Liverpool FC Forum

[NANNY RED]

What a cracking result gooners drew 1-1

[Effes]

Wish we had the "game in hand" sorted, need that arranging ASAP.

[JoeTerp]

El Zhar? C'mon, that's pushing it.

Yossi or Babel on the right surely.

scored a goal his last time out for the first team, and he has been playing really well in the reserves the last two games, I think Yossi has played almost every game since Pennant has been hurt, we got a stretch of tough games when we are going to need Yossi on the right.  I think he has played well enough to deserve a chance, and when Pennant comes back he is going to have almost no shot.  I put Babel on the bench (where he might be more dangerous coming on and racing past tired players) and yossi as well just in case we aren't up 2-0 on the hour mark.  Its different but not insane.

[Dundalk]

Wish we had the "game in hand" sorted, need that arranging ASAP.

I dont think that will be sorted till Jan and its against the Hammers

[ivor_the_injun]

Great, great result for us tonight. Essentially it means that us winning the game in hand would put us just 4 points off the top. Arsenal are in the north-east again on Sunday at Boro...another two or three points dropped could make things very, very interested.

Not a major point right now, but something that could prove significant - tonight's result means that any kind of a win for us at the weekend will mean we have superior goal difference to Arsenal. If things tighten up at the top towards the end of the season...who knows how important that could be.

[The Manhattan Project]

QPR and Reading play in blue and white hoops.

They should merge to form "Queen's Park Reading".

[bigmick]

QPR and Reading play in blue and white hoops.

They should merge to form "Queen's Park Reading".

Hit the post with Adam Bolton Rick Parry ones, but this was a twenty five yard screamer into the top corner      

[JoeTerp]

QPR and Reading play in blue and white hoops.

They should merge to form "Queen's Park Reading".

Hit the post with Adam Bolton Rick Parry ones, but this was a twenty five yard screamer into the top corner      

that is called off for someone shielding the goalie in an offside position 

[Sabre]

Playing a team you know you should easily take care of with some Very important games coming up, in American football we would call this a "trap game"
                     Reina
Arbeloa    Hobbs      Hyypia   Riise
El Zhar     Gerrard    Lucas     Kewell
                Torres    Voronin
Subs:
Martin
Darby
Yossi
Babel
Kuyt

I don't know in England, but in Spain we call these games "trap games" aswell. At the end of the day these points are as important as any.

Your proposal for starting eleven has too much changes even for me!!, mostly because men like El Zhar have few games in their pockets, and if you're to include this players with few games it's better to include in a strong team, not a team with a lot of changes. Yesteryear in a home cup game against Arsenal we did that mistake, played Dudek, Zenden and even Guthrie, and of course we paid for it, we threw the game to the W.C.

I'd force Carraguer a bit more until Agger reappears then rotate (rest) him, I'm very pleased we've recovered the good tradition of not conceding goals and I'd like our squad getting used to that

Those games are a trap indeed. Our team always wants to win, but sometimes we want to win too fast against these trap games, and at the end they become difficult games. For me this game is a key one, we have to win at all costs and focus on the game as it was a CL final.

[account deleted by request]

I think "trap" game or not we will see a few changes for this game. I think Rafa will gamble big in this one before playing his strongest team in both of the next two games.

                Reina

Arbeloa     Hobbs    Hyypia      Riise

Benayoune   Lucas    Mascherano  Babel
                    Kewell
                        Crouch   

Babel and Kewell interchanging during the game.

Agger hopefully getting a run out second half.

[bigmick]

I think "trap" game or not we will see a few changes for this game. I think Rafa will gamble big in this one before playing his strongest team in both of the next two games.

                Reina

Arbeloa     Hobbs    Hyypia      Riise

Benayoune   Lucas    Mascherano  Babel
                    Kewell
                        Crouch   

Babel and Kewell interchanging during the game.

Agger hopefully getting a run out second half.

Feck me saint if he does actually play that team and we don't win (which we probably wouldn't IMHO) I'd better enjoy the fact you can get a game of table tennis or get on the "Track and Field" whenever you want like you can now. We'd be overrun with the apprentice "pro's" seeing the light and the error of their ways.

