Liverpool vs Tottenham [R]

[el-capitano]

i'll give it a go- not that any of us will be right ;)

---------------reina--------------

finnan------jc------agger------warnock

pennant-----xabi-----momo-----gerrard

-----------crouch------kuyt----------

dudek
bellamy
sami
garcia
gonzalez

[el-capitano]

After the tough away games it will be good to get a second home game in a row.

Bellamy does look like he's trying too hard at the moment, I'd bring him on late against the tiring defenders and start with the Robot Dancer.

If the Bella-whinger can poach a late goal it will all come good.

[Springbok FC]

As I said in the Toon thread, it's absolutely critical that we build up some momentum after our middling start. The strong performance against Newcastle coupled with how lousy Spurs look these first few weeks... and we're at home. No excuses, this should be another 3 points in the bag. Tottenham still haven't figured out how to create through the midfield since losing Michael Carrick, which means that Momo and Xabi should have an absolute field day controlling the middle of the park.

----------------Reina--------
Finnan----Carra----Agger------Fabio
------------Momo-------Alonso------
Gerrard------------------------Garcia
-------------Crouch------Kuyt---------

Subs:
Dudek
Hyypia (he seems to have been supplanted, eh?)
Pennant
Gonzales
Bellamy

[Red Bird]

As I said in the Toon thread, it's absolutely critical that we build up some momentum after our middling start. The strong performance against Newcastle coupled with how lousy Spurs look these first few weeks... and we're at home. No excuses, this should be another 3 points in the bag. Tottenham still haven't figured out how to create through the midfield since losing Michael Carrick, which means that Momo and Xabi should have an absolute field day controlling the middle of the park.

----------------Reina--------
Finnan----Carra----Agger------Fabio
------------Momo-------Alonso------
Gerrard------------------------Garcia
-------------Crouch------Kuyt---------

Subs:
Dudek
Hyypia (he seems to have been supplanted, eh?)
Pennant
Gonzales
Bellamy
Not a bad line-up. Garcia, though, tends to tire after a mid-week match so I'd put on the bench and start him against Galatasaray, instead. In his place I'd play Gonzalez whom we've seen rather little of. Also, I still think Bellamy (in the absence of Fowler) gives us better options in the box than the other two. But I'll happily go with your line-up. Echo the sentiments about three points and all that.

[Red Bird]

Berbatov (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/t/tottenham_hotspur/5315058.stm) is out for this match, which will give Jol an opportunity to unleash Defoe on us (or not as he seemingly has no faith in him).

[liverbird]

As I said in the Toon thread, it's absolutely critical that we build up some momentum after our middling start. The strong performance against Newcastle coupled with how lousy Spurs look these first few weeks... and we're at home. No excuses, this should be another 3 points in the bag. Tottenham still haven't figured out how to create through the midfield since losing Michael Carrick, which means that Momo and Xabi should have an absolute field day controlling the middle of the park.

----------------Reina--------
Finnan----Carra----Agger------Fabio
------------Momo-------Alonso------
Gerrard------------------------Garcia
-------------Crouch------Kuyt---------

Subs:
Dudek
Hyypia (he seems to have been supplanted, eh?)
Pennant
Gonzales
Bellamy

This it'd be my team

[Springbok FC]

Berbatov (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/t/tottenham_hotspur/5315058.stm) is out for this match, which will give Jol an opportunity to unleash Defoe on us (or not as he seemingly has no faith in him).

I expect it'll be Mido and Keane upfront to start.

[Ghostface]

Why has Robbie not been on the bench in the last 2 games? Did he get hurt?

[AussieLFCfan]

This it'd be my team

This looks like our best line up to me.....Garcia should see more game time, he's a special player and we always look more deadly in attack with him playing.

[Suss]

Why has Robbie not been on the bench in the last 2 games? Did he get hurt?

You only get 5 spots on the bench. It wouldn't make sense to have 2 strikers on the bench because there is no way Rafa would use both. Fowler is clearly 4th choice right now.

[el-capitano]

Fowler is clearly 4th choice right now.

As much as it pains me- you are correct. :(

[655321]

Jesus ********...ever single Liverpool league match thus far is an early morning and everyone has been on Setanta. Why would anyone sell the rights to a company that has FAR less viewers (due to exclusivity with DirectTV). It makes no sense to me and it's really pissing me off.

