Liverpool FC Forum

[account deleted by request]

I hope he sticks with the same team, but I could understand the temptation to bring Masch in to prevent Elano from playing.

I am concerned about our full backs for this one. It will be the first time this season that we will have faced wingers with real pace (Petrov played for 20 mins tonight) and Wright Phillips. I think the way to beat Citeh is to pressurise them when they have the ball and hit them down the flancswhen we have it.

If that's the case s@int - maybe an arguemnet for Masch/Xabi in the middle and SG on the right?

That would be a solid midfield.

I agree and that would be my prefered answer mate , I just don't think Rafa is ready to go down that route........ yet.

I think its just a matter of time before we see that formation, but it may take a bad result or an injury before we do.

[LegBarnes]

Regarding team selection:

Will Rafa play Xabi or Masch in the middle with SG?- that's the question as far as I can see.

Masch and Gerrard for me as Masch has that bit more pace to deal with counter attack.

I don't feel passing will be that important in this game we will need more pace so tbh I have babel in for kuyt too but apart from that no changes needed.

[LegBarnes]

I hope he sticks with the same team, but I could understand the temptation to bring Masch in to prevent Elano from playing.

I am concerned about our full backs for this one. It will be the first time this season that we will have faced wingers with real pace (Petrov played for 20 mins tonight) and Wright Phillips. I think the way to beat Citeh is to pressurise them when they have the ball and hit them down the flancswhen we have it.

If that's the case s@int - maybe an arguemnet for Masch/Xabi in the middle and SG on the right?

That would be a solid midfield.

I agree and that would be my prefered answer mate , I just don't think Rafa is ready to go down that route........ yet.

I think its just a matter of time before we see that formation, but it may take a bad result or an injury before we do.

I also liek this idea and I can't see gerrard moaning as long as he still gets games in middle of park.

Lets face it gerrard is a very tallented player in so many areas of the pitch he would have to be one stupid player not to think he can't help the team on the right side of midfield. 

But yeh This team would be class

              Riena
Arba    skrtel  carra   Aurelio
        Mash   alonso
Gerrard               Riera
          Keane
                Torres

IF he played that I am sure we would win 2-0.

Also you could bring babel on at 60 mins and drop gerrard in center.That way Gerrard gets some time in middle some on wing to keep him happy. : D

[Number 9]

Regarding team selection:

Will Rafa play Xabi or Masch in the middle with SG?- that's the question as far as I can see.

Masch and Gerrard for me as Masch has that bit more pace to deal with counter attack.

I don't feel passing will be that important in this game we will need more pace so tbh I have babel in for kuyt too but apart from that no changes needed.

I agree..we wont need to pass and move the ball so much... away at City!

How do we need pace?Are you saying that because they have pace we need pace to counter act it?
I dont agree,i think if we get right into them and give them no space from the whistle we can stop them playing and put our game on them!
Another controlled  LFC display with a bit of sense and we can roll over them!!
They are fu'ck all special!

[LegBarnes]

Regarding team selection:

Will Rafa play Xabi or Masch in the middle with SG?- that's the question as far as I can see.

Masch and Gerrard for me as Masch has that bit more pace to deal with counter attack.

I don't feel passing will be that important in this game we will need more pace so tbh I have babel in for kuyt too but apart from that no changes needed.

I agree..we wont need to pass and move the ball so much... away at City!

How do we need pace?Are you saying that because they have pace we need pace to counter act it?
I dont agree,i think if we get right into them and give them no space from the whistle we can stop them playing and put our game on them!
Another controlled  LFC display with a bit of sense and we can roll over them!!
They are fu'ck all special!

Well pace for defensive work yes but also there defensive is weak to pace and if will can bomb it down the wings I feel we get alot of joy.

I say of course less need for passing I don't meen long ball but I feel they have a few lets say lazy players who won't track back so the passing won;t need to be as good.

Also to note when they are defending really deep when we gain the ball they will got o 2 banks of 4 this is where pace kills down the wing get crosses in and hope we can win the 2nd ball. 

[bigmick]

I think he'll keep the same team save for perhaps one change (and my money's on Dossena back in for Aurelio). I wouldn't needless to say, because of rotational considerations and because I think Aurelio is a better player.

