3 Feb 2012

Dalglish: It's always difficult to drop Liverpool players

Luis Suarez is back for Liverpool, and with no other problems to contend with apart from Lucas's long-term injury, Kenny Dalglish is in the enviable position of having a fully-fit squad available for Monday night's game at Spurs. Having so many players to choose from is obviously a positive, and it fosters great competition within the squad, but as Kenny admits, it can also be a double-edged sword.

One thing is certain: some players are going to undeservedly drop out of the starting XI for the Spurs game on Monday, and in his weekly press conference this morning, Kenny admitted that it is going to be difficult to leave some players out. He said:

"It’s a selection dilemma every time you pick a team.

"You’re hurting someone when you leave them out, and when when they’ve worked hard in training it’s difficult to do that.

"We’re looking quite healthy at the moment, but we’ve got three days training to go, and more often than not you pick up something in that, but at the moment, we look as if we’re okay.

"We’ve got plenty of players to choose from, and that gives us a problem, but it’s a pleasant one".


So - with Suarez back, how is the team going to change?

I have a feeling that Dalglish is going to surprise everyone and start with Suarez on the bench against Spurs. Everyone expects him to walk straight back into the team but that may not happen. The last three results have been superb, so why change a winning team? Additionally, Andy Carroll scored in the last game, so it would surely be wrong to drop him for the Spurs game?

If it was down to me, I would never start Carroll, and I would always play Bellamy and Suarez ahead of him. However, I never think it's a good idea to drop players after they've scored in the last game, so my team for for Spurs would be:

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

Johnson ------- Skrtel ----------- Agger -------- Enrique

Gerrard -------- Spearing ------- Adam ---------- Bellamy

-------------------- Suarez

------------------------ Carroll

I doubt we'll see that team though as Kenny will never leave Henderson AND Downing out at the same time, so we'll probably see this:

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

Johnson ------- Skrtel ----------- Agger -------- Enrique

---------------------- Carra

Henderson ----------- Gerrard ----- Bellamy -------- Downing

---------------------- Suarez

Jaimie Kanwar


33 comments:

  1. This is going to be a cracking game! Dalglish's tactical depth will be tested against spurs.

    Bale and Modric should be marked out. Their defence has looked ordinary against good attack but they have never been tested apart from  the aerial attack of Stoke. Slow Adam can become a vulnerability against quick spurs.    

    I hope we will give it back to them!

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  2. With Spearing available playing Cara anywhere near midfield would be unlikely.

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  3. "i never think it's a good idea to drop player's after they've scored in the last game, so my time for spurs would be : ....." *where's dirk kuyt?

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  4. I don't think he'll be playing Carra there again.

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  5. Carra at CM? You joking? did you not watch him against United? He cant pass a ball from defence with no pressure, never mind the middle of the pitch! Good job you aint the manager mate!

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  6. I think if you switch spearing and carra in the team you think it will be, i think that is a good team, however i agree with you that Carroll shouldn't be left out. I would go with...
    ------------------Reina
    Johnson-----Skrtel-----Agger-----Enrique
    ----------------Spearing
    ----------Gerrard-------Henderson
    ----Suarez----------------------Bellamy
    -----------------Carroll

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  7. I think we might actually play a tactic in which we counter attack again ( as I feel we have to approach this cautiosly) having 5 at the back after was spurs done to our midfield last time we played them, Spearing will have to have a good game thats for sure.

    i would go with

    GK------------reina
    Johnson ------- Skrtel --------Carragher---------- Agger -------- Enrique 
    Downing----- spearing------------- gerrard----------bellamy
                                       Carroll/Suarez

    Or maybe play carragher defensive mid along with spearing allowing gerrard a more advanced role.

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  8. --------------pepe
    johnson---skrtel--agger--enrique
    ---------gerrard-spearo----------
    downing---suarez----bellamy
    -----------carroll-------------

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  9. Is bellamy eligible.to play??

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  10. Reina
    Johnson - Skrtel - Agger - Enrique
    Spearing
    Henderson - Gerrard - Downing
    Kuyt - Carroll


    He'll bring Suarez on for Carroll, Bellers on for Downing, and perhaps Adam on for Stevie if Gerrard starts to tire.

    I doubt he'll start Suarez after that much of an absence - what the FA didn't take into account is that it could take 2 or 3 games for him to get match fit again.

