As expected, Brendan Rodgers has named very strong teams for tonight's League Cup semi-final clash with Chelsea, and in a mild surprise, Jose Mourinho has also followed suit and selected a formidable starting XI.
FULL TEAM: Mignolet, Can, Skrtel, Sakho, Lucas, Henderson, Gerrard, Moreno, Markovic, Coutinho, Sterling
SUBS: Ward, Enrique, Lambert, Manquillo, Lallana, Borini, Rossiter
CHELSEA: Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry (c), Filipe Luis; Matic, Mikel; Willian, Fabregas, Hazard; Diego Costa
SUBS: Cech, Zouma, Azpilicueta, Ramires, Oscar, Remy, Drogba.
* Borini and Lambert both drop to the bench despite scoring in the last game. In my view, it's harsh on the €18m-rated Italian - he started the last game and did his job, and now his reward is being dropped to the bench. I just don't see how this is effective man-management.
* It looks like Rodgers has finally found his preferred defensive set-up, and it doesn't include £20m summer signing Dejan Lovren. If Emre Can is to be permanently converted into a centre-half, where does that leave the Croatian?
* Great to see Rossiter on the bench, but unless Liverpool are winning 5-0 with 15 minutes to go, I can't see any circumstance where Rodgers will bring him on.
* Strange decision to drop Petr Cech, who has kept three clean sheet in a row since coming back into Chelsea's team. It just underlines yet again that his days as permanent first-choice at Chelsea are over. I doubt Cech is happy about being dropped after his superlative recent form, and it may push him further toward a Stamford Bridge exit. Come to Anfield!
After seeing Chelsea's line-up, I feel compelled to change my prediction.
3-1 to Chelsea (Sorry!)
Author: Jaimie K
FULL TEAM: Mignolet, Can, Skrtel, Sakho, Lucas, Henderson, Gerrard, Moreno, Markovic, Coutinho, Sterling
SUBS: Ward, Enrique, Lambert, Manquillo, Lallana, Borini, Rossiter
CHELSEA: Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry (c), Filipe Luis; Matic, Mikel; Willian, Fabregas, Hazard; Diego Costa
SUBS: Cech, Zouma, Azpilicueta, Ramires, Oscar, Remy, Drogba.
* Borini and Lambert both drop to the bench despite scoring in the last game. In my view, it's harsh on the €18m-rated Italian - he started the last game and did his job, and now his reward is being dropped to the bench. I just don't see how this is effective man-management.
* It looks like Rodgers has finally found his preferred defensive set-up, and it doesn't include £20m summer signing Dejan Lovren. If Emre Can is to be permanently converted into a centre-half, where does that leave the Croatian?
* Great to see Rossiter on the bench, but unless Liverpool are winning 5-0 with 15 minutes to go, I can't see any circumstance where Rodgers will bring him on.
* Strange decision to drop Petr Cech, who has kept three clean sheet in a row since coming back into Chelsea's team. It just underlines yet again that his days as permanent first-choice at Chelsea are over. I doubt Cech is happy about being dropped after his superlative recent form, and it may push him further toward a Stamford Bridge exit. Come to Anfield!
After seeing Chelsea's line-up, I feel compelled to change my prediction.
3-1 to Chelsea (Sorry!)
Author: Jaimie K
That was what I wanted to see given the circumstances...
ReplyDelete2~1. Gerrard scores. And probably Lallana. Sorry, 3~1, Sterling scores also..
Matic and Mikel; guess Brendan was right! Chelsea park TWO buses.
ReplyDeletewell its obvious who will score tonight.....remy off the bench
ReplyDeleteI would agree that dropping Borini is bad man management, but we also have to consider what we have to do to win the game. It would be different if this were just another EPL game. However, we need to win this game, and put our strongest team out there, and frankly Borini isn't in mine.
