15 Feb 2018 08:16:57
Am i really reading that we should rest everyone for the second leg?

If we don't put out very close to a full strength team, it is a joke. Salah, Mane, Firmino, Henderson, Virgil etc are supposed to be leaders and/ or elite level players who will want to play every single game. Does anyone remember how angry Gerrard was when Rodgers rested him in the 3-0 defeat against Real Madrid, for a league game? In Rodgers arrogance he thought he didn't need the game because we'd beat Basel and Ludogorets. How'd that turn out Brendan?

We should be putting out basically our best team with maybe one youngster getting some game time as you can protect one player from exposure. Perhaps Woodburn in the midfield?

The game is 4 days before we go to old Trafford. With a 5-0 lead we have a chance to play with freedom and expression, and build up some real confidence going into the United game. Additionally, if we go through to the Quarters with say a 10-0 aggregate victory, it will send reverberations across Europe that we mean business. The mental impact that could have on our players and future opposition could be huge.

There are no bad teams in the Champions league. Man City changed about half of their team against Shaktar thinking they could get away with it, and they got beaten 2-1. Porto are a far better team and will probably have their top scorer and first choice centre back for the second leg. They are fully capable of turning up and beating our reserves 5-0 if we go into the game with the arrogance I'm seeing. Anyone remember PSG-Barca last season? It is never over in the Champions league which is why it is the pinnacle of Football.

No way should we be disrespecting the Champions League. The day Rodgers did that was the day his Liverpool career was over. Porto have lost 7 just games in their last 76. They have never lost by more than 3 at the Dragao. They've only lost twice all season in 90 minutes (to us and Besiktas) . They are not a bad team, we just made them look bad. We have to go out at Anfield and do that again, because if we can score 5 away from home against a weakened side, believe me, so can the best team in Portugal.

1.) 15 Feb 2018
15 Feb 2018 08:28:43
110% agree with you mate. My team would be
Karius
Gomez/ Trent Matip VVD Moreno (give him a go)
Hendo
Lallana Ox
Salah Solanke? Mane
Subs- Migs, Gomez/ Trent, Lovren, can, Gini, Ings and Firmino.
I’d like to see Solanke start as I think it’s a game he could do really really well in!

2.) 15 Feb 2018
15 Feb 2018 08:31:41
Porto came through the toughest group in the whole tournament.

Besiktas (1st in Turkey)
RBL (2nd in Germany)
Monaco (2nd in France)
Porto (1st in Portugal)

There was no Maribor, no Apollon, no Qarabag, no Anderlecht, no Ludogorets, no Celtic, no Debrecen etc in their group. They had 3 other top teams in their group. They had to fight for every single point, and they still got out of the group. Most teams had a relatively easy 6 points on offer but Porto had to scrap for every single point in a group everyone thought they'd finish bottom of.

They are not a poor side by any stretch and if we don't respect them with our team selection, they go onto the pitch so fired up that we'll be handing them the initiative. Remember Istanbul. Mission Impossible, is never impossible in this competition.

3.) 15 Feb 2018
15 Feb 2018 08:42:04
As much as that is a strong team Leon, i can't bring myself to drop Firmino when he has a genuine shot at finishing top scorer in the whole competition. These are the nights players like Firmino live for. We have no cup games left so there should be no need to rest players. Honestly, i think the only change I'd make to last nights team is bringing Gomez in for Trent, and Matip in for Lovren as we'll need the extra height from set pieces to mark the returning Aboubakar and Felipe. We also get more possession at home and Matip is better on the ball than Lovren.

Possibly there is an argument to bring Lallana in for Milner if he's fully fit by then, but does Milner deserve to be dropped on the back of that performance? I can't honestly say he does.

4.) 15 Feb 2018
15 Feb 2018 08:42:41
How is managing your squad sensibly disrespecting the Champions League? We respected the Champions League already by showing Porto no mercy at their place, we can now afford to rest key players to ensure that they are fit for the United game. If we play our best XI and a key player takes a knock and misses the United game what will be the point? To prove 'respect'? Your argument doesn't really make sense Adam and even less so when you compare it to the situation with Gerrard which was completely different (most notable difference being it was a GROUP STAGE game) . We are 5-0 up on aggregate and playing a top 4 rival days later - it would make no sense to play a full strength side and risk injury to key personnel.

As for your assessment that Porto could score 5 at Anfield? Get a grip lad, that is absolute waffle. I don't care if they are the best side in Portugal they are simply not that good - we should back ourselves, and our squad, to progress after that first leg irrespective of the team we put out.

