Liverpool FC Forum

Posted: **Sun Mar 01, 2009 2:33 pm**

Very difficult to get gee'd up for league games now.
However, looking at the table, things are getting congested in 2nd to 4th spot. The only relevance now is to avoid coming 4th,
which will mean having to qualify for the Champs League via 2 preliminary rounds where there will be no seedings,
which could through tough games our way.
Top 3 go straight through to the group stages.

Table as it stands (Villa fecked up [2-2])

Man Utd P 26 GD 35 Pts 62
Chelsea 27 31 55
Liverpool 27 23 55
A Villa 27 15 52

Sunderland managed to draw away to Arsenal 0-0 at the weekend, so we know they are capable of the same against us.
I was tempted to put up a very sarcastic team to start this game, but brevity won through in the end.

I guess Rafa will bring Benayoun and Riera back into the starting eleven - but who's gonna try and second guess Rafa anymore?

Torres is still out of course, as is Arbeloa.
Garrard went off injured yesterday - there haven't been any updates on his fitness.
Wouldn't be at all surprised if Rafa put him on the subs bench as a precaution.
(Rafa has said it was just cramp though, so it doesn't look like any specific injury).

Maybe the depressing question for this game: Who will play right back? :Oo:

Posted: **Sun Mar 01, 2009 2:50 pm**

I think it depends what team he sends out and the attitude of the players once they are out there. Another strange selection and a team that doesn't seem interested and we could receive a shock. A sensible team selection and a team that shows up with fire in their bellies and it should be a routine win.

For all our problems both on and off the field a win against Sunderland should be a walk in the park, and thats what I am going for 3-0

Bit early to pick the team but I would hope we either play Carra at full back or Darby...... NOT Skrtel! You never know Deggen may turn up for a game........ only joking

Reina
Carra Skrtel Hyypia/Agger Aurelio

Benny Masch Alonso Riera

Gerrard
Babel/Kuyt/N'gog (who cares)

I would like to see maybe Pacheco or maybe another young star given a bit of time on the pitch once we are coasting to victory.

Posted: **Sun Mar 01, 2009 4:03 pm**

Lets just stick some of the best younger players in with our best first team players and see if they are any better or have more bottle than our squad players. We havn't much to lose but lots to gain.

Reina

Darby Carragher Hyypia Insua

El Zhar Spearing Gerrard Riera

Pacheco Torres

Subs

Eccleston
Benayoun
Simon
Alonso
Aurelio
Skrtel
Cavalieri

Posted: **Sun Mar 01, 2009 5:08 pm**

Cool Hand Luke wrote:Lets just stick some of the best younger players in with our best first team players and see if they are any better or have more bottle than our squad players. We havn't much to lose but lots to gain.

Do you think so? You dont think it is a handicap to come fourth and have to play 2 preliminary rounds where there is no seeding?

Posted: **Sun Mar 01, 2009 7:54 pm**

We should field our stongest team - 2nd place should be our target.
Yes it was not we were hoping for at the end of December but it would be a marked improvement on previous seasons.
This is not necessarily a pro Rafa rant - rather just to point out that runners up (and automatic CL ) would be an improvement.
Could we have done better?
Don't think we will have a better chance than this season but since the new year our form , results , team selections , substitutions , tactics and transfers have put paid to that.

Posted: **Sun Mar 01, 2009 8:10 pm**

It hard enough for the fans to get excited about this one so god knows how the players are going to feel. Sunderland have drawn away to Arsenal and were beat by a injury time goal at Old Trafford so it will be tough enough

We should win but how many times have we said this year

Posted: **Sun Mar 01, 2009 8:11 pm**

We barely scraped a 1-0 win over these in the first game of the season, so if we can do that again, I'll be happy.

Either way, it doesn't matter, because nothing short of another plane crash is going to derail Utd from winning the title, although they were pretty lacklustre today.

In reality, I think Benitez probably gave up on the league a while ago and he's fully concentrating on the CL now, which I'll be happy with if he can bring it home. It'll be good for Benitez's rep, if he can reclaim the 2nd spot though.

Posted: **Sun Mar 01, 2009 8:12 pm**

tonyeh wrote:We barely scraped a 1-0 win over these in the first game of the season, so if we can do that again, I'll be happy.