ReplyDeleteBorini on at the 75' mark for the game winner...you heard it here first...and probably last;-)
ReplyDeleteIn fairness, if Borini starts Saturday, that could be ok.
ReplyDeleteI understand that logic to keep playing a guy if he scores, but considering the short turnaround this week, I can't say I'm too bothered by it.
I'd be more concerned if he didn't play this Saturday.
gerrard should've started on the bench!
ReplyDeleteAn OG that would be unfortunate
ReplyDelete18Million Borini. My arse.
ReplyDeleteBorini is no good ...He should be shipped in January window itself !
ReplyDeleteCan't see past a Chelsea win tbh...
ReplyDelete3-0 to us. F em!
ReplyDeleteTerrible call. Looking for contact and going to ground too easily.
ReplyDeleteWasn't even near the ball.
Come on dude it was a clear cut pen
ReplyDeletegerrard way too slow!!
ReplyDeleteGerrard.... Slow.... never.!!!!!
ReplyDeleteSome of this football from LFC is the best I have seen us play in... I don't know how long. Of course we don't have the end product but the team play is just breathtaking at times. Give us Costa and Matic...
ReplyDeleteRight. 4-1 then
ReplyDeleteSterling has been brilliant! Yah man (Jamaican accent)!
ReplyDeleteI guess my issue with it is that Hazard had no intention to play the ball there. It was as if he pushed the ball left and ran right because that's where Can was running.
ReplyDeleteI disliked it just as much when Suarez would do it last year.
Not enough going forward though! Sterling, Coutinho & Gerrard could do with support. Maybe Henderson can be braver in the 2nd half!
ReplyDeleteSakho is underrated on the ball., he's also a good passers.
ReplyDeletehalf time sub take off gerrard bring on Borini and play sterling in gefrrards position gerrards legs have gone plus he's on a yellow
ReplyDeleteHell of a game.
ReplyDeletehahaha
ReplyDeleteIt was a pen and but it was also a dive. He WON the pen. Jaimie should say it's a dive if he is consistent.
ReplyDeleteI can agree with that. A foul and a dive.
ReplyDeleteThis is not going to be popular but even if we lose I think this team has come a long way from the beginning of the season.
ReplyDeleteWe also need to remember that they are very young and many of them are in the first season.
Maybe just maybe next season we'll see a lot more.
If this is the best team in the Country in Chelsea we are going to be a lot closer next season and with some shrewd additions we will be a lot closer.
I
Man matic what a luxury player to have... How many of our attacks has he broken up? He protects their back four so well... Lucas is also having a good game though
ReplyDeleteAnnoyed at the goal but otherwise we are competing and looking good even if the final pass is off.
ReplyDeleteEven though we need to get more shots off, Gerrard needs to come off. Bring Lallana on because he is lethargic, distrupting the flow and constantly putting our defence under pressure.
ReplyDeleteSterling sterling!@!@@!Yes
ReplyDeletesterling!!!!!!!1
ReplyDeleteWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
ReplyDeletesub gerrard for borini
ReplyDeletegerrard too slow
ReplyDeleteWe look hungry! They look punch drunk but still dangerous though.
ReplyDeleteDisapointed with the draw
ReplyDeleteThe problem is they didn't deserve to lose either
ReplyDeleteBut very encouraged by the performance. There was some seriously excellent football in there.
ReplyDeleteWhat you watching??
ReplyDeleteLUCAS MAN OF THE MATCH
ReplyDeleteMost definitely. There were some excellent performances there. They had learned from the Spurs game and were not going to have a go nearly the same way.
ReplyDeleteTake your pick mate. Sakho first half, Skrtel second. Sterling always a danger, Coutinho ran them ragged. The two wing backs had solid games. Can did really well after his mistake.
ReplyDeleteSkrtel/Sakho did well up against costa...also Sterling had their defence twisted in knots at times. Lucas very good as well, good team performance.