5.) 15 Feb 2018
15 Feb 2018 08:45:55
p. s as for sending reverberations across Europe? Europe doesn't care mate each team is focused on themselves, the 2nd round draw was kind to us, the quarter final (assuming we make it) will be a lot tougher and tighter, you are making out Porto to be far, far better than what they are. Do they have good players? Yes. Can they score goals? Yes. Do we have good players? Yes. Can we score goals? Yes. Did we smash 5 past them at their place? Yes. The tie should be as good as over, they are no Barcelona.

6.) 15 Feb 2018
15 Feb 2018 08:52:40
Klopp said last night he's been in the game long enough to know nothing is certain until the final whistle. I don't think there will be too many changes.

7.) 15 Feb 2018
15 Feb 2018 09:03:36
Seano i can only assume you've not been watching the Champions league for many years.

I've seen Celtic beat Barcelona with less than 20% possession. So if you think Porto can't score 5 against us if we make 8 or 9 changes like some people are suggesting, then you are in fact the deluded one.

I am fully confident we will go through, but to say the tie is over? That's just suicide. If we send out a second string team with the message "don't worry we've already won" and Porto get an early goal or two, the whole complexion of the tie changes and we end up clinging on for dear life with only 3 substitutions to try and wrestle back the initiative.

Why take that risk? Injury? Don't talk wet. Ronaldo and Messi play every single game for the last 10 years and i think I've seen Messi properly injured once. Top players shouldn't be scared of going on the pitch in case they get hurt, they should demand to go on the pitch in case the team loses. This is a major mentality problem with this club. We lose one game and everyone says the team is useless. We win one game and people now think our reserves can beat one of the top 16 teams in Europe!

Surely we want to win the game? Maybe our reserves would do enough to get us through. After all they could lose 4-0 and it would still be enough. But why would we deliberately throw a game in front of a global audience? Is that the image we want to portray to neutrals we are trying to convert into supporters? Why risk losing our momentum.

Have you ever played football? If you have, have you ever wanted to be on the bench? I know i hated when my manager said he was resting me. I threw a chair across the dressing room because he subbed me off on a hat trick with 20 minutes to go and we went on and lost 3-2. This is football, not boxing. You can't do enough damage in the first 6 rounds of football, to allow you to cruise through the last 6 rounds.

Porto will come back stronger and with a point to prove and if we play a second string team, all we'll do is fire them up even more. We'd basically be doing their managers team talk for him!

8.) 15 Feb 2018
15 Feb 2018 09:36:34
I'm glad to here that Hugh Mungus. I had every faith in Klopp to do it anyway, but i just cannot believe the lack of winning mentality coming from the fans. I want to win every game, and i expect us to pick the strongest team available particularly in the PL and the CL.

We've got a huge resting period now until the next game. That should be more than enough to refresh ourselves for the final run in. There is absolutely no need to rest players when you are playing 11 league games and an absolute maximum of 6 European games between now and the end of May. Can our star players seriously not cope with 17 games in 3 and a half months? It's practically a game every 6 days on average. And we want to rest players?

I'd love to see Ronaldo or Messi's faces if their managers said they weren't playing in a Champions League knock out game because the tie was won. They'd probably hand in a transfer request the next day! This is the top of world football. There is no way anyone can tell me that Firmino, Mane and Salah won't want to be on that pitch. In fact resting any of them greatly reduces our chances of convincing them to stay because it just shows a lack of winning mentality.

The best players want to play. Momentum and confidence is far more important than reducing the already low risk of injury. The most important game is always the next game, regardless of aggregate scores. Winning in football is everything. I'm just pleased Klopp understands that more than his predecessor did and won't make the same mistake.

9.) 15 Feb 2018
15 Feb 2018 09:37:41
We will clearly be in a position to make some changes but I agree it would be wrong to make wholesale changes. We should be able to make up to 4-5 changes without weakening the side too much. I’d rest VVD, Salah and Firmino for Utd although I’m sure they would rather play.

As for Moreno, like Mignolet he should never pull on a red shirt again after the display against West Brom. May sound harsh but how many chances did he need.

Great to see us play so well last nite, other top teams will definitely take notice. I just fear that the further we go the more our midfield will get found out although there is every chance we could draw an English team in both quarter and semi and in that case I wouldn’t fear any of them. Let’s enjoy the ride!

YNWA.

