Liverpool FC Forum

[stmichael]

well if you could choose a fixture to follow a convincing win against norwich, chelsea away would hardly be high on the aganda would it? nevertheless next sunday is a massive test because it will tell us a lot about rafael benitez as a manager in terms of how he sets his team up.

this season has seen a somewhat worrying trend so far in that we have convincingly beat everyone at home in style. ok man city, norwich and west brom are hardly the best but the monaco game was superb. in those four games we have scored 10 GOALS and conceded ONE. We have also played two upfront at home which is a positive sign and looked relatively solid defensively.

however when you look at our away performances, they have bee SHOCKING to say the least. we have 1 POINT OUT OF 9 which just isn't good enough. the thing is, especially when playing away, rafa has insisted on just playing one upfront. it didn't work against bolton where he left cisse on the bench and we created 1 CHANCE of note in the entire 90 minutes, and against manure we were just awful for most of the game.

looking at the chelsea game, to me the manager has to be bold and play baros and cisse upfront. we need to get at chelsea. they've only conceded 1 goal in 7 games. i remember last season we played heskey up on his own with 5 across the midfield and it worked, mainly because we stifled them and scored on the break. i just hope benitez doesn't try and do the same on sunday.

whatever he does, the away form must improve and quick. do you think the manager will be positive or not?

[72-1090627431]

The encouraging thing now is, we are starting to put away the cr*p teams, which we struggled to do last year.

i think we'll beat chelsea, i think we are a better team, whether stevie g is playing or not.

[stmichael]

i think we'll beat chelsea, i think we are a better team, whether stevie g is playing or not.

hustler, that's the best thing i've ever heard you say on this forum.

[The_Rock]

I can't see us beating chelsea (and this is from someone who said we will beat the scums 3-1). A draw will be a great result. Spurs have done it there, no reason why we can't do it.

[A.B.]

Tottenham have a solid defence, something we are lacking at the moment. I hope that Caragher and whoever is our goalkeeper don't screw up against Chelsea.

Like stmic said our away record is pure ******, one draw and two losses. The only good away game has been against Gratz.

And I expect us to win both home and away games when we play against lower table clubs such as Bromich,Charlton,Fulham,etc...

[The_Rock]

Lets see how we do against olympiakos...... Its a gauge on how we perform against chelsea.  Olympiakos is a very intimidating place to play at/

[Scottbot]

I'd be delighted with a draw. Greek football is on the up following the Euros. There will be a big crowd behind them + they had an excellent result aginst Deportivo in their first game. I figure Rafa will drop Baros an bring back Josemi for this one.

Anyone know which channel this one is showing? I think it's ITV2 as the mancs are playing same night. An absolute shitter for me coz i have to get to the pub to watch it + not being a Liverpool lad it's a lot harder to find a boozer that doesn't show the skum. I watched the Monaco game in a pub showing the Mancs at the same time in the same room an things got a bit over-heated!

Walk on...

[A.B.]

The away record is what worries me. We should be winning away games against lower table clubs just like we did home.

Inconistancy is another thing that worries me. Last week we took two steps forward by beating West Bromich and Monaco, and a step back by losing to Manchester United. Hopefuly this will not be the same story this week.

[Dalglish]

Away form has beena  little worrying . Although to be fair we should have beat Spurs, had a goal disallowed against bolton and might have stole a draw at Man Spew but the table doesn't lie and we need to play with a little more intent and belief away from home.

I'd take 2 draws from the next 2 Away fixtures but remember last season at Stamford bridge and BELIEVE

[A.B.]

I believed last week that we could do it at Old Trafford and I was crushed.

[Dalglish]

I wasn't to be honest although i usually am when we get turned over by the Mancs.

This season is formative and one that Benitez will use to build HIS team and get them to play the way he wants them to.

He has bought well it would appear in Alonso, Garcia and Josemi with Nunez still to play. More than that though he has got us playing entertaining and attacking football, albeit predominantly at home. I was at the Bolton Away match and we were poor although both Alonso and Garcia made debuts that day and Benitez got it wrong tactically by playing 5 across the midfield. Aginast Spurs we ought to have won and only against the Mancs did we truly get what we desereved ....nothing.

[A.B.]

I wasn't to be honest although i usually am when we get turned over by the Mancs.

This season is formative and one that Benitez will use to build HIS team and get them to play the way he wants them to.

He has bought well it would appear in Alonso, Garcia and Josemi with Nunez still to play. More than that though he has got us playing entertaining and attacking football, albeit predominantly at home. I was at the Bolton Away match and we were poor although both Alonso and Garcia made debuts that day and Benitez got it wrong tactically by playing 5 across the midfield. Aginast Spurs we ought to have won and only against the Mancs did we truly get what we desereved ....nothing.

The thing that troubles my mind is Dudek and some part of our defence. Mostly Dudek......

[Dalglish]

Dudek's a worry but not as bad as many make out. Not many Prem sides have a stronger pair of keepers than LFC.

Defensively, as much as I admire Carragher for his guts and determination I would be a lot happier seeing an established centre half alongside Hyppia (Gallas). I'd play Carra at left back and have Josemi at right back.

[woof woof !]

Defensivly we always look as though we could concede a goal and your right (AB ) Dudek does seem to have lost the plot.
Although in a throwaway remark I tipped us to beat chelsea I would in fact be delighted with a draw. I'm getting the shivers remembering how Drogbha terrorised our defence in Marsielle , I'm praying we don't see a repeat of that.

[A.B.]

Defensivly we always look as though we could concede a goal and your right (AB ) Dudek does seem to have lost the plot.
Although in a throwaway remark I tipped us to beat chelsea I would in fact be delighted with a draw. I'm getting the shivers remembering how Drogbha terrorised our defence in Marsielle , I'm praying we don't see a repeat of that.

Dudek has developed 10 butterfingers. The goals we have conceeded weren't all of his fault but as a keeper he needs to be more concentrated and aware where the ball is.

Chelsea's strikers still haven't gelled enough so that might give us some kind of an advantage. They will have many shots on goal so our defence has to step up.