Liverpool FC Forum

[anfieldadorer]

i hope alonso to play fit

[JBG]

Yes, Liverpool have just announced that Gerrard will not travel.

Its a big ask for Xabi to play the full 90 minutes as Benitez said on Saturday that he has 45 minutes in him this week but not a whole lot more.

John Welsh and Igor Biscan hardly inspire confidence for this kind of match, do they?

Regardless of who is picked I think they'll put in a good show and if they scrape through it will be one of the performances of the season.

Even if they lose we should all be very proud of them, as not many predicted that Liverpool would make the QF this year.

Still, injuries have been an absolute joke this season. We are hard pressed for players as it is and then our best player is ruled out of such an important match. Methinks David Moyes and Alex Ferguson have got voodoo dolls somewhere.

[anfieldadorer]

Alex Ferguson have got voodoo dolls somewhere.

with courtesy of voodofone

[Leonmc0708]

Regardless of who is picked I think they'll put in a good show and if they scrape through it will be one of the performances of the season.

Even if they lose we should all be very proud of them, as not many predicted that Liverpool would make the QF this year.

Jesus lad, that is not the Liverpool way.

We are Liverpool FC, and are bigger than any one player.

Our performances this season without Stevie have shown the show still goes on regardless.

We are in front at this moment in time in the tie, and it is Juventus who needs to score a goal, not us.

We shall not, we shall not be moved...............

[The_Rock]

It would be hard....but i think.....no i know baros will play the game of his life to lead the attack and get us into the semis.

Wouldn't play alonso, as he is just back from an injury and this is not the match for him to get back his match fitness.

My formation :


                  Carson
Finnan  Carra  Hyppia  Traore
Garcia   Warnock  Biscan  Riise
                 La Tellac
                    Baros

ie.....Warnock & Biscan to destroy the juventus midfield

[MilitiaRusher]

Carson
Finnan Hyypia Carragher Traore Warnock
  Garcia  Xabi/Welsh  Biscan  Riise
                      Baros

541 formation, pack the defense.

[JC_81]

Unfortunately I think we will need to push Carra into midfield for this one

                            Carson

Finnan        Hyypia        Traore         Warnock

Nunez      Carragher      Biscan        Riise

                        Garcia

                        Baros

[Ciggy]

Unfortunately I think we will need to push Carra into midfield for this one

     

      Carra in midfield, your jokin right?

[A.B.]

Well he has played therefore CGGYA however I doubt that Rafa will play him there.

Possible team-selection:

.                     Carson

Finnan      Carragher     Hyypia     Traore

                      Alonso

Luis Garcia        Biscan         Riise

             Le Tallec         Baros

[JBG]

Regardless of who is picked I think they'll put in a good show and if they scrape through it will be one of the performances of the season.

Even if they lose we should all be very proud of them, as not many predicted that Liverpool would make the QF this year.

Jesus lad, that is not the Liverpool way.

We are Liverpool FC, and are bigger than any one player.

Our performances this season without Stevie have shown the show still goes on regardless.

We are in front at this moment in time in the tie, and it is Juventus who needs to score a goal, not us.

We shall not, we shall not be moved...............

Don't get me wrong, I think we can give it a real go but Juventus away is one of the hardest ties you can get and we could have done without the losses for this one.

Hopefully Xabi is a lot fitter than I expect but I'm not sure whether he can last the full ninety for this one.

[A.B.]

Don't get me wrong, I think we can give it a real go but Juventus away is one of the hardest ties you can get and we could have done without the losses for this one

To be the best in Europe you have to beat the best. League form is irrevelant when it comes to the Champions League. Real Madrid won the Champions League in 2002 but finished 5th in La Liga.

[JC_81]

Unfortunately I think we will need to push Carra into midfield for this one

     

      Carra in midfield, your jokin right?

I seriously don't see another option and I think Rafa will play Carra in midfield.  Do you not remember that that was his position when he first broke into the Liverpool side?

I know central defence is his best position but what else can we do?  Doubt Alonso will be risked from the start, no way can he be match fit.  Welsh won't be thrown in away to Juve, no way.  Smicer and Garcia are too lightweight for centre mid.  That leaves us with Biscan and ... Carragher?  Don't see who else.

For those of you who think alonso will start i reckon it is wishful thinking

[JBG]

I'm not so sure about that AB. While you are correct that Madrid won the CL in 2002 and yet had a poor domestic season, by and large those teams that get to the later stages of the CL do well at home as well.

If there is a comparison to be made at all it would be to Leeds in 2002, who had a great season in the CL but finished badly at home.

Its true that we did well without Gerrard earlier this season it must be remembered that he has Hamman and a fully fit Alonso to replace him. I think we've had a great CL campaign and I think we'll give it a go but getting past Juventus will be a tall order, and losing Gerrard at this late stage makes it even harder.

[A.B.]

I'm not so sure about that AB. While you are correct that Madrid won the CL in 2002 and yet had a poor domestic season, by and large those teams that get to the later stages of the CL do well at home as well.

If there is a comparison to be made at all it would be to Leeds in 2002, who had a great season in the CL but finished badly at home.

Its true that we did well without Gerrard earlier this season it must be remembered that he has Hamman and a fully fit Alonso to replace him. I think we've had a great CL campaign and I think we'll give it a go but getting past Juventus will be a tall order, and losing Gerrard at this late stage makes it even harder.

I understand what you're getting at, it was never going to be easy and injuries aren't making things better for us. This will test our character to the limit, how bad do we want to stay in Europe this year? All players dream of playing in the Champions League, well now they have gotten that chance. One spark of magic can change everything, whoever wants to go on more will win and I think our players are desperate for some kind of respect,recognition and by going further they can get that.

The problem does not lie in Europe it lies in the Premiership where we're so unpredictable you never know what you're going to get.

We need to learn something from this experiences, both in Europe and in the Premiership.

Nobody expect Monaco and Porto to make it to the finals, and nobody expects us either and that should drive us to go on as far as we can, to our absolute limits.

Considering that almost every single football fan thought that we would get walked over by Juventus at home made the victory even sweeter. Right now the underdog tag suits us very much.

Perhaps Gerrard being injured is some kind of gift in disguise. If you're the opposition and see a key-player missing such as Gerrard more than likely you're going to understimate your opponent. Juventus already think they're through for the most part because they've won so many games 1-0 at home.

Well we will see who goes on and who doesn't, I just got that gut feeling in my stomach that gives me a lot of hope. Blind faith? Probably.

[the great one]

I'd like to see this team


                     Carson

Finnan        Hyypia        Carragher        Warnock

Nunez      Alonso             Welsh          Riise

                       Garcia

                  Baros