Liverpool v AFC Bournemouth

Another Close Result At Anfield?

After playing Crystal Palace who are one of the sides in the lower half of the table and needing points to keep out of the relegation zone, the Cherries visit Liverpool who are in the top four in the Premier League table. Since being in the Premier League our visits to Anfield have involved very close games.

Liverpool have a very likeable and jovial manager in the German Jurgen Klopp. He is after Eddie Howe, my favourite manager in the Premier League. After he joined Liverpool in October 2015 his side finished the season in 8th position. Last season they finished in 4th spot. This season they are presently in 3rd place, equal on points with Spurs who have a game in hand.

In the January transfer window Liverpool signed the Saints defender Virgil van Dijk to strengthen the Liverpool defence, he cost Liverpool £75 million. But they lost an influential player in Philippe Coutinho who scored against us at Dean Court and last season at Anfield. He was also involved in the controversial winning and only goal scored by Benteke at Anfield for the Cherries first season in the Premier League, Coutinho was in an offside position but the goal stood. Coutinho left Liverpool to join Barcelona for a reported staggering £146 million, a British record fee.

In January in their home games at Anfield, Liverpool beat Manchester City 4-3, this was City’s first league defeat of the season and only their second in the league this season so far, the other was against the other Manchester club, United. February they beat West Ham 4-1 and drew with Spurs 2-2. In March they beat Watford 5-0 and Newcastle United 2-0. Away from home in January they beat Huddersfield 0-3, lost at Swansea 1-0. Beat Burnley 1-2. February Liverpool beat Southampton 0-2. March beat Crystal Palace 1-2, but lost at Manchester United 2-1. So far in April drew in the Merseyside derby 0-0 with Everton (Liverpool rested some key players), because of the Champions League at Manchester City.

Tuesday night Liverpool progressed to the Champions League semi-final after beating Manchester City, Liverpool won both games, first at Anfield and last night in Manchester.

In our games in the Premier League at Anfield, we lost 1-0 in the Cherries first season in this league. 2016-17 season AFCB drew 2-2. In the games at Dean Court, 2015-16 season AFCB lost 1-2, 2016-17 we won 4-3 (game that will remain in the memory) and this season 2017-18 we were convincingly beaten 0-4. In all games AFCB have won 1, drawn 3 and lost 8.

Liverpool Team News
Adam Lallana is out with a hamstring injury. Joel Matip with a thigh injury. Joe Gomez with an ankle injury and Emre Can has a back injury.

Liverpool Player To Watch
After their Champions League game on Tuesday night the question is will Jurgen Klopp rest Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino? With Liverpool wanting to finish as high as they can in the Premier League, I think he will play them against us. If I have to pick one to watch, it will be goal machine Salah, 29 Premier League goals from 29 games, he is also Liverpool’s top player for assists with 9. He is a special player and in this day of inflated transfer fees (Coutinho to Barcelona), Liverpool must have the bargain of the season in Salah, who cost them under £40 million. Is he the best Egyptian player of all time?

AFCB Team News
Jordon Ibe should be available after illness ruled him out of the Crystal Palace game. Adam Smith is out still with MCC knee ligament injury. Junior Stanislas is out until next season with a knee injury. Tyrone Mings is continuing his return to full fitness. Otherwise it seems Eddie Howe has a strong squad to pick from.

AFCB Player To Watch
Be interesting what starting 11 Eddie picks for this game. Two players came off the bench against Palace and changed the game, one was Lys Mousset and the other Josh King who had been dropped to the bench. Callum Wilson has gone 9 games without a goal, is it time to give him a rest? Eddie might go for experience up front and continue with Jermain Defoe, he could also decide to start Lys Mousset who looked sharp in his time on the pitch and took his goal well. So if Lys starts, will be interesting to see how he fairs against the Liverpool defence.
 
I dislike all of these superclubs with their 90% bellend fanbase but this lot seem to have taken it to a new level this season. Unbearable. I think it might be something to do with that awful song they've stolen.

Either way we're still probably in for a beating.
 
A good write up Billy.