ReplyDeleteJust shows how good we can be when we play at pace and close down the opposition in their own half. It must knacker them, but this is the way I like to see Liverpool play every game.
ReplyDeleteTrue he had Matic and Mikel in his pocket there's no way he should be allowed to leave
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. There were very good moments of control in the game too.
ReplyDeleteReally?????
ReplyDeleteThat is arguably Chelsea's strongest lineup and the League leaders come to Anfield to, once again, play like cowards. The result is good for them and bas for us but I would be ashamed if I were a Chelsea supporter.
ReplyDeleteYeah Can is so composed on the ball he'll only get better especially when he reverts to his more natural midfield role.
ReplyDeleteLet me be clear, they didn't deserve to win either.
ReplyDeleteThey played a 9-1 defense after getting that gift of a penalty and they were able to withstand the constant pressure through the efforts of their goalkeeper.
That's not to say I like the result or the style of play. But Jose came in with his billion dollar roster and decided to play 18th century football and set himself up nicely for next week's match.
Keep predicting these defeats Jaimie! It's working...
ReplyDeleteGerrad hitting the post was close and others could easily have gone a bit better. If we had of won would you have said they didn't deserve to lose? That one Gerrard being that touch better?
ReplyDeleteDown from London for that?
ReplyDeleteHe's turning into some player alright build the midfield around that man when Stevie G goes
ReplyDeleteHis later shout after seeing the teams was a 3-1 defeat. Ever the optimist ;-)
ReplyDeleteWill Sturridge be fit for the 2nd leg?
ReplyDeleteThats because we didn't play Gerrard wingback. What a mistake by Rodgers.
ReplyDeleteMade me smile
ReplyDeleteAh and therein lies the rub... All it takes is one more fortuitous bounce for us to win and them to lose, and vice versa.
ReplyDeleteDiego Costa keeps trying to be this year's version of Luis Suarez...
ReplyDeleteIt's too bad he's only 2/3 (if that) the player that Suarez was last year.
He was shackled tonight but is a beast of a striker...shame we did not get him.
ReplyDeleteThose who were fuming that Borini was dropped, could he have taken on 3-4 players to score that goal Sterling scored??? Huh??
ReplyDeleteThat's the real shame of it... if he cut out the nonsensical antics, he'd actually be even better.
ReplyDeleteHe gets under his own skin.
Simply put... the reason we don't Delph
ReplyDeleteVice Versa? They had two shots! One was the pen.
ReplyDeleteWe battered Chelsea second half....Rodgers has really got on to something with this formation Gerrard and Coutinho were able to get on the ball and if teams play two holding players to mark the inside forwards like Chelsea did then they just have to keep splitting wide if the holding players go with them the centre opens up for the striker...like for Sterlings goal.....if teams play a single holding player you will get the Flamini 'windscreen wiper' problem that Phil Neville hilariously coined. If you want to know how worried Mourinho is just watch his sky interview post match....he acted surprised that we had played three at the back because we were "so open to the counter attack" he laughably said Chelsea wasted opportunities second half (what opportunities?!?) He is blatantly trying a desperate attempt to kid Rodgers into changing it for the away leg. Carra and Poyet say that Mourinho will only play one holding player second leg and if he does Rodgers must hold his nerve and play the same system. For the record I bet he doesn't cause as much as we still got joy out of the two holding players it would be worse for them with Matic on his own.....as long as we can beat the initial press from Chelsea when we play out from the back its going to be there for us. Studge could well be on the bench too. Things are looking up my friends.
ReplyDeleteMourinho's "grooming" of referees beginning to pay off. Penalty for given. Penalty against rejected. How was Costa's arm different to Lescott's last night?
ReplyDeleteCouldn be a clearer pen
ReplyDeleteI don't think anyone said he should have played instead of sterling. .
ReplyDeleteSterling in cf/st role is coming to know about it from the best of defences in europe. Great going. When sturridge joins him, it will be better.
