Liverpool FC Forum

[mistyred]

Just when you need the points you have a game against these
lot, when is the last time we didn't draw with them? i can't remember.

2002, it's in an earlier post mate.

Cheers Effes mate, should of looked really.

So really this has draw written all over it   

[account deleted by request]

doesn't downing play down the left? in your formation he would be against Kuyt/Carra

Same applies Joe. The main point I was trying to get across is I think we need to be much more attack minded than we have been of late. WE HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE anymore by throwing caution to the wind (a little bit) and going at them from the off. Get players in the box and they will be more concerned about keeping us out than getting forward themselves (hopefully)

well I guess it comes down to in an Arbeloaless team either downing vs. Carra in a fullback role or vs. a combo of a wingback and RCB of a back three

Now I am not expert as you know, but it seems to be that the formation is naturally vulnerable to letting wide midfielders get pretty far down the pitch, but then it is more difficult to do damage once you get down there do to the strength in the middle, and it also seems difficult to be able to cut inside from outwide and cause damage that way

I don't think anyone on here's an expert Joe, athough a few are pretty good on Fm Manager 

I am not really that keen on 3 at the back under normal circumstances because it gives the other team an easy "out" ball, drags a CB out wide just as the cross is coming in and leaves your wide players in two minds as to whether they go forward or not.

[tubby]

Southgate is only a few bad results away from being sacked. We can win but i think we will need Stevie to start. Id rather start with him and then take him off later rather than start without him and expect him to do a superman job for us in the last 20 mins.

[JoeTerp]

doesn't downing play down the left? in your formation he would be against Kuyt/Carra

Same applies Joe. The main point I was trying to get across is I think we need to be much more attack minded than we have been of late. WE HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE anymore by throwing caution to the wind (a little bit) and going at them from the off. Get players in the box and they will be more concerned about keeping us out than getting forward themselves (hopefully)

well I guess it comes down to in an Arbeloaless team either downing vs. Carra in a fullback role or vs. a combo of a wingback and RCB of a back three

Now I am not expert as you know, but it seems to be that the formation is naturally vulnerable to letting wide midfielders get pretty far down the pitch, but then it is more difficult to do damage once you get down there do to the strength in the middle, and it also seems difficult to be able to cut inside from outwide and cause damage that way

I don't think anyone on here's an expert Joe, athough a few are pretty good on Fm Manager 

I am not really that keen on 3 at the back under normal circumstances because it gives the other team an easy "out" ball, drags a CB out wide just as the cross is coming in and leaves your wide players in two minds as to whether they go forward or not.

well I think when we play with mascherano and Alonso in midfield in this formation, we should have the lions share of the ball and I would hope the wide players spend more time forward than not.  This however does seem vulnerable on the break then in the corners as you said with dragging a CB away and creating holes everywhere else. But, if a CB does get drawn out, when you have three at the back, your still in decent enough shape. Although Kuyt and Riera might not be pace merchants in terms of getting back to help, Mascherano has the pace to hunt people down on either side coming from the middle

[bigmick]

Well whoever plays, I hope that it's the best possible team we can put out. Not best because we've been watching them in training and he looks tired, he looked jaded, but the best team. If Arbeloa is injured, obiously that mean Carra on the right. If Torres is injured, obviously (well it's obvious to me anyway) that means Kuyt up top. This is not the time to be having another wee look at David N'Gog. We had a wee look at him at Pompey and he has a bit of a way to go yet by the looks of him. Equally, it's not the time to be having a guess on whether Ryan Babel actually fancies breaking sweat today or not. Kuyt is some way short of being the best striker in the World, but if Torres is injured he's the best we've got so he must play. Benayoun can play on the right, while Masherano and Alonso must play in the centre. Riera wins the battle with himself to see who is our best left midfielder, and feck all this "protecting" Aurelio. He's just turned in an absolutely magnificent performance against Madrid, play him and let him get on with it. That just leaves the centre backs (which if Agger is injured are Hyppia dn Skyrtel) and the spot in behind Kuyt, which please God Gerrard will fill.

Simple really, the very best available team. No Lucas's, N'Gogs, Dossena's, Plessis's or Lee Peltiers. Now's not the time, and this isn't the game for such frivolities.

[dawson99]

IS this a perfect game for Yossi?
Do we need more creative players against the more stubborn teams?

[bigmick]

IS this a perfect game for Yossi?
Do we need more creative players against the more stubborn teams?

It is Daws. He's one of our best eleven available players, so it's absolutely perfect for him. The fact he's playing out of his skin at the moment just makes it all the more so.

[dawson99]

Yossi 12/1 1st scorer with Paddy Power might have to be done!

[Ciggy]

Yossi has been in great form really fighting for his place in the team, my question is when gerrards back where is he going to play?  Reira has really gone off the boil he was awful against City and Real.

[Alex G.]

For me Benayoun plays better on the left. I remember the goals of Man city game (away), Portsmouth, and Man City (home) came from crosses of him from the left.  The great shot against Chelsea etc,

[Greavesie]

as has already been discussed, I hate this fixture. Usually an awful game, a Torres screamer saved us in the same fixture last time round. Im just hoping for 3 points however possible. dont care if its the most boring game and scrappy dubious goal, as long as we get all three points that'll do for me

[oakton]

we are playing AWAY, so Rafa will put a weaker team as if we don't really need to win. I am guessing he will put a team like this:

Reina
Arbeloa-Carra-Skrtel-Dossena
Alonso-Lucas
Kuyt-Gerrard-Riera
Ngog

Benayoun scored a great goal and Mascherano played well during the midweek game, so they must be tired. They will be named on the bench.

[Toffeehater]

What's rafas record away to Boro - cant be @rsed searching.

we have not won there since 2002

[Owzat]

What's rafas record away to Boro - cant be @rsed searching.

we have not won there since 2002

Rafa @ Boro : P4 W0 D3 L1 F1 A3 PTS 3

At home we've won five and drawn just one of the six games against Boro under Rafa - including a 2-0 win in the League Cup on the way to the final in 2004/05.

Our Premiership record against Middlesboro away is :

Liverpool at Middlesboro : P13 W3 D5 L5 F12 A14 PTS 14 (out of 39)

Our three wins were (all on a Saturday) :

13/03/93 W2-1
26/12/98 W3-1
16/03/02 W2-1

Both 2-1s were around this time of year, any gamblers might want to back that scoreline. I should add that the win in 2002 was the only season Boro hadn't just been promoted, BUT they were relegated in 92/93 as well so maybe that is an omen.

We've played Boro 24 times on a Saturday and won 11. To many draws

[Owzat]

I am not really that keen on 3 at the back under normal circumstances because it gives the other team an easy "out" ball, drags a CB out wide just as the cross is coming in and leaves your wide players in two minds as to whether they go forward or not.

The full-backs should cover at the far post, they should also link up with the wide players in front of them. And I don't think the CBs are comfortable with a system of three CBs, it will be bad enough if Torres isn't available without mucking about with the system too.