Liverpool have a big job on their hands to make it beyond the Europa League quarter-finals.
Having been hammered 3-0 by Atalanta on Thursday, the Reds need to go to Italy and score at least three without reply next week.
As we saw at Anfield, Atalanta are a good side. That isn’t going to be easy. And with a Premier League title race to contend with either side of the return leg, Jamie Carragher already urged Jurgen Klopp to field a weakened side in Bergamo.
Liverpool face Crystal Palace tomorrow and need to shake any lingering issues out of their systems before that game gets underway.
The other side of Thursday’s game, Klopp takes his team to Craven Cottage to take on Fulham on Sunday. And speaking again today, Carragher has once again declared that the Liverpool manager simply has to prioritise the title run-in
Carragher gives Klopp team advice
Some will heartily agree with Carragher’s opinion that Liverpool should virtually give up the ghost next Thursday. Klopp certainly has a balancing act on his hands.
However, it should be remembered that the Reds have players coming back from injury and have a pretty decent squad as a result. Rotation doesn’t mean a massive drop-off in quality.
And when asked to clarify his comments by the Blood Red: Liverpool FC YouTube channel today, Carragher admitted that the returning players were those he had in mind to start.
“I wouldn’t say second-string, I’m not talking about the kids,” said the Liverpool legend. “I’m talking like, give Trent a game, give Jota a game, Curtis Jones. Maybe the goalkeeper plays.
“I just think when you’ve got to play four away games in ten days, which Liverpool have to do. Playing Thursday away in Europe then go to Fulham on the Sunday, I just think playing your best team and giving it absolutely everything, which might not be enough because it’s going to be tough.
“Then going to Fulham and you’re not at your best, it doesn’t go well for you at Fulham, then you’re falling behind in the title race. The title is so much bigger than Europa League.”
Predicting Liverpool’s team vs Atalanta
In fairness, a lot of what Carragher is saying makes a lot of sense. Liverpool should use Thursday’s game as a means in which to get the likes of Trent, Jota, Jones and even Alisson Becker up to match speed.
On their day, all four of those players can get into the Reds best eleven. So, it isn’t necessarily a drop off at all. Go out there and give it everything and if you get through, amazing. If not, you’ve got minutes in legs and rested some others for the final six games.
In terms of the other spots in the team, we wouldn’t actually be adverse to giving someone like Jayden Danns a go.
Yes, he’s a youngster and it might be seen as waving the white flag. But Danns is offering more than any of Liverpool’s senior forwards right now. Stick him in with some seniors, some other keen youngsters and tell them to go and play their hearts out. You never know.