Liverpool FC Forum

Liverpool will assess the fitness of Mario Balotelli to determine whether he'll be in contention to face Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.

The Italy striker hasn't figured since taking on Chelsea at Anfield on November 8 due to a groin injury.

However, Balotelli has resumed full training at Melwood this week and is nearing a return to action.

Brendan Rodgers told reporters in his pre-United press conference: "He's only just back into training, so it's something we'll assess.

"We've still got a bit of time, so we'll see what his fitness is like.

"He's been out for a little while now, but in the last couple of days he's looked good in training.

"We'll give him every chance to see if he can come into the squad."

Kolo Toure will also return to the fold having missed the midweek game with FC Basel due to a groin strain.

Meanwhile, Rodgers confirmed reports Adam Lallana sustained broken ribs in the recent 3-1 victory away to Leicester City - but insisted the midfielder is fit to play his part on Sunday.

The boss added: "He took a nasty injury in the game against Leicester and I didn't mention it because I wanted to protect the player and make sure he wasn't targeted in games.

"He looks fully up to speed. He's obviously had some work done since he's been here and watching him in training, he's been fine.

"He's been available, but not fully fit. He looks much, much better now."

I think this match -for us- will be all about damage limitation, they are unbeaten in 5 and we are drawing with bottom 3 teams

I think if we can get away from their without conceding a load of goals or even scrape a draw that would be a bonus

Rodgers has to get it right with team selection and formation, i think a heavy defeat here and he may be out, Stan Collymore claiming on the radio that John W henry wanted to sack him before but Ian Ayre intervened and talked him out of it - very interesting

Let's see

We will beat these on Sunday by a more convincing score line than we did last year. DiMaria is out and their defence is even worse than ours, without their keeper they'd be below us.

ycsatbjywtbiastkamb » Fri Dec 12, 2014 5:50 pm wrote:We will beat these on Sunday by a more convincing score line than we did last year. DiMaria is out and their defence is even worse than ours, without their keeper they'd be below us.

I salute you for your optimism, if you offered me a draw right now i would take it, hope your right mate

ycsatbjywtbiastkamb » Fri Dec 12, 2014 5:50 pm wrote:We will beat these on Sunday by a more convincing score line than we did last year. DiMaria is out and their defence is even worse than ours, without their keeper they'd be below us.

Depends totally on the team he selects, if he picks one resembling Tuesdays we are in trouble, I really think that he needs wholesale changes in the team and tactics, he needs to go there to win and not go for a draw with hope of nicking a win. If he makes the changes he us showing some players they are not undropable and they need to step it up and fight for a place.

                                                            Mig
              Mani.             Toure                             Lovren.            Moreno
                                                          Lucas
                                         Marko                     Sterling
                                                        Coutinho
                                        Lallana or Gerrard.       Mario

Ok it's a very attacking team but that's how we won our games last season.

Form goes out the window in these games 
The only thing we have to worry about is their frontline as they have the quality to hurt us with half a chance so we cannot give away some of the opportunities we did against basle.
Defensively they are as bad if not worse than us and their midfield is seriously lacking without di maria. The midfield is where we should control this game and keep the pressure off us.

As bad as things are we should be able to raise it against these in whats billed as one of the biggest games on the planet. If we cannot raise the performance level now then I really fear the worst.
Don't know if we will win this but we shouldn't lose it either.

ycsatbjywtbiastkamb » Fri Dec 12, 2014 5:50 pm wrote:We will beat these on Sunday by a more convincing score line than we did last year. DiMaria is out and their defence is even worse than ours, without their keeper they'd be below us.

Hmmm...send some shrooms my way mate...we are Currently one of worst performing teams in the EPL unable to create chances let alone score and you see us winning....ok I guess.

It's really not about those swines I see us losing to Whoever right now.

only me » Fri Dec 12, 2014 9:30 pm wrote:

ycsatbjywtbiastkamb » Fri Dec 12, 2014 5:50 pm wrote:We will beat these on Sunday by a more convincing score line than we did last year. DiMaria is out and their defence is even worse than ours, without their keeper they'd be below us.

Hmmm...send some shrooms my way mate...we are Currently one of worst performing teams in the EPL unable to create chances let alone score and you see us winning....ok I guess.

It's really not about those swines I see us losing to Whoever right now.

Since Lucas's introduction we haven't lost a game, we beat Stoke and Leicester then drew against Sunderland in the league and drew against Ludogrets and Basel in the CL. That fact has been lost amid all the negativity.
United are no great shakes, what we did against QPR they have been doing all season, in practically every one of their games DeGea has pulled off a string of world class saves and going the other way they have relied heavily on DiMaria for inspiration, he won't be there Sunday.
Old Trafford is a big pitch and I think our pace merchants like Sterling, Markovic and Moreno could have a field day, especially if United play with a back 3.

I wouldn't play Lucas but would put all the new lads and go for United, make or break football.

Can and Henderson in front of the defence, all guns blazing from there.

United break down defensive formations easy at home and we need a big and brave performance
and to me Rodgers has nothing to lose now and stuff sitting back.