Either way, it doesn't matter, because nothing short of another plane crash is going to derail Utd from winning the title, although they were pretty lacklustre today.

In reality, I think Benitez probably gave up on the league a while ago and he's fully concentrating on the CL now, which I'll be happy with if he can bring it home. It'll be good for Benitez's rep, if he can reclaim the 2nd spot though.

Not on here mate

Posted: **Sun Mar 01, 2009 8:16 pm**

Just a bit of sarcasm Dundalk...take it easy.

My point is that something unlikely or disasterous for Utd is what it'll take for them to lose out on the title.

I've certainly seen worse written.

Posted: **Mon Mar 02, 2009 3:48 am**

Well seems we must change our priorities now and focus on getting into the champs league with auto qualification.. Like some stated here it hard to get geared up for league games but they are still crucial games that we must win..
We could hate rafa, owners etc but we love the name liverpool and breath that name day and night...
Hope he gets it right with the selection against sunderland.. Will be a tough match but im hopeful we will win this one easily..

Posted: **Mon Mar 02, 2009 8:42 am**

THEBARON wrote:We should field our stongest team - 2nd place should be our target.

We've sunk so badly it's now going to be a problem. Since we're looking unlikely for the league I can see Rafa using that as an excuse to 'prepare' for the Champions League and the further we go, the worse "resting" etc will get. Chelsea should really get 2nd from here, they face only Arsenal away while we have the mancs away and Arsenal at home. Not sure if they have villa as well, we certainly do and that won't be an assured three points.

Wasn't sure where to post this stat, but it shows how badly we've faded :

Games 01-09 : P9 W7 D2 L0 F14 A6 PTS 23
Games 10-18 : P9 W4 D4 L1 F13 A6 PTS 16
Games 19-27 : P9 W4 D4 L1 F16 A8 PTS 16

Not really enough goals in any of the spells, defence reasonably tight but too many draws since the first defeat

16/08-01/11 : P11 W8 D2 L1 F16 A8 PTS 26 (Drawn 18.18%)
08/11-28/02 : P16 W7 D8 L1 F27 A12 PTS 29 (Drawn 50.00%)

So we've drawn half our games since losing at WHL, picking up only three more points in five more games. We badly need to score more goals, last season was an improvement - 10 more goals than in any previous Rafa season - but we're not progressing in that department and it shows in our results. Torres did play seven of those first 11 games, but only scored in three games which did turn out to be crucial goals bar maybe the second down the road. And since his return his goals in the league have also been crucial, every one of the five games he's scored in this season has been won thanks to his goalscoring contributions.

I'd like to think we'll try and win all remaining games, give us an outside chance of winning the league and at least not throw away the start we got off to and try to score 83 points or secure second place. But even I'm thinking "what's the point?" and we may as well distract ourselves with the Champions League. At least then the disappointment tends to be one-off, not once a week

Posted: **Mon Mar 02, 2009 8:52 am**

Strongest possible team please. Too bad we have a lot of injuries.
In case Gerrard is not fit yet:

Reina

? Carragher Agger Aurelio

Benny Masch Alonso Riera

Kuyt Babel

Posted: **Mon Mar 02, 2009 9:57 am**

TheLad wrote:
Reina

Carra Carragher Agger Aurelio

Benny Masch Alonso Riera

Kuyt Babel

We dream a team full of Carraghers...... :wwww

Posted: **Mon Mar 02, 2009 10:06 am**

The_Rock wrote:
TheLad wrote:
Reina

Carra Carragher Agger Aurelio

Benny Masch Alonso Riera

Kuyt Babel

We dream a team full of Carraghers......

well spotted

Posted: **Mon Mar 02, 2009 10:08 am**

peewee wrote:
The_Rock wrote:
TheLad wrote:
Reina

Carra Carragher Agger Aurelio

Benny Masch Alonso Riera

Kuyt Babel

We dream a team full of Carraghers......

well spotted

Hehe..a mistake that I tried to correct, but didn't find the right way...So I put a ? sign as right back.

Liverpool FC Forum

LIVERPOOL VS SUNDERLAND - Tuesday 3rd march - 8pm

LIVERPOOL VS SUNDERLAND - Tuesday 3rd march - 8pm