I wish we knew whether Kewell or Alonso are ever going to get back into form. Either way, moving Babel and Benayoun to forward would give them more time on the field, and look something like this... ----------Reina------------ Finnan--Carra---Hyypia---Aurelio --------Masherano----------- ------------Alonso----------- -----Pennant-----------Gerrard --Benayoun/Babel-------------- --------------------Torres----- or ----------Reina------------ Finnan--Carra---Hyypia---Aurelio --------Masherano----------- ------------Gerrard----------- -----Pennant-----------Kewell --Benayoun/Babel-------------- --------------------Torres-----
Certainly good lineups...one which i posted a week or two earlier as it is my preference/favourite. However, IMO, it would look more like this (with all players fit). In possession ___________Reina___________ _____Carra________Agger____ Finnan_____Masch___________ Pennant____Gerrard____Aurelio _______Kewell_______________ __________Torres____Babel___ Not in possession ___________Reina___________ Finnan__Carra__Agger__Aurelio ______Gerrard___Masch______ Pennant____Kewell_______Babel ___________Torres__________ Aurelio and Pennant to provide the width and crossing. Kewell/Yossi to be the playmaker in the hole while swapping positions with Babel, both players to have very free roaming roles. Carra and Agger would move slightly towards the touchline with Masch acting as the pivot in the centre of the field. Gerrard is the box-to-box energetic player, who would make runs past Kewell and Torres. The front 5 of Pennant, Gerrard, Kewell, Babel and Torres would all be able to attack defenders from different positions and angles on the pitch as well as interchange with each other with ease. Finnan would be less attacking than Aurelio which leaves Masch only responsible to provide cover for Aurelio on the opposition counter attacks which would sometimes make a back 4 of Finnan, Carra, Agger and Masch. This formation would use every player's strengths and is our strongest lineup...IMO. In defence the team would line up like a 4-2-3-1 with Torres and Babel closing down very high up the pitch with Pennant and Kewell in a line slightly behind them. With Masch and Gerrard in the middle as well as Carra and Agger, the only way for other teams to break us down would be on a very quick and precise counter/going route 1 or by attacking through the flanks.
haven't done one of these in a while, so, i figure if i going to do it, i'm going for something we haven't seen before: pepe... finnan... carra... hyypia... aurelio gerrard... lucas... masch... beny... torres... babel... subs: 'arry for beny... skrtel for hyypia... crouch for babel... it's just crazy enough to work...
Mascherano is suspended, I hear. So Lucas will probably get the opportunity to score another cracker.
Oh, I do. He, Gerrard and Lucas will play central midfield trio with the width coming from Kewell on the left.
Two contrasting approaches to the average performances by the tea, Kuijt feels he is due a big game and tonight could be the night. Looks as if his father's death has severely affected him. On the other hand, Alonso seems to feel players talk too much of big game in the press and ought rather to do it on the pitch. Hope both attitudes prevail; Kuijt scoring and the team delivering on the pitch rather than in the press.
I am a bit fed-up with Kuyt. He seems like a nice enough fellow. I like good family men and I am happy for his role off the pitch ... but enough excuses. He complains about the effects of not playing every match and on the other hand admits he has not been in the right place mentally. He ought to be saying 'I am grateful that Rafa has screwed over Peter Crouch as much as he has so I can get lots of starts despite being poor this year. Now I aim to justify his confidence in me.' Kuyt was one of our biggest ever signings two years ago. Many of us (even at that time) wondered if he was being recruited to be a great goalscorer or if Rafa planned on him being a complementary player. He has never been more than the latter and when you consider what he cost - you have to wonder if his returns have been enough to justify first XI playing time. With Voronin injured and Babel too inconsistent so far to take over a starting role, I realize he will still be in the team. But only by default. We had Emile Heskey for a net (when you consider what Brum paid us for him) fee of £4m and he scored more, whinged less and worked just as hard for the team. He also looked more like a decent player and made a big difference for us in Europe. At this point in his Pool career (second year in) he was a better scorer than Kuyt as well. All while being younger and much more raw in his development. And yet think of all the stick Heskey got (though I guess most of it came later). Not even rated in the Players who Shake the Kop - even behind guys like Ronny Rozental and Eric Meijer. I still wish that we had purchased Anelka r(ather than Kuyt) two seasons ago. Anelka is a great team player (i.e. he combines well with others on the pitch) and would work very well with Torres (who would do fine and still score plenty of goals in a more all-around role). Anelka would have been as (or less) expensive than Kuyt and he would likely have 2x as many goals in the same time period. He would combine well with Crouch as well (as he can spot a pass and doesn't spoil so many as Kuyt). I think we will do fine tonight as long as we can score in the first half. It helps our team immeasurably when our opponents have to chase us. Especially when Benyouen is playing, as we play very narrow when he is on the pitch - he makes Luis Garcia seem disciplined positionally in comparison. Before we get a goal, our entire tempo and shape are dictated by the individual talent of Gerrard and Torres. Once we have gotten a goal up ... our team attacking is acceptable as our opponents can no longer clog things in the final third and more of our players can get involved.
