Liverpool v Birmingham

[yodabenitez]

All you lucky travellers won't give a monkeys but is this on the box?

[homer1]

All you lucky travellers won't give a monkeys but is this on the box?

Yep - on Setanta 3pm mate

[yodabenitez]

Cheers Homer...another no studying break:)

[sean]

Gonna have to sneak out of work to catch this one, hopefully another stylish home performance and a comfortable win

[James]

Gonna have to sneak out of work to catch this one, hopefully another stylish home performance and a comfortable win

Alonso and Agger both out for a few weeks. Think Agger is gone for about 6 and Alonso 8 but it hasn't been confirmed.

With that in mind I'd go with:

Reina

Finnan Carra Sami Aurelio

Pennant Gerrard Masch Babel

Torres Kuyt

I'd give Arbeloa a break and let Aurelio show what he can do incase we need Arbeloa for centre half in October.

[malser]

Shame on you, not even a mention of fit again jar!!

[Aido82]

Reina

Arbeloe Carra Sami jar

Babel Gerrard Masch Leto

Torres Kuyt

Drop pennant for this one and finnan, i thought finnan looked unfit/slow on tuesday night

[Garrett]

Right lads & lassies

As there is likely to be a significant number of IrishKop members going to this one and it's on the box ... I've got a challenge for you.

- Get your mugs on TV, somehow & if you manage to get a plug in for www.IrishKop.com I'll throw in a voucher for Play.com or CDwow.com or something - say €25 for the laugh.

Conditions:

- the plug for this site has to be clear for all to read / hear, as appropriate & witnessed by at least one of the Moderators @ IrishKop.com (either witnessing you at the game doing it, or on the telly where your spotted with a large banner and the website address or something).

- I'm the judge and the judges decision is final ;) :D

- Sorry, but Mods are not allowed to enter this one, it's just for a laugh really !

[tommy26241]

should be a laugh

[Dub13]

Warning,do not run onto the pitch in the nip with Irishkop.com across your backside.

Unless you look like reder/homer1 Avatars.

[yodabenitez]

& if you do look like either of those avatars please do run out on the pitch, turn left at the main exit, hop on a train to the nearest airport, next flight to Dublin...call me & I'll collect you no charge:)

[trevufc]

Reina

Arbeloe Carra Sami jar

Babel Gerrard Masch Leto

Torres Kuyt

Drop pennant for this one and finnan, i thought finnan looked unfit/slow on tuesday night

no benayoun?

[Malzheimer]

Would expect a comprehensive victory to nil, to make up for last two uninspiring away performances (with good results mind you). I'd go with

...............Pepe...................
JAR Sami Carra Arbeloa
Yossi SG Momo Pennant
.........Torres.........Kuyt.......

[James]

Shame on you, not even a mention of fit again jar!!

Don't worry he's currently fighting it out with Insua and Leto for a place in my reserve team against Reading next week.

[Gerrard85]

very tough game midweek and id say the lads will be knackered after it. nevertheless hope we field our strongest team possible on saturday. 3 points is a must. pennant to be rested. suspect rafa will make way more
changes to the team below though

Reina

Finnan Carragher Hyypia Arbeloa

Yossi Gerrard Masher Babel

Torres Voronin

[Terry Conlon]

Reina.
Finnan. Carra. Hyypia. Arbeloa.
Babel. Stevie G. Mascha. Benayoun.
Nando. Kuyt.

3-0 super reds. Nando 2, and Stevie 1

[yodabenitez]

I'll take a workmanlike 2 - 0 with my old reliable DK to score first - if he doesn't claim the poxy goal this time Ill have him....:)

[Kopite]

reading this when i should be in bed getting me beauty sleep for a 7am start to Liverpool in the morning... BUT just for the record I expect Birmingham to put up a very strong resistance and expect it to take until 20 mins to go before we hopefully break them and score ....hope Im very wrong

[sean]

Well I think it should be another Anfield stroll for us today. If it was an away game I'd be concerned about them putting up a fight, but not many are able to come to Anfield and put up a fight these days.