10.) 15 Feb 2018
15 Feb 2018 09:39:38
You are putting words in people's mouths mk. I don't think many are saying change the full 11 and I don't think anyone said to tell them to go out there not caring because we've already won. Also your comment on boxing is just simply wrong, as if you're in the fight you can land a ko. Arguably it is easier to see out football as if you're 11-0 up with 10 seconds to go, you've won. in boxing 11 rounds up with 10 seconds to go you can still lose.

But anyway personally I would rest salah Miller and Robertson for woodburn, lalanna and Moreno as Robertson needs a rest at some point. I'd like to see woodburn given a shot and lalanna to build up match sharpness.

Then at half time to 60 mins in if we are anything from 0-0 or better at this stage bring on ings solanke and whoever ox possibly and give minutes and rest to players that respectively need it.

Sure the tie isn't over but history kind of says it is in that it's never happened. And bar what has been said in hyperbole of actually telling the players to go out not caring at all then we will be fine. At the same time though if klopp thinks a player needs a rest they'll get it, like it or not.

11.) 15 Feb 2018
15 Feb 2018 09:46:17
The tie is over. Get a grip, mate.

12.) 15 Feb 2018
15 Feb 2018 09:52:16
I would definitely use this as an opportunity to give game time to some of the squad players/ kids who need it.
Porto are never scoring more than 3 goals at Anfield regardless of what team we put out.
Nice mixture of youth and experience with the likes of salah and Firmino on the bench, play mane and Hendo as they need game time to get match sharp.

13.) 15 Feb 2018
15 Feb 2018 09:57:11
That is a fair point on the boxing analogy Shane. However you should scroll down and read the thread half way down the page where even one of the editors suggested we drop Salah, Firmino AND Mane.

I'm sorry but I'm not having it. Resting players is total rubbish. They are professional athletes who should be able to play twice in 4 days. If it was 2 or even 3 days i can sort of understand it as the scientifically evidenced recovery period for top athletes is 48 hours. We play Porto on Tuesday and United on Saturday. Are we seriously suggesting that we have players earning in excess of £5m a year, who cannot play Tuesday and Saturday in the same week?

So what would we have done if we'd lost 3-0 last night? Just thrown in the towel? Or sacrificed the United game? We'd have done neither. We'd have sucked it up and played a full strength team in both games. Winning mentality is everything. As the old cliche goes, winning is a habit. We should not be severely reducing our chances of winning because we are scared a player might get injured. More players get injured in training than in a game. So maybe we should just cancel training for the next 2 weeks because of the injury risk?

I cannot believe Liverpool fans sometimes. I want to win every game and if Klopp plays a weakened team and we lose.

I can fully understand resting players over the winter period. Games cone at about 4 every 10 days and it is totally unrealistic to expect anyone to be able to play in every match. This is not the time to be resting players though. We need to build up huge momentum so we can roll up to the United, Chelsea and CL quarter finals so confident in ourselves that we play without thinking about it. I cannot and will not accept resting fully fit players in the Champions League knock out stages.

14.) 15 Feb 2018
15 Feb 2018 10:00:44
Are you telling me having ings/ solanke in for firmino, likes of lallana in for salah, ox in for hendo, gomez in for trent maybe woodburn after 60 minutes to replace Mane, makes us weak and a second string team?
i don't get this really? i would want to rest salah and firmino for united, we are 5-0 ahead in the tie. i would start ings and lallana (if they are fit) . both players are decent enough and hard workers.
i don't know what second string team we have that everybody is so hyper about. i think we should give a rest to hendo, firmino and salah for the united tie and be refreshed and our replacements are more than capable enough in ox lallana and Ings/ solanke.
I don't think this is looking down on Porto in any way, its basic team management.
If porto think ings/ solanke/ lallana/ ox make us second string team then they are in for another 5-0.

Again not sure what real second string team everyone is on about here? i think we would just be using the bench for rotation and resting important players. (I thought that was the purpose of bench) And again we are 5-0 up. Porto have to score 6 goals to go through and keep a clean sheet. not taking them lightly but i don't think even mancity can do that!
i think it would be fair to rest some big guns before united, because we would need them on full gas against them.