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  11. The irony of your comment is hilarious. Dalglish played him at Centre mid against United, so obviously, he is capable of making that kind of decision. Furthermore, I didn't say that I would choose him at CM, I said that's what I *think* will happen, i.e. the decision Dalglish might make.

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  12. BIGRED_76- I don't recall mascherano ever being extremly talented at passing, its funny that dalglish certainly thinks carragher can play this position as  he has played him there on more than 1 occasion, that was with lucas at DM who is far more experienced and better than spearing IMO which is why i think we will need an experienced head their which also allows gerrard to push forward without worry of leaving him vunerable as carragher will not want to get forward and will just sit back and protect the back 4.

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  13. Yes, good point. He slipped my mind. yes, he would have to be in the team too.

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  14. And that's playing to OUR strengths. If, after 10 minutes, it's obvious that Gareth Bale is raping Johnson every time he comes over the halfway line, then you could see Martin Kelly coming on, or Henderson doubling up constantly with Dirk running around like a blue-arse fly as usual.

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  15. Just pick your best team , forget about hurting someone , its hurting liverpool football club when you chop and change just so as not to " hurt someone " get a grip , like we keep hearing the next game is the most important so pick your/our strongest team and lets go  on a proper charge " hurt someone " if it was'nt so serious it would be funny 

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  16. "In the team too"
    12 players, genius!

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  17. like this formation but, against spurs, i think kenny might play kuyt or downing on the right to keep an eye on bale, with either suarez or carroll as sub, or bellers if he needs a rest

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  18. With Kuyt:

    Reina

    Johnson --- Skrtel --- Agger --- Enrique

    Kuyt ---- Gerrard --- Spearing ---- Bellamy

    ------------ Suarez

    --------------- Carroll

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  19. Good line-up, though I have to admit I'm not a fan of playing on the right of midfield, and against Bale, he'd be spending a lot of time out there backing up Johnson.

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  20. Unless Stevie G is in a three-man central midfield or in the hole behind the front man, I don't want him in central midfield as I think he is a much bigger threat as elsewhere as well as not disciplined enough for me in a regular two-man central midfield . Better out wide on the right or in the hole. But with Suarez in the hole, definitely agree with Stevie on the right.

    Me thinks Bellamy will end up being rotated a fair bit with Kuyt and Downing, even though he is our best attacking player at the moment, due to his 'knees'

    I would like Suarez playing further forward but KK will most likely continue to persevere with Carroll. 

    With no European football, just a few domestic cup games and a fit squad, there isn't much need for heavy squad rotation and we should be using those circumstances to do better in the league.

    We can get 4th.

    That is my general point on the side at the moment.

    For the game against Spurs,  Kelly on the right would be my choice. Don't think I could bare to look when Bale goes on the counter attack with Glen Da Johnson at right back.

    Reina
    -
    Kelly
    Skrtel
    Agger
    Enrique
    -
    Spearing
    Henderson
    -
    Kuyt
    Gerrard
    Bellamy
    -
    Carroll/Suarez

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  21. Carra DM against Tottenham, that's suicide to me... We should keep up wih Spearing, there were some superb stats about spearing for this season so far.. He's improved from last season. Give him his chance.. The midfield should be Spearing, Gerrard and Henderson.. Henderson plays an excellent first ball, you can verify that for the past couple of matches.. So that could be key to winning the match.. With Suarez, Kuyt and Bellamy to pounce on the through balls by Gerrard and Henderson...

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  22. Get a grip dibble carragher is awful there dalglish seen that for himself and will never play him there again carra is finished
     

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  23. this look great for me..but just like u said " ..Kenny will never leave Henderson AND Downing out at the same time,.. " -it would never be like this. 

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  24. Yeah, I agree - I'm not wild about having Henderson there either. I just think that perhaps Spearing can do the covering role, so he'd spend a lot of his time doubling up with Johnson. He's no Lucas, granted, but I'd love to see him finally fully step up into that role now.

    And you'd hope that Henderson could also put in a shift in that respect, while perhaps having a bit more time on the ball if it breaks. Also, Henderson offers a bit more pace in the centre than Snackbox, who got seriously shown up by Spurs earlier in the season, before getting the red card for trying to climb inside Scott Parker.

    A right flank of Kelly with Johnson ahead of him would always be a nice thought, but obviously it's not going to happen.