3-0, two for Torres and Stevie G

[Steve]

3-0
Voronin, Torres, Stevie G

[sean]

Starting lineup:

Reina

Arbeloa
Hyypia
Carragher
Riise

Pennant
Mascherano
Gerrard
Babel

Kuyt
Voronin

[Alex Raisbeck]

Come on Redmen.

[sean]

I hate days like this when your stuck at work, a fair few from IrishKop are over at the game, and your depending on BBC to provide you with updates on the game. Depressing.

However, despite my downbeat mood, lets all hear it for LFC.

Come on Redmen!!

[Garrett]

Warning,do not run onto the pitch in the nip with Irishkop.com across your backside.

Unless you look like reder/homer1 Avatars.






LOL :D :D :D

Although if you do, there'll be a little something extra in it for you ;) :D

[JOE]

Come on, we need to win this...

[sean]

15 mins to go, looks a bit ominous

[sean]

Taken from BBC:

90:00 (0:10)
Defending throw-in by Jose Reina (Liverpool).


You know we're in trouble when Pepe is taking a throw in!!

[YNWA]

That was woeful.

[L dude A reno]

Had a sneaking feeling our form against Porto would carry over.

Why wasn't Torres starting, are we saving him for the midweek Carling Cup game? We have the makings of a Premiership winning side, but not if Rafa keeps xxxxxxx about with Torres the way he has been.

This performance reminded me of what Babel said a few weeks ago, That Rafa doesn't give instructions for attacking, only on how to defend.

[King of the Knackers]

Disappointing - as to why we rest our best striker(by a country mile) is beyond me.

We wont score goals to win crap little games like that without him starting.

[9Torres]

Very disappointing result. Its the end of the season when we'll be lookin for the points that have been dropped against rubbish sides. Birmingham at home should be a guaranteed win, yet we couldnt even break down their defence. To sum up how bad we were, Ridgewell didnt even concede a penalty nor did he score an og.

Again, selection was bad - I think Taylor made 1 save where he was stretched (from Voronin) - as soon as Crouch came on it was all long high balls into him. Surely we have a bit more creativity than has been shown today. I know its early season but we must win all home games. Not a happy red.

I feel pity for the travelling supporters - lets just hope the journey across was more enjoyable.

[tomm]

It's all getting a bit predictable now. Constant changing of the strikers, and dropping points against also rans. When is he going to kop on that, if his best players are available for selection, then bloody play them. It's not rocket science!!!

[Daz]

imo, Torres has to play EVERY premiership game. there's only a midweek carling cup game this week so he could have played today and had a weeks rest before Wigan next week. 2 massive points dropped this weekend

[karljd]

Rafas beginning to do my head in with his rotation obssession torres should have started at this rate arsenal will be impossible to catch by christmas ,when is he going to kop on and play his best 11,Kuyt and voronin up front at home! benitez needs to wake up soon or he'll be in the same boat as houlier.Glad to get that off me chest no i can go and drown me sorrows.

[wickla_mucker]

So so dissappointed. Arsenal notch up a god home win and we go back another step. Following his good efforts midweek Kuyt showed today that he lacks the class required. Torres must start every game when he is fit - that overhead was a cracking attempt.
What was the thought in bringing on Crouch???? Babel was hopeless.

Felt Stevie was excellent and Pennant and Mascherano also very very good. Defence had nothing to do.

If we dont start winning games itll be back to same old story as also rans :(

[Naas 26]

I have that sinking feeling again. We are dropping points when we should be winning games against easier teams. We don't seem to have the killer instinct in the last quarter. Crouch looked totally out of sorts when he came on, Babel was very poor. Torres looked sharper than everybody else when he came on. We should start him from the beginning and when the game has been won take him off if you want to rest him

[Gerrard85]

my head is absolutely wrecked with rafa at the moment. how can he leave his star 26million striker on the bench for a 2nd successive league game. this rotation business has got to stop but he will never change his policies on this. i thought kuyt was absolutely awful today, atrocious even. his first touch is crap, his finishing his crap, every move involving him broke down when he got the ball. voronin was very quiet as well but to see kuyt stay on for the full 90 again is just not on. the great teams that have one the league have always played their best teams as much as they could. why cant rafa see that with all this chopping and changing, it is only damaging our title hopes. i feel that we have the team and squad to win the league but performances at home like that against ordinary sides like birmingham will get us nowhere. if rafa wants
to see more creativity and penetration, can he start playing our best striker for a start?