ReplyDeleteConclusions:
ReplyDelete*Sterling is worth every penny of the new contract. Which other 20 year old scores an amazing solo goal like that against a Mourinho defence?
Gross over praise my backside!!
*Sakho is a real quality defender. Brave, aggressive with excellent passing out of defence. And to think there were those who doubted his quality whilst championing the so far dubious talents of Lovren. (For the record, I think Lovren has been unfortunate to not have played in a defence with Lucas sitting infront)
*Until Gerrard went off I was annoyed at Henderson. His passing was poor and his composure was almost non existent, but as soon as he got the armband he suddenly performed noticeably better.
*Anyone who thinks we should hand Lucas over to Rafa Benitez or any other manager are idiots of the highest order.
*Nando's really should serve their chicken without the skin. If it aint crispy, it aint edible!!
Agreed with everything except Nando's!
ReplyDeleteCan in midfield will be a lot defensively better with this habit of being a defender!! no need of delph. we could spend that money on a striker and goalie!
ReplyDeleteSkin freak!
ReplyDeleteEmre Can is some player.
ReplyDeleteI could have put half a dozen Reds in that sentence, in truth - probably more.
Good confidence throughout the team tonight. A key ingredient seems to be returning. Gerrard had some good moments, which was nice. Now we just need a bit more composure in the attacking third to complement our swashbuckling build-up play. A draw is not ideal, but we more than matched the best team in the country tonight. Oh, and a nice surprise seeing Lallana get back on, too.
And how was that early cheeky touch from Sakho? Our players are coming out of their shells (not that I believe Sakho was ever really in his shell).
Lastly: don't sell Lucas. Not now and not in the summer. What an absolute rock of holding midifielder. We should be bringing someone in to compete and rotate with him; he's earned our respect and admiration (again!).
Absolutely. People seriously underestimate the fitness levels required to play the way we did tonight. It was frenetic
ReplyDeleteThere were some funny moments with the ...er .... more *experienced* players looking like they were going to throw up, especially in the second half.
ReplyDeleteI think it was worth the effort -- that performance was incredibly impressive, eh? Chelsea were played off the park tonight and were lucky to come away with their poxy draw. For us, it's a massive boost, confirmation that the corner has been turned and that the team are a force again. Tremendous stuff.
Yep or Vermaelen's that Mourinho went mental about.
ReplyDeleteOh for fuck's sake Jaimie. Banning one of the most constructive and interesting posters. Again!
ReplyDeleteGotta take what you can get!
ReplyDeleteAre you two doing your Brendan Rodgers routine? Might as well be quoting from the post match interview ...
ReplyDeleteI think the most important outcome in all of this is that a Liverpool team played their guts out and played with confidence, both at the back and up front. To get a team to that point where they are giving 100% for 90 minutes and doing it precisely and to a good plan ... that's when you know the manager is doing something right. It's taken the better part of 5 months but it's finally clicking into gear and that bodes very well for the rest of the season. Now if only we can get Mario on board ...
ReplyDeletePeople can have whatever view they like, and they can vehemently challenge my views (or anyone else's) to their heart's content. However, sniping is sniping, irrespective of who it is, and when it veers into passive-aggressive sniping, it's a problem.
ReplyDeleteIf people want their comments to stay live, it's simple: remain civil, even if you think the opinion being advanced is wrong.
Could have had both of them. Decided to buy Aspas and Alberto.
ReplyDeleteHe is that. Horrible defender though
ReplyDeleteMy reasoning is below.
ReplyDeleteAnd if he missed the pen, they could just as easily have lost.
ReplyDeleteAgain, I'm not making this claim that we didn't deserve to win. I think we did everything right but score the second goal and give a way a cheap penalty.
But on the other side of the coin, Chelsea came in and got an outstanding performance from their goalkeeper.
I'll even meet you halfway: Chelsea deserved to lose. Courtois did not deserve to lose.