Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has chosen a very strong team for Liverpool's opening league game against West Brom. Fans will be excited to see that Fabio Borini and Joe Allen make their debuts, but Jose Enrique has dropped out of the first XI, and it looks like Glen Johnson will be playing on the left.
Here is the confirmed Liverpool starting line-up for today's premier league game against West Brom at the Hawthorns:
FULL LINE UP: Reina, Kelly, Skrtel, Agger, Johnson, Allen, Lucas, Gerrard, Downing, Borini, Suarez.
SUBS: Jones, Adam, Henderson, Shelvey, Carroll, Carragher, Cole
Probable formation:
-------------------- Reina
Kelly ------- Skrtel ----- Agger ---- Johnson
------------ Allen ------- Lucas
Downing ---------- Gerrard ---------- Suarez
----------------- Borini
5 of the 6 outfield subs are attack-minded, which is a great indication of Rodgers' attacking intent.
Responding to Rodgers' choices, Liverpool legend Gary Gillespie observed:
"At this point, it's probably Liverpool's strongest XI. I think Borini and Downing have key roles to play. They won't just stay wide, they'll come inside and play alongside Suarez.
"Gerrard is back where he should be, in a free role, and when he and Suarez combine, it's great, and hopefully they can get amongst the goals"
Brendan Rodgers added:
"The gameplan is always to win, whether it's home or away. We want to dominate the ball, and be in control of the outcome"
EDIT: According to LFC TV, Enrique has 'picked up a knock'. It must have been during pre-match training though as Rodgers confirmed in his press conference on Thursday that LFC had no injury worries.
Jaimie Kanwar
Here is the confirmed Liverpool starting line-up for today's premier league game against West Brom at the Hawthorns:
FULL LINE UP: Reina, Kelly, Skrtel, Agger, Johnson, Allen, Lucas, Gerrard, Downing, Borini, Suarez.
SUBS: Jones, Adam, Henderson, Shelvey, Carroll, Carragher, Cole
Probable formation:
-------------------- Reina
Kelly ------- Skrtel ----- Agger ---- Johnson
------------ Allen ------- Lucas
Downing ---------- Gerrard ---------- Suarez
----------------- Borini
5 of the 6 outfield subs are attack-minded, which is a great indication of Rodgers' attacking intent.
Responding to Rodgers' choices, Liverpool legend Gary Gillespie observed:
"At this point, it's probably Liverpool's strongest XI. I think Borini and Downing have key roles to play. They won't just stay wide, they'll come inside and play alongside Suarez.
"Gerrard is back where he should be, in a free role, and when he and Suarez combine, it's great, and hopefully they can get amongst the goals"
Brendan Rodgers added:
"The gameplan is always to win, whether it's home or away. We want to dominate the ball, and be in control of the outcome"
EDIT: According to LFC TV, Enrique has 'picked up a knock'. It must have been during pre-match training though as Rodgers confirmed in his press conference on Thursday that LFC had no injury worries.
Jaimie Kanwar
cool team, i like it;)
ReplyDeleteYou don't know that much about Liverpool do you?
ReplyDeleteDowning will start as a RW, Borini as LW and Suárez as a striker. Lucas will be the only DM.
Jose Enrique should start as Left back.
ReplyDeleteCan somebody tell me why Enrique is not included ? Injured I suppose ?
ReplyDeleteEnrique not in first team or as a sub? Must be injured, hope it isn't long term as we haven't got the proper cover Robinson is too young to just be thrown into the first team for an extended amount of games.
ReplyDeleteSuarez will start on left of 3 with Borini in centre
ReplyDeleteWhy Carra still on bench and Coates not included?
ReplyDeleteEnrique is injured... is it a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1?
ReplyDeleteCarra's on the bench because he deserves to be on the bench. Skrtel-Agger is the more effective partnership.
ReplyDeleteSpearing nowhere, love it.
