking responsibilities on his shoulders. In his last season at Lille he found himself in a similar situation and didn’t perform well at all.
Instead of Origi being just another guy around Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino and Adam Lallana, Origi will be the player that those on the pitch, and the manager, will be looking at to be in most of the attacks.
Origi has just one start this young campaign and it came in the second round of the League Cup, where he consummated the occasion with a goal. He’ll hope for more of the same in Round 3.
WEST BROMWICH, ENGLAND – MAY 15: Craig Gardner of West Bromwich Albion and Cameron Brannagan of Liverpool compete during the Barclays Premier League match between West Bromwich Albion and Liverpool at The Hawthorns on May 15, 2016 in West Bromwich, England. (Photo by Adam Fradgley – AMA/WBA FC via Getty Images)
LW Cameron Brannagan
Brannagan benefitted from Liverpool’s injury crisis last season to the tune of nine appearances across the board. The early stages of the League Cup against lower league opponents is a perfect place to cultivate some minutes to feed Brannagan.
This summer, Liverpool fended off advances from Wigan Athletic for the youngster. The Latics lobbed a £1million bid that Liverpool sent back untouched.
It’s exciting when young players get to be imbued into the first team. Seeing Branangan floating around Origi, Ings and others is always fascinating.
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