I also would expect to play a blend of senior players and youth. They need to get young guys minutes while also trying to play a few senior guys into form, and ultimately be competitive and win. It's time to branch back out into the 4-2-3-1 or modified 4-3-3 again and get some scoring back into the squad. Rio and Nyoni are absolutely starting, and I would think Ramsay as well.

My only question would be playing Robo at CB and starting Szbo. I could see a world where they start one of VVD/Konate along side Gomez, with Robo at LB, and then later in the game or at half sub-off the starting CB for whichever one didn't start. And then Szbo is probably the one midfielder who I think could use a complete game off. Either he or Gravenberch. For that reason I'd lean playing Wirtz, but Wirtz has also been a bit banged up so-to-speak. Maybe you try and play them both about 45 minutes.

Yeah, that was my thinking. Szobo to start and take him off at the half for whoever you like on the bench. VvD usually gets these type of games off and he needs it since he plays every minute of every game he does play.

With City winning 10-1, Chelsea winning 5-1, and Arsenal winning 4-1 (heck, even Norwich and Burnley each won 5-1), I would love a straightforward, easy win with a number of goals. Is that too much to ask?!?

Don't care. Just win

Oh boy...Xabi Alonso just got fired at Madrid. Things could get weird.

Mamardashvili
Frimpong - Gomez - VvD - Robbo
Macca - Jones
Chiesa - Szoboszlai - Rio
Gakpo

Subs:
Alisson
Endo
Konate
Kerkez
Wirtz
Ekitike
Gravenberch
Nyoni
Ramsay

I'm fine with this too. I think they want to win, hints VVD in.

What a hit from Szoboszlai for the first goal. May be the best pure striker of a football on this team.

This is the guy WE NEED. He can hit a ball as good as anyone, so do more of that!

And no clean sheet. Ugh.

Don't let Wirtz get hot….

It wasn't as straightforward as it appeared on paper. But Barnsley never really threatened. Szoboszlai gifted them a goal, but other than the blatant dive for a pen, they did not have much going forward. Good to see Ekitike back, but Rio went down with a pulled groin it looks like. They take host Brighton at Anfield in the next round. It would have been nice to have had a lower team like Swindon or Salford. *checks notes* Oh, Man City of course gets the winner of that game....

Onto Saturday's home match vs Burnley.

Latest reports I have seen continue to indicate Rio just had some "cramps." Still looks like a pulled groin muscle to me. Regardless, this is what happens when you just thrust a youngster into the starting lineup instead of giving him the odd 10 min cameo here and 20 min cameo there in order to build him up. Slot claims he is "protecting" the kid... Of our 21 PL games, Rio has appeared in 6, playing a total of about 48 mins...

I personally have zero problem with Rio barely playing. I think he's a talented kid, but playing chunky minutes in the EPL/CL just is not what I want to be doing with a teenager. Not only for their long-term development and health, but also for the teams success. He's 17 years old for crying out loud (not yelling at you). If he were 19 or 20 then I would feel differently, but he's a kid playing for a massive club in an increasingly grown man league.

Also, I'm not a January window guy at all. I think you can get absolutely jobbed in January when trying to purchase players; however, with our lack of defensive bodies I am absolutely shocked they haven't gone out and bought some 21 year old defender.

I disagree, I would give the most promising teenagers minutes when I could. Even just sitting on the bench for first team gamedays can be beneficial. Klopp was so But Rio (and even Trey Nyoni to a lesser extent) seem ready to take on some additional minutes. Not saying we should rely on them extensively or even at all. But lower double digit minute cameos should absolutely be part of their development.

Teenagers who have logged minutes for the 1st team (in all comps) at LFC:
Michael Owen
Age 16 = 2 apps
Age 17 = 44 apps
Age 18 = 40 apps
Age 19 = 30 apps
Age 20 = 46 apps (Treble)
Age 22 = Balon D'Or
Age 24 = Sold to Real Madrid for 8M GBP + Antonio Nunez

Raheem Sterling
Age 16 = 3 apps
Age 17 = 36 apps
Age 18 = 38 apps
Age 19 = 52 apps
Age 20 = Sold to Man City for 49M GBP

Trent Alexander-Arnold
Age 18 = 12 apps
Age 19 = 33 apps
Age 20 = 40 apps (won CL)
Age 27 = Signed with Real Madrid on a free

