v Norwich (h)

[Gym Beglin]

Right, these are the undroppables, in that they have great quality that cannot be replicated:

 

Mignolet

Sakho

Johnson

Lucas

Gerrard

Suarez

 

 

Everything else is wallpaper at this point. It's a case of how best to lay a team out that gets the best out of those players and causes us least damage in areas where we don't have top quality players. For me, it's time for 352 again. It's time to stop conceding 3 goals a game.

 

 

---------------------------MIGNOLET--------------------------------

 

-------TOURE----------------SAKHO-----------------AGGER------------

 

-JOHNSON--------------------LUCAS-----------------------CISSOKHO---

 

-------------ALLEN-------------------------GERRARD-----------------

 

---------------------------COUTINHO-------------------------------

 

---------------------------SUAREZ----------------------------------

 

 

 

We've got to stop conceding goals, and we've got to get Coutinho linking with Suarez, it's our only hope of finding the net on a regular basis. Width to come from the full backs, forget about Sterling and Moses, it's not an option.

[Tony Moanero]

Cissokho is rubbish.

[The Golden Eel]

Johnson has been fucking shite for two games now

[Jairzinho]

Johnson has been fucking shite for two games now

 

Agreed.

 

Cissokho is rubbish.

 

Agreed.

 

All of our wide midfielders as well.

 

If we played all of our games on a bowling alley we'd see an immediate improvement.

[ZonkoVille77]

No Cisssokho, although he could do OK at home to Norwich. Johnson should be dropped.

 

I'd go

 

Mingolet

Flanno, Skrtel, Sahko, Agger

Lucas

Hendo, Gerrard, Allen, Couthino

Suarez

 

Should be enough there to beat them. Lucas to help the back 4 and the 5 up top should have licence to batter them. Need a decent win now after that monumental cock-up yesterday. 3-0.

[Tony Moanero]

Agreed.

 

 

 

Agreed.

 

All of our wide midfielders as well.

 

If we played all of our games on a bowling alley we'd see an immediate improvement.

Ha ha ... "bowling alley" ... hahaha.

[Babb'sBurstNad]

Nah, 3-5-2 will just lead to Agger and Cissokho clattering into one another and Sakho getting pulled out of position.

 

Sakho at CB, Coutinho starting and put some faith in Allen or bin him off in January. 

 

And stick some itching powder in every player's shorts to stop them looking so lethargic.

[Tony Moanero]

Mignolet

Flanagan Skrtel Sahko Johnson

Allen Lucas

Henderson Gerrard Coutinho

Suarez

 

Slapdash performances from Johnson and Flanagan was poor yesterday but I just don't like Agger at left-back.

[Fi!]

Aspas/Alberto/Allen for a start please

 

If they cant even prove themself in this game, shits are deep man

[Robinson]

                                                   Mignolet

 

Henderson         Sakho               Agger                 Cissokho

 

                                                   Lucas

                 Alberto                                           Allen

 

 

                 Gerrard                                                 Coutinho

 

                                                 Suarez

[Gym Beglin]

it doesn't matter if Cissokho is shit, or Johnson has been shit, because we're shit out of options.

 

Defences are creatures of environment. If your midfield is shit then your defence as a whole will also be shit. If we get the midfield right then we'll be doing a massive favour to the defence.

[ZonkoVille77]

Mignolet

 

Henderson Sakho Agger Cissokho

 

Lucas

Alberto Allen

 

 

Gerrard Coutinho

 

Suarez

tell me you're kidding?

[Dr. J]

Based on performance, and not just in the last 2 games, Johnson deserves to be benched. Play Flanno at RB and Cissokho at LB.

 

Start showing some 'senior' players that nobody's spot is guaranteed, especially after a performance like the one against Hull.

[Captain]

I'd go with these:

 

                     Mignolet

Flannagan-Toure-Sakho-Cissokho

                       Lucas

Henderson-Gerrard-Allen-Coutinho

                      Suarez

 

Johnson has been abysmal for two games in a row, he just needs to be axed. Cissokho hasn't set the world alight, but I haven't decided he's completely shit yet either. Hopefully he can contribute forward when Coutihno drifts inside. Allen, Henderson and Lucas to do the vast majority of the legwork in midfield, Gerrard plays in a more attacking role.

 

I just fucking pray Coutinho is fit enough to start this one.

[Bobby Hundreds]

We should be able to win this with a group of 11 year olds and just Suarez.

[LFC64]

Agreed.

 

 

Agreed.

 

All of our wide midfielders as well.

 

If we played all of our games on a bowling alley we'd see an immediate improvement.

 

That's funny. Well it would be if it wasn't referring to our own side!

