Liverpool FC Forum

[aCe']

Well.. id play this lineup if Gerrard and Torres arent playing..

                                     Reina

Arbeloa          Carragher            Skrtel          Aurelio


Pennant          Xabi               Mascherano      Riera(Babel)

                                           Kuyt
                             Keane         

I think this is our best lineup except id have Gerrard in for Pennant and Torres in for Kuyt if they are ready.
Selling Finnan was a big mistake imo and i think that Arbeloa is actually the best left back we have in our squad now. Been watching some of our games from last season when Arbeloa was playing left back and i have to say hespretty impressive playing there. His runs down the left are much better than his runs down the right and while hes right footed i really think that hes way more dangerous going forward down the left than he is down the right.

Anyways i think that Pennant has to be played more often especially since hes the only player (besides gerrard)  who can actually take the ball forward from our own half and run it upfield without having to go through 50 uncalled for passes like we seem to do. Our movement without the ball is awful and until we can somehow overcome that i think that we'r stuck with playing dull defensive football and grinding results against any side we play.

[Sabre]

When we discuss match threads, you mates always put an starting eleven.

But imagine you're Rafa and you're in the dressroom and you're telling the lads how to face the game. Would you tell them to attack and put them on siege from minute one? would you tell them it's just another game and just do what he have been training? what would be the last words you'd tell the lads before coming off to the pitch?

[account deleted by request]

Don't come back if you lose

[heimdall]

When we discuss match threads, you mates always put an starting eleven.

But imagine you're Rafa and you're in the dressroom and you're telling the lads how to face the game. Would you tell them to attack and put them on siege from minute one? would you tell them it's just another game and just do what he have been training? what would be the last words you'd tell the lads before coming off to the pitch?

Oh God I just tried to put myself in Rafa's head, it was a terrifying place full of many many options, most of them wrong 
Just kidding I would probably say be cautious considering how we've started the season and then see what happens as the match progresses.

[aCe']

i think the key could quite well be not conceding . Then see if we can score a goal late on or get lucky with a setpiece or long shot or a Kuyt goal..etc etc
Keep it tight, break fast, and midfielders should press higher up especially mascherano and our right midfielder whoever it is to try and pin back Evra. Looking at their side without Ronaldo and with the likes of Nani and Fletcher down the sides i think that we can dominate possesion if we can just press scholes (best central midfielder in the world imo) and not give him enough space and time when on the ball. Id like to see fast transition from defense to attack but again our movement off the ball with Torres out of the side seems rather nonexistent which is always a worry. Anyways end of the day its 3 points there for the taking since we'r playing at home and the way i see it ManUtd should be the side defending and not us but hey... thats Rafa for you.

[Sabre]

I'd tell the lads to play with a cool head more than heart. For me mind states are as important if not more as team selections. IMHO we have a great chance to beat Manchester United this time. Why? because they're a winning club. And a winning club with 4 points out of 9, will have anxiety, and we have to take advantage of that anxiety. I expect them to come to Anfield and try to win, and I expect we fúck them with quick transitions like Ace' asks. It's a big opportunity, and I think it would set the correct mind state for the following weeks.

P.S. Ooops, it's 4 points out of 6. Cráp, I have anxiety to see them failing. Anyway I think they will feel a bit anxious because of the not convincing first game and the Zenit game, they will feel like showing they're not in a crisis.

[JC_81]

I'd tell the lads to play with a cool head more than heart. For me mind states are as important if not more as team selections. IMHO we have a great chance to beat Manchester United this time. Why? because they're a winning club. And a winning club with 4 points out of 9, will have anxiety, and we have to take advantage of that anxiety. I expect them to come to Anfield and try to win, and I expect we fúck them with quick transitions like Ace' asks. It's a big opportunity, and I think it would set the correct mind state for the following weeks.

Think they have 4 points out of 6 Sabre - didn't they miss a game to lose the super cup.  They win their game in hand and they're no worse off than us.

Without Torres and Gerrard a draw is a respectable result for us in this game, although you'd hope we would at least play for the win.  If we just try and shut up shop for the draw they'll eventually break us down and win.  We have to be positive.

I find choosing formations and players increasingly pointless as Benitez is so unpredictable, but here would be my choice if Torres and Gerrard are out:

                                 Reina

Arbeloa          Carragher       Skrtel         Dossena

Kuyt             Mascherano    Alonso          Babel

                              Benayoun

                                Keane

Benayoun never gets a chance in his best position, so with Gerrard and Torres out, I'd stick him in 'between the lines'.  Babel has to play because again, without our best two players we lack pace.  This is a big chance for Keane to take on some responsibility and show what he can do.

[Rush Job]

I just hope it doesnt look like men agaist boys like it normally does.
We need to come out like we want to be challenging them and that we expect to be there or there abouts come may.
In a boxing match the challenger knows to beat the champ (or get the desision) he not only has to be better than, he has to be much better than from start to finish, same applys here.
We need to come out like we not only want to win but we believe we can, and go for it, show the fans you deserve to wear the shirt or fk off, ive had enough of them coming to us and looking like their at home, in many ways for me the performance here is more important than the result because this last few years we`ve lost the game before we have set foot on the park.

