EFL Cup

Very happy with the win tonight. Expected, especially with the team selected but good to see no messing about, just in and out.

Sturridge looked very sharp and I think he should start against Spurs and actually through the middle this time. I'm hoping Can is still available, having him deeper and Henderson further forward is much more effective. 

A bit concerned that so many key players played with Tottenham more rested, but hopefully that has given them more confidence and gives players like Mane a chance to gel.

Also Matip has to be first choice for me, looks a real prospect.

I watched 50% of it and thought Henderson was poor in a team that was cruising anyway.

Good to see West Brom knocked out. I do hate West Brom, well Pulis's West Brom.

Agreed, Mane out on the right and Coutinho coming in from the left with Origi or Firmino behind Sturridge and it starts to look promising.

If the team that started last night haven't recovered by Saturday then there's something wrong.

Although it wasn't televised so I couldn't watch it, I'm happy for Batshuayi getting 2 goals last night but a little bit concerned that we conceded 2 as well. Sounded like we had plenty of chances so that is a good sign.

Everton away in the next round

Well that's awful

I propose a winner gets to choose the others name for a week bet Nando.

Eh fk it why not I imagine it will be a comfy win for you guys vs our u18's

Nottingham Forest v Arsenal

Leeds United v Blackburn Rovers

QPR v Sunderland

West Ham v Accrington Stanley

Southampton v Crystal Palace

Swansea City v Manchester City

Fulham v Bristol City

Bournemouth v Preston North End

Tottenham v Gillingham

Everton v Norwich City

Derby County v Liverpool

Northampton v Manchester United

Brighton v Reading

Newcastle United v Wolves

Stoke City v Hull City

Leicester City v Chelsea

Yeah but we have to score 4 to win a game

Least youve won a game

We still haven't against a side that was in the Championship last season.

Ugh!

Pretty poor showing at Fulham. Took the lead after just 8 minutes, conceded an OG 2nd half, then end up losing in extra time.

Typical Boro.

GSC wrote:We still haven't against a side that was in the Championship last season.

That's alright, neither were Arsenal

Well, have at it Nando. Can an admin change it as I cba to log a request

Good tidy performance tonight. Derby were really poor and Liverpool basically switched off for the last half an hour.

Genuinely think we accidentally won last night

Hahahaha city in the league cup!

Newcastle vs Preston is a tidy draw

Happy with that draw for Liverpool, mainly because it will almost certainly be shown live!

Leeds away

Not exactly got juices flowing

The other good thing about the draw is Tottenham is that the game comes in the middle of a really tough set of fixtures for them and Harry Kane won't be back. Can't imagine them playing anywhere close to a full strength side and Klopp has shown he is willing to start the big guns in the cup.

Crimey wrote:The other good thing about the draw is Tottenham is that the game comes in the middle of a really tough set of fixtures for them and Harry Kane won't be back. Can't imagine them playing anywhere close to a full strength side and Klopp has shown he is willing to start the big guns in the cup.

Also, it's Spurs and, for a while now, we've pretty much had their number (like any number of teams have done with us over the feckin years' ie Chelsea but again, the tide seems to be turning on that one)

Just hoping for less fights than the last London derby league cup tie I went to

Newcastle 6-0 Preston

Into the QF's of a cup, something we could only of dreamed of, pre-Benitez.

I was very happy with the result last night. I think 2-1 flattered Tottenham in the end. It showed the strength in depth of the side, particularly when compared to a direct rival. Not sure there's a team in the league right now with better third and fourth choice forwards? I'd have thought Origi or Ings would be starters for half of the Premier League. So long as we can keep them all happy, that'd be great. 

I thought the youngsters who played did really well, Ejaria looks a real talent, Alexander-Arnold did quite good considering he's only just started playing as a full back. I actually liked Lucas at centre back again, for somebody so short he rarely loses out on headers and I enjoy his aggressive pressing and with the increased time his passing is quality for a centre back.

Just John wrote:Newcastle 6-0 Preston

Into the QF's of a cup, something we could only of dreamed of, pre-Benitez.

He's a fantastic cup manager.

Dream draw would be Liverpool Newcastle at Anfield now.

Managed to lose despite going 2-1 in extra time against 10 man Leeds reserves

Impressive incompetence

Just John wrote:Newcastle 6-0 Preston

Into the QF's of a cup, something we could only of dreamed of, pre-Benitez.

Preston are on a good run to.

Crimey wrote: Not sure there's a team in the league right now with better third and fourth choice forwards? I'd have thought Origi or Ings would be starters for half of the Premier League. So long as we can keep them all happy, that'd be great. 

Interesting point. As good as it is for Liverpool to have kept such depth in leaner times, but I think most the "big" sides would feel theirs are better

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:

Crimey wrote: Not sure there's a team in the league right now with better third and fourth choice forwards? I'd have thought Origi or Ings would be starters for half of the Premier League. So long as we can keep them all happy, that'd be great. 

Interesting point. As good as it is for Liverpool to have kept such depth in leaner times, but I think most the "big" sides would feel theirs are better

Do Manchester City even have a third or fourth choice centre forward? They've got Aguero then Iheanacho. Manchester United is a hard one to judge as arguably their third and fourth are Martial and Rashford, but they've been used mainly out wide. Arsenal have Lucas Perez and nobody? Tottenham have Harrison and other youth players. Chelsea have Costa and Batshuayi and then nobody.

Lack of good strikers around really.

