In a case of the means justifying the end, Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish employed stultifyingly negative tactics to triumph against Manchester City in the Carling Cup two weeks ago. This ruined the game as a spectacle, and Liverpool fans will be hoping for a more proactive, attacking approach in the second leg tomorrow. Thankfully, club captain Steven Gerrard has reassured fans that Liverpool will be going all out to win the game.
Speaking to the official Liverpool football club website yesterday, Gerrard said:
"We need to play to our maximum.
"We need every player to turn up and play well to qualify. We need to ignore the scoreline and go into this game trying to win it.
"I think if we're too negative and try to just protect the lead it could be very dangerous."
Absolutely. Manchester City were poor in the first leg, and they were in the midst of a dodgy period of form. Since then, City have got back to winning ways; rebuilt their momentum, and they will be coming to Anfield to win.
Conversely, with only one league win in the last six games, Liverpool have lost their momentum, and come into the tie on the back of a damaging defeat to premier league relegation fodder.
After the Bolton debacle, choosing the right team is essential, and I would go with the following line-up:
--------------------------- Reina
Kelly ----------- Skrtel ----------- Agger ---------- Enrique
----------------------- Adam --- Spearing
------------ Shelvey ------ Gerrard ----------- Maxi
------------------------- Bellamy
Jaimie Kanwar
Speaking to the official Liverpool football club website yesterday, Gerrard said:
"We need to play to our maximum.
"We need every player to turn up and play well to qualify. We need to ignore the scoreline and go into this game trying to win it.
"I think if we're too negative and try to just protect the lead it could be very dangerous."
Absolutely. Manchester City were poor in the first leg, and they were in the midst of a dodgy period of form. Since then, City have got back to winning ways; rebuilt their momentum, and they will be coming to Anfield to win.
Conversely, with only one league win in the last six games, Liverpool have lost their momentum, and come into the tie on the back of a damaging defeat to premier league relegation fodder.
After the Bolton debacle, choosing the right team is essential, and I would go with the following line-up:
--------------------------- Reina
Kelly ----------- Skrtel ----------- Agger ---------- Enrique
----------------------- Adam --- Spearing
------------ Shelvey ------ Gerrard ----------- Maxi
------------------------- Bellamy
Jaimie Kanwar
Reina
ReplyDeleteKelly Skertel Agger Enrique
Johnson Shelvey Spearing Maxi
Gerrard
Bellamy
Good team - I'd be happy with that.
ReplyDeleteI don't think Johnson will be chosen for that position by Kenny! More likely Henderson or Kuyt...
ReplyDeleteI agree too, Adam, Henderson and Downing all deserve the bench treatment.
ReplyDeleteKK is very stubborn i would not be surprised if he decided otherwise
ReplyDeleteClueless, as usual.
ReplyDeleteFirstly, man city game was by no means ruined as a spectacle.
Secondly, the team for tonight should be:
Reina
Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Enrique,
Gerrard, Spearing, Downing
Kuyt, Carroll, Bellamy
reina
ReplyDeleteagger carra skrtel
johnson adam enrique
hendo jonjo
gerrard
bellamy
Reina
ReplyDeleteJohnson - Skertel - Carragher - Agger - Enrique
Henderson/Downing - Spearing - Adam/Bellamy
Gerrard
Caroll
This formation I predict it would be. Save strength later for MU
Maxi(subs) Caroll and Kuyt(subs) Gerrard later on. Since we need to face MU later. This is just my thought feel free to comment.
Please please please play Carroll
ReplyDeleteIf Liverpool hadn't got that early goal it might have been a different game so I don't blame them for shutting up shop. Even a draw at the Etihad would have been seen as a good result, a win, utopia.
ReplyDeleteCity were as poor as they''ve been all season in that first half and only marginally better in the second half.