Arsenal showeed tonight that if you are forced into a situatio where you can't play your best players, sooner or later the wheels will come off. They got by against villa despite the home team having the guts of possession (which is rare against Wengers men), but finally hit the wall tonight. Playing without Fabregas and to a lesser extent Flamini was bound to hurt, even when you have a World Cup winner to bring in as a replacement.

I know somebody will come in and say either "had they rotated more then the players they were bringing in would be more used to playing, more game hardened stc etc." Either that or they'll say "Had they rotated more they would have had less injuries".

Both arguments are of course utter b0ll0cks, but no matter. As far as the Reading game is concerned, we will win it easily and nobody will overly tire themselves out doing it provided we pick a sensible team. I'm not suggesting we pick necessarily our very strongest line-up, but we shouldn't think we can take the p!ss out of them either.

[account deleted by request]

I think "trap" game or not we will see a few changes for this game. I think Rafa will gamble big in this one before playing his strongest team in both of the next two games.

                Reina

Arbeloa     Hobbs    Hyypia      Riise

Benayoune   Lucas    Mascherano  Babel
                    Kewell
                        Crouch   

Babel and Kewell interchanging during the game.

Agger hopefully getting a run out second half.

Feck me saint if he does actually play that team and we don't win (which we probably wouldn't IMHO) I'd better enjoy the fact you can get a game of table tennis or get on the "Track and Field" whenever you want like you can now. We'd be overrun with the apprentice "pro's" seeing the light and the error of their ways.

Arsenal showeed tonight that if you are forced into a situatio where you can't play your best players, sooner or later the wheels will come off. They got by against villa despite the home team having the guts of possession (which is rare against Wengers men), but finally hit the wall tonight. Playing without Fabregas and to a lesser extent Flamini was bound to hurt, even when you have a World Cup winner to bring in as a replacement.

I know somebody will come in and say either "had they rotated more then the players they were bringing in would be more used to playing, more game hardened stc etc." Either that or they'll say "Had they rotated more they would have had less injuries".

Both arguments are of course utter b0ll0cks, but no matter. As far as the Reading game is concerned, we will win it easily and nobody will overly tire themselves out doing it provided we pick a sensible team. I'm not suggesting we pick necessarily our very strongest line-up, but we shouldn't think we can take the p!ss out of them either.

I don't want to play Carra as he has just been injured and has 4 yellow cards, I don't want to play Gerrard as I think we will need him rested and fit more than ever in the next two games, and I don't want to play Torres because he got kicked all over the park last time and was lucky not to get injured.

If are going to gamble I would prefer it was against a team like Reading, low on confidence and quality players. I don't think Babel is ready to be stuck up front but swopping positions with Kewell throughout the game would hopefully give us balance, pace, and goalthreat.

Plus I have got one selection totally right and 4 with only one wrong in our last five games, and I am sure that Rafa is copying my teams......... this will prove it

[ruskiy playmaker]

Great result today from the arsenal match.  They will loose some points in their next few games and this is a great chance for us to catch up. It is almost impossible to try and predict what kind of a lineup Rafa will choose for this game.  There are so many things to consider.  But I think that Rafa will rest either Torres or Gerrard for this game(probably Gerrard).

[Kharhaz]

Id prefer a strong lineup and get a 2-0 cushion then take off key players early in the second half. Get the 3 points in the bag first because as we all know if they are rested or not they can pick up injuries in training.

[poolboyuk]

If the argument is whether to play torres or not it shows the weakness of the forward line that we cant contemplate playing Reading away with out him. This is exactly the point Rafa made earlier in the season after we drew Birmingham at home.

For me Rafas problem (of his own making) is that the other forwards dont give us any pace or trickery. Crouch gives us something and when he was paired with Garcia with a midfield of Gerrard, Sissoko, Alsonso and Kewell we were nicely balanced. Now we have had a striker playing as a winger (Babel) and two forwards who have no pace, no great height but work hard! Its only in recent weeks with Torres back and Kewell beginning to make an appearance we have really looked like we can take teams apart - before that the results were due to determination and some good but not flowing football.

We really need another forward besides Torres who can make things happen out of nothing or one who has real pace - one of Voronin, Kuyt or Crouch need to be culled (Kuyt for me). Its ridiculous we are fretting about Reading away because we have another big game straight after. The squad should be able to cope!