Liverpool FC Forum

by **Bad Bob** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 2:16 am

Right. We pulled off the great escape in the Champions League and maybe, just maybe, put to bed any notion of Rafa's imminent demise in the bargain. Tremendous job done and yet more evidence that you should never, ever count out Liverpool Football Club when it comes to European cup football.

Moreover, we can now put the Champions League out of our mind until late February and concentrate on the main task at hand. It starts with the visit of the defending champions on Sunday. We've yet to solve the mystery that is Man United under Rafa (in the league) but there's no time like the present to exorcise that ghost. Reading aside, we are in a rich vein of form at the moment and should fear no team. They're coming to our patch and they are going to have to play a blinder to take something from the game. They must believe that and, more importantly, we must believe that. I hope that Rafa lets the lads know that this is another cup final on Sunday and invokes a similar response as we saw tonight.

Looking beyond the classic "six pointer" with United, we have to be on our toes for the foreseeable. A Carling Cup quarter final at Stamford Bridge looms and it's a tricky proposition. On the one hand, I'd advocate focusing on the league during this festive season and letting the chips fall where they may in this cup but, then again, this is Chelsea and that gives the match that extra bit of significance. I think Rafa will chop and change (when does he not?) but he won't put out the reserves.

After that we have a very vital home match to Portsmouth to consider. No mugs these lads, as we've already found out this season and we know they are adept at coming to Anfield and parking the bus. As Arsenal will host Spurs that weekend, while Chelsea travel to Blackburn and the Mancs host a surprisingly on-form Everton, we might close some (more) ground on the leaders if we do our job against Pompey and the results go our way elsewhere.

That will take us into a Boxing Day trip to Derby, which I can't see being anything other than a belated Christmas present for the lads. It's Wigan at home a week after that--another 3 points we should be taking without too much bother. Interestingly, there's a week of rest for us between the Derby and Wigan fixtures, while all of our rivals are in weekend action (with some challenging opponents in the bargain). So, we'll have another game in hand by the first week in January but we'll also have enjoyed just about the kindest fixture list of the festive period in relation to our title rivals. Let's hope we can build on this recent form and take complete advantage.

So, I'm cautiously optimistic that, if we stay focused and if Rafa decides not to revisit the Newcastle/Reading approach, we might just blaze through the festive season and put ourselves in a very good position come January. Then, with the transfer window open and players like Alonso, Agger, Finnan and Pennant hopefully back...who knows what 2008 will bring!

by **metalhead** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 8:50 am

Good post Bob.

Lets keep the momentum going in the League starting against Mancs. IMO, Benitez should forget about the League cup (I wouldn't mind if he won it though) and concentrate on the league games that are coming up.

When you look at it, the key point is making sure that are squad are fit, i.e Torres, Carragher, Gerrard and etc... not getting anymore injuries that would distrupt our formation. If they stay fit, then I have no worries that we will do well this season.

by **andy_g** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 9:26 am

man city at their place will be no walk in the park though the rest of the games til feb shouldn't see us losing any points. but we're going to have to pick up plenty of points, form, momentum and maybe even another player or two to make sure we successfully navigate what will be a very, very tricky march and early april. that's where the season will be decided for us and at no time before.

by **NJD83** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 10:05 am

Well Saturday is huge now, Chelsea and Arsenal draw and we do United, the Reading game is long forgoten and we will be right back in the hunt for number 19. Think Kewell has made a big difference when he has played with keeping his position and great workrate, he will be key to stopping Ronaldo on Sunday.

Come on lads.

by **Sabre** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 12:43 pm

Good thread Bad Bob. I'm not that cautiously optimistic as you are. I'm very optimistic right now.

One of the concerns of the forum mates was that with this sillyness of Rafa you can beat cráp teams because they're cráp but Manchester United game could be different.

IMHO, we reach to this crucial game in a great state of confidence. Just like I think we lacked some depth in the past to actually win the league, I think that having a man like Torres in good form is crucial to win a game like Manchester United, that can be resolved by a touch of class of a player like this. It's not only that it will be probably a head ache in Ferguson's head right now, it's always positive to have a striker in very good form and Torres is.

Standings table wise I think the proper thing to do is to look at it in March, but about the comments you make about our inmediate future:

The Carling Cup game is more a nuisance that something I want to win right now, I'd rest many players for that competition. With al due respect to it, we cannot afford to lose much more points for other competitions, and we should focus in the league.

For the Boxing day games I hope we recover Alonso. It's a tricky part of the season and many games are played in few days, it will be important to have Alonso and Agger to make proper rotations and not playing the same quality players 3 games in a row.