15.) 15 Feb 2018
15 Feb 2018 10:13:57
Who said anything about '8 or 9 changes'? This is you putting 2+2 together and getting 87. Resting key players is sensible squad management - its not so much about fitness but avoiding unnecessary injury to key players. There are certain players in our team who are more influential than others who we would suffer badly without. If say Salah or Firmino get a knock against Porto will it still be worth it? I don't see the need to take that risk and so far the only argument you have presented is 'changing 8 or 9 player and telling them the tie is already won will inspire Porto to score 5 goals' - it is utter drivel for a number of reasons: 1) Nobody has said let's change the entire starting line up. 2) Nobody has said slack off and treat the game as already won. 3) Scoring 5 goals at Anfield without reply would be nothing short of miraculous - I don't care if Aboubakar or Felipe are playing - our squad players should be good enough to come in and do a job against good opposition, otherwise why are they even part of the squad?

As for players being scared of getting injured? Again nobody has said that, I am sure all the players want to play, but it is the job of the manager to analyse the situation as a whole and make the best decision accordingly - it doesn't matter what the players want, it is there job to follow the managers instructions, to play to the best of their ability when selected, and to keep fit and work hard when they aren't. I don't care if you had a tantrum when you played non league football it has nothing to do with this discussion - these are professional players being paid lots of money to do a job most can only dream of, they should and will respect the managers choice, end of.

You're over reacting to a sensible suggestion to rest key players before a crucial game against United days later. You might have a point if the tie was delicately poised at 1-1 but we're 5-0 for gods sake, it is the perfect time to rotate and ensure we can field our best side when taking on United. How is that not a reasonable suggestion? You don't have to agree but you're making out like anybody who has suggested this has had a brain aneurysm, I don't understand why your so vehemently opposed to the idea.

16.) 15 Feb 2018
15 Feb 2018 10:16:36
So what Mikey, throw a game to give some reserve players a chance? Keep the squad players happy and infuriate the handful of world class players we have by dropping them for no apparent reason? Sounds like a great way to motivate them for the United game!

Paisley and Shankly would be pulling their hair out reading this thread. They only had 15 bloody players to start with jn their day!

Random Red, i remember everyone saying that last season when PSG hammered Barcelona. "Porto are no Barcelona" is about as good an argument as "Liverpool are no PSG". The tie is not over. There are another 90 minutes to get through. If we play our best side, i think we go through with a huge aggregate score. If we play our second string, those players instantly have huge pressure on them not to screw up the work the first team did. They won't want to go to training the next day and have to apologise to Salah and Firmino for ruining their last medal hopes.

Now imagine Porto get a dodgy penalty 2 minutes into the game! That pressure doubles, everyone gets nervous, and Porto can seize on that to take full control of the game whilst we spend 90 minutes defending with no quality in the break because all 3 of our star players are being saved for Man U. If the unthinkable happened and we went out because of resting players, do you seriously think the squad will be in the right frame of mind to go to Old Trafford?

I guess everyone has a different opinion, but I'm shocked at the number of people who want to risk our season because of the risk of injury. Aguero got injured in a car crash on his night off for crying out loud. You can't live life in fear. Klopp should and most probably will pick at least 8 or 9 of his first choice players because unlike the fans, he actually wants to win every game instead of having a mid-table mentality where our season is apparently defined by whether we beat Man United or not.

Porto were missing their top scorer, their first choice centre back, and their first choice midfielder. As great as our win was, Porto had chances and a few of our goals were goal keeping errors.

Anyway, i think I've made my point though. I'll be livid if Klopp puts out a weakened side and we lose by any score line.

17.) 15 Feb 2018
15 Feb 2018 10:27:37
MK and Seano, make some valid points. No, we should not be making 8 or 9 changes cos that is just stupid and tempting fate. Porto will not just come here and roll over. They have been stuffed and would like to come here and go out with their heads held high so I expect a tough game in 3 weeks. Having said that, Klopp has been rotating for months now and it has served us well overall.

I expect him to do so again with Utd coming up that weekend. This will NEVER mean that he will make 8 or 9 changes. It just means that he will be able to rotate (while at the same time, keeping the team competitive) as he has been doing before, something he would not have been able to do if the score line had been tighter or a draw or a loss. That is the luxury he has and nothing more.

18.) 15 Feb 2018
15 Feb 2018 10:28:20
MK you do understand they have to score 5 goals at anfield? which last i read was liverpool's home ground? and in addition not concede?
and as we are talking IFs and buts here, you do understand if they could so that against a so called weakened team (w. o salah and firmino) they could probably do it against a strong team too? since they have messi ronaldo (both fat and slim) neymar zidane pele and God all in the team?
you know what they could have all those in the team and still its impossible. i mean we could have migs flapping and lovren snapping and it still won't happen. The refrees could conspire against us and it still won't happen! all the above could combine to happen and it still won't happen.
Relax man have a mountain dew.

