Liverpool FC Forum

by **7_Kewell** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 10:32 pm

I know this is normally in the Generall liverpool forum, but i'm worried it will get hijacked by talks of 'who is our best player' polls or some other random voices that are currently doing the rounds from our new 'younger' memebers. I don't know, the price of sucesses and the new fans it brings!

anywho, back to the point.

We start our defence tomorrow and it's rumoured we won't field a full team.

Liverpool (from): Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Traore, Luis Garcia, Xabi Alonso, Gerrard, Hamann, Zenden, Cisse, Morientes, Dudek, Josemi, Welsh, Warnock, Baros, Le Tallec, Potter, Whitbread.

i'm expecting to see Whitbread, Poter, Welsh, le Tallec + Renina start...iv got the feeling Baros, Dudek, Josemi and nunez won't start, thus keeping them open for sale as eligable champions league players

by **7_Kewell** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 10:37 pm

here

http://www.liverpoolfc-newkit.co.uk/cgi-bin....1;st=20

I know mate, but some of us are a bit pi$$ed off with the standard of the general forum and want to move over here until it calms down. Threads are getting streached out with petty arguments and childish comments.

by **The Canadian Red Army** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 11:22 pm

im glad you brought this over here, and hope to see a good debate to happen.

I will start off with a question as my knowledge of champions league rules are limited. Does the rule state that if a player starts the game and then gets sold to another team, then he can not play due to being cup-tied. Or is it if he just plays in that game and then gets sold?

anyways to the post

I can see why Rafa is playing this, if this is the correct squad he is using. He wants to build up a core of players to use for the bulk of the season. A good tactic as of last season alot of them did not have much time together out on the pitch. A great confidence builder for the core of the squad. As in using the youth in the squad will give valuable confidence and experience.

I will say i most likely wont be able to see the game, and up to the day of the draw i had never heard of TNS (i dont pay attention to welsh football) I wonder about the tactics of their squad and who is their major asset and threat are. Has anyone watched a game of theirs?

by **stapo1000** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 2:04 am

I'm sure rafa will field a squad with a mix of experienced, young, fringe and first team players as well as a few new arrivals. Maybe something like this: Reina, josemi, hyypia, carra, traore, potter, gerrard, riise, zenden, morientes, cisse bench: dudek, warnock finnan, alonso, hamann, baros, le tallec, garcia. I haven't got much doubt about the result here. We should brush them aside with ease. The tabloids will tell you that the only relevance of this match is who rafa decides not to play to prevent from being cup tied and will speculate over the future of every player left on the bench who is not given a run or indeed those not even in the squad. That's inevitable. I'm looking forward to it and in particular to seeing our new signings!

by **Fernando Morientes > 19 <** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 7:01 am

I think that we should not really underestimate TNS. I guess that Rafa will be fielding a strong team with young and experienced players.

by **laza** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 9:18 am

I expect there will be a lot of interest in who isnt playing in this match as well as my understanding is that it will make them cuptied.
Dont be surprised if you start getting he is now leaving Liverpool because he wasnt in the line up for several players with Baros being the most obvious if they dont get on the field
Hopefully a cakewalk where a fine home performance will negate sending other then squad players/youngsters to wales for the second leg

by **MilitiaRusher** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 12:29 pm

I don't expect Rafa to start with the younger players though. He would start with the strongest 11, which base on the full team should and most probably be:

Morientes

Zenden Gerrard Alonso Garcia
Hamann

Traore Hyypia Carragher Finnan

Reina

SUBS: Dudek, Baros, Cisse, Le Tallec, Warnock, Welsh, Josemi.

However, another possibility is seeing Cisse swapped with Hamann, altering to a 442 formation. Only should we take on the youngsters when we are at least 3 goals up.

by **7_Kewell** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 12:35 pm

i expect to see Gerrard start...but getting taken off at half time.....i think Rafa is treating this a bit like a pre-season friendly. Still, i'm confident we will win 4-0

by **The Canadian Red Army** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 5:27 pm

i dont see why we dont have the power to keep the score sheet clean in this game.

by **Igor Zidane** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 5:37 pm

i think he'll play what he thinks is his strongest 11 available ,so he can get his best players as sharp as possible for all the coming games,maybe if we score a good few goals tonight he'll think about playing youngsters and squad players in the second leg IMHO.

by **The Canadian Red Army** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 6:54 pm

Igor Zidane wrote:i think he'll play what he thinks is his strongest 11 available ,so he can get his best players as sharp as possible for all the coming games,maybe if we score a good few goals tonight he'll think about playing youngsters and squad players in the second leg IMHO.

i think its just giving him some extra time off for playing so many games last season. He will most likely play him in the second leg.

by **7_Kewell** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 8:37 pm

judging by things so far, i reacon Rafa will make a couple of changes inorder to get 4 or 5-0 then play the reserves for the 2nd leg. Most of the team will be in Austria and apparently Rafa will leave most of the squad there and come back with fringe players to play the 2nd match.

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