ReplyDeleteOrange bib theory proves correct again!! Rodgers is going to need to change this or stop pics of pre game training or else everyone is going to know line ups a day before...
ReplyDeleteMy point was Carra should be in the stands, obviously Skrtel and Agger to start, but Coates needs to be backup. I thought BR would make this happen.
ReplyDeleteEnrique? think putting in him, then we have our strongest 11, take Adam of the bench and include Coates. Also i want to see how Oussama Assaidi plays, i supposse he'll be the competition for Downing on the right
ReplyDeleteProbable lineup is 4-3-3 with Allen and Gerrard on eatch side of Lucas.
ReplyDeleteAnd it puzzles me how Downing could make it to the lineup. Wouldve been stronger to have Carroll - Despair! :(
4-3-3?
ReplyDeleteIf you read the whole thing instead of the first line you'd have seen he has a knock.
ReplyDeleteI think Coates' omission shows Rodgers' attacking intent. 5 of the 6 outfield subs are attack-minded, which is a good thing.
ReplyDeleteProbably 4-2-3-1
ReplyDeleteit seems like a 4-2-3-1
ReplyDeleteWith strong line up of today,definately liverpool will will this game
ReplyDeletewhy does it seem like west brom r the ones playing tiki taka?
ReplyDeleteshould of bought aly cissokho sigh
ReplyDeletedowning can't link with anybody assiadi should have started sigh
ReplyDeleteHaha, yes. WB looking pretty good. When you have Downing in the starting line-up, you're always going to have a had time playing tiki-taka.
ReplyDeletewwwwwwwwwhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaatttttttttttttttttttsssssssssssss going on here
ReplyDeleteTiki taka....................when will liverpool fans ever learn??????????
ReplyDeleteu must have no life to come on a liverpool site to try and insult us wow kudos to u my good man
ReplyDeleteLucas poor today and downing....well need i say anymore about the guy, he just keeps on proving me right hence both got taken off, cant just blame our luck AGAIN today!!
ReplyDeleteOh dear...
ReplyDeleteAnd who do u support exactly??
ReplyDeleteI do hope all the talk about attacking minded players bla bla bla have all been viewed in the light of the heavy defeat in the hands of WBA. Pre-season stuff is different from realities of the EPL. People ought to be cautiously optimistic...new manager, new system etc is a recipe for difficult short term. All these talk about tiki-taka should be tempered
ReplyDeletehahahahahaha. You wish?
ReplyDeleteand what has that resulted in? Heavy defeat? hahahaha
ReplyDeleteDowning and Carra both useless today...
ReplyDeletesorry for talking in the third person am liverpool through and through but this......... its high time we stepped out and looked at ourselves as Liverpool fans and ask y do keep allowing this
ReplyDeleteI cant really say this result is embarrasing - we have become used to this now since Rafa left - the extent of the mistake in letting Benitez go will become more and more apparent over the next few years... I miss the organised solid Liverpool with class players of just a few short years ago...
ReplyDeleteThat's one of my worries about this blog. Always sensational and often showing what is known as fixation of mind in psychology. Why blame Downing for today's game? I like constructive criticism rather than sensational ones. I do hope Brendan does well, otherwise, all the talk about Rafa was this, Houllier was that would have been a bloody waste of time. You asked for Kenny to be replaced and if this guy doesnt do well, I wonder what you will say then. Hahahaha...
ReplyDeletehonestly really u an lfc fan whatever u say right
ReplyDeletecant agree with u more sometimes its good for something to be taken for people to appreciate it so in time more people will c that rafa is the man for liverpool , but for now lets give Rogers time, but if this continues to nov am sorry he will have to go because next it will b relegation
ReplyDeletecouldn have said it better downing neeeeeeds to go its embarrassing now sigh the mistakes today johnson should have remained rb and robinson in as lb (we obviosly saw kelly rb johnson lb was horrible), downing should be sold or released on his contract whatever it takes to get him out and assaidi should have started. If we had those changes then things could have been waay different at least arsenal drawed and first game in the season loss was probably good to show BR what needs to be done now before its to late (and the transfer window is still open) and for the players to up there game right now so hopefully liverpool uses this loss as inspiration
ReplyDeleteyep me liverpool jus not deluded about the fact we r poor as club and as fans we keeping allowing this as if we were not wining champs or beating europes elite a couple of years ago, sorry but i cant accept anything less
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what to make of that I'm going to give this team time.
