After six league defeats in the last seven, and only two wins forem the last twelve, it's an understatement to suggest that today's premier league game against Aston Villa is a must-win for Liverpool. How many times have we said that this season? It seems every game at the moment is a must-win, but the club just doesn't seem capable of producing the goods.
At the start of the week, Liverpool legend John Aldridge broke ranks and lambasted his old club's current form, arguing that Liverpool was a team 'in crisis'. Former teammates Ray Houghton, Ian Rush and Jan Molby all took a different view, arguing that there was no crisis at Anfield, and that Kenny Dalglish was still the right man to lead Liverpool.
Speaking to the Liverpool Echo on Thursday, Molby argued that Aston Villa at home is 'a good game for Liverpool to have', and conceded that the club was desperate for a win. He said:
"To be honest, I’d take any kind of win. That’s the stage we’re at – we urgently need three points to be able to get some momentum back, ahead of the Cup semi-final against the Blues".
He's right - the club desperately needs to start building momentum, but I hope the players don't go into the game thinking - like Molby - that Villa will be an easy win; that kind of approach is a recipe for disaster.
I agree with Molby that and any kind of win will do, but it has to be achieved fairly. I wouldn't want to see Liverpool win as a result of cheating. Still, if one of LFC's players cheated to ensure a win, many fans would condone and accept it, and that's the sad reality.
Molby seemed heartened by the fact that Villa are missing key players like Dunne, Petrov and Bent:
"Villa are missing key players and..they are left with an inexperienced line-up. I think we might be able to bully them physically"
Liverpool have played several teams missing their key players already this season and still not managed to win, so that may not be as big an advantage as everyone thinks. Additionally, Villa are fighting for their lives, which will give them added motivation to do well.
Another defeat at Anfield is unthinkable, surely? I can't see that happening though, and I fully expect Liverpool to smash Villa. My team for today (depending on injuries):
--------------------- Doni
Kelly -------- Coates --- Skrtel ------------ Johnson
Maxi -------- Spearing -- Gerrard -------- Bellamy
--------------- Kuyt ----- Suarez
Jaimie Kanwar
At the start of the week, Liverpool legend John Aldridge broke ranks and lambasted his old club's current form, arguing that Liverpool was a team 'in crisis'. Former teammates Ray Houghton, Ian Rush and Jan Molby all took a different view, arguing that there was no crisis at Anfield, and that Kenny Dalglish was still the right man to lead Liverpool.
Speaking to the Liverpool Echo on Thursday, Molby argued that Aston Villa at home is 'a good game for Liverpool to have', and conceded that the club was desperate for a win. He said:
"To be honest, I’d take any kind of win. That’s the stage we’re at – we urgently need three points to be able to get some momentum back, ahead of the Cup semi-final against the Blues".
He's right - the club desperately needs to start building momentum, but I hope the players don't go into the game thinking - like Molby - that Villa will be an easy win; that kind of approach is a recipe for disaster.
I agree with Molby that and any kind of win will do, but it has to be achieved fairly. I wouldn't want to see Liverpool win as a result of cheating. Still, if one of LFC's players cheated to ensure a win, many fans would condone and accept it, and that's the sad reality.
Molby seemed heartened by the fact that Villa are missing key players like Dunne, Petrov and Bent:
"Villa are missing key players and..they are left with an inexperienced line-up. I think we might be able to bully them physically"
Liverpool have played several teams missing their key players already this season and still not managed to win, so that may not be as big an advantage as everyone thinks. Additionally, Villa are fighting for their lives, which will give them added motivation to do well.
