Liverpool FC Forum

by **kop king** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 11:42 am

Rafa will play one up top and play pennant and bellamy on the wings. If he does do that i hope he plays Macherano over Sissoko cos Mascherano is a great passer and it will prove that he is better than Makelele. Arbeola or Finnan at right back. Centre backs pick themselves and Riise at LB. Then its either Crouchy or Kuyt up front personally i would play Crouch cos he gives Terry a hard game and look what happened at anfield Crouch made Kuyt goal with his aerial presence.

CAMON YOU REDS

by **whylongball?** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 12:46 pm

i can see Rafa use 4-5-1 with Crouch leading the front and probably Bellemy pushed to the left.

Reina
Finnan Cara Agger Arbeloa

Gerrard Alonso Momo

Pennant Bellemy

Crouch

which is pretty compact at the back and dangerous on the counter! And yes we need an away goal but it may not significant cos Chelsea can always somehow score thru Drogba

by **tubby** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 1:02 pm

Any news on if Harry will be fit for this game?

by **stmichael** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 1:08 pm

bavlondon wrote:Any news on if Harry will be fit for this game?

the second leg apparently.

http://www.news.com.au/dailyte....00.html

although put your money on a triumphant 20 minute return in athens.

by **Stu.Murph** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 1:27 pm

Bamaga man wrote:
Stu.Murph wrote:
jaytoothetee wrote:i guess it'll be a very tight game at their sh*thole, and pretty much the same at anfield. would be very suprised if there aggregate score was higher than 2-1 (to us of course!)
gerrard will defo start on the right both legs, with momo and xabi in the centre. my line up for the first leg would be:

reina

finnan carra agger arbeloa

gerrard momo xabi riise

kuyt crouch

pretty defensive i know, but imo we'll just hope not to concede at theirs, and finish them off with the kop behind us

We MUST get an away goal. An absoloute must.

Definately.

In some games we look as though we can score a hatful, in others we struggle to create or score a goal. Against decent opposition I think we'll find it hard to break down a very good Chelsea unit. I just hope we get a bit of luck, a pen or something, just something. IMO one goal isnt a secure bet, I reckon we need two at the Bridge and thats a tall ask.

The Chelsea fans seem happy playing the first leg at the Bridge, because they know if they keep a clean sheet their they've only got to score one at our place.

BTW Stu, what formation would you go for in the first leg, me I'd be inclined to go 4-5-1 with Crouch leading the attack. Simple reason being we look no more dangerous at times playing two upfront, whoever the partnership is.

But I would possibly bring Bellamy on early in the second half depending the situation. If Chelsea are pushing us for a goal he'd be the man to bring on. To find space and counter it.

Reina

Finnan
Carragher
Agger
Arbeloa

Gerrard
Mascherano
Alonso
Riise

Bellamy
Kuyt

Subs:

Dudek
Hyypia
Sissoko
Zenden
Gonzalez
Fowler
Crouch

We need to score goals, doesn't really matter if we lose by one goal providing we score a goal or two.

I'd be very shocked if Rafa went with anything other than that and all this business about Crouch worrying the Chelsea defence is absoloute tosh. He's the main reason we fail to score against them most of the time we play them.

by **RUSHIE#9** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 11:34 pm

stmichael wrote:
bavlondon wrote:Any news on if Harry will be fit for this game?

the second leg apparently.

http://www.news.com.au/dailyte....00.html

although put your money on a triumphant 20 minute return in athens.

The first 20!

Looks like the chelsea bullshittin' is going into overdrive now (Link thingy). You've got more chance of shitin gold coins than Shevchenko not being involved next week.

by **red37** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 12:39 am

RUSHIE#9 wrote:
stmichael wrote:
bavlondon wrote:Any news on if Harry will be fit for this game?

the second leg apparently.

http://www.news.com.au/dailyte....00.html

although put your money on a triumphant 20 minute return in athens.

The first 20!

Looks like the chelsea bullshittin' is going into overdrive now (Link thingy). You've got more chance of shitin gold coins than Shevchenko not being involved next week.

who's he kidding. In any case we are going to have to step it up a bit going there. Starting against Wigan.

by **grayghost** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 2:59 pm

Do you think chelsia will try to make there crowd look intimadating by handing out blue and white flags again they did it last time we played them at this stage to try to replicate the KOP no chance.

by **RedBlood** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 3:05 pm

heres what i would play:

reina

finnan carra agger arebola

pennant macherano alonso riise

gerrard

crouch

keep it tight at the back frustrate them and try get a goal or two on the break

by **grayghost** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 3:15 pm

RedBlood wrote:heres what i would play:

reina

finnan carra agger arebola

pennant macherano alonso riise

gerrard

crouch

keep it tight at the back frustrate them and try get a goal or two on the break

The same team that beat the gunners if am not mistaken well the best i have seen us play this season would be my team to

by **Dundalk** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 11:41 am

Rafa Benitez insists he has 'a lot of respect' for Jose Mourinho ahead of Liverpool's UEFA Champions League semi-final with Chelsea.

