31 Oct 2009

Last week's victory over Manchester United means NOTHING unless...

...Liverpool beat Fulham today. Yes, the team is suffering from injuries but there is still enough quality in the squad to get a result.

Javier Mascherano summed it up perfectly during the week:

"The win [against United] is important, but it's only three points. We have to keep going...we know we cannot drop important points in the future. If we want the three points against United to be of value then we have to show this kind of performance again in the future. Now we have won we cannot stop. We have to keep this going.

"We've shown we have a good squad, not just a good team, and we are pulling together. If we want to fight for something we have to keep showing what we did against United. We cannot relax just because we have won this game. That's the main message."


Absolutely spot-on. In my view, Fulham is a must-win game. Johnson and Gerrard may be out, but on paper, Liverpool is still a better team. Aquilani may also be out but his absence cannot be used as an excuse as he has not yet started a league game this season.

Liverpool's recent record against Fulham in the league is encouraging:

LAST 10 PREMIERSHIP GAMES


Won - 7
Lost - 2
Drew - 1
For - 21
Against - 7

Last season, Fulham played 442 and Liverpool played 4231 (Gerrard and Torres played): If Rafa goes for 4231, I would play the following team:

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

Skrtel -------- Carra --- Agger -------- Insua

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

Kuyt ----------- Benayoun ----------- Aurelio

-------------------- Torres

If Liverpool go 442, I favour the following team:

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

Skrtel ------------ Carra -- Agger ----------- Insua

Kuyt ------------- Lucas --- Masch -------- Benayoun

---------------- Torres ------ Ngog

Whatever happens, I sincerely hope we don't see another repeat of the 343 formation used against Sunderland. Knowing Rafa's stubbornness though, I wouldn't bet against it...

----

Join the site's new Facebook page!


Become a fan on Facebook!



10 comments:

  1. There is enough firepower in there to take the points. Go you Reds!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. -----------------Pepe
    Degen---Carra---Kyrgiakos---Insua
    --------Lucas---Masch----
    Kuyt---------------------Benny
    --------Torres--Voro---

    ReplyDelete
  3. Decent enough line-up but I just don't get Rafa's thinking sometimes.  Why play Voronin instead of Ngog?  He scored against United last week - why not reward him with a start this week?  And why break up the Carra-Agger partnership already?  part of the reason our defence has been crap is the lack of a settled back four.  Carra and Agger had a great game v United but now it's all change again.  With Johnson out as well, why not aim for consistency in at least ONE part of the defence, ie. the central defensive pairing?

    ReplyDelete
  4. i think there is a lot of injuries, skrtel agger an ngog not even on the bench and only one attacking player in babel, even cavalieri aint on the bench, maybe aquilanis virus has spread?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Agreed. Though it's the same defense used against the Gunners, bar Carra, mightn't be so drastic. I can only imagine that there is something in the Melwood air, as so many regulars not even in the squad.

    I'm typing froom touch-screen, and it's taking an age. >:o

    ReplyDelete
  6. agreed but there must be something going on by the look of the bench, no way would rafa go into this with only one attacking option on the bench, no skrtel or agger in the squad, maybe i'll speak too soon here but its a good job zamora is sh1te

    ReplyDelete
  7. i appologise for my previous statement, if u wanna kick me in the bollocks feel free

    ReplyDelete
  8. say bubye to champion title.. 

    ReplyDelete
  9. Never mind lads, there's always next season, right?

    Glad to see Carragher finally sent off!

    Have you looked at the teams around you in the table? It's Burnley and Stoke you need to be worrying about these days.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Just coz somebody scores does not mean he should be in the team the following game.

    ReplyDelete