Paul Gorst: Nunez pays price for derby display
After a deeply disturbing derby performance from Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, the manager would be firmly within his rights to ring the changes today.
Alisson Becker keeps his place but I am picking Jarell Quansah over Ibrahima Konate with Joe Gomez stepping in for Trent-Alexander Arnold, who can be kept in reserve if needed for a creative spark.
In midfield, it’s all change. In come Wataru Endo, Harvey Elliott and Ryan Gravenberch. Elliott deserves a chance to build on his performance against Fulham and Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai both need a rest.
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Up top, Darwin Nunez pays the price for his derby showing and drops to the bench in favour of Cody Gakpo.
My team (4-3-3): Alisson; Gomez, Quansah, Van Dijk, Robertson; Endo, Elliott, Gravenberch; Salah, Gakpo, Diaz.
Theo Squires: Out of form players have to drop out
After an impressive showing against Fulham, Liverpool were horribly uninspiring in Wednesday’s Merseyside derby loss to Everton. The return of a number of out of form players to the starting XI did not help, so they now have to drop out.
Ibrahima Konate loses his place to Jarell Quansah. On recent evidence, Konate would be fortunate to regain it before the end of the season.
It’s all-change in midfield as Wataru Endo, have been bizarrely overlooked from the start in midweek, comes back in at number six. Harvey Elliott and Ryan Gravenberch can return either side of him.
New dad Cody Gakpo starts in attack in place of Darwin Nunez, who continues to look horrendously out of sorts. Luis Diaz has to go again on the left, while Mohamed Salah just about clings onto his place despite his own recent struggles.
My team (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Van Dijk, Robertson; Elliott, Endo, Gravenberch; Salah, Gakpo, Diaz.
Joe Rimmer:Change the defence with little to lose
Jurgen Klopp is faced with a difficult dilemma for the clash against West Ham.
Does he ring the changes, in what would be an appropriate response to Liverpool’s rolling over in Wednesday’s derby match? Or could too many changes result in a disjointed performance in a difficult stadium? The answer, simply, is that he has very little to lose.
It’s why I’d bring in Joe Gomez and Kostas Tsimikas at right-back and left-back for Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson. Jarell Quansah simply has to replace the out of form Ibrahima Konate.
In midfield, Wataru Endo should have started at Everton and returns, Alexis Mac Allister is pushed forward and Harvey Elliott replaces Dominik Szoboszlai on the right.
Darwin Nunez drops out of the attack to be replaced by new dad Cody Gakpo, with Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah keeping their places.
My team (4-3-3): Alisson, Gomez, Quansah, Van Dijk,Tsimikas; Endo, Elliott, Mac Allister; Salah, Gakpo, Diaz.
Ian Doyle: There will be changes after Wednesday
Only four games to go until the end of the season and how happy we will be when that actually comes around. Until then, though, there are a few assignments left for Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool manager, starting with a Premier League trip to West Ham United this afternoon. What, then, is the Reds boss to do?
There will be changes after Wednesday. And there should be lots of them, although not in goal where Alisson Becker remains the best goalkeeper not only at the club, but also in the Premier League. In defence, it’s Kostas Tsimikas in at left-back, Joe Gomez in at right-back and Jarell Quansah in at centre-back alongside skipper Virgil van Dijk.
In midfield, Wataru Endo can come in as the number six with Alexis Mac Allister moving to the left of the triumvirate and Harvey Elliott returning on the right.
And up top, Mohamed Salah can have a positional change and play down the centre with Luis Diaz on the right and Cody Gakpo back in on the left.
My team (4-3-3): Alisson; Gomez, Quansah, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Endo, Elliott, Mac Allister; Diaz, Salah, Gakpo.