Id guess they'd say Nolito and Sterling (or KdB). Arsenal have Lucas Perez and Walcott, further along Welbeck when fit. Spurs have nothing really, Son and the lad they bought last year who didnt click.

I'd say City, United and Arsenal will be happier. Chelsea and Spurs havent bothered. Saying that, Leicester have a four of Vardy, Slimani, Musa and Okazaki.

So probably around 4th/5th, with ambitions of third.

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:Id guess they'd say Nolito and Sterling (or KdB). Arsenal have Lucas Perez and Walcott, further along Welbeck when fit. Spurs have nothing really, Son and the lad they bought last year who didnt click.

I'd say City, United and Arsenal will be happier. Chelsea and Spurs havent bothered. Saying that, Leicester have a four of Vardy, Slimani, Musa and Okazaki.

So probably around 4th/5th, with ambitions of third.

I guess it depends on what you class as a centre forward. I'd definitely take Firmino, Sturridge, Origi and Ings over Leicester's front-line. I'd probably take it over Arsenal's as well. City's is a hard one to judge as Aguero is top class, Iheanacho has been good but hasn't been given a real run. Manchester United is a difficult one, I'd take Firmino and Sturridge over Ibrahimovic and Rooney right now but not sure on Rashford and Martial against Origi and Ings. I think Origi and Rashford are similar in quality whilst with Ings and Martial it depends on whether Martial can be considered a centre forward any more and how well Ings recovers from injury.

Arsenal - Giroud,Sanchez (playing there atm), Lucas, Welbeck, Walcott
Citeh - Aguero,Iheanacho, Sterling (played there other week), Nolito
Spurs - Kane,Janssen, HM Son
Liverpool - Sturridge,Firmino, Ings, Origi, Mane?
United - Ibra,Rashford,Martial. (Hard to include Shrek when barely played their over last couple seasons now same with Martial really)
Chelsea - Costa,Batshuayi.
Leicester - Vardy, Slimani, Musa, Okazaki, Ulloa.

Quality wise id go Arsenal & Liverpool/Citeh & Leicester/Spurs & United tbh

If you're looking at just third fourth choice I'd definitely rather have United and Arsenal's, probably Leicester's too, then only City's based on how they play. Don't think any of the other sides would hold an interest in Ings and Origi isn't that good.

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:If you're looking at just third fourth choice I'd definitely rather have United and Arsenal's, probably Leicester's too, then only City's based on how they play. Don't think any of the other sides would hold an interest in Ings and Origi isn't that good.

Origi would be a starting forward for at least half the Premier League sides.

Not sure he would tbh.

I'd say he's better than what Swansea, Stoke, West Brom, West Ham, Southampton, Bournemouth, Burnley, Crystal Palace and Middlesbrough and Hull have currently. Obviously some of those sides, such as West Brom and Crystal Palace are built around the forwards they have so it's difficult to say whether Origi could do the same thing but I think he's a more talented footballer than Rondon or Benteke. 

I'm really confident in Origi, he has it all, there's a reason he ended last season as Liverpool's first choice forward.

He wouldn't start at Stoke/West Brom/Bournemouth & Possibly even Southampton tbh

Fernando wrote:He wouldn't start at Stoke/West Brom/Bournemouth & Possibly even Southampton tbh

He'd definitely start ahead of Wilfried Bony who's been pretty bad to be honest. Bournemouth have Callum Wilson but I'm not sure he's better than Origi, will be easier to judge when there's been another full season. I'd take Origi over Austin right now for sure. West Brom have Rondon who fits well in their system but I'd definitely take Origi over him.

Im not sure Origi have done enough to be worth a starting spot at any of them. Got 5 league goals last year and zero so far this year.

Wilfried will outscore him over a season
Wilson outscored him last year despite his serious knee injury
Austin is in form 4 in 7
Rondon 3 in 8 and suits WBA.

Hard to look good in cack teams.

Fitness is an issue for some of these teams at the moment, depends if you are taking that into consideration.

Amazing how playing well against Tottenham B, enhances your reputation. I could throw Gayle & Mitrovic into the mix, but like Origi, they're still developing & haven't proven themselves in the PL as of yet, in comparison to others mentioned.

Just John wrote:Amazing how playing well against Tottenham B, enhances your reputation. I could throw Gayle & Mitrovic into the mix, but like Origi, they're still developing & haven't proven themselves in the PL as of yet, in comparison to others mentioned.

It was more his form last year, he was consistently selected as the main forward over Firmino, Sturridge and Benteke last year and performed fantastically well.

Surely he'd still be first choice if it was that good?

Origi has very little going for him aside from being a Liverpool player, Rashford and Martial are both far superior.

Man Utd: de Gea, Valencia, Rojo, Blind, Shaw, Carrick, Ander Herrera, Mata, Pogba, Rashford, Ibrahimovic. Subs: Depay, Lingard, Young, Romero, Fellaini, Schneiderlin, Darmian.

Man City: Caballero, Maffeo, Otamendi, Kompany, Clichy, Garcia, Fernando, Sane, Jesus Navas, Iheanacho, Nolito. Subs: Sterling, Gundogan, Aguero, Kolarov, Fernandinho, Adarabioyo, Gunn.

Be more embarrassing than Sunday if United don't win this.

pogba is painful to watch, all he has done is give it away

United are so predictable, that City B look comfortable. Persevering with Rashford outwide is just puzzling stuff. Pogba isn't a 10 either.