[Meta Tarsal]

Why would anyone sell the rights to a company that has FAR less viewers (due to exclusivity with DirectTV)?
Simple. For money.

Since rebranding itself, FSC has dumped/sublicensed a number of products, including but not limited to: Serie A, Le Championnat, Bundesliga, all international and provincial rugby union, rugby league and Aussie Rules.
Now, in order to recoup some of their investment on exclusive U.S. Premier League rights, they've shifted a bunch of games to Setanta for a few million quid.

Bottom line: FSC sucks and will only get worse. If you don't have or can't get Setanta, you're going to miss out on an awful lot in the coming years. If you like crap like FC Fox, Youth Soccer, college soccer, some (mostly crap) Prem matches and, blech, MLS, then FSC is the channel for you.

[ForeverRed]

Jesus ********...ever single Liverpool league match thus far is an early morning and everyone has been on Setanta. Why would anyone sell the rights to a company that has FAR less viewers (due to exclusivity with DirectTV). It makes no sense to me and it's really pissing me off.

I feel your pain man...


Weekends are the days I'm supposed to get some sleep but thats impossible with all these early morning games.

[ForeverRed]

Simple. For money.

Since rebranding itself, FSC has dumped/sublicensed a number of products, including but not limited to: Serie A, Le Championnat, Bundesliga, all international and provincial rugby union, rugby league and Aussie Rules.
Now, in order to recoup some of their investment on exclusive U.S. Premier League rights, they've shifted a bunch of games to Setanta for a few million quid.

Bottom line: FSC sucks and will only get worse. If you don't have or can't get Setanta, you're going to miss out on an awful lot in the coming years. If you like crap like FC Fox, Youth Soccer, college soccer, some (mostly crap) Prem matches and, blech, MLS, then FSC is the channel for you.

Because as well all know, thats how you build a sawker fan base in this country :rolleyes:

[655321]

Simple. For money.

Since rebranding itself, FSC has dumped/sublicensed a number of products, including but not limited to: Serie A, Le Championnat, Bundesliga, all international and provincial rugby union, rugby league and Aussie Rules.
Now, in order to recoup some of their investment on exclusive U.S. Premier League rights, they've shifted a bunch of games to Setanta for a few million quid.

I understand why they did it, I just wish someone would step in and say "hey, we have a lot of money to be made here in the long run...make the matches more available". This Setanta deal does NOTHING for the marketing of English soccer in America.

[Ghostface]

This Setanta deal does NOTHING for the marketing of English soccer in America.

Couldn't be more true. At least before I could go somewhere to watch the games on FSC...

[liverbird]

I understand why they did it, I just wish someone would step in and say "hey, we have a lot of money to be made here in the long run...make the matches more available". This Setanta deal does NOTHING for the marketing of English soccer in America.

If theye allowed this atrocity obviously they didn't care about marketing English soccer in America:

http://media.movieweb.com/galleries/3114/posters/poster1.jpg

[Meta Tarsal]

I understand why they did it, I just wish someone would step in and say "hey, we have a lot of money to be made here in the long run...make the matches more available". This Setanta deal does NOTHING for the marketing of English soccer in America.

Why should it?

It's not about marketing, it's about making money NOW. And FSC made more money by subbing out rights to Setanta than it was making through its (overpriced) PPV package.

How much money do you think there is to be made off Premiership rights in the US anyway? History suggests not much.

FSC has found the price for EXCLUSIVE Premiership rights in the U.S. to be cost-prohibitive. It has thus decided to share the burden with Setanta.
It's worth adding, however, that you're now getting more matches on FSC than you were in previous years: three on Saturday and two on Sunday.

If you have access to Setanta and FSC, you can now watch more Premiership matches than have ever been previously been available in the U.S. on a non-PPV basis.

How exactly is that a bad thing?

Millions of people have access to Setanta through DirecTV (and other platforms). When the likes of Dish Network and the cable giants eventually come on board, this won't be an issue.

Except, that is, until ESPN buys up the N. American rights later this year and then slaps almost all matches involving the "Big Four" on ESPN360 or some other similarly naff platform that nobody wants.

[wemess0]

Couldn't be more true. At least before I could go somewhere to watch the games on FSC...

I guess I'm fortunate to have a brother who lives close by and subscribes to DirecTV, but I'm loving the Setanta deal (although getting up at 7am on Saturdays is getting old).