Another defeat at Anfield is unthinkable, surely? I can't see that happening though, and I fully expect Liverpool to smash Villa. My team for today (depending on injuries):
--------------------- Doni
Kelly -------- Coates --- Skrtel ------------ Johnson
Maxi -------- Spearing -- Gerrard -------- Bellamy
--------------- Kuyt ----- Suarez
Jaimie Kanwar
I wont predict anything at this stage and I expect everything, everybody was expecting lfc to smash wigan too but we all saw what happened that day, no one was expecting us to lose 6 out of 7 but we did it so calm down anything can happen today we're an easy team to beat these days any team can beat us home or away.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't mean squat. The damage has already been done. Villa have 5-7 top players out. We should win with ease but this is a poor liverpool team so expect anything. I avoid all ex liverpool players comment and lfctv shows with journalists and ex pros. Their cheerleaders who play to the Dalglish band. Any other manager and there'd be multiple post mortems already. Liverpool lack leadership from the top. A sentimental managerial appointment. Out of the game 10 years. The game has evolved. Communications is key.
ReplyDeleteAs John Cross of the mirror said “You wonder whether John Aldridge will be welcomed back into the press room at Liverpool,” he begins. “Dalglish has become so paranoid that he even vets journalists for his press conferences. It’s ridiculous, it’s like the Independent Republic of Liverpool. If they win two cups is that enough to save their season? I don’t think so. I thought they would be pushing for the top four. To fall short, as they have done spectacularly this season, really isn’t good enough, by any stretch of the imagination.”
No confidence in this liverpool team under the present management
I don't see the point in wasting any more time, waiting for 'experienced' players that surely have no future at the club and have already let the club down on so many occassions to turn things around.
ReplyDeleteDependent on fitness, I'd like to see a line-up along the lines of;
Doni
Johnson - Skrtel - Coates - Aurelio
Henderson - Coady
Gerrard - Shelvey - Downing
Carroll
(Subs: Carragher, Enrique, Spearing, Suso, Sterling, Suarez & whoever our 3rd choice keeper is)
Coady looked a better player when playing alongside Spearing for the reserves imo, and the simple fact is that Spearing is not a holding midfielder either! In the same manner, Henderson is not an attacking midfielder so I don't understand why he keeps being handed a free attacking role, instead of just sitting back and recycling the ball a la Carrick, as is his wont.
ReplyDeleteAurelio, Johnson, Gerrard and Downing are (apparently) the best deliverers of a cross in our team so get them all delivering balls from wide and get Carroll to actually attack the box for once. Suarez & Enrique have been in poor form recently and deserve to be dropped in the same manner as everybody else.
And I'd like to see Sterling get 30 mins, and Suso 15, in an effort to developing them to become squad players within the next year or two.
We've always beaten Villa in the recent past, but you're right, Dalglish and Hodgson before him have just been shattering all Liverpool trend records. In a bad way.
ReplyDeleteEverybody keeps talking about how playing the kids will destroy their confidence, but I'm not seeing any confidence (or quality) from our senior players. And my opinion is that the kids all eventually stagnate and regress in the reserves anyway, so while the opportunity exists to give them some experience, I say give it to them. They can't do much worse than the highly paid first teamers any way!
Villa are just as bad as us at the moment and possibly have one of the worst managers in the league. This should be a home win but, after Wigan, can't take anything for granted.
ReplyDeleteI hate to say it but cant see us winning today either
ReplyDeleteWith Shelvey and Henderson in midfield and Carragher in the heart of defence with Dalglish as manager, expect record to be broken.Villa must be brimming with confidence.
ReplyDeleteAt the mo that prediction looks silly at the mo.
ReplyDeleteCisse scores two yesterday. Jelavic two today. Thank God we didn't invest in a striker in January.
ReplyDeleteArrogrance and comeuppance has been the theme of this season. Too much yapping and bravado from so many people connected with the club. Liverpool as a club need to stop using the media as a laundromat at the same time as acting in an arrogant, dismissive and disrespectful manner to them. Hopefully over summer FSG will purge the club of this arrogant attitude that has transmitted to players and fans who frequently overstate our status without taking the real account of our reality.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the point, shame the racist **** managed to get on the score sheet, but such is life, as for the weekend, come on you blues! : )
ReplyDelete