ReplyDeleteHowever with over 80% pass completion and the majority of possession we still lost and lost badly.
Downing is what he is AVERAGE he did NOTHING and will continue to do so as long as he's picked.
Joe Cole is finished as a player in the Premier League time has caught up with him
I think it was a mistake to play Allen with Lucas so soon and should have spent some more time on training pitch before his addition.
Steve Clarke knows the majority our players and it showed.
Skertel tried to be clever in by intercepting the pass which forced Agger to make the foul which caused the penalty.
Brendan has his work cut out and we are no where near finishing the in the top 4 this season so lets not harbour any ambitions of that.
Gerrard isn't copping enough criticism here. He was shocking. He gave the ball away way too many times. Skrtel is also an idiot who has always been prone to concentration lapses (what on earth was he thinking!? You must always be aware of your surroundings in your own box!). Suarez missed 3 absolute sitters, I don't understand how he scores hat tricks for uruguay all the time and then misses these chances on a continual basis domestically. Adding to this, they were playing too long sometimes, totally juxtaposing Rodgers' philosophy. Despite this, I did see glimpses of good things to come, but today was a reminder to us that instant 'tiki taka' success won't arrive over night.
ReplyDeleteI think you guys are crazy. It's never easy when you're one man down. Rodgers can't control stupid mistakes from Agger and Skrtel. It was our first league game for crying out loud, patience please. And by the way, hinting at relegation next season is totally far fetched and impulsive.
ReplyDeleteAre FSG, Jaimie K, and all who asked for Steve Clark and Kenny to leave, watching this??? Kenny how things turn out right? I've said be careful of what you ask for. Competition is clearly too steve for Brendon. Rodger out by Xmas?
ReplyDeleteBring back Dalglish and we may yet have hope. If today's performance is anything to go by (no defence, no attack), we can bye bye premiership next season. Good luck.
cant believe it, wba fans chanting the true: we are not famous anymore
ReplyDeleteCherish your Lge Cup. May not see another trophy for a long long time if this continues!
ReplyDeleteDo you really think Dalglish would have done any better today? It was one of those days when everything that could go wrong happened. A sendoff and two penalties within a few minutes of eachother. Rodgers' style of play that will take time to eventuate perfectly is much more effective than KD's.
ReplyDeleteI love these kind of knee jerk passion filled grivel comments.
ReplyDeleteHe obviously waited until the first defeat , then carried on from where he left off last season no doubt.
I don't even know who this poster is but I'm betting he was the defending Dalglish before and after he was appointed.
I'm also betting every time we lose or draw he'll pop with this gibberish.
When we win he'll go back into hiding like Bin Laden in Tora Bora.
Just where was the defence? Can u imagine Reina was the last defender so many times? Where were all the other defenders? Wat a joke. Then again, the specialist in defence is now sitting in West Brom's bench. And Pool sacked him
ReplyDeleteTo say I feel terribly disappointed is putting it mildly, especially given all the anticipation of the new season, and the expectation from BR's new era, BUT it is day one. In a way, this loss may turn out to not be as catastrophic as it seems right now. It shows how much work needs to be done, and done quickly. BR needs to work to turn this around very quickly and inject some confidence in the players.
ReplyDeleteWhat went wrong today? Possession, especially at the early stages was very good - but it is what you do with it. The cutting edge was missing, and there was no good final ball. Creativity in the final third is clearly missing and needs to be addressed asap. Downing showed nothing has changed from last season. But there was something else missing - fight and desire. When WBA got the ball, you could see the drive and determination - they wanted this more than LFC today. Surely Dempsey is a must now - that 'never give up' attitude just wasn't there.