[redeagle]

I dont see why he cant start with his best team and if we are winning and winning well take them off at a suitable time.

But in fairness I think the whole team were flat today. Reminds me of when pompey and everton came to anfield last year and defended with all 11 players and we were unable to break them down.

They need a good f**king kick in the backside. Thats 3 useless games we have played within a week.

[Kopite]

I dont see why he cant start with his best team and if we are winning and winning well take them off at a suitable time.

But in fairness I think the whole team were flat today. Reminds me of when pompey and everton came to anfield last year and defended with all 11 players and we were unable to break them down.

They need a good f**king kick in the backside. Thats 3 useless games we have played within a week.

Just back home 15 mins ago from my marathon Easyjest daytrip to the Pool....Why did I bother.

Poor performance from us today. No attacking flair and we didnt really create to many clear cut chances . The general feeling at the ground and all the reds at the airport was "why no Torres"...I had a feeling it was becasue Birmingham would play so deep and Rafa had suggested that in his interview. But the lad Torres is a threat, i havent seen it yet but his scissor/overhead kick was very close and he moved the Centre backs about far more than the other 2 lads.

Im really pissed off for the following reasons....

First game I was at this season and we were pants.

3rd game in a row of a below par performance

My ticket cost me a fortune

The in and out flights on the same day never get any easier and Im wrecked, God help or fellow Irisk Kopper's on the ferry.

Stevie G's form is alarming

Jermaine Pennant is starting to get carried away with himself.

What the hell is Yossi Bennayoun thinking

and lastly and not leastly....i defend Rafa every week from all the muppets who jump on the media bandwagon about the rotation, but as most of you would agree, how can you defend him? Fernando Torress has scored 3 league goals at Anfield and has played very well for us so far....but he is not in the 11 today. Just cant understand Rafa, actually I can sometimes but he is stubborn with his philosophies and that is that. My final point is.... please no one tell me that Javier Mascherano played well today, yes about 3 or 4 great tackles but also 3 or 4 passes straight to the opposition. Finally finally the best thing about today was a tie between a gordous Hostess on the Easyjet flight and the double whopper I had in the Airport.

WHo the hell are we playing next week, im too tired to think..

[joe n]

The team that Rafa picked today was good enough to beat a side like birmingham, the player's just did not perform, torres or no torres we should be able to beat the smaller teams home and away.

[pam]

that was a terrible game, flat, that was points threw away, some pretty poor preforming all round, :mad:

trip went well tho, a good few of of went back to Aldo's place, where the man himself came in to say hello, good criac,;)

I think the singing on the bus back home, would have been louder than in anfield yesterday, good laugh, thanks lads, for making it an enjoyable trip. sorry the result could not have been better,

see you soon for the next one.

[SUPERFAN]

I think the singing on the bus back home, would have been louder than in anfield yesterday,

that wouldn't have been hard Pam.the Atmosphere sounded terrible on TV Yesterday.at one point the Kop were Singing a Half Hearted PST and about half way through it was Drowned out by the B'ham Fans.
sad to say but i'm not a big Fan of the Sat 3 o Clock KO's any more.
they're usually against poor Opposition and the Atmosphere is sh1te!

[Aido82]

Thanks for organising the trip pam, bad result but the night, bus and boat were great. Cheers. i look forward to meeting ye again

[novasteve]

Was great meeting lots of you off the board yesterday, much fun was had by all I think, shame about the match... Nice to meet Aldo as well.

Good work Pam, I look forward to the next one

[16IrishScouser16]

i tort we were going to anfield were the best fans in the world are and not a library???birmingham fans made a show of us!also why is benitez not starting torres>:(

[liverbird!!]

i tort we were going to anfield were the best fans in the world are and not a library???birmingham fans made a show of us!also why is benitez not starting torres>:(


Because he's a knob!!! Simple As!!

