Liverpool FC Forum

[Thewaykokid]

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drill...81231-1629.htm

I BET YOU IVE DONE IT WRONG AGAIN

certainly seems so.....

[NANNY RED]

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drill...81231-1629.htm

I BET YOU IVE DONE IT WRONG AGAIN

certainly seems so.....

You would of thought some kind soul would of fixed it by now wouldnt you Saint or Bob

[maypaxvobiscum]

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drill...81231-1629.htm

I BET YOU IVE DONE IT WRONG AGAIN

certainly seems so.....

You would of thought some kind soul would of fixed it by now wouldnt you Saint or Bob

there you go 

[NANNY RED]

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drill...81231-1629.htm

I BET YOU IVE DONE IT WRONG AGAIN

certainly seems so.....

You would of thought some kind soul would of fixed it by now wouldnt you Saint or Bob

there you go 

I was gonna say something but no i said im gonna be nice.New years resolution

Not the foggyest how to do that fixing thingy

[maypaxvobiscum]

  here is the link Nunny Red. its the real thing this time


http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drill...81231-1629.htm

edit: Nanny the page seems to have moved or disappered.

[zarababe]

we'll win 2-0 at least !

[Madmax]

we'll win 2-0 at least !

i think 4-0 .. Full swings lads i could feel it. 

[ConnO'var]

To be quite honest, I am feeling a little ambivalent about the FA cup this season..... which is a shame as it is a competition with a long history and I'm loathe to treat it as some sort of side dish under normal circumstances. It's just that, I don't want to cock up the good run we have in the league to date.

If we've not had such a long rest, I would advocate that we give our young ones a run-out against Preston but we do need to keep the players sharp so I'm in a dilemma....

We deffo should play Torres and Skrtel to give them some game time post injury..... also Lucas, Keane and Insua to try and build a little momentum. We will need an experienced head in midfield and Masch should be in the squad to lead the team. Babel and Pennant to play as well.... put them in the shop window so to speak. The remainder of the squad should then be populated with our young and up 'n comers from the reserves.

No disrespect to Preston.... but looks like an ideal game to rest-up the 1st tea players.

[Judge]

well i'll be sat there in good time to cheer the boys on

[Number 9]

well i'll be sat there in good time to cheer the boys on

Will look out for ya on TV Judge!

[Judge]

well i'll be sat there in good time to cheer the boys on

Will look out for ya on TV Judge!

i'll be the one shouting over andy grays shoulder saying alrite bazza you irish fucker, get in there my son

in a drunken voice etc

[Owzat]

which is a shame as it is a competition with a long history and I'm loathe to treat it as some sort of side dish under normal circumstances.

There are just too many games yet the FA wrap up their precious competition in cotton wool and won't move with the times. Harry Redknapp has come out and said he wants to win tonight, no replay as he doesn't know how he'll fit the extra games in. So why is the FA Cup immune to playing one-off fixtures, win on the night/day penalties if needed?

And why screw up the New Years Day fixtures so the precious little competition can be on the first Saturday of January? Traditional perhaps, but so is New Years Day as a fixture and shifting the FA Cup back a day would have maybe accommodated both.

And some view the FA Cup as the "giant killer" cup, looking out for the big sides to get beaten by small fry and someone other than the 'big four' to win it. Nice sentiment, but big sides getting knocked out too much leads to cruddy finals like we had last year and a few other recent non-finals. I don't think most care who wins it as long as the 'big four' get knocked out.

Cruddy Finals / Mismatches

2008 Portsmouth vs Cardiff
2004 Man Utd vs Millwall
2003 Arsenal vs Southampton

And for all that wishing for giant killing only EIGHT different sides have won in the last 25 years, and just five in the last 10 years

FA Cup Winners 1984-2008

6 Man Utd (85,90,94,96,99,04)
5 Liverpool (86,89,92,01,06)
5 Arsenal (93,98,02,03,05)
3 Chelsea (97,00,07)
2 Bitters (84,95)
1 Coventry (87)
1 Wimbledon (88)
1 Tottenham (91)
1 Portsmouth (08)

Portsmouth were the first team to break up the 'big four' dominance since the bitters won their last trophy/FA Cup back in 1995. Just two of the last seventeen FA Cups have not been won by the 'big four'

FA Cups

1992-2008 (17) : 'Big Four' 15-2 Everyone Else
1975-1991 (17) : 'Big Four' 7-8 Everyone Else
1958-1974 (17) : 'Big Four' 5-10 Everyone Else
1935-1957 (17) : 'Big Four' 3-12 Everyone Else
1914-1934 (17) : 'Big Four' 1-14 Everyone Else
1897-1913 (17) : 'Big Four' 1-14 Everyone Else
1872-1896 (25) : 'Big Four' 0-25 Everyone Else

The 'Big Four' have won 32 FA Cups between them out of the 127 FA Cups to date. HALF of those 32 wins have come in the last 19 competitions


Anyway, it's about time the FA realised it is a good competition, but less important to the major clubs than the Champions League and Premiership. It may still be prestigious and something other clubs would love to win, but other clubs are also concentrating on their league safety and while the FA Cup begins 'proper' and for the top two divisions in January, by that stage of the season a lot is at stake. The Champions League has got too many fixtures, there's little the FA Cup can do about that. But scrapping replays would be a start, and maybe being a tad more flexible about weekend ties etc would help.

Or maybe they should scrap the Carling Cup and put the FA Cup in it's stead, the Champions League is more important to clubs in it, has about twice as many fixtures to reach the final in, and by the time the FA Cup kicks off the clubs have played half their league games, are likely out of the Carling Cup and two or three rounds further into the FA Cup the Champions League resumes. So it's going to be third on the list of priorities for the 'big four' as long as they remain the 'big four' and competing on at least two other fronts.

[jono]

Gerrard is playing at Preston, ssn

[Redman in wales]

Gerrard is playing at Preston, ssn

from the offal:

The Liverpool boss is expected to make changes for the Deepdale trip but his skipper will play after excelling since the squad returned to training on Wednesday.
 
In his first press conference since returning from a kidney stone operation, Benitez said: "Steven has been okay, training normally. I said in the statement that I've talked to him. I am supporting him 100 per cent. The best thing for us is that he is focused on football, training well and he will play tomorrow.
 
"Everyone has been supporting him. We know what's going on and it's clear that it's a special situation but we have to support him because we trust him."
 
Asked if Gerrard was mentally ready to play, Benitez added: "He will play, and that means, for me, he's ready.
 
"He is a professional and a very, very good one. He will just be thinking about football. Hopefully he will score some goals, play as well as he was before and everyone will be talking about the game."
 
On what kind of team will step out in Lancashire, and whether Torres will return after seven games out with a hamstring tear, Benitez said: "It will be a strong team and we'll try to keep the momentum.
 
"Maybe we will change some players but we'll still have a very good team on the pitch.
 
"Gerrard is playing well and hasn't played too many games - he was injured for a long time during different parts of the season. It's not like Dirk Kuyt, who has played every game.
 
"It's the same with Torres, who's been injured. He and Gerrard have not played too many games so they can play.
 
"Torres will be in the squad. If we need him he can play. He is not 100 per cent because he hasn't got the match fitness. But he is ready."

[Zidane]

Skrtel Arebeloa and Aurelio are in the squad as well I think, wonder if all of them will get a start.