KopTalk.com Forums Football Liverpool FC Forum Shrewsbury v Liverpool

First teamers need both a physical and mental break, so for sure Bobby wont play, not even Milner and Ox, maybe Origi and Lallana, though looks like Klopp doesn't want them to play neither, a holiday is a holiday and they have already booked their flights and hotel

Klopp is absolutely spot on with this. A holiday is a holiday. All senior players should get it and this could well include Jones, Williams, Minamino and Elliott. Perhaps there are a few like Shaqiri, Keita, Lallana, Origi, Matip, Milner, Fabinho, Lovren (ok perhaps not Lovren) who WANT to play in this replay for their own match fitness.

But Klopp is right about having a break. It was put into the calendar by the FA and all clubs were asked to observe it and not arrange other games etc.

Having built that in why on earth did they not scrap the replays for 4th round games? There won't be any replays for the 5th round ties which for the first time are being played in midweek.

So in actual fact there is not really a week off as such because for teams in the 5th round of the cup they will be playing every weekend in the PL. That game being midweek is just shoehorned into the schedule.

Replays from 5th round onwards have been scrapped because there is probably an agreement with UEFA that no other high level competitions should take place in a midweek where there are CL and Europa league ties being played. This was certainly the case a few years ago and I seem to remember we played a local derby in the PL on a Monday night and the PL had to get permission to have that game played as there were UEFA competition games on the following 3 nights.

What Klopp is doing is taking a stand against the English footballing governing bodies as they were not much help when we were trying to stay in the Carabao Cup and play in the World Club Cup. He has said he won't even be at the game. Again the FA are the ones fully responsible for this and it was all totally avoidable.

I hope that there are a few more clubs who will follow his lead. If they don't they won't have much of a leg to stand on when it comes to complaining about fixture pile ups during Christmas and New Year and the weeks that follow.

The Football League devalued their competition by not allowing us to play on another date. The FA have done the same now. Of course the eventual winners (could still be us) won't worry about how they came to win it but it really needs other clubs to follow us (even those outside of the PL) if clubs are going to be taken seriously.

The FA and Football League took a gamble that we would not get so far in the Carabao Cup. The FA took a risk that so many 4th round games would go to replays.

It really is shoddy planning at best. At worst it is blatantly careless.

I know a lot of people would not agree with what Klopp is doing but if you want us to win the PL and smash a few records along the way something has to give. We cannot have it all.

Yeah I'm not up to speed on this holiday. It does beg the question why the replays were scheduled for that week?

In that case I agree with players like Bobby and Ox staying away, but I still hope we play a semi-decent team, maybe give a few fringe players a chance. Players want to play. It's still a nice competition to win so I hope we don't throw away the chance being stubborn.

But who would manage them, Klopp is off on holidays and probably his staff

Chelsea away if we get through. Don't think Klopp would put a real team out for that game anyway.

Neil Critchley is taking charge of the team, sounds like Klopp has decided no first team squad members will take part, so that includes the likes of Jones/Adrian/Shaq/Lovren/Lallana etc.

I get the point Klopp is trying to make about resting the first team, by all means rest Bobby/Hendo/Salah/Robbo/TAA/VvD/Allison etc, but players like Shaq/Lovren/Keita/Lallana/Jones who need competitive games to get sharp/remain sharp, these are mainly playing squad games/training, but that is not as good as a competitive game to get match fit, look at Lovren, he's been back from injury around 6 weeks, so has trained allot and he looked off the pace for the match yesterday. Surely the fringe squad players who have been injured and not played much this season could play, they don't really need resting like the first team regulars?

Also, we have a great lead in the PL, if we maintain any real form we will win it, probably with a significant amount of games left, we have the CL in a few weeks, Athletico is a really difficult draw, it would not be a massive shock if they knocked us out, come the start of March we could just be in the PL, it would be a real shame to have not bothered with the FA Cup and been knocked out by playing the U23's when we have players who want to and could play.

I understand where Klopp is coming from, but You also need to take into consideration:

1) What replays in general mean to clubs like Shrewsbury. This game at Anfield will pay for an upgraded draining system for their pitch I heard. Isn't that something good for football?

2) How Adrián must feel about this decision. Probably played his last game for this season yesterday. Would it have been so bad to ask/pick 3-4 senior players (like Adrián, Lovren, Matip, Shaq, Lallana, Keita just to name a few) to accompany 14-15 youngsters and have a real go at Anfield?

Isn't it a sad indictment of the FA that lower league sides have to rely upon what is in effect a lottery, with an FA Cup draw against a big club to pay for training grounds/stadium improvements, with all the money from the deals for TV/Sponsors etc, clubs should not have to rely on that to run.

The money from the deals for TV/sponsors etc doesn't go to the FA but the EPL which is then distributed to the clubs in huge chunks, this is why the EPL clubs are among the richest. This could be changed but the the EPL clubs would get less money and wont be happy as they will not be able to compete against the likes of Real and Barca.

Well the same could be said about any money stream coming over any club then.

What about our CL run the last 2 years. Hasn't that helped our club to pay for the revamped main stand?

Also, in the next round of the FA Cup, Shrewsbury will face Chelsea - if they manage to win against our junior team.

What about that lottery win?