    Saying all this though (and I hope I'm not tempting fate here), Bale has never really performed to the absolute heights of his game against us really - certainly not at Anfield. The hope is that an industrious, confident midfield with Stevie pulling the strings could influence things more than Modric and Parker (fingers crossed). However, we'll have to keep the ball better than we have been doing in the past 4 or 5 games.

    Can it surely be all down to Suarez that we seem to have 'suddenly' lost what we had earlier in the season - very good possession stats?

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  25. We will need Gerrard stuck to Parker and Spearing to Modric like poltergeists. I reckon Kelly is more solid defensively than Johnson and him and Henderson should be given the task of keeping Bale and Assou Ekotto back. Given the speed of Bale, it almost has to be Henderson in front of whoever our rightback is. With Bellamy suspended, Henderson is probably our fastest man in the front half. As much as I am tempted to agree on not starting Suarez, he would be the perfect player to keep Kyle Walker busy and supply dangerous balls into the box at the same time.

    I think this is a perfect game to start Carroll in, seeing as we would like to keep the ball as far away from our goal as possible and put as many players behind the ball as we can, and this means route 1 football. I believe Downing was rested specifically so he could start this game. So for my lineup, it will be Kenny's signature 4-3-3/4-4-2 hybrid with Suarez, Carroll and Downing as our forwards, Gerrard, Spearing and Henderson in the midfield and just about our regular backline, maybe with Kelly on for Johnson, but maybe Kenny might just surprise us all with something else.

    To me, this game has no place for Adam, Carragher or Kuyt because they are simply not fast enough. Spurs have been the scariest team to play for the 3rd season running now and they're stronger than they've ever been.

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  26. How about Aurelio at DM?

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  27. Don't worry Kenny, just tell the players that you leave out that it is just a bit of banter!

    Think that, if Bellamy can play, he should try Bellamy left of Carroll and Suarez right. Spearing, Gerrard and Adam in midfield, by virtue of Adam's assists against Wolves. Johnson will do a better job against Bale than Kelly, more pace and experience, Bale's threat is not down to movement or trickery. With Harry having other things on his mind and the Tottenham defence not looking too stable of late, we should be winning this game. If we can't be fired up for this after they whipped us earlier in the season, and did the double over us last year, then we really have problems.

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  28. We have got to be quicker onto Parker so he can't get the ball to Modric! Who ever is playing up front has got to be doing the closing down and leave the midfield to cope with Modric,Bale and Der Vart.

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  29. The key to this match is to get on Spurs as fast as we can, don't let them settle, press and fight for every ball and, if able to, get on the score sheet as quickly as possible and try not to let Spurs see the light of day. Bale's main weapon is his pace, once he's in full flight he's hard to (legally) stop so we need to concentrate on cutting off his supply. WHoever is picked for the holding mid role has to snuff out Modric in the middle, harry him into making mistakes and give the ball away. VDV in the final third is deadly, his cute flicks or left footed shots also have to be addressed. Adebayor in the box is a handful, he's a big powerful player but has decent control & balance, Skrtel or Agger will also have to be wary of giving away penalties against him.

    I don't think Suarez is going to start, I'm thinking Kuyt & Downing wide, Carroll spearheading the attack with Bellamy running off him and Gerrard sat behind with Adam or Henderson in the middle. Adam, for all he's a good passer of the ball is slow and rarely tracks back with any success, he's a clumsy tackler and is better pinging balls forward. Henderson is still a bit lightweight and Spearing can be a bit too eager with his tackles. I wouldn't be surprised to see Skrtel out on the right to stifle Bale, Johnson's better going forward but we're facing one of, if not THE, best left wingers in the game right now and he's been banging them in for for. Oh how I wish we'd signed hima few seasons ago for 4m!

    I won't get to see this match as the rig I'm on doesn't have TV but, here in Malaysia, there's a lot of fellow reds.
    My prediction; a tight game with us sneaking it by the odd goal in 3 or 5.

    YNWA

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  30.                                         Reina

    Kelly               Skertel                     Agger           Enrique

    Kuyt           Spearing                Adam                 Downing

                                    Gerrard

                                              Bellamy

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  31. I like the first formation, especially if Gerrard is finally unleashed to play the free roaming role which is inexplicably given to Kuyt/Henderson in most games, instead of being asked to track Modric around the pitch.

    The second formation doesn't make any sense to me. We're more likely to see that one though...

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