Liverpool v. Internazionale [R] 1st Leg

Oh boy.

This could either be Rafa's saving grace and a much needed burst of confidence OR the final nail in his coffin and another humiliating chapter in our disapointing season.

 

Not likely, but it's what I'd like to see (assuming Agger is still out):

---------------------Reina-------------------

Finnan-------------Carra---------------Arbs

----------Lucas------------Masch-----------

Pennant-----------Gerrard------------Babel

------------Kuyt--------Torres--------------

Bench: Itandje, Crouch, Yossi, Skrtel, Hyppia, Riise, Xabi

I think if Rafa can win this game, he can lose at the San Siro, but only if he grabs fourth in the league.

 

three in the back huh thats pretty daring, considering Rafas job is on the line

 

Rafa's job being on the line is exactly why I say put three in the back. A home draw will suffice, sure, but a win rekindles both the team and the supporters. Ibrahimovic may be the top scorer in the CL, but if Liverpool can control the pace of play in the middle and play mistake-free ball, I think they can contain Inter's offense and pull out a needed win.

 

If Leiva and







mascherano have a good game than your prob right Pool could control the game...are Leiva and Masch that much better than Momo?

 

A side note from the Barnsley match. Just seen Benitez being interviewed by BBC. He was absolutley seething and without using so many words blamed the strikers. Expect a massive change on Tuesday.

Whihch bring sme back on topic. At their best, Mascherano and Sissoko were almost as good as each with former just shading it because he rarely wastes a pass. Sissoko, however, alarmingly declined after a shoulder injury with his passing rapidly going potty.

As for the defenders, three at the back is what has won us many crunch games in the past when Benitez has had to gamble. I expect a gamble but not recklessness. Alonso, Gerrard and Mascherano in central midfield wouldn't be too bad. For all that he gave the ball away for their equaliser, I thought Alonso did pretty well against Barnsley. The real problem, as royalstilton and others implicitly pointed out in the Barnsley match thread, is who plays with Torres up front with neither Crouch nor Kuijt exactly covering themselves in glory yesterday. I'd take a gamble and put one of Babel, Benayoun or Kewell behind Torres. The other two can then fight it out for the other wide position.

I'm assuming Agger is still out:-

-----------------------Reina----------------------------
----------Skrtle----------Hyypia---------Carragher---------
---Pennant-----Gerrard----Mascherano------Alonso----Kewell/Babel
----------------------Benayoun------------------------------
------------------------------------Torres------------------------

Subs:-
Itandje
Riise
Kewell/Babel
Leiva
Finnan
Crouch
San Jose

My suspicion is that, with Pennant on one wing, Benitez will start with Crouch and play narrow on the left with Riise as left wing-back.

 

I hope we stick with a 4-4-2, so I'm going with:

-----------------Reina-------------------
Finnan------Carra-----Hyypia--------Arb's
Yossi------Gerrard------Masch------Babel
------------Crouch-----Torres-----------

 

-----------reina
finnan--carra--sami--arbs
--------masch---xabi
pennant----SG-------Babel
-----------Torres

this is exactly the type of game that Rafa will play conservative in. he is going to play SG behind torres hoping to 'negate' some of inter's dominance in the midfield, when he should realize we're at home and Inter should be adjusting to our tactics.

 

Alonso is one of the best options for us, especially on form, but do you think he has enough match time under his belt to be fit enough and recovered from injury to properly deal with what Inter throws our way? That's my biggest concern with him as a starter.

 

This formation can work as long as we attack the box in numbers when we have the ball. More likely, however, the ball will be lumped over the mid fielders' heads to a frustratingly isolated Torres who will be hemmed in by 5 Inter players while the nearest Liverpool player is closer to the centre-line than the 18 yard area.

 

Took a whole day to get over yesterday. I don't hold much positive thoughts for this game. Torres and Crouch up front. Sami and JC at the back. Can't have a guy coming back after 4 months to mark Imbrimovoc. Mash, Gerrard, Pennat and Babel. Pick any of our crap fullbacks. I am praying for a miracle.

 

I'd go with that (maybe Arbs @ RB and Riise @ LB), Babel often teaming up w/ Torres up top (our best hopes these days)

will Inter's midfield be that dominant?

this bit suggests not:

link

Rafa isn't possibly going to start Harry, is he?

 

if you want to get a little fired up for Inter you may want to check out Inter '65: The True Story on lfctv @ 4PM ET

it's archived as well

 

I'm still having trouble with yesterday. Losing, the way we lost and the reactions from so called Liverpool fans and the everpresent trolls.

So let's look at this as a fresh start. We're the freaking HOME TEAM. It's not the time to hide in a shell play for a draw and hope they give up a goal on the break at the San Siro.

We Need a win specifically a Clean sheet win. We need to play some real and attractive football to do it as well.

If they score first.....we're in deep dark chocolate kaka, I worry about our ability to come back without leaving us open for more.

Two goals (2-0) for us might do the trick. They'll have to come at us after that and make for an interesting series. But I'm not the foundation of confidence right at the moment.

 

Liverpool always restore their grace in Champions League and manage to shock their opponents everytime.

However what makes this game slightly different is the unorthodox opponent involved. Inter plays some very conservative, monotone football which doesn't exactly do Liverpool any favors I think.

I still think Liverpool is going to win this series, I predicted it back in January and I'm sticking by that prediction.

 

I might be stepping on some toes but Fabio, Kewell, and Riise don't belong on a champions league team. I'm not high on Arbs but we don't have much choice.


