Barnsley come to visit from League One, hoping for another FA Cup upset to bring back 2008.
LIVERPOOL VS. BARNSLEY
| Monday, January 12th |
FA Cup | Anfield
7:45PM GMT/2:45PM EST
It is finally Liverpool’s turn in the FA Cup as they host the third tier’s Barnsley FC on a Monday night. Arne Slot’s last excursion in the fabled tournament ended with the Reds losing to Plymouth and unceremoniously dropping out of the competition in the coach’s first season. That match had a mix of seniors and academy kids that may have informed how Slot will look at the competition this season, as Plymouth’s second half penalty was the only difference maker on the day. The last time Liverpool and Barnsley met was in 2008, with Barnsley the winners on the day by a single goal as well. That was a long time ago, but might help some of the plans going into this one.
Barnsley have been in the third tier since getting relegated from the Championship in 2022, but are notably the club that have spent the longest time and played the most matches in the second level in English football history. The other Reds currently sit in 17th place in League One, with a 8-5-8 record for the season so far. Their December looked as bleak as ours, with three losses on the bounce before they salvaged a point in a one-all draw against Wigan Athletic. It seems whatever troubles have afflicted the Premier League have trickled down to the lower leagues.
This would likely be a prime example of Liverpool maybe going in over confidently and potentially fielding a less experienced squad, considering Barnsley’s dire situation, but Slot made the very revealing claim that “on Monday you will see all the players that you saw [at Arsenal on Thursday]”, although of course he didn’t add whether or not everyone would be starting or appearing on the bench. The squad is thin enough, to be honest, with only four forwards on the senior squad potentially available while Mohamed Salah remains away, so we may even get the rare Chiesa start, or a late decision on the fitness of striker Hugo Ekitike.
Predicted Liverpool Lineup (4-3-3)
Alisson; Ramsay, Konaté, Van Dijk, Robertson; Jones, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister; Ngumoha, Chiesa, Gakpo
It probably goes without saying that the right back position may be cursed and may also be the position that Slot will be looking to protect more than others. After it was revealed Conor Bradley would be out for the season with a “significant” knee injury, and Jeremie Frimpong and Joe Gomez both struggling to maintain fitness, it might be prudent to expect Calvin Ramsay in the spot.
Of course this is all speculation and this writer has definitely been wrong about predicted lineups before. For all we know, Slot could be planning to field the exact same XI he played for 90+ minutes on Thursday night against Arsenal. Liverpool’s latest iteration is more conservative and less urgent, so who knows, maybe the reduced physical demands will stretch out some stamina for these players who have been playing twice a week for a few months now, allowing Slot to feel a little more confident in their abilities to keep going. Looking at you Dominik, don’t overwork yourself I guess?
The Managers Have Their Say
Arne Slot: “The FA Cup has always been very important for us, but sometimes in a season where you still are competing for the League Cup, for the Champions League and the league – with the amount of players we had last season and have this season – you have to make choices. But I can guarantee you that on Monday you will see all the players that you saw [on Thursday], maybe with some substitutions but then they will be on the bench. So that is going to be different than last season against Plymouth.”
Conor Hourihane: “It’s difficult to know what personnel will be out there. Are the big boys going to play, or will they go a little bit weaker? Either way, we need to be ready and have a game plan. I want the lads to maximise the opportunity and express themselves.”
The Officials
Referee: Farai Hallam Assistants: Alistair Nelson & Hristo Karaivanov Fourth Official: Ruebyn Ricardo
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Category: General Sports