Harvey Elliott
Age 15 = at Fulham (3 apps)
Age 16 = Liverpool likely paid tribunal fee of 4.3M GBP = 8 apps
Age 17 = 1 app
Age 18 = 11 apps
Age 19 = 46 apps
Age 20 = 53 apps

Ben Woodburn
Age 17 = 9 apps
Age 18 = 1 app
Age 19 = Loaned to Sheffield
Age 23 = Signed for PNE on a free

Ben Doak
Age 17 = 5 apps
Age 18 = 5 apps
Age 19 = Loaned to Middlesborough (24 apps)
Age 20 = Sold to Bournemouth for 20M GBP

Ki-Jana Hoever
Age 16 = 1 app
Age 17 = 3 apps
Age 18 = Sold to Wolves for 9M GBP

Kaide Gordon
Age 16 = 4 apps
Age 17 = 0 apps (played in LFC youth teams)
Age 18 = 3 apps
Age 19 = 0 apps (played in LFC youth teams)
Age 20 = Loaned to Norwich (10 apps): Loaned to Portsmouth (5 apps)
Age 21 = 1 app (Current Season)

Steven Gerrard
Age 18 = 13 apps
Age 19 = 31 apps
Age 20 = 50 apps (Treble)
Age 23 = Club Captain

Teenagers who have logged minutes for the 1st team (in all comps) across the PL:
Ryan Giggs
Age 17 = 12 apps
Age 18 = 40 apps
Age 19 = 50 apps
Age 20 = PFA Young Player of the Year
Age 21 = PFA Players' Player of the Year

Marcus Rashford
Age 18 = 18 apps
Age 19 = 53 apps
Age 20 = 52 apps

Mason Greenwood
Age 17 = 3 apps
Age 18 = 49 apps
Age 19 = 31 apps
Age 20 = Removed from first-team pathway

John Terry
Age 18 = 7 apps
Age 19 = 20 apps
Age 21 = First-choice centre-back
Age 23 = Club Captain

Callum Hudson-Odoi
Age 17 = 3 apps
Age 18 = 41 apps
Age 19 = 35 apps

Reece James
Age 18 = 0 apps (Loaned to Wigan 48 apps)
Age 19 = 23 apps
Age 20 = First-choice right-back

Cesc Fabregas
Age 16 = 10 apps
Age 17 = 46 apps
Age 18 = 54 apps
Age 19 = 50 apps
Age 21 = Arsenal Captain

Jack Wilshere
Age 16 = 3 apps
Age 17 = 16 apps
Age 18 = 49 apps
Age 19 = 41 apps

Bukayo Saka
Age 17 = 10 apps
Age 18 = 39 apps
Age 19 = 46 apps
Age 21 = Arsenal Player of the Season

Harry Kane
Age 17 = Loaned to Leyton Orient (18 apps)
Age 18 = 6 apps ; Loaned to Milwall (27 apps)
Age 19 = 1 app ; Loaned to Norwich (5 apps) ; Loaned to Leicester (15 apps)
Age 20 = 19 apps
Age 21 = 51 apps (PFA Team of the Year)

Anthony Gordon
Age 18 = 4 apps
Age 19 = 18 apps
Age 20 = 35 apps
Age 21 = Sold to Newcastle for 45M GBP

---

Seeing it laid out like this, I concede not many play at 17 and many start getting leaned on around age 18. And I am not saying Rio will be the next Michael Owen or Bukayo Saka or anything like that, but I, personally, would like to see more youth involved on gamedays. Slot seems reluctant to do that. I miss Klopp's Kids

To your point about playing young guys, I wonder just how good the "academy" is right now. We really have lost and/or graduated a ton of players over the past two or three seasons, and subsequently sold a bunch of them as well with very few breaking into the Liverpool first team rotation. Bradley is a undoubted hit when healthy, Rio has world class level ability but is young, and Nyoni can maybe build his way into a first team rotation player. But outside of those three idk what else we have that is getting into the first team mix.

All of this is to say that I think maybe Slot and Hughes are trying to rebuild/replace some of the youth talent here that maybe just didn't cut it, and we don't have much that can truly play first team ball even in cup games.

That is exactly what they are doing. We've made a few "signings" this window, but they are all young teenagers that will go straight to the U21 set-up.