Anfield legend Alan Hansen believes that Liverpool's 'fantastic and thoroughly professional' victory over Chelsea has 'set the team up magnificently' for the crunch game with Manchester City this weekend.
Liverpool now have quality players fighting it our for most positions in the team, and in his column for LFC magazine, Hansen argued this strength in depth has 'raised the standard of the team in general'.
Obviously, it would be wrong to get carried away after one victory, but Hansen is enthusiastic about Liverpool's chances against Man City:
"I'll tell you something - if Liverpool play like they in the first half against Chelsea; or like they did against Man City at Anfield last season, and like they did against Man United earlier this season, they can win.
" City have won 11 out of their last 12 and scored 11 goals at White Hart Lane and Old Trafford; you could argue that they look invincible, but I've seen their last two or three games and they haven't played that well.
"It's credit to them that they can still score three or four when they haven't been great, but if Liverpool can remain defensively sold then we have the firepower to hurt them at the other end of the pitch.
"Liverpool always have a chance at Anfield, and after a great result against Chelsea we have more than a chance of beating Man City as well"
Jaimie Kanwar
Liverpool now have quality players fighting it our for most positions in the team, and in his column for LFC magazine, Hansen argued this strength in depth has 'raised the standard of the team in general'.
Obviously, it would be wrong to get carried away after one victory, but Hansen is enthusiastic about Liverpool's chances against Man City:
"I'll tell you something - if Liverpool play like they in the first half against Chelsea; or like they did against Man City at Anfield last season, and like they did against Man United earlier this season, they can win.
" City have won 11 out of their last 12 and scored 11 goals at White Hart Lane and Old Trafford; you could argue that they look invincible, but I've seen their last two or three games and they haven't played that well.
"It's credit to them that they can still score three or four when they haven't been great, but if Liverpool can remain defensively sold then we have the firepower to hurt them at the other end of the pitch.
"Liverpool always have a chance at Anfield, and after a great result against Chelsea we have more than a chance of beating Man City as well"
Jaimie Kanwar
hopefully we can produce another great win, but man city have an awesome amount of world class players at their disposal. hopefully we can turn the tide on our home form and come up with yet another class performace.
ReplyDeleteI'm feeling good about this one!
ReplyDeleteLiverpool can be more than a match for any of the bigger teams in the league - and, to be honest, I'd consider them favourites for the Citeh game given that it's at Anfield.
ReplyDeleteIt's the relatively small teams that they tend to have a problem with though.
I say 2-1 to Liverpool.
if somenone had offered me two points prior to these two fixtures, i'd have taken them and STILL would, a win on sunday would be fantastic but i would happily settle for a draw
ReplyDeletesorry meant four points over the two games!
ReplyDeleteAs long as we keep Carroll & Carragher on the BENCH we have a chance.
ReplyDeleteDowning & Henderson should not be automatic starters in a side that is winning as well.
Gerrard IF fit should come on if the game is stalemate.
Ironically that it's the cheaper players brought in like Adam & Enrique that are doing well.
Reina
Johnson Skertel Agger Enrique
Kuyt Lucas Adman Maxi
Bellamy
Suarez
Bench : Gerrard,Carragher,Aurelio,Carroll,Doni,Henderson.
so basically the side that beat chelsea, did'nt really need the team formation did we...
ReplyDeleteim assuming bellamy wont be allowed to play against city - his team.
ReplyDeleteWe have a good chance if we put the right formation out. We are playing a team that have dropped two points and scored 42 goals domestically (the same as Real Madrid in La Liga and the most for an English team in their first 12 games since Spurs in the early sixties).
ReplyDeleteI fear a long, tough game if we start with anything less than 5 in midfield. Somebody (probably Kuyt) should be there to shield Johnson on the right and I think there's a great case to be made for Jay Spearing to get his first start of the season. He'd be the perfect player to try and break-up City's passing game. Bellamy should start on the left. He or somebody else will need to track back to stop Micah Richard's foraging forward runs. Lastly, if you play Spearing it gives Charlie Adam a chance to play further forward to link up with Suarez. His lfet-foot isn't too shabby from 18-30 yards either.
Last week's game at the Bridge saw a long-overdue return to tactical flexibility instead of playing the expensive-transfer players. We need more of the same to give us a good chance on Sunday. One last thing, I hope Dalglish and Clarke instructed Adam to practice his free-kicks and corners this week. That and Johnson's defending were the only real negatives against Chelsea.
He was a transfer not a loan so he can play.
ReplyDelete"firepower" - is this the same liverpool who have scored 16 goals in 12 games?
ReplyDeleteNot so easy mate, Man. City is a transformed team now and their star studded cast is second to none. If Caroll is the same player as with Newcastle then the firepower is there.
ReplyDeletetrue scotty. he was a free transfer.
ReplyDeleteI strongly fancy Liverpool for the City game, Liverpool love big games at Anfield!!!!
ReplyDeleteTeam spirit seams to be fantastic.. I think they are their for the taking and i agree lfc love big games ..... 3 points in the bag?..
ReplyDeleteCarroll plan B, off the bench to batter the City defence late on!!!!
ReplyDeleteLiverpool has currently the best defence in the Premier League!!!
ReplyDeletemy team : reina kelly skyrtel agger enrique johnson lucas gerrard (adam) Rodriguez bellamy suarez
ReplyDelete