Liverpool Football Club

[LovejoyLass]

Tonights game which kicks off this evening.... Very soon.

The line up is looking likely to be:

Team in full: Reina, Finnan, Warnock, Agger, Carragher, Sissoko, Zenden, Aurelio, Pennant, Kuyt, Bellamy. Subs - Dudek, Hyypia, Gerrard, Garcia, Gonzalez, Alonso, Crouch.

Not a bad line up but 6 changes!!! Alonso and Gerrard on the bench and Zenden in the centre of midfield.

Kuyt and Bellamy together upfront. That's what I am liking to see. But why are we starting without Gerrad AND Alonso.

I know I said to drop Sissoko/Alonso, but to drop BOTH Gerrard and Alonso and to play Zenden.

No offense but he is not great in the centre.

It's going to be nice to see Aurelio play on the left.... I have only ever really seen him play at left-back which is where I thought he might play....

I hope for a nice good result, but it's going to be a difficult game. Away from home I would like to see a win beecause it gives us that advantage but I would settle for a draw.

[StephenG]

Liverpool Manager Rafael Benitez defending his selection policy - http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/h.....333822.stm - this morning.

Steven Gerrard, Xabi Alonso, Sami Hyppia and Peter Crouch all started on the bench for Liverpool, despite playing in the 3 - 0 Merseyside derby defeat to Everton (sorry for mentioning this, Liverpool fans ), last Saturday. I didn't see all of the game last night, unfortunately, but from what I did see, Liverpool looked pretty comfortable at the back, apart from the occasion when Kone got the ball and left the Liverpool Defenders floundering, ran to the edge of the Liverpool penalty area and unleashed a shot that had Goalkeeper Pepe Reina grasping at thin air, only to see it crash off the crossbar.

Reina was lucky himself in the second half, not to leave the pitch with a neck brace on, carried on a stretcher and exiting PSV Eindhoven's Phillips Stadion in an Ambulance, after Farfan shoved Jamie Carragher into the Goalkeeper's path (who was trying to punch out a long ball into the Liverpool box), he then collided with the Liverpool Defender and was sent cartwheeling through the air and falling to the ground and landing on his head/neck. Steven Gerrard came on as a substitute and nearly won it for the away side with a half volley.

I know what Rafa Benitez has said in his statement, this morning, but I imagine that he must have had at least one eye on Sundays mouthwatering clash with Chelsea in the English Premier League. And I very much doubt that Rafa Benitez would have wanted to go into the game without his matchwinning players missing through injury IF the had picked up a knock. I would expect all four players listed in the first paragraph to start on Sunday at Stamford Bridge, and with Manchester United v Arsenal to follow, it's an armchair Football fans smorgasbord of entertainment.

[krt]

Anyone else notice LKiverpool being far from their prime? Obviously, there was the 0-3 loss against Everton but even in today's match against PSV in Champions League, they didn't impress much (mind you, PSV didn't either). For those that don't know, it ended 0-0. Having said that, we not necessarily should, but definitely could have gotten away with a 1-0 win considering our changes, Gerrard's great shot was among 2 or 3 shots that hit the woodwork... A positive though is a decrease in stupid mistakes - especially in defense and an overall improvement on last match.

[LovejoyLass]

We certainly aren't at our best at the minute but I would rather be as we are now, than be slogging it out with Arsenal at the bottom of the table at the minute. I know Arsenal won't be there long, but they have had a far worrse start than us considering.....

I can imagine that Rafa did have his eye on the Chelsea clash at the weekend, and players like Gerrard and Hyypia are important to keep 100% fit and ready for the game at the weekend.

I was first to frown at the screen when I saw the line-up's for last night, I wandered what the hell was going on..... But considering we didn't have the usual faces on the pitch, I think we did ok....

Stephen Warnock looked fairly decent at left back so perhaps he should be conisdered in the side against Chelsea at the weekend, seeing as Riise will be unfit, and Aurelio looked nice out on the left wing as well so I would even consider keeping him there, unless Rafa wants to put Gonzalez there instead.

As for the striking partnerships, well I would be inclined to keep Kuyt and Bellamy together, they look to be playing off each other perfectly, and I hope they could be a high scoring partnership this season.

Rafa said this on the Liverpool website....

[West_ham_hammer]

[LovejoyLass]

[West_ham_hammer]

[LovejoyLass]

Big clubs maybe, but not the biggest, well that's just what my opinion was.... I would rather take what I see as the smaller teams than the bigger teams like Madrid, Barca and Lyon.......

I think we could get through this group and I hope we do.

We will just have to wait and see....

[krt]

West_ham_hammer, I also have the stance that our group is not too hard. The game with PSV was not a very good indicator with below average performances from both sides. Besides that, PSV is probably the better of the other 3 teams in the group and considering we were so close to winning with a crossbar and another that hit the upright, I'd say we are doing well.

I don't know too much about Bordeaux but I can comfortably say they will have to pull something spectacular to proceed from the group stage. As for Galatasaray, I know them very well as a strong supporter of Fenerbahce, another Turkish team and Galatasaray do not look like their going to do much either. Their performances in the Super Lig this year have also been sub-standard, especially considering they were league champions last year.

[West_ham_hammer]

Well I think we are all going to have to agree to disagree on this one. Otherwise we will be debating this until the cows come home (Or Liverpool do)
We can argue next season when West Ham are in it.

[Shearer's Shirt]

Todays thrilling game against Chelski was not only a well fought game but one I think Liverpool should have won. All the Liverpool players played well and deserved the win, especially when Chelsea went down to ten men in the second half after Michael Ballack was sent off for violent conduct for the foul on Sissoko. A good game spoilt by the Chelsea win if you ask me and Steven Gerrard proved once again what a class player he is.
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[West_ham_hammer]

Liverpool were very unlucky not to walk away with anything today. Once again Chelsea got lucky. Having said that Ballack was unlucky to go for that challenge. The referee made a complete balls up in sending him off.

[SE13]

I am still debating the decision to send off Michael Ballack. I really do not think that the challenge was intensional, after all he is a seasoned professional, and would not deliberatlely attempt to finish off the career of a fellow professional, not to mention that that was his first ever red card in football.

All that aside, Chelsea have a habit of picking up lucky wins, often against the odds, much as they did for several stretches of last season. Ones mind recalls their game against Wigan Athletic, where Chelsea were outplayed for ninety minutes, and scored on the break at the very death of the game, and were awarded three points instead of a single point for the draw. This and other occasions during the season helped them to eventually lift The Crown.

Liverpool proved on Sunday that they are a match for Chelsea, and the result aside, are more than capable of pushing Chelsea to the very end of the season, and possibly lifting The Premiership themselves.
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It feels so empty without a signature, so here is some mindless gabble to occupy the space

[woosaah]

Chelsea didn't deserve to win! I was so wishing that Liverpool would send them home packing... or atleast giving them another 2-1 scoreline.

As for Ballack's card... I didn't know that that was his first red card? Wow...

[Dioufy]

Liverpool were lucky to escape tonight, 3-0 up t half-time, I bet you though you had it won.

Now you have the hard task of travelling to Bolton and getting some points.

"BIG SAM'S BARMY ARMY"