Liverpool FC Forum

[SupitsJonF]

Barce beating Man U?!

I could of read wrong but isn't Ronaldhino out for the season?  Isn't Henry playing like ?  And Messi still gone on injury?

[Reg]

I have a nasty feeling this season is just building up to a Liverpool V manc CL final.

, And I have a sneaky feeling that if it is us v the mancs in the CL final we'll keep 11 players on the field and win it. 

It won't be much good if we are then banned from Europe for 7 years though Woof! A manc final would be a nightmare, and I honestly believe there will be serious consequences if we meet them, with the mancs as usual getting away with a warning and us being banned.

Saint i couldnt agree more with you mate and thats what im dreading . Not the football match but the fans i said the same thing in another thread ages ago. There will be caos, is there a chance though that if this does happen can EUFA move it

PLUS the Russians have no experience of such a high profile occasion, international policing etc.. plus, I wouldnt be surprised if the Russian right wing skinheads will line up to contest it with whoever comes to Moscow.

I hope to god I'm wrong but...... if Athens went so badly wrong, why should Moscow be any better?

[god_bless_john_houlding]

Like it's been said lets get Arsenal over and done with before we even start thinking about the troubles of Moscow.

We still have a possible semi final to play before Moscow, so lets not get to carried away.

Tuesday night...2-0 (first and last minute)


















in moscow Liverpool 3-0 Roma

[Reg]

Skrtel or Sami?

Experience or promise, lack of pace but right position sense or young legs?

Skrtel to start,Sami on for the last 30 mins?

Could be a key decision, especially  if you play Finnan.

[redmikey]

if finnan is fit now it has to be sami and carra in the middle srktle gets draw forward too much as yet and arsenal are the worst team you can do that against as they love passing around the box

as for a manc final, it is the best of things or the very worst of thing to beat them in a mayor final or have to listen to the for years if we lose would be unbearable

[JoeTerp]

I think both crouch and torres need to start in this one. they don't have an answer for Crouchie and of course torres is undroppable in such an important game. I would go with:

                                 Reina
  Finnan         Carra                   Skrtel          Aurelio
  Pennant         Gerrard            Mascherano      Riise
                  Torres                 Crouch
Subs: Itandje, Arbeloa, Hyypia, Yossi, Babel, Alonso, Kuyt

we need a squad that is both capapble of pitching the clean sheet and scoring 2 goals.

not that I am too worried about it coming down to penalty kicks and even if it does, I have tons more faith in Reina than Arsenal supports would have in a sheet of Aluminum foil, but what would your order be to take our penalties?
Alonso
Kuyt
Gerrard
Torres
Yossi?

shame that probably two  of our coolest customers under pressure (other than stevie) are Javi and Carra, two players who probably aren't the best at picking out a spot and hitting it.

[JBG]

I think both crouch and torres need to start in this one. they don't have an answer for Crouchie and of course torres is undroppable in such an important game. I would go with:

                                 Reina
  Finnan         Carra                   Skrtel          Aurelio
  Pennant         Gerrard            Mascherano      Riise
                  Torres                 Crouch
Subs: Itandje, Arbeloa, Hyypia, Yossi, Babel, Alonso, Kuyt

we need a squad that is both capapble of pitching the clean sheet and scoring 2 goals.

not that I am too worried about it coming down to penalty kicks and even if it does, I have tons more faith in Reina than Arsenal supports would have in a sheet of Aluminum foil, but what would your order be to take our penalties?
Alonso
Kuyt
Gerrard
Torres
Yossi?

shame that probably two  of our coolest customers under pressure (other than stevie) are Javi and Carra, two players who probably aren't the best at picking out a spot and hitting it.

Enough of this Pennant selection malarky already. 

[LFC2007]

I'd go with:

Reina

Aurelio
Hyypia
Skrtel
Carragher

Riise
Alonso
Mascherano
Kuyt

Gerrard

Torres


The two defensive mid's are essential in my view - just to screen the likes of Adebayor, Hleb, V. Persie (if fit), Fabregas and Eboue/Walcott. Gerrard has to press Flamini and Fabregas more often when they drop deep to receive the ball, as we have to stop their supply. He didn't do this enough first time round IMO.

Either that or we go for the more attacking approach, Gerrard/Mascherano in the middle, Crouch/Torres up top, Kuyt on the right and take your pick on the left.

I think the first approach would be wiser as our defence isn't blessed with pace. If we go with two def midfielders, I'd expect Carra to play right back, if not and we opt for the 4-4-2, I'd expect and approve of the pacier Arbeloa to slot in.