I've actually got a feeling that this is the game where we'll really announce the fact that we mean business this season. I fancy us strong, as despite our good start results wise we've been playing sh!t but are just starting to come into form. I take the non rotation to begin to kick in now, I fancy us to win 2 or 3 nil. This will be the game where everyone sits up and says, "feck me they are going to be contenders this year". If we carry on selcting the team sensibly they're right, we are.

[Rush Job]

I think he'll keep the same team save for perhaps one change (and my money's on Dossena back in for Aurelio). I wouldn't needless to say, because of rotational considerations and because I think Aurelio is a better player.

I've actually got a feeling that this is the game where we'll really announce the fact that we mean business this season. I fancy us strong, as despite our good start results wise we've been playing sh!t but are just starting to come into form. I take the non rotation to begin to kick in now, I fancy us to win 2 or 3 nil. This will be the game where everyone sits up and says, "feck me they are going to be contenders this year". If we carry on selcting the team sensibly they're right, we are.

Yer and i reckon Masch will be back in as well, 2 changes sounds about right.
Go on Rafa, Masch and Alonso in the middle, Gerrard down the right, you know you want too.

[Bam]

I'd keep the same team, that won against PSV.

Although I dont really rate Aurelio and Kuyt for different reasons I'd stick with them both also. Reason being I think Dossena who I'm hoping will eventually come good  does look a little shakey at the back and with SWP or whoever running at him he could be in for a torrid afternoon. Simply Dossena doesnt look settled yet to me, but I would of started him against PSV and I'd consider playing him in most of the home games where teams look to park the 'bus' infront of goal. From what I've see of him, he looks much better, quicker and more willing to get forward and impose himself in the final third helping Rieira out than Aurelio does IMO. I dont think the little Brazillian is that great either though and he still could have his own 'torrid' time come Sunday, but does look slightly more composed at the back than Dossena.

I wouldnt have Kuyt out wide neither, but TBH we dont have anyone else. His work rate will probably be as much needed as Rieiras technical ability on the left. Kuyt will provide good cover for Arbeloa and energy to the midfield. Hopefully he'll carry on making space for the likes of Gerrard, Torres and Keane to exploit, most of his good work is done without the ball.

1-0 to the Reds

[LFC Uber Elite Super Member]

3-1 Keane to bag a brace

[desmdlow]

I would prefer only 1 change. bring in mash for xabi.. Mash pace will be critical to counter robinho and swp pace. Gerard will once again put in a discipline midfield general role and control the game.. my take we will win 3-1. goals from riera, torres and babel (sub).

[skatesy]

I fully believe that Alonso has been playing very well for us, however I do think we should bring in Mascherano to boss around that Robinho - Jo - SWP little trio...not that he would be doing it on his own, but I think he needs to spearhead that breakup.

[Owzat]

I fully believe that Alonso has been playing very well for us, however I do think we should bring in Mascherano to boss around that Robinho - Jo - SWP little trio...not that he would be doing it on his own, but I think he needs to spearhead that breakup.

Could well be a call to have Mascherano in the side like you say. I reckon it might be wise to revert to Torres on his own up front, don't get me wrong I want us to be positive and go for the three points, but we do need to negate their obvious attacking threat.

Might work to give RobKeanho a rest, he played practically all of the first six games (490 mins), Rafa then gave him a couple of subs appearances and one start in the next three, and bingo - second start thereafter and he breaks his duck.

Mentality has changed with the rise in transfer fees to silly levels, people think you pay £20m for a player then they must start every game. Why? In the old days it wasn't unusual for players to be eased into the game, it should be easy nowadays with SEVEN subs on the bench and a squad worth around £150m. The fee should not dictate how much a player plays, they should all be considered equal - each is 'one Liverpool player'.

Maybe if there wasn't so much pressure surrounding the fee, and the manager compounding that by playing them all the time and telling them to perform, then we'd get more from players like RobKeanho. We changed a successful formation and set-up to accommodate him, yet I've seen so many Liverpool fans react ridiculously to suggestions he could be left out - "but we paid £20.3m for him!" So what? We paid £18.6m for Mascherano and few on here are throwing their toys out of their prams because he hasn't played in the last four games.

Rushie was on the bench for the FA Cup final in 1989, we paid £2.8m for him to come back from Juve and he came off the bench and won the game. I'm not 100% sure, but that was probably a record fee (for Liverpool) at that time. Maybe fans are just impatient these days, typifying the way football is. The manager made the correct call on that day, left a Liverpool legend and expensive signing on the bench because he felt that was best for the team - and it proved to be so.