The Premiership bosses have a lukewarm relationship following incidents in games between the two clubs in recent seasons.

But, prior to Wednesday's first leg at Stamford Bridge, Benitez confirmed he has respect for what Mourinho has achieved at Chelsea.

"As a manager, he is a good manager," Benitez told The People. "He is positive for the game because he is a good worker and knows what he is doing.

"Okay, he has a different style and approach to games, but, as a manager, he is good.

"I have no problem with the other managers. We talk about football and we are focused on our job. Each manager decides how to approach each game or how to do things in his life. I try to be calm.

"If the other managers talk about football, so will I. I don't like to talk about other teams if possible, but each person decides what to do.

"It is nothing to do with me being at Madrid and him at Barcelona. He is a good manager for Chelsea and you can see from the records, so I have a lot of respect for him as a manager."

Benitez, though, does not expect to be sharing a post-game drink with Mourinho as per the tradition with many Premiership managers.

The Reds chief added: "After the game I meet some managers and we talk for five minutes, but you cannot chat for half-an-hour because usually there is too much to do.

"I don't expect to go for a glass of wine with him after the match on Wednesday because we have never done.

"But with Arsene Wenger or Alex Ferguson and other managers, we invite them into the boot room for a drink at Anfield."

by **66-1112520797** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 12:17 pm

I usually get worked up over these types of games as anyone would. This time around I'll admit I'm a little pessimistic about this fixture.

The main reason being I think they'll have an edge on us over this one, they might be more fired up. I think (lol) that their fans will set out to intimedate us but more importantly the ref at Stamford Bridge. I think they're gonna be really up for this, also we Liverpool FC have been talking this one up a little more than them. Unusually (to my knowledge) Chelsea have been pretty quiet in the build up to all this. Its unlike them, and we've been in the media talking about it prior to Premiership matches.
Also I read somewhere that John Terry reckons him and his boys wont be intimedated by Anfield this year, which I really believe helped us see off Chelsea last time around. This time they might be slightly more prepared for us at home.

Listen, I sincerely hope I'm wrong. But its just a feeling sorry to share with you guys. But we'll have to wait and see.

by **Igor Zidane** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 12:26 pm

I know what your saying BM ,but i'm pretty posative about this one . These two games will be won or lost in the first leg imo. Rafa hopefully will be as posative as he was against Barca away. We can score against Chelsea on there ground and if we do we will be able to dominate them over the two legs.

I've got a feeling he'll play Gerrard behind Kuyt in the hole , with pennant and risse out wide, and Alonso and Mascherano in the middle. As we all know it's pretty useless trying to predict a Rafa Team anyway.

by **66-1112520797** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 12:37 pm

Igor Zidane wrote:I know what your saying BM ,but i'm pretty posative about this one . These two games will be won or lost in the first leg imo. Rafa hopefully will be as posative as he was against Barca away. We can score against Chelsea on there ground and if we do we will be able to dominate them over the two legs.

I've got a feeling he'll play Gerrard behind Kuyt in the hole , with pennant and risse out wide, and Alonso and Mascherano in the middle. As we all know it's pretty useless trying to predict a Rafa Team anyway.

Glad your optimistic Igor.

If he does opt for that formation, believe it or not I'd like to see Gerrard deeper. Almost playing in a flat three accross the middle and bursting or arriving late to support Kuyt. Kuyt or Crouch would be a little more isolated this way, but after watching the Middlesbrough game once Gerrard was central or deeper that was where he was able to do the damage. The onus will be on Pennant and Riise to support the striker a bit more from the flanks, but I reckon that would be the way to go with that formation.

In saying that

I wouldnt be surprised to see Gerrard start on the right. Not sure if Momo is injured or not, but then have him drop into the center. To make us a more solid unit albeit a less creative one. Which for a Liverpool Chelsea game wouldnt surprise me.

by **kingred** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 1:35 pm

i cant wait for this game i think there running scared already were alot stronger now than last time and where bang in form with rafas rotation were finishing strong and i have no doubts we will go to the bridge and win and if we do i wont fear the scum if they go all the way we played them off the park last time even fergie said it thy were lucky ive heard kewell will be on the bench as he was training with the sqaud for the psv game what you think

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