[Gerry]

Because he's a knob!!! Simple As!!

A few bad results and this seasons campaign of rafa out has started with alot of people on other sites not too many here as of yet , not having a go mark but to say he is a knob is a bit harsh and out fo order ! i was as pissed off in anfiled on saturday as anyone else and yes i do think torres should start every league game if he is fit to do so !
Two weeks ago everyone had us down to win the league and now were finished if you listen to most people, i am still pissed off and everyone is entitled to thier opinion and mine is that we will get it right!

We should play torres but also the other side of it is our team should be well capable of beating a team like birmingham, bar one or two players we had more or less our best team out there and alot of them did not perform its not all the managers fault !

[sean]

Because he's a knob!!! Simple As!!

Steady on mate, no need for that! I have little doubt that Rafa will have you eating your words fairly soon.

[Malzheimer]

Very frustrating weekends football. Birminham and Bruce and his fat head seem to have the voodoo effect over us. I was disappointed when I saw the teamsheet with no Torres, but was still confident Derek and Voronin could produce the goods against a team who fielded 2 debutants who had never played in Prem before and Villa reject Liam Ridgewell at the heart of defence!

We didn't create enough chances, Babel and SG needed to do more, and although Masch had a good game, he is very defensive and no doubt Alonso would of loved a game like that if fit. We need to change things in games like this, maybe 3-5-2 'cos the majority of teams are going to come here and camp like Brummies did. Torres needs to start every game possible, looked our biggest threat when he came on.

Where was Yossi??

[Spionkopite]

Completely agree Mal5times. I thought Babel had a terrible game and thought he should of been off after about 20 mins. Is Youssi injured? Thought he would of been on if fit. :confused:

[Gerry]

Completely agree Mal5times. I thought Babel had a terrible game and thought he should of been off after about 20 mins. Is Youssi injured? Thought he would of been on if fit. :confused:


Youssi was not playing as it was some religous day or national day for people from israel or some religious festival (sorry for the ignorance of not knowing its name) this is the same reason why the new chelsea manager could not work with the squad on saturday !

[sean]

Where was Yossi??

It was the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, apparently the most sacred of all Jewish holidays. As a result of the holiday, Youssi couldn't eat or even drink from sundown on Friday until sundown on Saturday.

Couldn't really play him if he couldn't even have a drink of water I suppose.

[fitzpatrickgary]

we never looked like conceding a goal but there seemed to be a lack of imagination going forward and that only changed slighty when torres came on he should be starting when fit especially against defenders like Liam Ridgewell even seeing a player of torres' quality line up from the start would have those defenders even more nervous and could make a mistake

[liverbird!!]

A few bad results and this seasons campaign of rafa out has started with alot of people on other sites not too many here as of yet , not having a go mark but to say he is a knob is a bit harsh and out fo order ! i was as pissed off in anfiled on saturday as anyone else and yes i do think torres should start every league game if he is fit to do so !
Two weeks ago everyone had us down to win the league and now were finished if you listen to most people, i am still pissed off and everyone is entitled to thier opinion and mine is that we will get it right!

We should play torres but also the other side of it is our team should be well capable of beating a team like birmingham, bar one or two players we had more or less our best team out there and alot of them did not perform its not all the managers fault !

With all due respect JC, he clearly doesn't see what everyone in the world can see, you need you're best players on the pitch to have any hope in obtaining your ambitions! his ambitions are not the premiership by the looks of it, and i am sick of his rotation system, when a game is out of sight, then change the team, by all means.play your best players from the start and Rafa is ignoring this problem!!!. I hope he does make me eat my words but something tells me that he won't!!.
Pints on me in Aldo's if i wrong at end of season.:D

[Gerry]

Pints on me in Aldo's if i wrong at end of season.:D

Will hopefully hold you to that !