Anyway, we need three points to keep up our challenge at the top. This is a winnable game, Citeh are far from unbeatable and we need to be positive. We won't win the Premiership if we consider draws at villa, boro, citeh, spudz, West Ham, Newcastle, Pompey etc a good result and point earned. That will be a lot of points dropped, for every one of those games we could lose the next and one from six, two from twelve, six from eighteen kind of thing won't seem quite so clever. Even if we win 16 or 17 at home, we still need to win 10 or 11 away and that means we need to be looking to beat mid-table sides away from home as well as at home. If we beat the bottom half home and away that would still only be 20 wins, and it is unlikely we wouldn't stumble somewhere along the line

[LFC1982]

I'd keep the same team as we played against PSV, Gerrard and Xabi to control the pace and keep posession, I think we can make them look like the away team as we did in this fixture last year and as we did against Everton last weekend.

Think Kuyt should start again as he's doing a job on the right and see no reason why either Keane and Torres can't add to their accounts come Sunday!

As good as Man City are/can be Ijust find them a little weak in midfield, especially when they have Posession, don't think Irelands in the same league as our boys and I'm sure they're weaker at the back, Dunne doesn't seem as good as last year, see him as a poor mans Carragher, Garrido is possibly on par with Djimi Traore and Richards who I think is an exceptional Talent often gets found out of position but relies on his pace to put in a recovering tackle.

Ok so they've splashed out £30m+ on Robinho but is he as good as his price tag?  Does he have the stomach to fight at a club where he wont get it all his own way, playing through the Winter or will he just go missing, show glimpses of brilliance and be happy checking his bank balance every week to see what to spend his £160 grand on?

I personally feel he would of been a great signing for Chelsea, or any other team in the top 4 because it would be easier for him, don't think he's a clinical striker either.

As for Jo I think he's over rated and his price certainly inflated......not sure what he was bought off the back of, never seen or heard much of him but he hasn't impressed me so far (and still hope he doesn't come Sunday), he's not in the same class as Roanaldo(ladyboy fu'cker), Rivaldo, Fabiano or Adriano so fully expect Skrtel and Carra to keep him and co quiet.

Come on the Reds,

My Prediction 0-2 (Torres, Keane)    p.s. I'm usually always wrong


And Villa are a bunch of Kunts after screwing up my coupon for £400 

[LFC1982]

Rafa saves Masch for City clash
Reds close to full stength for City game
Last updated: 3rd October 2008

Mascherano: Fit for City game

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has revealed he rested Javier Mascherano against PSV Eindhoven for this weekend's trip to Eastlands.

Mascherano missed last weekend's win over Everton with a calf problem, but he was included on the bench in midweek after recovering from the injury.

However, Benitez decided to give the Argentine some extra rest so that he would be fit and raring to go against Manchester City.

"Javier was fit, he was fine. But we had four days between the PSV game and the trip to Manchester City, so I felt the player could be held back for the game on Sunday," admitted Benitez.

"Everyone was fit, but I knew we had Lucas who could come on and play in midfield. I preferred to think of the next game and keep Javier for that.

Fine
"Xabi Alonso and Steven Gerrard were also both doing fine, so there was no need to use him against PSV, I preferred to keep him back for the games we have to come."

Benitez has close to a full-strength squad to choose from for the clash with ambitious City with Fernando Torres and Ryan Babel expected to shake off minor knocks.

"Ryan Babel has a minor knock, not serious," added Benitez. "And I do not believe that there is much wrong with Fernando Torres, he took a heavy tackle against PSV but he will be fine for the weekend."

Meanwhile, Benitez is hoping Robbie Keane can score his first Premier League goal for Liverpool against City after breaking his duck in midweek against PSV.

"It was really important for Robbie to score," noted Benitez. "He will now have no pressure and more confidence. He has got his first for the club, but in Europe.

"I would want him now to go out and score his first Premier League goal for us in the next match."


There goes my plan for same team as Wednesday!

[Sabre]

I'll insist again in something Toffeehater mentioned. Garrido is WEAK, I know the player thoroughly, could tell you what he's going to do next always.

Yesteryear he was sat down after a 6-0 in which EVERY goal came from his wing. Every goal. Rafa needs to tell our players to attack that wing.