Carragher's generally good at defending in tight spaces, he spots danger well and snuffs it out early. It's often when he gets exposed in open spaces, or in one-on-one situations against pacey and technically very astute players that he is most vulnerable.

We have to attack if the opportunity arises as we may well have to score to get through, but in Mascherano and Alonso we have the extra protection we need to cope with Arsenal. Fundamentally we need to keep it tight and attack only if permitting, e.g. our full backs shouldn't be venturing forward early in anticipation of an attack, keep it tight, keep possession, and try to get Gerrard within shooting range. Torres will be looking to get in behind and at some point so I'd expect him to get a chance given his record at Anfield.

[JoeTerp]

I think both crouch and torres need to start in this one. they don't have an answer for Crouchie and of course torres is undroppable in such an important game. I would go with:

                                 Reina
  Finnan         Carra                   Skrtel          Aurelio
  Pennant         Gerrard            Mascherano      Riise
                  Torres                 Crouch
Subs: Itandje, Arbeloa, Hyypia, Yossi, Babel, Alonso, Kuyt

we need a squad that is both capapble of pitching the clean sheet and scoring 2 goals.

not that I am too worried about it coming down to penalty kicks and even if it does, I have tons more faith in Reina than Arsenal supports would have in a sheet of Aluminum foil, but what would your order be to take our penalties?
Alonso
Kuyt
Gerrard
Torres
Yossi?

shame that probably two  of our coolest customers under pressure (other than stevie) are Javi and Carra, two players who probably aren't the best at picking out a spot and hitting it.

Enough of this Pennant selection malarky already. 

I could settle for Gerrard on the right and Alonso (or Plessis    ) in the middle with Javi.

[azhan00]

i think they will be only 1 change from last wednesday match

finnan for skrtel.....

[JoeTerp]

when you think about it though, that would really be 2 changes, 1 at RB and 1 at CB

[The_Rock]

Although i prefer to start with crouch and torres combo (4-4-2)...with gerrard on the right and alonso and mascherano in the middile....... rafa will play his 4-3-2-1. 

Can't blame him though as this formation will stiffle all the flair and creativity of the arsenal midfield.....

As for prediction, i don't think it will be easy to beat arsenal now that they are almost out of the title race. And with the way they play, they are more suited to away matches.

So I would be happy with a goaless draw....

But i can see us going out to arsenal if the players don't give their 100%....hope thats not the case.

[Espionage]

I really liked the response that Rafa made on .tv when asked about the possibility of 0-0 and whether he was going to play for it.

"I dont know how to prepare my team for 0-0", how the hell are you supposed to just sit back and absorb Arsenal pressure for 90 minutes? 

We are going to go out hard like we have in the past at these Anfield ties, we always look best in the first 20 minutes I have found.  I just hope that we get that early goal, if we do then I have no problem trying to hold out for 1-0 and only playing on the counter, but we must get that first goal.

I am so excited about this game, thinking about it all day...

[bunglemark2]

Whoever plays at CB, RB or LB, I couldn't care less. What I do care about is whether - and hopefully, WHEN ! - Rafa sorts out this marking to defend from set pieces. I don't know how many games of late I've seen where the opposition has sauntered into the box and been given a free header on goal. And worst case, they score from them.
Bendtner, Toure, Adebayor etc. seem to latch onto crosses for fun and we can't deal with it.
I was watching Premiership highlights at the weekend and Ronnie Whelan has been saying the same thing for weeks on end: when is Rafa going to ditch this zonal marking cack and counter properly ?
I can't help but think that if Arsenal get one or two chances to swing in a half-decent cross into the box, it's gonna cause us major grief and we plainly are not dealing with them the right way.

[bigmick]

The danger is if they score first, we could be in real trouble then (stating the obvious I know). While we are able to sit in and hit them on the counter I'd fancy us all day long, but if they score first and we've got to chase it I wouldn't fancy uis at all. as for the team, I'd be absolutely amazed, staggered and discombobulated (whatever the feck that means) if Rafa doesn't stick with the 4-5-1 and Torres up top. I know we all love Crouch and think he'd cause them problems, but there's no way in this World I'd play 4-4-2 in the second leg against these lot when you've gone away and got a 1-1. Honestly, i think there's absolutely no chance at all rafa will do it, and I don't blame him either.

I think he'll start with exactly the same team which started at the Emirates in the first leg. I think, after for once guessing the score right in the first leg, I'm gonna stay with my plan and go for a 1-1 with heroics from reina getting us through in a shoot out.