Ok, a little early in the week. But let's get this started. Text comms and post match stuff can go in here too. lfconline.com has this: I would imagine we'll see Riise and Heskey replace the injured Carragher and Baros and no other changes. I would also expect to see Danny on the bench this time. Leicester obviously got a good result against Leeds and while we have been impressive recently our home form is nothing to write home about. It needs to improve starting this weekend with 3 points. We need to work out how to win at home against teams that set their stall out to defend. Diouf's continuing good form and Kewell's creativity will be the key. Along with St. Michael being able to finish what comes his way. Of course, their goalie will have a blinder and their defenders will play like their lives depend on it. But one goal should do it. As Arsenal and Man U are playing each other, we have a chance to close the gap on one or both of them (if they draw). Anything less than a win would be a disaster. I don't care if it is 1-nil or 5-nil, we just need three points and no more injuries.
Lineup: ---------Dudek Finnan --The Captain---Igor---JAR Diouf --Stevie--Harry ---Vlad the Improved --------Mikie----Heskey Subs: Luzi D-Jimmy Spuds Le T Bruno Got to get 3 here --- TV game at my local.
I missed last weeks match, like everyone else, so this is gonna be good. I agree with the line up posted above. I have absolutely no idea what to expect out of this team after the injuries.
We have a winner. For more on "Vlad the Improved," see: http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N141897030917-1500.htm I've seen LCFC twice, most recently on Monday, when they were very good. But then again, Leeds did everything to make them look very good. And the lettering stayed on Leicester's shirts this time, which made them all the more impressive. ----
Whether Leeds made them look good or they are a much improved team remains to be seen. Our home record so far this year and the beginning of last year is/was pretty dismal. If they decide to bunker down and go for the breaks we could be looking at the same old story. You know, finger pointing at the guy who made the defensive error by letting a team on the break go by him. And don’t forget how great we can make a mediocre goalie look. Mikey got two last time out but he even conspired to make that hack (What’s his name?) look somewhat good, with casual shots and chips. And we were playing against 10 men. WE need to go out and get a couple of goals. Then instead of sitting back thinking we have it under control WE need to put the boot on their necks and score a couple more.
this is our first real test lol which it shouldnt be... but consider this: the derby victory was just that, a derby victory... derbies are notoriously unreliable for showing true strengths and weaknesses because the match is 99% emotion..plus we left alot of openings that game too. tho beating the blue snots was fun! the rovers victory was good... but remember that they were down to 10 men for the majority of the game, so winning that game should have been a given. we created many many chances... but st mick blew many of them. I hope gh had him practice 1v1's on goalies this week. last year, our away record was decent, it was just our home games against weaker opponents where we flounder. if Leceister plays everybody behind the ball in defense we could be in trouble. hopefully, our new attacking side will wreak some havoc in their lines and create many chances. assuming that heskey does play, i'm hoping that we won't just go with the long ball and that he can use his size to bully his way in and create some openings. we should win this game... but like kopiteinkc said, we are supposed to. anything less is indeed dropping points to the mancs and arse (who i hope tie 0-0) my prediction.... 1-0 at the half, 3-0 final score, with owen getting his 3rd 2-goal game in a row. lets hope im right!!
Welcome aboard, anamoly. I'll be at Summers with liverbird, so no comms from me unless the subway is still closed as a result of the post-Isabel environment.
Is everybody ordering the match on pay per view? I am. I also just ordered my Diouf away kit. Hopefully he keeps up his great form. Leicester looked good against Leeds, but they won't give us many problems. They dominated Leeds in the air winning every header. But we know that Sami will not let that happen. We just gotta make sure we score first and early. We can't let them beat us with all their men behind the ball. 3 points is an absolute must. I hope this game is nothing like the Villa game.
Re: this is our first real test Welcome to our humble home, Anomaly. Allow me to disagree with most of what you said. Actually, this game was the most 'un-derby' derby I have seen in a long while. The blues were curiously reticent about making it one. Although I agree that we had several scary moments at the back, I can't remember the last time that we were that effortlessly in control of a derby. True on one level, but if there is one criticism that could consistently be levelled at us in recent seasons then it is that we have always failed to play with sufficient guile and fluency to break teams down if they are a) defending for their lives or b) playing with 10 men. Blackburn proved we can now do b), Leicester on Saturday will show whether we have a) licked yet.