[Aido82]

thought the team selection was poor

voronin was brutal, babel was poor, JAR wasnt there, crouch did f' all again.

torres needs to start every game (some over head kick)

In saying this Birmingham parked a bus in front of the goals all game long

[reder]

With all due respect JC, he clearly doesn't see what everyone in the world can see, you need you're best players on the pitch to have any hope in obtaining your ambitions!......

With all due respect liverbird!..., given his successes as a manager with Liverpool and Valencia, I think Rafa sees what everyone else sees and a fair bit more in terms of football.

The 11 players that took to the field on sat where more than good enough to beat that Birmingham side but they, not Rafa, didnt do their respective jobs. I have little or no doubt that Rafa had the players prepared for the task in hand.

Instead of questioning Rafa and posting utter nonsense relating to terminating his contract, why not take a look at the performances of some of our attacking players who played on Saturday.

Correct me if im wrong but we have more than one striker in our squad (Torres).

[The Kopfather]

Brutal game.

Can't believe sg got man of the match. Birmingham looked lost and frightened in our half, but we still couldn't take advantage. Torres should have started. Rest him when he's actually played a few games.

On a brighter note, was a good weekend trip. Met a couple of the lads from here in aldos. Hopefully next time we'll have a better match to talk about

[liverbird!!]

With all due respect liverbird!..., given his successes as a manager with Liverpool and Valencia, I think Rafa sees what everyone else sees and a fair bit more in terms of football.

The 11 players that took to the field on sat where more than good enough to beat that Birmingham side but they, not Rafa, didnt do their respective jobs. I have little or no doubt that Rafa had the players prepared for the task in hand.

Instead of questioning Rafa and posting utter nonsense relating to terminating his contract, why not take a look at the performances of some of our attacking players who played on Saturday.

Correct me if im wrong but we have more than one striker in our squad (Torres).

Who said anything about contract?. Spanish football is completely different game to english football. English game much more physical.fast and furious. but you'd never think that watching us play.

The fact of the matter is he left a 20,000,000 player sitting on the bench, now tell me thats logical! as i and many others have stated YOU NEED TO PLAY YOU'RE BEST PLAYERS AND THEN CHANGE WHEN GAME IS WON!!!

ThanK you very much!!!!

[Terry Conlon]

Brutal game, the booing at the end said it all for me, allthough i personally would never abuse the super reds in public. But when is RAFA going to learn that you rest players when they are tired well into the season not after 6 games!

[flashm]

quote from brum keeper '' seeing torres on the bench gave us all a lift'' that says it all for me, if by leaving your best players on the bench has that effect on the opposition why does rafa do it? torres would have tore them apart... yes the atmosphere in the ground was bad but the craic with the people on the bus was first class, again well done to pam on the organising

[Beano]

It really turned out to be a 2nd bad weekend in a row

Arsenal looking good and we're dropping points against the weaker sides at home. In fairness the Birmingham bus , i mean defence was in good shape but we had far too many long hopeful balls from Sami and Mascher going nowehere.
The Midfield has got to come short to Sami and stop him firing 40 yard "passes" .
Not too impressed with Kuyt and Voronin, far too similar. I think Babel looked better the JP but yet he was first to be removed.
And you could really see the class when Torres came on - the first decent cross JP puts in (what an overhead).

Roll on Wigan .....

[TOPDAWG]

Hows it going folks??

Long time reader, first time poster! :)
Was at this myself, bit of a ticket disaster but got in eventually.

Was never so gutted afterwards as i was after this. I started a new job 6 months ago and this was the first break i was gettin since i started so i went away and started planning it then and all through those months when times were hard :p this was the light at the end of my tunnel!! The last game i was at was the derby back in feb , another 0-0 so i think im destined to never see the net ripple at anfield. Atmosphere was very disappointing, i was jammy enough to get into The Kop and i couldnt contain myself but you could hear a pin drop, i guess thats just how it goes when the lads are struggling to find the net, everyones on a knife edge like. ha ha.

Anyways im much happier after the last week and looking forward to gettin back as soon as possible.

[Dub13]

Welcome on board.

[TOPDAWG]

Thank you sir. I was already talking to yourself over on boards.
Cheers.;)