19.) 15 Feb 2018
15 Feb 2018 10:41:30
It's not about the quality of our back up players, Ak. I agree they are very good players.

However, football is not about having the best individual in each position. It is about having a team who understand each other and work as a cohesive unit. That is why teams which on paper would stroll to the title in the Championship, lose to Non-league teams in the FA cup. It isn't about the players. It is about the team. You bring in maybe 1 or 2 squad players at a time. Not half the side.

Seano, scroll down the page and read the thread I'm referring to (you've even replied to it) . Everybody there is suggesting we make wholesale changes and I think it was Ed333 literally listed the 5-8 changes he would make, including playing Ings and Solanke which would require a change in system as well! I'm not putting words into anyone's mouth. People have literally suggested changing the whole identity of the team, and others have agreed with it. It is arrogant, but more importantly it shows a lack of ambition to win.

20.) 15 Feb 2018
15 Feb 2018 10:46:58
I think the game should start with no more than 2 changes. This would be at Klopps discretion or anyone with a little boggle. Even without expending too much energy we should be able to knock on a couple of first half goals. Then we could rest 2 key layers at half time and a third around the 70 minute mark.


In this way we are taking no risk of a miraculous comeback, won’t upset the key players and some other squad players will get decent minutes.

What if Klopp has taken Mané off with 20 minutes to go last night? To rest him for 20 minutes would have more of a negative effect than the confidence he will get from scoring a hat trick. Firmino might not have got his goal either as Mané was involved in that.

21.) 15 Feb 2018
15 Feb 2018 10:50:23
Please don't even joke about Mignolet playing 😂.

22.) 15 Feb 2018
15 Feb 2018 10:52:29
You are 100% correct MK, disrrspecting porto could really bite us in the ass. Play our strongest team, end of.

23.) 15 Feb 2018
15 Feb 2018 10:56:40
Ak, it was only last week we let in 3 against West Brom at Anfield. Porto are a bit better than West Brom. We had Firmino and Salah on the pitch to score a couple of goals, but if they weren't on the pitch, we could've easily lost 3-0 to the worst team in the Premier League. Yet you say Porto have no chance of scoring 5? 🤔 there is always a chance in cup competition. Always.

24.) 15 Feb 2018
15 Feb 2018 10:58:23
In fact West Brom did put 5 past us at Anfield! Two were disallowed though. On another day with a bit of bad officiating, we could've easily have had 5 goals stand fir a visiting team at Anfield.

Very short memories!

25.) 15 Feb 2018
15 Feb 2018 11:01:38
Absolutely spot on Klavy. Confidence > Rest.

26.) 15 Feb 2018
15 Feb 2018 11:02:09
Your not throwing a game, it’s a 2 legged tie and it’s already won.
Besides if you play a full strength team they will only treat it as a game that’s already won and won’t put in any effort, kids and squad players will be more eager to impress and will put in the effort.
Shanks May have had only 15 players but Klopp has double that to keep happy remember.

27.) 15 Feb 2018
15 Feb 2018 11:11:49
Predictive text - should read niggle not boggle on my previous post.

28.) 15 Feb 2018
15 Feb 2018 11:19:35
I'm sorry if it came across blunt Mikey. I usually agree with you. I just don't believe the tie is dead yet. I am pretty sure we'll go through whatever team we play, but is that the bar we are setting now? "just don't lose by 5"?

I'm sorry but i can't back that approach. I want the team to target another 5-0. Anybody remember Bayern beating Arsenal 10-1 on aggregate? They didn't change the whole team, they just went out and scored 5 again to eliminate any doubts. That should be our target too. At least 2 of Firmino, Mane and Salah have to start in my opinion, and i would personally play all 3. This is the biggest stage in world football. This is where you win peoples hearts and put yourselves on the footballing map. There is no way we should be compromising. If the players seriously cannot play twice in 4 days, then perhaps we should replace them in the summer because we'll never be an elite club if our players cannot cope with a league and a cup game a week.

Ronaldo rarely ever misses a game for Real Madrid and he is the 2nd best player on the planet who rarely ever suffers from injury or fatigue.

29.) 15 Feb 2018
15 Feb 2018 11:43:57
Ronaldo is extremely fit though remember, a lot of our players are not or are returning to full fitness so this is the perfect chance to manage the squad and blood in some players with some valuable champs league experience.
Games won 👍.