FFS, Be optimistic, if we beat Manchester United, Peewee's happy days thread will have to be bumped, because it will be indeed happy days.

by **Bad Bob** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 12:57 pm

Sabre, I will certainly be fully optimistic if we get a win against Man U. We've shown some truly convincing form against many teams of late and if we can carry that over into a dominant performance against the champs, complete with goals and all three points, I'll be very satisfied. It will set a real marker down were we to beat them on Sunday, without question.

What heartens me of late, though, is the sheer number of goals we are putting away. Torres has obviously been a big part of that, as has a resurgent Steven Gerrard. But, we're also getting goals from others and we are simply carving teams open. For so long we've struggled to create goal scoring opportunities, let alone goals, but something has finally clicked into place. For me, it's down to good players finally showing their quality and not due to any prominent tactical reshuffles. But, we are starting to put teams to the sword early as well as score crucial goals late--which are both the mark of bona fide title challengers. If we can add the jewel in the crown--taking 3 points off of title rivals like Man U--I'll be thrilled.

Whatever happens on Sunday, though, it is vital that we keep focused during the subsequent matches. There's no point besting Man U only to fall to Portsmouth or Wigan later in the month.

by **Owzat** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 2:44 pm

Honestly the Reading defeat wouldn't have mattered if we hadn't been drawing too many games this season. In Rafa's three previous seasons in charge the most games he drew was 12 and we've drawn 7 already this season. That is what makes up the gap, Arsenal have won games while we've drawn too often. We need to target/win 27 games in a season for the league title, people count the losses and say "you can't lose more than................." but the truth is you need 85+ points these days so you could in theory say win 30 and lose 8 and win the league.

Shame is we could have gone into the manc game on the back of seven straight wins and unbeaten in ten, losing to such an average side as Reading is bound to convince the mancs they've nothing to fear - that and they're ongoing run of luck in our recent meetings. Could do with an injury or two tonight to add some weaknesses to their team, they won't surely play a completely second XI. Perhaps the best thing about last night is not only did we win 4-0, but we suffered no injuries. Unfortunately Agger may not be risked even if he is fit again, not having played at all. Put Carra on the portugese diver and not Sami, maybe even have Javier double up on him

by **andy_g** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 3:45 pm

Owzat wrote:losing to such an average side as Reading is bound to convince the mancs they've nothing to fear

excuse the selected quoting of your post...

but its not as if the mancs are going to be playing as poor a formation or selection of players for that formation as reading did. and they'll know that. ferguson may be a wine and whisky soaked pain i the a.rse but he's nobody's fool.

by **NJD83** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 4:48 pm

Would you take a point on Sunday?

by **JoeTerp** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 6:59 pm

what about the moved West Ham game? wont that have to be played soon?

by **Bad Bob** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 7:04 pm

JoeTerp wrote:what about the moved West Ham game? wont that have to be played soon?

I've not heard anything on that front, Joe. It's unlikely to be scheduled during the festive season, though, as West Ham have a full program throughout December and early January.

by **Magz** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 7:12 pm

This game certainly looms as a make or break for our league aspirations this season. Hopefully we can keep our momentum and more importantly our "cup final" mentality going into this game. I'd preferably keep the same team going in as it'll help alot with our initial flow, keep the players familiar with the game plan and push ahead early on. last thing we need is the Scum getting their tails up early against us.

Torres i have a feeling will be the X Factor in this game, we'll go as well as his finishing goes, if he stays on form we could beat the scum by more than a few goals. However if our strikers get shutdown by Vaginaface and Turtleneck then we may be in deep :censored:

.

by **bigmick** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 9:27 pm

NJD83 wrote:Would you take a point on Sunday?

Well I wouldn't "take" a draw as of now, because in all probability we need to win the game. We've already had two out of the other three big four teams go to Anfield and we haven't beaten either (although of course we were absolutely fecking robbed against Chelsea) so we will probably need to beat one at some stage, and doing it at home is obviously easier than it will be on the run in, away.

That said, if it's 1-1 with ten minutes left I wouldn't be going all gung-ho. A draw would be by no means an absolute disaster, whereas a defeat almost certainly would be IMHO. We need to ambitious and aggressive, but we simply cannot afford to lose the game in my view.

by **yckatbjywtbiastkamb** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 11:51 pm

united have enjoyed a lot of luck at anfield in recent years.
wether it be dudek letting the ball go through his legs or carragher scoring own goals or even last year when they mugged us of 3 points its about time we got the rub of the green.
they never seem to have us under the cosh in fact most games seem to be going nowhere and heading for a draw but then they always seem to get a break.
that game where rooney scored infront of the kop, the ball bobbled over the keeper........we cant afford to keep giving them cheap goals like that.
whatever happens on sunday we`ve got to make them work hard for anything they get out of the game, no gifts this year!!!

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