I would prefer to use dropped rather than rested for Callum. Play King up top on his own with Ibe and Mousset wide.
 
has to be an opportunity though, surely lfc will be so wallowing in this week ... attack attack attack attack - us not them ! ; who would have predicted our Chelsea result ?
 
You never know what can happen!
When we played Liverpool in December 2016, Liverpool had only lost 1 match all season and were only 1 point behind Chelsea (the leaders). They were the league's highest scoring side as well.
Still, we managed to beat them (with a stunning performance from Fraser).
 
canadiancherry said:
You never know what can happen!
When we played Liverpool in December 2016, Liverpool had only lost 1 match all season and were only 1 point behind Chelsea (the leaders). They were the league's highest scoring side as well.
Still, we managed to beat them (with a stunning performance from Fraser).
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I have last April's match at Anfield more in mind. We could have won that. On our day, we can contain and beat top six teams. Why not Liverpool again?
 
canadiancherry said:
You never know what can happen!
When we played Liverpool in December 2016, Liverpool had only lost 1 match all season and were only 1 point behind Chelsea (the leaders). They were the league's highest scoring side as well.
Still, we managed to beat them (with a stunning performance from Fraser).
Click to expand...
Ake's goal that day cemented my allegiance as a big fan. Conte pulled him back from the loan shortly after, only to sit him on the bench. Never forgiven Conte for that one.
 
Copenhagen airport is unusually busy with football tourists today. Spot the English accent amongst the home supporters tomorrow.
 
AFCBfan said:
To be fair, he wouldn't be a Bournemouth player now if he hadn't!
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True. I do recall that we went on a real down run after that transfer window, something like 3 points in 8 games, and it seemed to be coincident to (but not only caused by) Ake's departure. Anyway, he's here now and long may that be the case.
 
LFC have drawn Roma in the CL semis : probably the draw they would have chosen, so they'll be licking their lips at the thought of another European final & trophy. Just can't be bothered with that pesky Bournemouth game now, can they ?
 
Klopp being very complimentary today:

“Again, Bournemouth - how I see it, and I don’t want to be disrespectful, but they are a ‘small’ club there in the south of England, a wonderful region, [and] they do an outstanding job.

“They’ve saved the league pretty much four or five matchdays before the end of the season [while] big, big history clubs struggle or are already in the Championship, or maybe will go there. It’s such a big achievement, really.

“Eddie Howe and his staff and the boys there, what they are doing there is unbelievable so they have all my respect and I don’t think for a second about the other games after that.

“Bournemouth, they are a football-playing side, a good counter-attacking side, fantastic squad, different options, strikers, wingers. OK, Stanislas is out, but still really good options.

“They’ve changed a lot during the year, line-up wise, so always reacted and still stayed to their style and that’s really good, I have to say.

“I know when we always talk about managers of the year, stuff like that, it’s always the guys up [at the top] and who is champion or whatever, but what Eddie Howe is doing there is outstandingly good.
 
LewSwimmin said:
Klopp being very complimentary today:

“Again, Bournemouth - how I see it, and I don’t want to be disrespectful, but they are a ‘small’ club there in the south of England, a wonderful region, [and] they do an outstanding job.

“They’ve saved the league pretty much four or five matchdays before the end of the season [while] big, big history clubs struggle or are already in the Championship, or maybe will go there. It’s such a big achievement, really.

“Eddie Howe and his staff and the boys there, what they are doing there is unbelievable so they have all my respect and I don’t think for a second about the other games after that.

“Bournemouth, they are a football-playing side, a good counter-attacking side, fantastic squad, different options, strikers, wingers. OK, Stanislas is out, but still really good options.

“They’ve changed a lot during the year, line-up wise, so always reacted and still stayed to their style and that’s really good, I have to say.

“I know when we always talk about managers of the year, stuff like that, it’s always the guys up [at the top] and who is champion or whatever, but what Eddie Howe is doing there is outstandingly good.
Click to expand...

Just watched the interview. Good interview as well. The media wanted to keep talking about the game with Roma, but Jurgen Klopp kept mentioning AFCB. In the end he talked about us and what is in the post above. Also think he will put out a strong team tomorrow, including the ‘terrible twins’, with 40 odd goals between them in the PL. If you want to watch the interview it’s on the link below.

 
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