-------------Reina-------------
Finnan----Skrtel-----Carra-----Arbs
-----------Macherano-----------
-Benayoun-----------------Pennant
------------Gerrard------------
-----Torres--------------Babel-----

Of course that won't happen, but I think it'd be our best bet. Finnan and Arbs aren't good enough but they're the best we got. The combination of Hyypia giving up some odd balls and him overall being old, I would rather Skrtel get a run out after his great game against Chelsea. Macherano and Gerrard are locks. Say what you want about Benayoun, he is our most dangerous winger. Pennant isn't good enough but Kewell is shocking so we'll run him out. Babel and Torres running at you all game is enough to make any defense soil themselves, otherwise put Crouch up front and Babel on the left instead of Pennant.

Despite how sick to death I am about yesterday, I could still see us winning this game. So 2-1 to the good.

 

All good thoughts..... but 2-1 for us at Anfield and I'm afraid this thing is done. They'd only need one goal in the San Siro to win. As our friend from Milan states they're a well organized defensive team.

 

As much as I disliked everything and anything associated with Liverpool last year. I must say that this Tuesday I'm becoming a reds fan myself.

I have a deep, burning hatred for Inter, and hope the worst for them every year.

Since I doubt most of you Liverpool fans have been able to watch Inter this year in the serie A. Let me give you a very unbiased scouting report. Inter is the biggest fraud team in Europe. Even the Italian commentators have admitted to their luck. They've been basically handed a number of games by dubious referee decisions. I've watched every Inter game this season, and I can tell you guys that this is a team that has been OUTPLAYED/OUTCLASSED by the likes of Catania/Parma and other serie A bottom dwellers.

GO LIVERPOOL!

 

Just thought id post this here
Inters likely starting lineup:

JC
Maicon Cordoba Materazzi Chivu
Zanetti Vieira Cambiasso Stankovic
Ibra Cruz

Another possibility is Chivu playing in midfield instead of Vieira (not match fit, hasnt played much this season) and Maxwell coming in at LB who has been impressive recently.

Samuel and Dacourt are out which is a blow for them since they were playing so well but they have more than enough cover.

Crouch would be nullified by Materazzi so I wouldnt start him. Will be interesting to see how Cordoba deals with Torres though, he could struggle. BTW, is Torres fully fit for this game? or is he a doubt? Watch out for Suazo if he comes off the bench, could cause your backline some problems and Crespo also, he always seems to score against Liverpool but he's been having some troubles recently.

 

Two different styles here. Inter players seem to be very patient and deliberately slow and speed the tempo. Very comfortable on the ball. What we must avoid doing is launch aimless high balls forward to an isolated forward line. If we do that, we shan't see the ball for the following 4 minutes.

Saw the match against Livorno (who played 3-5-2). One match isn't enough to judge a match, But there is a pattern to their play which is very efficient. Having said that, Livorno could also have scored had they been more confident (as we could have against Barnsley, I guess). Inter's two goals against came from set-pieces, or properly from deliveries from wide areas, both scored by Suazo. They were both well-taken. Stankovic and Maxwell on the left and Maicon isn't a slouch either and. We need to close down their wide players and in the event that one one them slips a cross, not only must we be able to head clear the ball, we also need to get the second balls. I thought their centre-halves looked a bit dodgy when "ran at" but so are most defenders. I guess that simply makes them humans.

Just as we rested Gerrard (Tores was injured, so doesn't count), they also rested Ibrahimovic and Materazzi, presumably with Tuesday in mind. They have a very good bench, too, probably better than ours, although that mainly is down to Bentitez's inflexibility more than anything else. I can't see their second string scoring only 1 goal from 26 attempts with 13 on target Our old friend Crespo is also alive and well and he still possess a good touch. A bit slow, perhaps, which will suit Hyypia well, were he to play. But Suazo will skin him alive; he'll skin anybody alive. He is seriously quick and kept chasing down seemingly lost causes.

As for us, yesterday was a freak result which happens in Cup competitions, perhaps rarer now than in previous years. We have a new game and a new situation. But we have to be at our best to match them. Not the last-week-at-Stamford Bridge good. Marseille and Besiktas good. And more.

So, come on red men!

 

Hmm ... interesting that both centre-halves who started yesterday may not start on Tuesday.

Saw Suazo and he was a constant threat. As for Crouch, his real threat is from he uncertainties he brings rather than from the air. If anything, he's better on the deck.

 

Well fuck...I go away for a weekend to watch some college kids kick the shit out of each other. (Go UND Fighting Sioux btw swept Denver University). Things have gone to hell in a handbasket.

Fan confidence...low. Player confidence...low. Manager...under fire.
Perfect makings for an upset win...maybe.

I'll go with this team.

-----------------------Reina------------------------
Finnan-------Carra-----------Skrtel-------Arbeloa
Gerrard------Masch----------Alonso-----------Riise
--------------Crouch----------Torres------------------

Subs
Itandje
Hyypia
Babel
Lucas
Kewell
Pennant
Kuyt

 

Under normal circumstances I could perhaps agree but things are absolutley abysmal at Liverpool at the moment and this could very well be Inter's year the way they have been playing. We showed in the group stages that we CAN play poorly even in the Champions League.

If we are going to beat Inter every single player will have to play the game of their season and what are the odds of that happening?

I pray to God I'm wrong!

 

OT, I know, but I didn't get to comment on the FA Cup tie.

All I have to say is Itandje was poor on both goals. Not that anyone our team played spectacular.