Liverpool FC Forum

[Bad Bob]

Now that's a mouth-watering fixture list for us!  The only headache is that Chelsea will actually be the second game of the season, as West Ham will be rescheduled because of our CL qualifier.  So, we'll be coming off of a potential European away game to play Chelsea but at least it's at Anfield.  As for the Man U--Everton--Arsenal part of the run in, I look at it as an opportunity to either put distance between us and those behind us (hopefully) or to make up ground on those above us (hopefully not).  In either case, there's no chance the lads won't be up for those matches.  Plus, if last season's CL schedule is anything to go by and IF we get that far, that stretch of games should fall pretty much in between the round of sixteen and the quarter-finals so we won't be jetting off to Europe before playing Man U, Everton or Arsenal.

[Igor Zidane]

Well with the fixtures now out , i'm pretty optamistic that we shouldn't be out of the running by christmas this time , the fixtures are pretty favorable for the start and for the run in . If rafa gets the players he wants( that's a pretty big if at the moment), i'm confident that we can sustain a good title challenge next season

[wee_boi888]

Away again - when was the last time we were at home for the first fixture?

Not exactly made up with this season's fixture, but it's a lot better than last though. Little bit worried just before the run home, when we have the 3 big games in a row, and also having to play a Euro qualifier just before Chelski at home.

Hopefuly we'll still be in the title race by November then, huh

[weringo]

Sat Aug 11 Aston Villa (away)
Wed Aug 15 West Ham United (home) - 8pm
Sat Aug 18 Chelsea (home)
Sat Aug 25 Sunderland (away)
Sat Sep 1 Derby County (home)
Sat Sep 15 Portsmouth (away)
Sat Sep 22 Birmingham City (home)
Sat Sep 29 Wigan Athletic (away)
Sat Oct 6 Tottenham Hotspur (home)
Sat Oct 20 Everton (away)
Sat Oct 27 Arsenal (home)
Sat Nov 3 Blackburn Rovers (away)
Sat Nov 10 Fulham (home)
Sat Nov 24 Newcastle United (away)
Sat Dec 1 Bolton Wanderers (home)
Sat Dec 8 Reading (away)
Sat Dec 15 Manchester United (home)
Sat Dec 22 Portsmouth (home)
Wed Dec 26 Derby County (away)
Sat Dec 29 Manchester City (away)
Tue Jan 1 Wigan Athletic (home)
Sat Jan 12 Middlesbrough (away)
Sat Jan 19 Aston Villa (home)
Tue Jan 29 West Ham United (away)
Sat Feb 2 Sunderland (home)
Sat Feb 9 Chelsea (away)
Sat Feb 23 Middlesbrough (home)
Sat Mar 1 Bolton Wanderers (away)
Sat Mar 8 Newcastle United (home)
Sat Mar 15 Reading (home)
Sat Mar 22 Manchester United (away)
Sat Mar 29 Everton (home)
Sat Apr 5 Arsenal (away)
Apr 12 Blackburn Rovers (home)
Sat Apr 19 Fulham (away)
Sat Apr 26 Birmingham City (away)
Sat May 3 Manchester City (home)
Sun May 11 Tottenham Hotspur (away)

Much better start than last year.

[Graeme Noble]

I could see 2 dropped points in our opening fixture, Villa are solid and good.

[Effes]

I dont know how talk sport no but they have just announced that we will be playing EVerton at home first.

[Igor Zidane]

Were's miltiarusher and his team prediction for the first game  by the way Mr noble give us a chance ffs mate . The transfer window hasn't even opened and your predicting scores already

[LFC2007]

Rafa will stop rotating as much when he has got players he can trust.

I actually disagree, i think he trusted players last season and they either let him down or were just not good enough.
He probably will rotate this season like the previous 3, lets just hope that the players he is bringing in are good enough to make it not matter.

Thats what cost us last season imo.

Well I disagree, he lacked trust in certain players because they were never up to the standard of being able to play every game. That combined with a lack of depth - particularly in wide areas meant Gerrard was forced to play on the wing for the sake of solidity i.e. he had more trust in Gerrard doing a job on the right than Pennant at times.

If we had Cristiano Ronaldo on the right wing, or Robben on the left last season I doubt very much the extent to which he rotated would be the same.

He will rotate next season, that's par for the course.

But with better players who he can trust and rely on then I don't see him rotating as much.

[Simari]

Better players like Benayoun as Parry has announced 

[stmichael]

Were's miltiarusher and his team prediction for the first game 

maybe we should start the pre-game thread now. 

[maypaxvobiscum]

which aston villa player do you guys think has the highest chances of scoring an own goal against us? 

[Simari]

Baros, I'm sure he knows how to find the net at the KOP 

oh wait, they did sell him right?

[maypaxvobiscum]

oh theres always berger too

[Sabre]

Rafa will stop rotating as much when he has got players he can trust.

I actually disagree, i think he trusted players last season and they either let him down or were just not good enough.
He probably will rotate this season like the previous 3, lets just hope that the players he is bringing in are good enough to make it not matter.

Thats what cost us last season imo.

Well I disagree, he lacked trust in certain players because they were never up to the standard of being able to play every game. That combined with a lack of depth - particularly in wide areas meant Gerrard was forced to play on the wing for the sake of solidity i.e. he had more trust in Gerrard doing a job on the right than Pennant at times.

If we had Cristiano Ronaldo on the right wing, or Robben on the left last season I doubt very much the extent to which he rotated would be the same.

He will rotate next season, that's par for the course.

But with better players who he can trust and rely on then I don't see him rotating as much.

I agree the point about playing Gerrard in the right due to lack of squad depth.

I disagree it has to be necessarily because a lack of trust on Pennant. In fact I think both Rafa, Pako and Macia have agreed to praise Pennant's first season.

IMHO when Rafa played Gerrard on the right he just was seeking a different role for the right wing in that match, as Gerrard plays there as a midfielder, and Pennant as a winger.

Just the same way I think Benayoun if he eventually comes he'll be used as a right midfielder. I recall seeing him in that role, correct me if I'm wrong (don't see other teams much unless they play Liverpool). Which will allow Gerrard not having to play there in some games.

IMHO some of my mates here are too dissapointed by this Benayoun approach. We of course need somebody who improves the squad significantly, a "big name", but we also need decent squad players to give depth to the squad, every team has this kind of players. Buying a decent player first, doesn't mean all the players brought will be just decent or not big names.

[LFC2007]

Well In my opinion if we'd had a top class right winger, a Ronaldo, a Simao even I believe Gerrard would not have been deployed on the right as much.

Pennant was weak particularly early on, tactically unaware and lacking in confidence. Some of these early performances IMO made Rafa question whether Pennant gave us enough solidity on the wing or enough talent to make a significant impact in games - especially away from home. Maybe this was twinned with Rafa's doubts over our ability to attack teams away from home in a systematic manner and with confidence, Pennant didn't exhibit much confidence early on and his delivery wasn't great. He improved much more in the latter stages as he became more confident, especially at home.


I don't think Rafa deployed Gerrard on the right purely for tactical reasons, away from home we need a more potent right winger who is stronger, faster and tactically aware.