[tubby]

We are weaker this time compared to the last time we played them at home. No Torres, a half fit Gerrard and a Robbie Keane still trying to get a goal doesnt bode well. Not to mention we are yet to put in a good performance yet this season. I know they always say we perform in the big games but that doesnt seem to happen with Man Utd. They may not have Ronaldo and Rooney may not be at his best but they still have Tevez and im sure Berbatov will be well up for it.

My prediction 2-1 to them.

[bigmick]

I just hope it doesnt look like men agaist boys like it normally does.

This bit of your post made me sit up Rushie, because I agreed with it. I said the same thing last season, after we got done 1-0 the consensus was we had "battered" them, but I just couldn't see it. We huffed and puffed and ran around a bit, but they always looked to have our measure from what I could see. Men against boys was how I described it at the time, and I remain convinced it was.

This seasons game is slightly different to the usual in that a draw wouldn't be a disaster for us, whereas they could probably do with winning it. I don't know whether Chelsea and Arsenal play before us or not, but if they do it'll be one of the few times I'll be cheering them on. I have a little feeling that were they go to ten points after three and nine respectively, it'll just put that wee bit more pressure on the Mancs. I'm not saying we should play for a draw by any means, but a little bit of seeing how the game pans out wouldn't be the most stupid thing to do IMHO. Scoring the first goal for a change against them wouldn't go amiss either.

[ruskiy playmaker]

We are weaker this time compared to the last time we played them at home. No Torres, a half fit Gerrard and a Robbie Keane still trying to get a goal doesnt bode well. Not to mention we are yet to put in a good performance yet this season. I know they always say we perform in the big games but that doesnt seem to happen with Man Utd. They may not have Ronaldo and Rooney may not be at his best but they still have Tevez and im sure Berbatov will be well up for it.

My prediction 2-1 to them.

Yeah, but Keane's got that August jinx and he has a good scoring record against MANURE.  Who knows, maybe this will be the game where he actually proves himself.

[aCe']

I'd tell the lads to play with a cool head more than heart. For me mind states are as important if not more as team selections. IMHO we have a great chance to beat Manchester United this time. Why? because they're a winning club. And a winning club with 4 points out of 9, will have anxiety, and we have to take advantage of that anxiety. I expect them to come to Anfield and try to win, and I expect we fúck them with quick transitions like Ace' asks. It's a big opportunity, and I think it would set the correct mind state for the following weeks.

Think they have 4 points out of 6 Sabre - didn't they miss a game to lose the super cup.  They win their game in hand and they're no worse off than us.

Without Torres and Gerrard a draw is a respectable result for us in this game, although you'd hope we would at least play for the win.  If we just try and shut up shop for the draw they'll eventually break us down and win.  We have to be positive.

I find choosing formations and players increasingly pointless as Benitez is so unpredictable, but here would be my choice if Torres and Gerrard are out:

                                 Reina

Arbeloa          Carragher       Skrtel         Dossena

Kuyt             Mascherano    Alonso          Babel

                              Benayoun

                                Keane

Benayoun never gets a chance in his best position, so with Gerrard and Torres out, I'd stick him in 'between the lines'.  Babel has to play because again, without our best two players we lack pace.  This is a big chance for Keane to take on some responsibility and show what he can do.

I think the formation u put is very defensive and narrow and lacking in creativity... (believe it or not changing one or two players around changes the entire shape of our team imo)
Benayoun is going to run around like a headless chicken against ManUtd if he plays in that deep role.. and we'll all be calling for Benitiez to take him off 15 mins into the game..
I think we need to go simple with a 4-4-2... everyone knowing their zones and where they should be covering... try to keep it tight and simple... maybe push them if we'r not under pressure.. no funny stuff and lets please for the love of god not try funny things like Ngog upfront alone or Lucas playing wide right !

[Reg]

I'll go with John Craigs line up.

I'd tell them to survive the first 20 mins then start to dominate midfield, play Keane up front in the  same role as Torres and invite Masher and Alonso to show us why they are the best midfielders in the club.

All to play for but we have to survive the first 20 minutes.

NOTE: If Stevie has a groin injury he cant play. He might be able to hobble around but can he swing his leg to pass or shoot? It would do far worse damage - rest him and at worst we only lose 3 points.

[red_guy]

When we discuss match threads, you mates always put an starting eleven.

But imagine you're Rafa and you're in the dressroom and you're telling the lads how to face the game. Would you tell them to attack and put them on siege from minute one? would you tell them it's just another game and just do what he have been training? what would be the last words you'd tell the lads before coming off to the pitch?

Kick those Diablos Locos in the nuts!!!

[Rush Job]

When we discuss match threads, you mates always put an starting eleven.

But imagine you're Rafa and you're in the dressroom and you're telling the lads how to face the game. Would you tell them to attack and put them on siege from minute one? would you tell them it's just another game and just do what he have been training? what would be the last words you'd tell the lads before coming off to the pitch?

Kick those Diablos Locos in the nuts!!!

What he said.