A little while away, but why not start chatting about it now. Portsmouth are a tricky little away game. Obviously this will change if Carra & Gerrard come back in time, but at the moment, I'd go with an unchanged (NO ROTATION) lineup!!!!!! ---------------Reina-------------- Finnan----Sami---Swagger----Arbs Pennant---Alonso---Masch---Babel ---------Kuyt------Torres--------- Subs- Itjende, Yossi, Riise, Voronin, Momo As per the famous score prediction- 1 up & a clean sheet for the good guys!
Blasphemy!!! I'd go with this ----------------Reina----------------- Finnan----Agger--Sami------Arbeloa Pennant---Masch--Alonso------Riise -----------Crouch--Voronin------------- Subs: Itandje, Babel, Yossi, Sissoko, Torres
with the long trip to Australia I don't think El Jefecito plays in this one. Porto mid-week for him. -------Reina Finnan---sami-Agger ----Arbeloa Pennant--Xabi--SG-- Riise --------Torres---Kuyt Itanje Veronin Babel Momo Benayoun Crouch will start against Porto as will Benayoun, Babel and Mascherano
I think you have to put Crouch on the bench at least. You cannot relegate the lad to CL/Cup play. He has to believe he can be in the regular EPL squad, or he'll go walkabout.
Reina Finnan - Hyypia - Agger - Riise Pennant - Sissoko - Alonso - Babel Kuyt - Torres Itandje / Benayoun / Voronin / Arbeloa / Mascherano I'd like to see Crouchinho get a run but i'm sure Rafa will save him for Porto. Arbs to be saved for Porto too unless one of the back 4 get hurt.
Pompey 5 games 5 points Chel$ki pounded 1 past them for their 3 points and the gooners won 3-1 after Sederos was red carded. So, we have to win Like I said in an earlier post, Pompey are a good benchmark and have always given us problems, let's see how we handle this one, this time.
too early to even make a prediction. injuries over internationals could play a factor. but as was said, two of the big four have already taken three from them. i see us being able to grab a win away from home, regardless of lineup.
too charitable? i think an attacking side is the best option. they haven't kept a clean sheet yet. they gave up 2 to Derby County and 3 to Gunners. on the other side of the coin is that they played both ManU and Chelsea tough, drawing against a depleted Red Devils squad ( ni Rooney, ni Ronaldo ). the only match Pompey didn't score was Chelsea, but that's not surprising, really. Chelsea is extremely inconsistent this season. i think Benitez will try to win this match by being more offensive than Portsmouth, and i think that's the way to play it.
Agreed. Portsmouth is a tough place to play, and if we sit back and try and counter I think we will pay. Go out and attack them, don't wait for them to come at us. Here is how it will go. We score two quick ones, then Portsmouth will score one. Then late on while Portsmouth presses for a second goal we score.
I agree to an extent, but lets face it, Crouch is what he is and that is a 6m pounds striker on a team with a 20+m and a 12m pound striker. He isn't a first choice option anymore, and he needs to be satisfied with the time he does get. Does he want to play 38 league games or does he want to win medals?
due to portsmouths lack of true wingers, im hoping for pennant and babel (if he starts) to have cracking games and with masch we dont need to worry bout them even having a shot on goal
Reports say Finnan will probably miss this one. And even with Gerrard playing for Ingerland I'd be suprised to see him play 90 minutes here. So I'd try something a little different. -------------Reina-------------- -Arbeola--Hypia--Agger--Riise--- ----Sissoko--Mash--Alonso---- ---Pennent--Torres--Babel----- Portsmouth 1-2 Liverpool
Agh I can't stand this. Another whole week left before the game; I feel like a kid on christmas eve. God I hate international breaks
Stevie says foot's OK needs to get back into full game shape after not training too hard the last few weeks: http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N156934070909-0907.htm I am also now dead cert that Xabi starts this game as Mascherano will be flying back from OZ and Xabi will have to sit out for Spain after his send off in Iceland. . The question is do you start SG and bring on MOMo or the other way round. I'd start SG as if he's fighting fitness he should get a good warm up and then go as far as he can. I expect all our strikers to play Wednesday but Heskey may hold his place ahead of Crouch. That makes Crouch a likely selection.
I hear Torres, along with most of Spain, threw a hissy fit when he was taken off in the 57th minute in a close 1-1 draw against Iceland. Cue images of England's angst-ridden match Israel in Tel-Aviv. Aragones simply comes across as a Spanish McClaren. Feel sorry for Spain but a rested Alonso is good for us.
I wish Torres and Xabi would just stop playing for their NT, its an absolute joke with a total moron as coach. Any news on whether Stevie will play against the Ruskies?
Agreed, Aragones is a moron on and off the pitch. I don't think the question is if Stevie will play, it's who will partner him.
It will be Barry, both Hargreaves and Lampard are out of this one injured. As for the Portsmouth match, well we have struggled there in the past. Time to show this really is a new chapter and beat them soundly. I fancy Torres against their defenders. So lots of good possession and feed Torres early and often. Pennant should cause them a handful too.
---------------Reina---------------- -Arbeloa--Sami--Agger---Riise--- Pennant--Alonso-Sissoko--Babel ----------Torres--Voronin--------- Subs: Itandje, ?, Masch, Benayoun, Kuyt Changed my lineup due to internationals (Masch is playing in australia) and injuries (Finnan, Carra, SG). I think that with the pace and skill of Pennant, Babel, Torres, and Voronin we should be able to put a few away. I think Rafa could tell Sissoko and Alonso to play more defensively, Sissoko as the wrecker and Alonso as the holding midfielder. The only thing I am confused about is who to put on the bench as cover for our defense? Hobbs?
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11669_2719644,00.html Rafa's saying Carra is a possiblty for this game.
Last season we had our problems winning on the road. In fact, last time out at Fratton Park we started...... ----------------Dudek Arbeloa---Hyypia---Paletta---Insua Sissoko---Alonso---Zenden---Gonzalez ---------Fowler---Bellamy And we lost 2-1. This season we can’t afford to lose this fixture and our starting lineup is much improved. We should win this one 0-1 as they have already been bitten by the injury bug and their new players have yet to play well together. It is not going to be easy and Redknapp is a manager that always seems to find a way to pull the rabbit from the hat but I am confident that we are the better team in this fixture this season.