I have to think that the motive behind the Kuijt purchase had something to do with for whom he played ( a decent Dutch side ) and his numbers, because if you watch him play a lot, as we have now had the chance, he's not a reliable scorer. I don't watch the Eredivisie, so I cannot properly comment, but I cannot believe that he scored against tight defenses like in the EPL. If you look at his EPL record this season, he's scored two penalties ( Everton ), a nice but meaningless goal against Maggies, and the rest in European competition. My assessment is that he can't score anymore against EPL teams. They know to press him with the ball, to challenge his first touch and let him run around like a crazed squirrel. I'm hoping that Benayoun can start and play sharp. It is his old club, so I'm guessing he will be very motivated to score. I wouldn't oppose a lineup like this: .................pepe finnan...carragher...hyypia...aurelio benayoun....gerrard....alonso....kewell... ..........torres....babel...
Why does Crouch deserve to start? He has also done nothing this season and his most recent game (against amateurs) he was invisible for the whole match...he had one of the worst games ive seen from a player. It has been Crouch constantly complaining about getting game time and when he does, he doesnt perform, or worse, hinders Torres' effectiveness. Babel and Kuyt arent playing in the same position...Kuyt is challenging with Voronin and Crouch...all 3 have been terrible all season. Hindsight is a wonderful thing...i wish we purchased Vidic also so if Agger was injured he could step in. At the time, Anelka wasnt going to be a good signing. There was also no guarantee that he would work hard for the team...bloody sulk.
I agree. Even watching tape of him for Feyanoord - he played with his head up and took his chances when he got a good look at the goal. He scored from inside and outside the box because Kalou would drag so many defenders away and those who were near him did not close him down as fast. Since joining Liverpool, the pace of play and his lack of adequate touch on the ball leave him with very little time to line up his shot the way he did for Feyanoord. He usually ends up touching the ball well away from him, staring at the ball (not the goal) since his touch has carried the ball so far away and just whacking at the ball. There is very little instinctiveness or rhthym or smoothness in the way he approaches shots - everything is rushed. He also has a bad habit of taking shots from angles that (he) is never going to score from, even when a drag-back to another forward or on-rushing midfielder is a better option. Also, he was very imposing physically in the Eredivisie and scored quite a bit with his head - often with glancing headers but also with more powerful headed shots. In the EPL, he has been miserable at putting the ball on goal with his head. He doesn't attack the ball with conviction and as a result he nearly always heads it over the goal. I think he could be effective as a second-half sub - pressuring the ball, holding up the ball a bit and distributing it to counterattackers - but right now he is a black hole in the attack and is keeping better options out of the lineup. I would rather have Stevie G playing off Torres with Lucas, Xabi and Masch in midfield if Rafa insists on not starting Crouch (which is alright if that is his position). I agree that Babel is not ready to start.
The Liverpool team in full: Reina Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Aurelio Benayoun, Gerrard, Alonso, Kewell, Torres, Kuyt Subs: Itandje, Skrtel, Lucas, Babel, Crouch hmm, no Riise
between BS and the lack of match streams (and trouble accessing the usual sites) . . . is that allegedly minor internet outage responsible? anyone find a working (preferably not tvants) stream?
I did not suggest Crouch had to start, now did I? Read the post. I said put Stevie G in there if Crouch was not a legitimate option, although Crouch has been 10x as effective this season. He may have had a terrible game versus the non-league side - and he does go through his droughts to be sure. But his strike rate is superior to all but 2 others at the club. And as far as hindsight - check my posting history or ask Twentysix - I was opposed to the Kuyt signing from the beginning. You can call Anelka the sulk if you like, but he was an excellent player for this club before and he did a fabulous job for Manchester City and Bolton since. He is a top-tier EPL player as suggested by his recent signing by Chel$ki. Furthermore, he is just as young as Kuyt (within a year) and would have been cheaper to get hold of (coming from Fenerbahce). He would have cost the same (£6m or so) amount that we wasted on Craig Bellamy. Unlike our current crop (save Torres) he can use space, pass the ball and move without the ball. Granted we tend to use one withdrawn forward and one out-and-out striker - but Anelka has shown before that he can play in that system (he partnered Robbie Fowler with aplomb) and Torres is physical enough and good enough holding the ball to switch off (in the flow of play) with a second striker. He would to if he had someone better than Dirk Kuyt to pass the ball to. How many great Torres balls has Kuyt spoiled this year? For the record, in 18 games started, Kuyt has one premier league goal scored from the run of play. Crouch has started just as many in 4 starts.
I too am having trouble with the usual live footy sopcast source. Anyone have a working sopcast link?
Yea all the streaming websites have been having problems recently. Can't find anything either....ugh...
I got a good feed through tvants and it's in english tvants://www.p2psports.cn/tvants/?k=eb6fc5fef444e059348474e8f25114e5
doesn't sound like it's going too well Babel for Kuyt at HT? OT: is Cashley out injured, or out partying with hairdressers?