30.) 15 Feb 2018
15 Feb 2018 11:57:27
its all taken your points, but the united is as big as any final for me. i want us to beat, no demolish united not because its united and blah blah because it is very possible. United as anyone would say are utter crap at football and I for one can't stand them being in front of us. I need them beaten and hence i will support resting a few key players for porto as i believe we have sufficient quality on our bench to replace them.
I donot want to risk/ tire out firmino and salah even Mane for the united game. i want all of them to know that they are being rested to unleash themselves against united and like every game that is a priority and nothing less than 3 points will do.
we have to win against them to grab that 2nd spot. I cannot take united with their utter crap football and non-football coach finishing above us. So yes rest a few, so there is no excuse/ chence for a draw/ loss.
if we can't believe in our bench to protect a 5-0 lead, why are we even bothering with CL etc.
and ronaldo's and messi's are two self motivated and self obsessed individuals and all they care is about ballon'd'ors and who is the best for which they play every damn game, its hardly to do with their care for the teams they play in .

{Ed025's Note - i would play the U12,s against porto akshit, they are the worst team ever to play in the CL knockout stages ever...FACT, they are a total embarrassment to their country and football in general, yes liverpool played well but they made everton look like man city mate..

31.) 15 Feb 2018
15 Feb 2018 13:01:30
The solution is simple. Give free tickets to everyone and play with 10 defenders. In essence, park the bus for 90 minutes. Man utd do it against us and still charge their own supporters for the spectacle.

32.) 15 Feb 2018
15 Feb 2018 12:56:12
I'm with Seano, managing your squad is not disrespecting the tournament. We'll be facing United that weekend who will have been rested all week, we will need everyone fit and firing. And we are 5-0 up against Porto. 5-0. That's massive, especially considering they are now coming to Anfield.

I'm not saying start playing the kids and yes Firmino who is in with a run at the golden boot needs to play - at least 2 of our front 3 do for at least an hour just to stop them being able to commit everything forward. But playing the likes of Klavan, Moreno, whoever Klopp would rather not start against United in the middle etc isn't disrespecting the tournament. Nor when you're 5-0 is it a particular risk. The only mitigating factor for me would be weighing up the need for our defense to keep bonding vs our need to keep everyone fresh. Otherwise I'd say it's certainly time to be a little pragmatic about who plays and have half an eye on the next fixture.

33.) 15 Feb 2018
15 Feb 2018 12:56:27
I can see both sides of the argument. With the United game a few days later I reckon we have a chance to rest a couple whilst still keeping the spine strong. Maybe an 11 of.
Karius
Gomez Matip VVD Moreno
Gini Can Lallana
Ox Ings Mane

Thats still a strong side. And keep the rested players on the bench if needed, along with some youngsters like Solanke and Woodburn. All going well, it would be great to give them a run out.

34.) 15 Feb 2018
15 Feb 2018 12:59:00
As another relevant point, it's been over 80 years since we were beaten by 5 goals at Anfield - Manchester City beat us 0-5 in 1937. Since then our biggest losses have been by 3 goals, 4 times in the past 20 years. Id happily say the chances of us throwing away a 5 goal lead here is minuscule.

35.) 15 Feb 2018
15 Feb 2018 13:01:00
Agreed 100% Seano. We need to manage the squad as we have united away. As much as I want progrsssion in CL I also want top 4 and to go above united. We can still play a strong team whilst resting some key players.

36.) 15 Feb 2018
15 Feb 2018 13:46:27
I agree with MK here, we should be wanting to put a marker down at home. And i know full well if porto score within 10 minutes Anfield would have that air of nervousness. Stick kids in that atmosphere and we can be in trouble. Strongest 11 out for me (depending on fatigue) and put the game beyond all doubt then you can just turn the second half in to a training session and rest a few.

37.) 15 Feb 2018
15 Feb 2018 13:48:30
Y'all are forgetting 1 major factor.
The game is home. There is no way in hell Klopp would want to disappoint the Anfield faithful by putting out a bit part team and possibly losing in such a big competition even if we still progressed.

38.) 15 Feb 2018
15 Feb 2018 15:06:42
This tie is over, play the squad players, rest the star players. I’d rest Salah, Bobby and maybe Mane and Hendo.
Anfield makes no difference, we played a weakened team at Anfield against Everton in the league and that was a “live” game whereas this is a “dead rubber”.

One factor most are forgetting is our next game after Porto is at a league game at Old Toilet.

Rest the star players 👍.