Speaking of broken. . . add Bruno Cheyrou to the injured list. http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N141925030919-1414.htm Diao in the squad tomorrow? ----
good stuff matt. in reply: i dont think we were as much in control of the game as you believe. considering if rooney had been more clinical in his shots, the score would have been more like 3-1, or 3-2. add in the fact that duncan ferguson totally fooled dudek on his free kick and was unlucky to hit the crossbar and get a goal for everton, the game may have easily resulted in a tie, or at least not the walloping indicated by the score. in terms of ball control, yes we had the advantage. but in the end its about who scored the most, and as you said we did leave some big openings. controlling the ball 90% of the time but not scoring a goal is still a loss compared to one single moment of brilliant play resulting in a goal. as i did not see the rovers game, i am probably wrong concerning my comments. did rovers play ANY attacking football after the red card? or did they just settle behind the ball in hopes of defending their goal? if they did defend with their lives and we were able to rip them open for 3 goals, then that is a good thing. . I still say though, that the leceister game is the most important of the three because it is a game we SHOULD win, whereas the derby and the rovers matches were 1. away. 2. against stronger, more accomplished teams. So if we don't win agsinst the foxes, this tells us something is wrong. but then again, I'm new to this whole "football" game so I'm probably dead wrong.
Hmmm. Sort of agree. I mean - yes, those incidents could obviously have influenced the result and yes, 3-0 was perhaps a slight overstating of our control of the game. But as I said previously, in the context of a derby, it was pretty assured. They worked their nuts off all over the park and they had some attempts at goal. There can be no denying that, late on, we were able to hit them on the break, but the encouraging thing there was that we built from the back, through the midfield, rather than just boshing it up to Owen. Totally agree.
These are the type of games that put us out of the CL last year and they manifested early in the season. Part of our "Unbeaten run" even. Lousey draws at home. Now we all know this, has anyone told GH and the team..
Actually, GH has been interesting (and unusually active) in the media this week, IMO. Aside from the verbal wars with Souness, LFC.tv has carried several features in which Houllier touts Diouf, Smicer, Riise, Murphy and Biscan. Plus he's made pretty extensive comments about our attack-minded midfield, for example: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/headlinenews?id=277681&cc=5739 Pretty optimistic stuff, I'd say, and good to see. ----
I agree that this match is important for a couple reasons. 1) We must learn to win at home against teams that bunker. The past two seasons we have a tendency to tie or give away the game at the end of the match. 2) We need to get out of the habit of playing down to lesser opponents. We do this WAY too often. I hope that we come out firing and that we flood Leicester City with shots. I think that our finishing is starting to improve, but I for one would like to start seeing some goals from players in deeper-lying positions. This would stretch the defense and open up the box for more crosses, runs and better movement. 3) We need to get all the points we can, because we are already in a bit of a deficit relative to the top teams. We need to bury Newcastle (who could legitimately make a run later in the season) and stay in touch with Arsenal (who can be expected to fall off due to their lack of depth and defensive weaknesses). Manchester United is unfortunately the class of the league right now and Chelsea probably isn't too far behind (although it will be interesting to see how they do without Mutu. He has been the Z (for Zola) factor for them this season. Those are the teams with the real staying power. Some other teams are starting to build depth (Manchester City and to a lesser extent Birmingham) but over the long season, Portsmouth, Southampton, Blackburn, et al are not going to be able to sustain high league positions.
What is the post-Isabel environment as it relates to Summers and getting there to watch the game? I was planning to come down to visit a friend in D.C. on Saturday and figured I'd first head to Summers to catch the Liverpool match, but I'm now trying to figure out how much of that plan is feasible.
No comms from me either as I have some "marital issues" to take care of. But Owen has put us 1 up with a pen after Vladi was fouled. Let's hope I am still married by full time
Ain't life grand...? Last week you were looking for your car in the Potomic and this week you have "Other issues" And I thought it only happened to me...! Great scouser, footie updates through adversity. Thanks, whatever it is you'll both get over it.