Lets have a right go at them 

Players United will be without on Sunday - DiMaria, Shaw, Blind, Raphael, Smalling and Jones
They are missing their best attacker and 3 of their defensive stalwarts, this is one of those games where attack will be our best form of defence.

I know we had Suarez and Sturridge but Rodgers was brave when he came in and introduced real attacking football
of the like we haven't seen since the early 90s.

You can understand why he's backed off a bit but I don't think it suits him or his teams, and we loved him for his
aggressive and progressive tactics.

Personally I think he needs to get back to that and put faith in the summer buys, whoever bought them, just let them
be expressive and forget going backwards with the old guard, neutral and reverse football.

If rumours are true he's on the edge anyway and defensive football doesn't suit him and frankly we aren't good enough
at it with this team to pull up any trees, just go out swinging and have a right crack at it from now on.

Man United are at their most vulnerable when faced with a side that goes at them at head on, if you go there negative
its nailed on you lose.

ycsatbjywtbiastkamb » Fri Dec 12, 2014 10:39 pm wrote:

only me » Fri Dec 12, 2014 9:30 pm wrote:

ycsatbjywtbiastkamb » Fri Dec 12, 2014 5:50 pm wrote:We will beat these on Sunday by a more convincing score line than we did last year. DiMaria is out and their defence is even worse than ours, without their keeper they'd be below us.

Hmmm...send some shrooms my way mate...we are Currently one of worst performing teams in the EPL unable to create chances let alone score and you see us winning....ok I guess.

It's really not about those swines I see us losing to Whoever right now.

Since Lucas's introduction we haven't lost a game, we beat Stoke and Leicester then drew against Sunderland in the league and drew against Ludogrets and Basel in the CL. That fact has been lost amid all the negativity.
United are no great shakes, what we did against QPR they have been doing all season, in practically every one of their games DeGea has pulled off a string of world class saves and going the other way they have relied heavily on DiMaria for inspiration, he won't be there Sunday.
Old Trafford is a big pitch and I think our pace merchants like Sterling, Markovic and Moreno could have a field day, especially if United play with a back 3.

YAka I wish I shared your view on the way it looks but too me its a bit dishonest sorry mate. 3 draws 2 wins which share ONE huge thing which is zero ,very poor performance I'm sorry YAka but it says it all we are currently one of the poorest teams in the EPL with no direction no confidence no manager ,to say yeh MAnu are their for the taking oh well it might happen its football after all but would be considered a shocking surprise as one of thrse cup matches we see against lower league clubs. Sorry mate we need to realize our current predicament and not echo BR manipulations.

I do hear that BR clearing himself totally of any blame for the downfall of LFC and he has shifted the whole blame to the players and LFC owner just to justify he remain in control to his position which he care most about.

It is a disgrace for this arrogant idiot is be allowed to come out with such statement defending himself in a shameful manor, by saying he is not totally to be blamed, but he wants to share it with players and LFC in order to avoid the sack.
The coming future games will for sure contradict his latest absurd  statement whereas every football experts and even some of LFC players of the old blames him personally for the club downfall and the miserable season that LFC is having.
I cannot see any improvement that this idiot BR will bring to team performance whatsoever not with bizarre team selection or tactics!!!. He just ought to be sacked on spot.
Our tomorrow’s game with scum will prove difficult, and I hope for positive result.

Please just win LFC. Come on Redman.  BR must change things around. We need two up top, though if he sticks to his guns and plays one up top, two holding midfielders etc, then........................

only me

YAka I wish I shared your view on the way it looks but too me its a bit dishonest sorry mate. 3 draws 2 wins which share ONE huge thing which is zero ,very poor performance I'm sorry YAka but it says it all we are currently one of the poorest teams in the EPL with no direction no confidence no manager ,to say yeh MAnu are their for the taking oh well it might happen its football after all but would be considered a shocking surprise as one of thrse cup matches we see against lower league clubs. Sorry mate we need to realize our current predicament and not echo BR manipulations.

Well I'm sorry too mate, because there's no way I'm going to start putting the boot in on a manager who only a few months ago took us closer to the title than any other manager since 1990. I am actually embaressed that future generations of fans will be able to read threads like that 'job too big for Rodgers' one and see the so called most loyal fans in football © openly calling for the managers head only a few months after one of the most exciting seasons in our history.
That loyalty thing just like the Anfield atmosphere thing is pure myth these days, they were true once but that was back in the days before our fan base became a bunch of spoilt whiners.
In the 1950's and early 60's we had fans that stuck by this club through thick and thin, your talking about a fan base that were watching second division football, had never seen us win the FA cup and had the richest club in the land as neighbours.
But your also talking about a fan base that heard a pop song, which just happened to be one of hundreds of good songs from that era and said on masse 'that is it! That song encapsulates everything about this club and what it means to support this club'.
The song they picked wasn't about triumphalism, it wasn't about celebration, it wasn't about good times, it was about sticking with it through the bad times.
Look at Anfield these days, look at threads like that job too big for Rodgers one, just look at how far has our fan base strayed from that ethos. If someone built a time machine and transported one of those arl fella's from our second division days to these modern times he'd just take one look at the whinging going on, shake his head and say take me back.