Liverpool FC Forum

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So this Saturday we have the Cockney sparrows descending on the fine city of Liverpool. They'll try to show us how to drink beer (mainly with lemonade in the top of it) and no doubt spout off about showing us how to play football. But we're a different animal this season and I think we'll match them, scoring the winner in the last 5 minutes.
Massive game for both teams this, AFC pushing to go for the title after City slipped up and LFC pushing for that top four finish. We need to win this and I'm not bothered how we do it.

My prediction...    LFC 2 - 1 AFC (Sturridge 2)

May 21, 2005. That was the last time that Arsenal celebrated with a trophy in the air and champagne spraying willy-nilly all over the place.
It seems a long time now since that FA Cup triumph - mainly because it has indeed been quite a long time.
As Chelsea and Manchester City will tell you; if something isn't working, just throw money at the problem until it does. Arsenal have taken this to heart in their "socialist" wage structure.
Arsene Wenger, still searching for the trophy to untangle that weighty albatross from around his club's sweaty neck, is now earning upwards of £7 million per year for managing the north Londoners. Not bad for a socialist paradise - it puts his total earnings in the eight years since his last piece of silverware at an impressive estimate of £56m. Maybe he just needs an extra tenner to get it right...

There is no other way than going Stoke on their a$$ ,Meaning being physically aggressive and no let downs.
If we can sustain pressure we can squeeze a narrow 3-0. (Toure ,Skertel And Cissoko to score)

We have to win simple as that, we need a performance like the Everton game, clinical and ruthless when in possession and running our blood to water defensively. Everton showed at the emirates that Arsenal are great if you allow them to dictate the game but if you force them onto the back foot it takes their flair players out of their comfort zone.

We have not beaten any of the current top 3 teams all season.

We have been beaten by all the current top 3 teams (Away)

So far no signs that we can step up to match or better them & get all 3 points, nor do I expect to with our injury depleted squad & no new additions.

3-1 Arsenal win

Yeah, it seems that the odds are well against us. However, we need to win this since we couldn't beat the lesser sides. And unlike previous seasons, this season we were able to put a shift in when it really mattered so if we do it this time as well we might have a chance.

Hearing Sakho could return and i hope to god he does.

Skrtel and Toure are a very very poor CB pairing Neither has pace and feel comfortable with the ball at their feet.

If our defence is solid i think we will win. We have the BEST attacking pair in the league. I am hoping Allen comes back for Sterling it was either him or Coutinho but if I recall when Coutinho came on V Arsenal at te emirates we started to look a little better.

                               Mignolet
Flannagan          Toure         Sakho           Cissohko
 
                        Gerrard           Allen

                                 Henderson

Coutinho                                                 Suarez
                                    Sturridge

I went with Toure over skrtel as I reckon toure will be well up for this after his terrible error v WBA and the fact we are playing Arsenal

killerp » Thu Feb 06, 2014 2:16 am wrote:We have not beaten any of the current top 3 teams all season.

We have been beaten by all the current top 3 teams (Away)

So far no signs that we can step up to match or better them & get all 3 points, nor do I expect to with our injury depleted squad & no new additions.

3-1 Arsenal win

We got beat away at arsenal early season and we were really unlucky against man City and could have got something out of the chelsea game. lately we seem to up our form for percieved difficult games, Spurs away, Everton home and stoke away. I reckon we will be totally up for this and we will see another of those Everton/Spurs performances. 3-1 us

4-2 to Arsenal
We'll be beaten in midfield as usual if BR persists with playing all 4 attackers. Hopefully Allen and Sakho return to the side.

Sakho is almost definitely out. Who would you leave out for the extremely inconsistent Allen?

This is going to be all about attitude and if they believe they can win and play the way we know they can then there is no reason why we can't win. It's got to be in their face and pressing from the kick off and playing at a very high tempo. WE CAN WIN !! Have some faith...............

Sakho and Agger defo out for weekend

looks like Toure and Skrtel at CB

maypaxvobiscum » Thu Feb 06, 2014 1:28 pm wrote:4-2 to Arsenal
We'll be beaten in midfield as usual if BR persists with playing all 4 attackers. Hopefully Allen and Sakho return to the side.

Ignore him.

I think Gerrard will have a everton-esque dominant display in defensive midfield. Although I wont go as fare as saying that we will win, I would bet we dont lose. Likely outsome a draw, hopefully some Suarez or Sturridge magic to nick a win.

devaney » Thu Feb 06, 2014 3:04 pm wrote:Sakho is almost definitely out. Who would you leave out for the extremely inconsistent Allen?

This is going to be all about attitude and if they believe they can win and play the way we know they can then there is no reason why we can't win. It's got to be in their face and pressing from the kick off and playing at a very high tempo. WE CAN WIN !! Have some faith...............

Coutinho. He's been out of form lately.
A few months ago I would have said Sterling by damn he has improved a hell lot.
Whatever BR said about fixing his head, etc definitely worked like magic. Hodgson should be looking at him for England in Brazil.

maypaxvobiscum » Thu Feb 06, 2014 7:41 pm wrote:

devaney » Thu Feb 06, 2014 3:04 pm wrote:Sakho is almost definitely out. Who would you leave out for the extremely inconsistent Allen?

This is going to be all about attitude and if they believe they can win and play the way we know they can then there is no reason why we can't win. It's got to be in their face and pressing from the kick off and playing at a very high tempo. WE CAN WIN !! Have some faith...............

Coutinho. He's been out of form lately.
A few months ago I would have said Sterling by damn he has improved a hell lot.
Whatever BR said about fixing his head, etc definitely worked like magic. Hodgson should be looking at him for England in Brazil.

While i agree coutinho's from dropped significantly ,he is the only player which offers some play making in the middle ,he is the only one which can give an intelligent pass.
Sterling is creating quite a commotion when he plays but he is consistently failing in delivering anything tangible ,no assists and no goals ,i think his decision making is pretty flawed.
I would stick to Coutinho.

Pace scares defenders. Sterling has to play. We will not have the majority of possession and having an outball in the form of Sterling will be vital. They will have to leave players back to watch him, and in a straight race he can probably beat most if not all of their back line.

I understand he often disappoints with delivery, but if Suarez and Sturridge can join in he can pull defenders all over leaving space for them on the counter.

Personally, I'd play Coutinho too in the same line up that beat Everton.

Hand on heart I think we will struggle big time, we only had 39% possession against Everton and I think that figure could be even lower against these, i think we'll end up camped on the edge of our own area for most of the game and I don't think our current defensive line up is good enough to keep them out.
We haven't beaten them at anfield in the league since 2006/07 when crouchy scored a hat trick so we haven't even got a good recent home record to take inspiration from. They are the one team in the division that seem to have our number home and away.
It's a massive game, I just hope we can conjure up a massive performance from somewhere.