BR, wake up call if you ever needed one, but I believe you will get it right. # YNWA
With respect it is not just in reference to this game - no one can deny that we have regressed as a club and our stature is fading - obviously Rodgers deserves a chance but to me there is a massive difference in hiring a manager who toppled the biggest clubs in Spain and ended their dominance and hiring a manager who avoided relegation - standards have slipped
ReplyDeleteAre you kidding?! I'm still elated that Dalglish is no longer in charge. Bring back KD? You're having a laugh. It's just one game; Rodgers is the man, and this defeat will have taught him a lot. This defeat is a wake-up call, and it will compel Rodgers to really analyse things, which can only be a good thing.
ReplyDeleteclearly u have not read what i wrote, if of am of the opinion that rafa should have never gone thats mine, second i clearly stated that rogers should be given time though if THIS CONTINUES TO NOV HE HAS TO GO!!! (please refer to our fixture list its only going to get hard starting next week with City) by the way u cant blame agger as it was stevey who gave a wrong pass and we were playing high up and got caught sorry its not agger who decides tactics its the manager~ learn to call a spade a spade
ReplyDeletewould've been 10-0 with two red cards if Kenny and Clark were still around get a grip man
ReplyDeleteOur football against WBA was rubbish. We were nowhere testing their keeper. Under Kenny, we‘d have at least hit the poles. I‘d rather see us hitting the poles!
ReplyDeletei dont think i have watched a game yet (not just lfc)where dowd has stayed in background he always seems to make it "the phill dowd show" that 2nd penalty had me baffled, a right footed player comes from behind and sticks his left foot in front of another right footed player just as he is about to play the ball,how is that a foul
ReplyDeletegerrard's wayward pass and Agger's foul has nothing to do with tactics my friend. We were playing high up to get a goal back- what did you want them to do? defend a 1-0 deficit with 11 players on the field? I am a Rafa fan too but maybe Rodgers is what we need instead- a fresh philosophy to reinvigorate us. Noone is expecting Liverpool to easily walk into the top 4 this year, so if they don't, its not a tragedy. We were playing well at times, but obviously the style is going to take time to fit in, and today was just a stark reminder of that!
ReplyDeleteI keep reading on most LFC related fan sites that I should remain positive as a supporter. Well my positives for the day: Thank goodness for Swansea (irony) and Fulham or we'd be bottom!
ReplyDeletewill remind you that rodgers is the man when you call for him to be sacked tikka takka my arse off to watch macca pacca in the night garden more entertaining than the rubbish just watched the new striker made carrol look like a 50million pound player allen lol really fear the worst this season after one of the worst starts ive seen in thirty years wba looked like brazil we were awful fsg take a bow you are dragging the club to new depths
ReplyDeleteLet us remember, that today's loss has no bearing on our fate this year. Remember spurs last year? their opening games were woeful, think back to the 5-1 thrashing by city. We're at the very earliest stage of the season, the dawn, and our circumstance can easily be transformed. If we play well in these next few very tough fixtures, the boys will get a massive spring in their step.
ReplyDeleteno matter what anyone says there is a conspiracy against liverpool soft red card on our best defender, unbelievable second penalty, yellow card on suarez.... i don't understand yes
ReplyDeleteAllen and Borini were so anonymous. Wasted yet more money
ReplyDeleteget a grip yourself absolute garbage today and kd would not have stood for it
ReplyDeleteLucas poor ! ! Really ! !
ReplyDeleteok then tell me what we would have done better today under dalglish pls i would like to know
ReplyDeletedowning would have still started hendo on the right adam with the captains arm band on
ReplyDeletethey would have played with passion for a start carrol would have got more of a run the italian was useless and thats being kind allen did nothing henderson would have at least given some continuality to the side things can only get better but not under this regeme
ReplyDelete