Spartak London v Liverpool [R]

[liverbird]

Lineup:

------Dudek
Finnan---SH--JC--JAR
Garcia---DiDI---Xabi--Kewell
----Baros---Cisse

Kirkland
Diao
Biscan
FSP
Josemi

Off Current form you'd have to say the smart bet would be them to win 1-0. Lets hope we can beat the smart money.

[nicephoras]

Do you really think you're going to play with 2 strikers, as opposed to Luis Garcia behind Cisse or Baros? Asking in all seriousness, as you just went to Greece and played the 4-5-1, so I would expect to see the same at the Bridge, no?

[liverbird]

Do you really think you're going to play with 2 strikers, as opposed to Luis Garcia behind Cisse or Baros? Asking in all seriousness, as you just went to Greece and played the 4-5-1, so I would expect to see the same at the Bridge, no?

Didn't work there so why not attack rather than sit back? In all seriousness. :D

[nicephoras]

Didn't work there so why not attack rather than sit back? In all seriousness. :D

It didn't work for years under Houllier - and there were no changes, so why now? In all seriousness. :p

[lackadaisical]

The 4-5-1 really has not been effective in the away games. Bolton, Manchester, and the game in Greece are examples. However, I think he'll probably stick with it.

[TruReds]

It didn't work for years under Houllier - and there were no changes, so why now? In all seriousness. :p

Houllier: Chelsea 0-1 Pool
Benitez: Chelski ?-? Pool

What didn't work? :confused:

[nicephoras]

Houllier: Chelsea 0-1 Pool
Benitez: Chelski ?-? Pool

What didn't work? :confused:

Houllier=fired.

That didn't work.

[usscouse]

Houllier=fired.

That didn't work.Whoops! You lose....Your mild mannered sarcasitic trolling didn't work on this one.... In all seriousness :)

We're away, with not a great away record so far. So I hope he doesn't go with one up front, We can probably do Chelsea a favour here and take that "Unbeaten" monkey off their back.

In all seriousness, I want your job. You have the time to post every day on every thread in here and you still get to go to Spain on "Business"
I haven't seen Spain since 1961....I hear Franco is out.

[655321]

Houllier: Chelsea 0-1 Pool
Benitez: Chelski ?-? Pool

What didn't work? :confused:

Oh, c'mon... :rolleyes:

I don't have time to go back and check out GH's record against Chelsea, but I can promise you he didn't have any sort of answer to them either.

[nicephoras]

Whoops! You lose....Your mild mannered sarcasitic trolling didn't work on this one.... In all seriousness :)

We're away, with not a great away record so far. So I hope he doesn't go with one up front, We can probably do Chelsea a favour here and take that "Unbeaten" monkey off their back.

In all seriousness, I want your job. You have the time to post every day on every thread in here and you still get to go to Spain on "Business"
I haven't seen Spain since 1961....I hear Franco is out.

Never been to Spain on business, sadly. Had to pay for that trip. And spending 7 hours delayed in Stockholm is not all its cracked up to be. (OK, no one suggests its that impressive in the first place.)

I hope for your sake (although not ours) you've straightened out your set piece defense problems, because we've been scoring quite freely from them.

P.S. If you're ready for my less mild mannered trolling, feel free to let me know. I'm idling in neutral. ;)

[nicephoras]

Houllier: Chelsea 0-1 Pool
Benitez: Chelski ?-? Pool

What didn't work? :confused:

Just off the top of my head, the game at Anfield (I'm pretty sure it was Anfield) where you needed to beat us to get 4th. We had just lost to relegated West Ham, when all we needed was a draw to clinch fourth. Instead, we now had to get that point against you. And, naturally, us being Chelsea, we won that game, which I think is the most significant game our two sides have played in quite some time.

[skipshady]

Just off the top of my head, the game at Anfield (I'm pretty sure it was Anfield) where you needed to beat us to get 4th. We had just lost to relegated West Ham, when all we needed was a draw to clinch fourth. Instead, we now had to get that point against you. And, naturally, us being Chelsea, we won that game, which I think is the most significant game our two sides have played in quite some time.
That was at the Bridge. If I'm not ridiculously mistaken, it was the first time Liverpool finished the season at Chelsea since the Double season.

But yeah, the 15 million pound match was a huge heartbreaker.

[nicephoras]

That was at the Bridge. If I'm not ridiculously mistaken, it was the first time Liverpool finished the season at Chelsea since the Double season.

But yeah, the 15 million pound match was a huge heartbreaker.

Whoops - so it was. My mind must be going. Makes my point stronger though. :)

[Matt Clark]

Our record at the Bridge under Houllier was utterly shambolically horrible. He took us there six times and the record was 4-1, 2-1, 2-0, 3-0, 4-0 and then, finally, 0-1. It was, last season apart, habitually our worst performance of the season, home or away (to be fair to Ged, that's a tendency that extends back beyond his reign. We were shit there under Evans too - who could forget the 4-2 FA Cup game?)

