after yesterdays win and hopefully the bluesh**es not gettin much out of Chavski on Thursday, i hope rafa will b able to rest alot of our first team players for this game and give the likes of Plessis, Insua, Nemeth a start with Stephen Darby and maybe Jay Spearing on the bench. What do the rest of you's think?
Thurs night match (anyone know why that is) might well have an impact on rafa's selection. A chelsea win and it leaves us 5 clear with a game in hand, and rafa will probably feel he can 'risk' resting a few. However an Everton win, leaves them just 2 points behnd us and we might see a stronger side put out
I would go something similar to the game against Arsenal at Emirares. I reckon they could beat Fulham. Keep maybe Reina, Srktel and Arbeloa in from yesterday. Start with Finna, JAR, Benayoun, Crouch, Lucas, Plessis and god forbad Vorinin after great goal yesterday what I think Rafa will pick Reina, Finnan, Arbeloa, Skrtel, JAR, Pennant, Plessis, Lucas, Benayoun, Crouch, Vorinin What I would like to see Reina, Finnan, Arbeloa, Skrtel, Insua, Benayoun, Plessis, Lucas, JAR, Crouch, Nemeth I still think we could nab third of the gooners with four wins from last four. Arsenal are in free fall
I think Rafa will play the full strength team to begin with and then if we get a few goals up, off comes Torres, off comes Gerrard, the usual.
I pretty much agree with this, but I think only one of Gerrard and Torres will start. Other than that I expect to see a full team lining out. Everton play on Thursday night but I don't see that result having any bearing on what team Rafa brings down to London with him on Friday. I have a feeling that Rafa went into training this morning knowing what team he will play on Saturday and will prepare the team for the rest of the week based on this, before opening a large can of whup-ass on the boardroom!
lads, this could be a tough game, is it really necessary to rest next saturday. fulham turned a corner over the weekend with an away 2-0 win.
Isn't going to be an easy game but we have plenty of firepower without Gerrard and Torres to beat Fulham. Torres looked wrecked on sunday and i would be very happy about him having the weekend off. If Chelsea beat everton on thursday then we have a huge cushion and i think Benayoun looked class when he came on the other day. I'd go with Reina, finnan, Skrtel, Carra, Arbeloa, Lucas, Alonso, Babel, Voronin, Benayoun, Crouch.
I'd go with the same line up as Arsenal in the league game except i'd be tempted to leave Carragher out. That line up should be well able to win the game though Fulham got a great boost winning at Reading on Saturday. Would be nice to keep winning as it's not a bad habit at all regardless of the line up.
Well i've just read an article on Lfc.tv thats made me think that Benitez will most likely play a full strength squad, hopefully doesn't back fire on us in the champions league. http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/mediawatch/drilldown/MW12855080414-1200.htm
im against wholesale changes for this game but i reckon it would be nice to see crouch selected in a full strength 4-2-3-1. he looked brill in the arsenal 1-1.
"Isn't going to be an easy game but we have plenty of firepower without Gerrard and Torres to beat Fulham. " (away) Just to be devils advocate , if you replaced Fulham with Portsmouth in the above sentence! "I think Rafa will play the full strength team to begin with and then if we get a few goals up, off comes Torres, off comes Gerrard, the usual."
Well if you replaced fulham with portsmouth then you have a much tougher game on your hands. One of them is about 10 points behind us, the other is about 40 points behind in the relegation zone and only managed 5 wins all season so yeah i reckon that would change an awful lot about the game. But as it stands we play fulham and without gerrard and torres should be able to easily dispatch of a very very weak fulham team.
with Everton losing last night, I can't see Rafa risking any of the bug guns at all. Reina, Finnan, Arbeloa, Skrtel, Insua, Benayoun, Plessis, Lucas, JAR, Crouch, Vorinin
Probably not a bad call, not sure he'd give insua a run out, possibly play finnan at right back and arbeloa at left buts its impossible to call. If we get the win we're guaranteed fourth spot.
Sounds bout right I would really like to see Insua get a run.( is the lad on loan with liverpool or has a permenant transfer gone through.. anyone?)
almost forgot there was a match today with all the stuff going on off the pitch. Wouldn't mind seeing a few youngsters get throw in.. plessis and Insua in particular. crouch up front aswell. 1-1 all maybe? =p
Rafa on why Gerrard might not play today: "He has a neck problem. Yesterday in training he scored three or four goals with his head so at the end he had a problem." He said it with a smile - sounds like he's adopting Fergie's habit of inventing convenient injuries when it suits.
Crouchy to take his chance today with Tuesdays game in mind, I betting on a hattrick - watch this space!