Liverpool FC status
Frånvaroläge: Firmino(skadad)
Trolig startelva (4-3-3): Alisson Alexander-Arnold, Matip, van Dijk, Robertson – Fabinho, Henderson, Keita- Salah, Jota, Diaz
Tankar om elvan: Matcherna duggar tätt och det fortsätter vara ett delikat jobb för Klopp att hålla truppen fräsch och redo. Här väntar en av de svåraste ligamatcherna vi har kvar och det ger inte mycket utrymme till att vila spelare, men några ändringar från veckans match kommer vi säkerligen få se. Den stora frågan för mig är om Klopp vågar vila Thiago eller Fabinho, de är fundamentala för vårt spel och har ett sanslöst facit i de matcher där de spelat tillsammans, men de kan inte starta i alla matcher. Jag skulle inte bli förvånad om Thiago får börja bredvid här, inte för att han på något sätt förtjänat att vara utanför elvan, utan för att en förslitning på honom vore förödande. Jota kommer antagligen att starta, med tanke på att Salah aldrig vilar står det mellan Mané och Diaz om vem som lämnar plats för honom.
Newcastle status – Jake Jackmann(@JakeJackmann)
1. The last time we met Newcastle where in the relegation zone, now you are fighting for a place on the top half of the table. What has happened?
It is easy to see what has changed. A new owner and a new head coach has re-energised the club. Fans are now looking forward to matches and the atmosphere around the club is the best it has been in over a decade. People will point towards the January transfer spend, but those same people were suggesting we didn’t buy enough quality when the window closed. Dan Burn, Matt Targett and Chris Wood are hardly world beaters, while Bruno Guimaraes has only just got into the starting eleven and Kieran Trippier has been injured. The signings have helped, but the main reason is the positivity around the club and the coaching of Eddie Howe.
2. Eddie Howe has been a good signing for you so far, are you surprised that he has gotten such a big impact?
He wasn’t my first choice when we sacked Steve Bruce, but he has been an excellent appointment. I was probably wrong for not wanting him when the job was vacant. The last year at Bournemouth did damage his image, but he is arguably a contender for manager of the season. To improve the players already at the club was no small feat. There will be other Premier League clubs regretting that they didn’t appoint him when he was available. He is hard working, an excellent coach and a very good talker in the media. He has the potential to manage at the very top of the game.
3. After a slow start Bruno Guimarães is adapting to the Premier League and has three goals and one assist in his last three games. What are your thoughts on him so far?
Bruno is one of the best midfielders in the league already. He exudes confidence and he is excellent in both halves of the pitch. I have yet to see a weakness in his game and he is probably the only player in our squad that could get into your starting eleven. He is going to be the poster boy of our new era. Howe eased him into the team, but he is now clearly the first name on the team sheet.
4. Of course many people are interested to see what will happen at your club this summer. Do you expect the club to make a lot of signings? What kind of players are you most in need of?
The club have been keen to brief that it won’t be a huge summer of rebuilding. I think they want to add three or four quality players each season and stay within the confines of FFP. Our form in 2022 suggests it won’t take much to get us challenging in the top eight of the Premier League. I would expect improvements down the spine of the team. A quality CB, DM and ST, with a couple more signings added to that. Hopefully one or two with the quality of Bruno. If we could attract him when we were 19th in the league. Who knows who we could attract this summer.
5. Who has been your player of the season?
There are a few candidates, but Joelinton has to be the winner for me. He has transformed his career in England and £40m now looks to be a shrewd investment. He is dominating games in the middle of the park and is an outside shout to make Brazil’s World Cup squad. I don’t think there has been a transformation quite like it in recent Premier League history.
6. What kind of game do you expect against Liverpool?
St James’ is a tough place to go again. We have won our last six at home and the atmosphere is once again a challenge for visiting teams. We won’t shirk away from the game and we will be confident of getting something. If you are to drop points this season, it really could be this weekend. The game at Anfield was a good contest with some questionable refereeing decisions. We are better than we were then…
It is easy to see what has changed. A new owner and a new head coach has re-energised the club. Fans are now looking forward to matches and the atmosphere around the club is the best it has been in over a decade. People will point towards the January transfer spend, but those same people were suggesting we didn’t buy enough quality when the window closed. Dan Burn, Matt Targett and Chris Wood are hardly world beaters, while Bruno Guimaraes has only just got into the starting eleven and Kieran Trippier has been injured. The signings have helped, but the main reason is the positivity around the club and the coaching of Eddie Howe.
2. Eddie Howe has been a good signing for you so far, are you surprised that he has gotten such a big impact?
He wasn’t my first choice when we sacked Steve Bruce, but he has been an excellent appointment. I was probably wrong for not wanting him when the job was vacant. The last year at Bournemouth did damage his image, but he is arguably a contender for manager of the season. To improve the players already at the club was no small feat. There will be other Premier League clubs regretting that they didn’t appoint him when he was available. He is hard working, an excellent coach and a very good talker in the media. He has the potential to manage at the very top of the game.
3. After a slow start Bruno Guimarães is adapting to the Premier League and has three goals and one assist in his last three games. What are your thoughts on him so far?
Bruno is one of the best midfielders in the league already. He exudes confidence and he is excellent in both halves of the pitch. I have yet to see a weakness in his game and he is probably the only player in our squad that could get into your starting eleven. He is going to be the poster boy of our new era. Howe eased him into the team, but he is now clearly the first name on the team sheet.
4. Of course many people are interested to see what will happen at your club this summer. Do you expect the club to make a lot of signings? What kind of players are you most in need of?
The club have been keen to brief that it won’t be a huge summer of rebuilding. I think they want to add three or four quality players each season and stay within the confines of FFP. Our form in 2022 suggests it won’t take much to get us challenging in the top eight of the Premier League. I would expect improvements down the spine of the team. A quality CB, DM and ST, with a couple more signings added to that. Hopefully one or two with the quality of Bruno. If we could attract him when we were 19th in the league. Who knows who we could attract this summer.
5. Who has been your player of the season?
There are a few candidates, but Joelinton has to be the winner for me. He has transformed his career in England and £40m now looks to be a shrewd investment. He is dominating games in the middle of the park and is an outside shout to make Brazil’s World Cup squad. I don’t think there has been a transformation quite like it in recent Premier League history.
6. What kind of game do you expect against Liverpool?
St James’ is a tough place to go again. We have won our last six at home and the atmosphere is once again a challenge for visiting teams. We won’t shirk away from the game and we will be confident of getting something. If you are to drop points this season, it really could be this weekend. The game at Anfield was a good contest with some questionable refereeing decisions. We are better than we were then…
Totaal reflektion: Det går som på räls nu, seger på seger och Klopp med nyskrivet kontrakt. Här väntar en match som kommer att kräva ytterligare en högoktanig insats, för det är ett av ligans mest formstarka lag som vi ställs emot under lördagen. Matchen kommer dessutom inklämd mellan våra två semifinaler i Champions League och det hade nog behövts ett mål till på Anfield för att Klopp skulle våga rotera allt för mycket i returen på tisdag. Vi är bättre än Newcastle och ska vinna här, men vi var tröga senast vi spelade en match med tidig avspark och det kommer inte att fungera den här gången. Kan vi bara surfa vidare på den här framgångsvågen kommer vi att lämna matchen som serieledare och låta City gå in till matchen mot Leeds med lite extra press på sig.