No predictions from me (I've been a City fan for far to long to get caught in that trap, and been disappointed with them) but I fully expect City to come and attack. Let's face it, we have no choice
Reina
ReplyDeleteKelly Skertel Agger Enrique
Maxi Shelvey Spearing Johnson
Gerrard Bellamy
Dzeko Aguero
Silva Nasri Barry Milner
Kolarov Lescott Savic Richards
Hart
no hendo please
ReplyDeleteThe next 72 hours defines the whole of LFCs season,lose both games to the manc clubs and we are finished for the season.£130m spent and nothing to show for it by January.On saturday man utd would of had 72 hours more rest than us so they must go in as favourites.Dalglish is no fool even though hes wasted all the owners money,he knew all along the carling cup was our best chance of silverware as most teams dont take it seriously and only put their 3rd best teams out.If the carling cup appeases fans for an otherwise disastrous season then alls i can say is these same fans were critical of Rafa consistently getting to CL finals and semifinals so whatever Dalglish does hes beyond criticism by some quarters,its ok for him to blast the players yet its his team its his buys its his tactics so why doesnt he look at himself.
ReplyDeleteLiverpool will need to score two to progress as City will score and probably get more than one. I see this as three / two either way. We were terrible in the first leg and equally bad at Anfield last season, no Silva on both occasions. With Silva we are good on the ball. Can't see Bellamy making it. nil nil in the first leg would have needed us to score. One nill to you at City means we need two to go through. An early goal tonight to you sees us still needing two. Hell of a game coming up. get ready for the Charlie Adam antics. He is a disgrace
ReplyDeleteWhats Reina doing near the corner flag,if thats were hes going to be all game weve no chance.
ReplyDeleteReina
ReplyDeleteKelly
Skrtel
Agger
Enrique
Johnson
Henderson
Spearing
Downing/Maxi
Gerrard
Carroll
What a stupid formation from all of you here. I am the one choosing the players here and I`ve decided to go with this one:
ReplyDelete_____________Reina
Johnson___Skrtel___Agger___Enrique
Henderson___Adam___Spearing___Downing
_____________Gerrard
_________________Caroll
Its a no brainer that all the british superstars I bought should play. I find it a wee bit foolish of you for suggesting players like Bellamy and Maxi. They are not gonna understand any of my royal instructions as they are not from england and don`t understand english. Maxi is not a player that I fancy. He just scores too many goals and creates too many assists and so steal the spotlight from my british superstars. As for Bellamy he has a wee bit too much pace and trickery in my arrogant opinion. His team mates cannot keep track at all. Its not fair especially for our big man.
LOL@0072d5cfb84463bab4259e84dc0711b3 rafa
ReplyDeleteBut Kenny, you say 'british.....play'. Isn't Bellamy british, Kenny?
ReplyDeleteThis is the team I'd like to see KD field tonight:
ReplyDeleteReina,
Kelly, Skrtel, Agger, Enrique,
Shelvey, Henderson, Gerrard, Maxi
Bellamy Kuyt
Although I expect very little change from the sacrificial lambs who bungled through the Bolton game.
Carroll has to play tonight. The City centre back, Savic, is their weak link and he has to be bullied and crosses should be raining down in his direction after the Tottenham match. The guy looks like a liability so we should try to capitalise while his confidence is low.
ReplyDeleteI still suspect that they will be too good for us, though, unless we get our central midfield sorted out this evening.
Are you taking the mic?
ReplyDeleteTell you what lets just put a statue in the middle of the park instead or just play with 10 men
Well, Carroll did not play but my prediction about Savic was not wrong, was it? If Carroll is like a statue, which he wasn't last season, we have to ask how he managed to score any goals last year and now he is useless for us.
ReplyDeleteEveryone who wanted Johnson dropped for this game was proved wrong also. He may play some poor games, like all the others, but when he plays well he is a class above all but about 3 or 4 of our players, as he was tonight and as he was at Chelsea. And he offers more of a goal threat than most of our players further up the pitch.