By that record, Sunday should not be anything to get excited about.

Whoever said it earlier is right - setpieces will be key. WE need to get this zonal marking thing right, or we could be in trouble. Also, if you ask me the sheer one-nillery of Chelsea's start to the season has been troubling. Teams that do that tend to have a right battering of someone just itching to come out.

[Boundzy]

What I would like to see:
-----------JD
Josemi - SH - JC - JAR
Garcia - Xabi - DH - HK
-----Baros - Cisse


What I think Rafa will do:
-----------JD
Josemi - SH - JC - JAR
Finnan - Xabi - DH - HK
--------Garcia
--------Cisse

To state the obvious, we have certainly looked better at home. I hope that Rafa will employ the “Home Formation” on Sunday to instill some confidence in the team while away from Anfield. However, I think Rafa believes in his “away system” and in his players’ abilities to succeed in this system, so I expect to see the 4-4-1-1.

Keys to Three:
1. Possession, Possession, Possession.
2. Improved understanding and implementation of the zonal defense on set pieces.
3. Disturbingly effective Page 2 Jumping Bean.
4. SuperElf as a pbp consumer, rather than provider. ;)

My optimistic heart says: Chelsea 1-2 LFC, with Garcia setting up easy chances for Cisse and HK. Realism says: Chelsea 2-1 LFC, with Terry scoring on a header from a corner and Drogba scoring during a frantic scramble in front of goal.

[Liverpool_SC]

What I would like to see:
-----------JD
Josemi - SH - JC - JAR
Garcia - Xabi - DH - HK
-----Baros - Cisse


What I think Rafa will do:
-----------JD
Josemi - SH - JC - JAR
Finnan - Xabi - DH - HK
--------Garcia
--------Cisse

To state the obvious, we have certainly looked better at home. I hope that Rafa will employ the “Home Formation” on Sunday to instill some confidence in the team while away from Anfield. However, I think Rafa believes in his “away system” and in his players’ abilities to succeed in this system, so I expect to see the 4-4-1-1.

Keys to Three:
1. Possession, Possession, Possession.
2. Improved understanding and implementation of the zonal defense on set pieces.
3. Disturbingly effective Page 2 Jumping Bean.
4. SuperElf as a pbp consumer, rather than provider. ;)

My optimistic heart says: Chelsea 1-2 LFC, with Garcia setting up easy chances for Cisse and HK. Realism says: Chelsea 2-1 LFC, with Terry scoring on a header from a corner and Drogba scoring during a frantic scramble in front of goal.

Chel$ki have been running more or a 4-3-3 lately (according to Nicephoras) with:

Duff-Drogba-Gudjohnson
Lampard-Makalele-Smertin/Tiago
Bridge-Carvalho-Terry-Gallas
Cech

If that is the case, it may affect our strategy quite a bit, as Chelsea will be seeking to hold the ball higher up the field than if they were playing more of a 4-4-2.

I am afraid given Hamann's tendencies, our linking play will stink if we use a 4-4-2. With the 4-4-1-1 (if Alonso and Garcia are on their games) we might be able to put a bit more pressure on Makalele and find space between the defense and midfield.

Cisse will really need to get his movement/anticipation in psynch with Garcia if we are going to have many chances. This would be a great game for Kewell to finally show some explosiveness too, as it could really help disrupt Chelsea's possession if he (very unlikely) keeps Gallas under a lot of pressure and requires support from the midfield/central defense.

[SuperElf]

1. Possession, Possession, Possession.
2. Improved understanding and implementation of the zonal defense on set pieces.
3. Disturbingly effective Page 2 Jumping Bean.
4. SuperElf as a pbp consumer, rather than provider. ;)Deal. (We are awesome in cups when I do PbP, though . . .)

Isn't it about time to be afraid?

[liverbird]

Wife will be out of town so MiniLB and I have a football festival planned. Watch the City game in the am Saturday, go to the Swamp on a Screaming Eagles bus trip for DCU-MetroScum game, get home late, then wake up in time to catch Liverpool at our local, finish with his team's game that afternoon. So I won't be doing comms. I'm enthusiastic -- its time for some break through away victories for all of my teams! YNWA!

[Bjornebye]

Wife will be out of town so MiniLB and I have a football festival planned. Watch the City game in the am Saturday, go to the Swamp on a Screaming Eagles bus trip for DCU-MetroScum game, get home late, then wake up in time to catch Liverpool at our local, finish with his team's game that afternoon. So I won't be doing comms. I'm enthusiastic -- its time for some break through away victories for all of my teams! YNWA!

Guess you're not troubled by Dundee United, then...

:)

Stig

[usscouse]

Guess you're not troubled by Dundee United, then...

:)

StigWhat did Dundee United ever do to LB and why does he hate them...???