By Jordan Carreno

Matchday 15 sees Jurgen and the Reds head down to Burnley to face off against Sean Dyche’s men at Turf Moor. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:45 PM EST on Wednesday.

Burnely v Liverpool — 12/05/2018 1945 GMT

As much as I wish I could sing “Merry Christmas Everton” until the end of the month, it is only 3 short days between matches this time. Such is the nature of the festive period that there is hardly enough time to soak up the glory of victory or stew in the misery of defeat.

A midweek game that’s been relegated to the NBC Gold platform presents all sorts of issuesfor those of us beholden to the typical American workday. However, have no fear as all three LFC Tampa Bay locations will be open, serving, and showing the match. Cook up an excuse and come on out. Now, let’s get into the talking points.

Building Momentum

As much as the festive period can be a drain on the legs, it is also a fantastic chance to build momentum for the second half of the season. With the games coming thick and fast, there is very little opportunity to do anything other than continue to show up to play on matchday. Because of that, it is essential to create and build upon as much good energy as possible from game-to-game.

Winning the derby on Sunday, and winning it in the manner that it was won, creates the perfect springboard for Liverpool to use heading into this next run of games. Snatching derby glory at the death will have instantly swept away any PSG blues and instilled a belief in the team to keep fighting until the end. In a week that will feature two tough away fixtures and a deciding Champions League game, keeping the good vibes and the self belief intact will prove vital.

It goes without saying, but the best way to ensure the mood around the club stays positive is to keep collecting 3 points. Losing immediately after a victory like Sunday’s will erase any of the morale picked up and instantly replace it with questions and doubt. With plenty of matches in this December window still to come, and with margins in the league being so slim, stumbling away to Burnley isn’t an option.

Not only will building our own momentum help this Liverpool squad’s confidence in the big games in the immediate future, it will also quash any chance of Man City to build their own. The defending champions are quite used to stringing results together, but they aren’t as experienced doing that with another team breathing down their neck. Playing so many games in rapid succession without opening a noticeable gap will surely have the current leaders feeling like they’re in quicksand. Creating a sense of panic within their dressing room, despite their record setting pace, whilst building our own momentum will heap most of the pressure onto City’s shoulders.

Test of Depth

Jurgen Klopp has decisions to make in regards to how he rotates the squad over the packed festive period

We’ve now reached the part of the season where we will find out definitively whether or not this Liverpool squad has the depth we’ve all been claiming it has. Rotating the squad during the festive period is less of an option and more of a requirement. Regardless of desire or toughness, it will be impossible for any player outside of Alisson to play in every match in December.

At the very least, we can expect to see heavy rotation in the squad following a derby that was as intense and hard fought as the one on Sunday. Firstly, both Mane and Robbo have appeared to pick up slight knocks that will keep them out for the trip to Burnley. Then there’s Bobby Firmino who looked absolutely gassed come the end of his appearance against Everton. Also, at some point, we’re going to have give players like Virgil Van Dijk and Gini Wjinaldum a rest or risk running them into the ground.

So, it is very possible we will see players like Joel Matip and Alberto Moreno who have been much maligned. There’s also an outside chance of someone like Nathaniel Clyne sneaking into the starting 11. Then there are players like Daniel Sturridge and Adam Lallana, who are class in their own right but just haven’t gotten very many opportunities to start. We will also likely see a return of players like Milner, Henderson, and Keita who have all played significant roles this season. Also, there could be an outside chance of Divock Origi resurrecting his Liverpool career following his late derby day drama.

Given the position that this Liverpool squad currently find themselves in, whoever Klopp chooses to rotate in is going to have to perform at a high level or risk throwing away the hard work of the first teamers in front of them. This isn’t a case of rotating to prioritize other competitions, but rather an all hands on deck approach to accomplishing the squad’s goals across all competitions. Because of that, it will be a real test of the Liverpool back-up’s ability to hold up their end of the bargain. However, it could also be a chance for some of these back-ups to put down a marker.

Typically English Burnley

Prepare for it now. On such short rest and going into a match against a team like Burnley, expect for this to be another game of fine margins for Liverpool. It will be dogged. It will be a grind. It will not tickle the senses. The match on Wednesday will bear more resemblance to a scrum than a display of free flowing football. This is to be expected when facing this Burnley squad.

Sean Dyche — Typically English

First there’s Sean Dyche, a man who once described his ideal Christmas present as being a pair of jeans and a shirt. The manager of Burnley currently finds himself atop of the heap of typically English managers.

Like most typically English managers, Sean Dyche’s sides pride themselves on “defensive organization” and using a target man to start attacks. In other words, Burnley are well drilled at parking the bus and hoofing it long. Though this bodes well in regards to Liverpool controlling possession, it will bring plenty of frustration in trying to break down their backline.

Next there’s Burnley’s poor run of form. They’re winless in their last 7 league matches, having last won a match in the league back in September. This is after a season where the Clarets, and Dyche, became the darlings of English football for managing to finish in 7th, essentially being crowned the best of the non top-6 teams.

Usually this type of form from the opponents might breed a sense of optimism, but given how tough it has been for Liverpool to get anything against Burnley in recent times (Ragnar Klavan winning goal comes to mind), I personally will remain cautious. Burnley are currently in the relegation zone and, even with plenty of time left in the season, must be feeling the pressure to start putting results together. Much like a dog backed into a corner, a threatened Burnley could be a dangerous one.

Between the short rest, the nature of the opponent, and the recent history in these matches, everything suggests we are in for another tightly contested affair. Of course, the longer it remains close or even, the more and more confidence Burnley will get. It could very well be a long frustrating day where Liverpool only get one chance to take the points. Following Sunday though, we know at the very least Liverpool will fight until the end.

Prediction

We’re staying in the domestic league where I’ve managed to claw my way back to even with David on 16 points. I picked up 2 points for predicting a win and a clean sheet against Everton, whilst David only picked up the 1 for predicting the victory. Title race on.

This is going to be an interesting one for the Reds. There is going to be a high volume of rotation and in the past that would have caused definite cause for concern. Now I have a lot more confidence in that depth given that a player who hasn’t played for almost 2 years has gone and scored a winner in the derby.

For me, this is a match for Keita to shine. I expect we play a 4–2–3–1 as Burnley will have no desire to bring the game to us and I think Naby will be key in breaking down their backline with his speed of play and dribbling abilities. I also wouldn’t be surprised if we get a cheeky Divock Origi sighting in place of the injured Sadio Mane. We grind it out, hold onto our butts, and make it out the other side with all three points. 2–0.

David’s Prediction: I don’t necessarily want to copy Jordan, but I can’t see this Burnley side threatening us too much if either of Joe Gomez or Virgil van Dijk plays. If it’s a Lovren-Matip partnership in the back, I have real, justified concerns. However, I don’t think this is the case and we have the ball for about 97% of the match. It is Keita’s time to shine and he will, but it’ll be in setting up the goals. Eventually Sturridge comes on and brings me one goal closer to a moment I’m not looking forward to. 3–0 to the Reds. Did I actually pick a larger margin of victory than Jordan just now? I don’t even know who we are anymore.