The more I see from Rodgers the more I like him.
He’s defended Efe Ambrose in public, which is absolutely the right thing to do, but he’s left him out of tonight’s crucial game entirely, which is also absolutely the right thing to do. This guy isn’t going to repeat the mistakes of his predecessors.
Tonight’s team also goes with one man up front; I’m disappointed in that but only to a certain extent. It get what he’s doing. The one thing that sticks in the craw – somewhat – is to see my namesake in the team. He owes us. He owes us big time. If there was ever a night for proving he deserves to stay at our club this is it. Time to deliver.
Brown, McGregor and Armstrong will fill the midfield roles. Forrest will be on one wing and the majestic Patrick Roberts will be on the other.
There is no place in the starting eleven for Kolo Toure. That’s not surprising either. O’Connell and Lustig will partner at central defence. Janko will play on the right and Kieran will play on the left, as per. The emphasis will be on getting forward.
I’m not as nervous this week as I was last, but that doesn’t mean there’s not a little tension before this game. But the team has been set up to do a certain job, and I expect us to get that job done tonight with room to spare.
The starting eleven is as follows;Â Gordon, Janko, Lustig, O’Connell, Tierney, McGregor, Brown, Armstrong, Roberts, Griffiths, Forrest.
The subs bench is; Fasan, Toure, Izaguirre, Ciftci, Dembele, Rogic, Johansen