Liverpool FC Forum

[club_Levis]

This team should play:

GK:Pepe
LB:Arbeloa
RB:Finnan
CB:Cara
CB:Agger

LW:Babel
RW:Pennant
CM:Stevie
CM:Javier

CF:Torres
ST:Kuyt

They will guarantee us the points....our best Xi at the moment..

[Lando_Griffin]

We need to guard against complacency here - 10 goals in our last 2 games could have given the team too much assurance.

Portsmouth are a tough team to beat anywhere, particularly on their own patch.

Assuming Carra is still recovering, I'd go with:

                                                  Reina

              Finnan (if fit)      Hyypia                   Agger               Arbeloa

                                                  Alonso

Pennant                                                                                        Babel

                                                 Gerrard

                               Voronin                             Torres.

Plenty of pace and power, along with defensive solidity.

Of course - Rafa will pick nothing like that...

[JamCar05]

As Kukilon said Agger is fine. This is what I think Rafa will go with (so it will probably be completely different ):

Reina

Arbeloa
Agger
Hyypia
Finnan

Riise/Babel (not sure which one, they both played the full 90 minutes during midweek internationals)
Alonso
Sissoko
Pennant

Kuyt
Crouch (not sure about this one either, but Torres also played the full international as far as I know, and big Pete hasn't played much recently, so should be ready and fired up against his former club)

I think Rafa will save Carra a bit yet, unless Hyypia is too tired after playing two qualifying matches for Finland. I also think he will have Stevie on the bench, and bring him on only if necessary or late on.

Prediction: a Reds win by a single goal.

Torres only played one full game, he should be able to play on Saturday [and same with Gerrard].

Fair point, but I didn't say it was the team I would play, I was just guessing what team Rafa will put out (which - as we all now - isn't exactly f'in easy  ). I myself would play Torres from the beginning on, but would probably still take the risk of saving Gerrard for later in the game, even though I realise this is most definitely not an easy game.

[LFC2007]

Anyone have an idea of the Portsmouth line up/team news?

This is what I can find as a possible eleven:

James

Lauren
Campbell
Distin
Hreidarsson

Johnson
Muntari
Mendes
Taylor

Utaka
Kanu

[stmichael]

what ever happened to rafa dodd's "oppo" feature?

slacker. he's fired.  

[JamCar05]

Yeah, what did actually happen to that? Was a good feature imo. Bring it back


... please

[destro]

He has neglected it after finding out he is a Moderator, hes far to busy now

[Rafa D]

what ever happened to rafa dodd's "oppo" feature?

slacker. he's fired.  

I couldn't do the Derby one as was explained at the time.

I couldn't do the Portsmouth one due to work commitments, but the Porto one has already started as well as the Birmingham one as I quite friendly with that bunch from the one I done last year.

Sorry folks.

[stmichael]

just kidding rafa mate.

where's our mate "pompey"? i remember drummerphil ripping him to shreds.

[destro]

Speaking of "Other teams fans" who on here is a member of another Liverpool Forum, and do they get the village idiots logging on there just before we play them ?

[Rafa D]

Now back the the match at hand.

Portsmouth away is always a difficult fixture due to the long travelling time and the excellent home support Portsmouth receive week in, week out down there. Us apart, I'd put them as the best set of fans in the league.

Its going to be doubly hard this year because Harry Redknapp has configured a very good team indeed.

Utaka and Kanu are the two frontmen who I think he will go with and both offer different dangers to our centrebacks. Kanu is dangerous for his height and his slight touches, Utaka looks like a little speed machine and comes from France with a fearsome reputation (cough Dibs cough). The fact is both are scoring as well.

And I wouldn't put it past irony, for Dave Nugent to break his Premiership duck with a winner against his beloved rivals.

Man utd struggled for a draw earlier on in the season and rightly so.

I just hope we win here, and then we will know a lot more about the strength of our team.

[JamCar05]

what ever happened to rafa dodd's "oppo" feature?

slacker. he's fired.  

I couldn't do the Derby one as was explained at the time.

I couldn't do the Portsmouth one due to work commitments, but the Porto one has already started as well as the Birmingham one as I quite friendly with that bunch from the one I done last year.

Sorry folks.

Fair play, that sounds great mate, already looking forward to it. Keep up the good work, whenever it's possible.

[account deleted by request]

I can't work in conditions like this - Benitez slams the system
Last updated at 11:37am on 13th September 2007

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has expressed his disappointment at the Barclays Premier League fixture list, insisting it was "impossible to prepare a team properly" following an international week.

Benitez, like many of his fellow bosses, faces a rush this weekend as he prepares his side to face Portsmouth. 

Many of the Spaniards' key players have been on duty with their countries in crucial Euro 2008 qualifiers and far-flung international friendlies and he believes the limited period of time they have to recover for domestic action is restrictive.

Liverpool's visit to Fratton Park on Saturday kicks off at 12.45pm and Benitez has called for a change of policy.

He said: "I am really disappointed with the fixtures that we have because it is more difficult here in England. You play early kick-offs on the Saturday (after internationals) and it is impossible to prepare the team properly.

"The players arrive back on Thursday evening and the only thing you can do with some of them is just to run a little bit and send them home.

"Friday morning you will have a light training session and you will travel to Portsmouth in this case and you cannot prepare the team."

He added: "Normally the players that are going away are internationals because they are good players and you need these players for winning every game.

"For me it's impossible to prepare the team properly, you can prepare small details but to prepare the team physically and mentally for the game will be difficult."

Benitez went on to question the treatment of sides who compete in midweek in Europe and said the vagaries of the fixture list could cost teams a shot at the title.

"One of the things for me that is important now is to change the schedule for the top sides," he said.

"We had the same problem with the Champions League games; we were playing on the Wednesday, then kick off on the Saturday and normally away. I think it's not fair and in the end you have more problems winning these games.

"When you play for the title, if you lose two or three games away against 'normal' teams, after that you know maybe you can lose against the top sides and maybe your possibilities will be more difficult."
                               -------------------------------------------

Rafa seems to be speaking his mind a lot more now, I am not sure if its a good thing or a bad thing. I agree that we do seem to be unfairly treated at times, and that speaking out after the game rather than before it can look like sour grapes rather than making a genuine point, but I am not keen on giving players ready made excuses not to perform.

[account deleted by request]

Just read this on TWL, might be of use to someone....Portsmouth v Liverpool live free this weekend

Sky are showing all sports Channels free this weekend so if you have a Sky box even if you dont pay for the sports channels they are free for you to watch all weekend

[maypaxvobiscum]

carragher is fit to play
and agger isnt injured