 

The above side looks to me like a another story waiting to happen of 72 per cent possession and a struggle to break them down. Suarez benefits a lot from the movement and positioning of Sturridge and the partnership has allowed us to pick up points without playing particularly well. 

What are the options? We need to find goals from other areas to make up for the loss of DS so begrudgingly after that performance I would persevere with Moses for Norwich and West Ham. If we had better options then I'd bomb him out for good after yesterday but we don't.

[Jairzinho]

That's funny. Well it would be if it wasn't referring to our own side!

 

The above side looks to me like a another story waiting to happen of 72 per cent possession and a struggle to break them down. Suarez benefits a lot from the movement and positioning of Sturridge and the partnership has allowed us to pick up points without playing particularly well. 

What are the options? We need to find goals from other areas to make up for the loss of DS so begrudgingly after that performance I would persevere with Moses for Norwich and West Ham. If we had better options then I'd bomb him out for good after yesterday but we don't.

 

I guess I agree regarding the team selection. Its difficult for a number of reasons, one being that lots of senior players have been fucking shit recently. Another is that I've no idea how we're meant to be playing in terms of the style of the side. No point packing the side with players like Allen and Alberto if we're just going to hoof it towards the forward/s. So then the option is, like you say, persevere with the window lickers out wide and hope that in amongst the thousands of mongy decisions they'll inevitably make they do something good as well.

[liverpoolsno9]

Johnsons last 2 performances have been unacceptable. The arrogance/nonchalance he shows pisses me off, he thinks hes fuckin Messi , the ball he gave away in the Derby just before Lucas concedes the foul on the 2nd equaliser was as bad as Moses' yesterday for me, a little nonchalant fuckin chipped pass that he didn't connect with, but people have a go at Hendo for losing it just before with a volleyed pass on the Halfway line or Lucas giving the free kick away. But this cunt seems to get away with it week in/week out. There were other bad moments from him in that game too. His attitude is terrible at the minute, he shit out of a challenge in Hulls half yesterday that would have been his, giving them possession. He gets an easy ride off most of our fans, "but hes good going forward" they say, no he isn't, he might look good until it comes to the final ball & he fucks up or loses possession by trying too much & then getting caught out of position. Anway hes a fuckin Defender & a fuckin shit one at that IMO. Give me an Arbeloa  type player over this shyster everyday.

[GJM]

No point dropping players when what we have in their place are worse versions. Johnson was very poor yesterday but I don't for one moment think that Aly Cissokho would be an improvement. Rodgers needs to find a way to get Johnson to improve his game - there has to be other ways of doing that besides dropping him.

 

Flanagan deserves to keep his place, as does Skrtel, in my view. Agger or Sakho have to come in for Toure, who is starting to look like injury prone and half the player he was earlier in those initial few games.

 

We don't have an awful lot of choices in midfield besides reinstating Allen, which I would be tempted to do at the expense of Moses. Sterling didn't do much more than Moses against Hull to keep his place but at least he's our fucking player. Moses can walk back to west London as far as I'm concerned after that abject performance. The first goal was yesterday was 70% down to his arrogance and 30% down to him not being very good. Or perhaps it was the other way around, but, either way, he should be nowhere near starting on Wednesday.

 

So, Allen & Gerrard in front of Lucas, Henderson out on the right, with Sterling on the left if Coutinho isn't fit to start. Coutinho to take his place if he is fit. 

 

Luis Alberto is completely unproven so I'm not sure where the enthusiasm for him to start comes from. We've seen more from Aspas, of course, although the quote 'Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt', comes to mind. A bit harsh, perhaps, but let's face it -  the thought of Iago Aspas in our starting 11 can fill few people with optimism, outside of the Norwich City training ground at least.

 

It can only get better, right? Right??

[liverpoolsno9]

That's why you need a strong manager that wont put up with awful performances from players. When Johnson was injured a few weeks back we went to a back 3/5 after the Soton game to accommodate having no RB. Johnson must be looking at that thinking no matter how bad he plays hes in next week because we have no one else. He needs a kick up the arse & this might just be a good game to do it. Go back to 3 at the back with Hendo & AN Other as wing backs, Cissokho (I know hes shit, but at least hell be desperate to impress), Sterling or Ibe. Anything, anyone to make a point to the casual cunt. 

[Joey8FrogsLegs]

I seem to recall Gerrard speaking ahead of the Hull game about the importance of the three upcoming fixtures, and indicating that we needed the nine points to stay in the mix. Now Sterling is doing the same talk on the two next games. Never a good sign when the players start thinking points, league positions or in other ways beyond the next game. Gets Even worse if they do the "we can compete with anybody" or "our squad is good enough to fight for the title" shit. Poor performances and dropped points guaranteed when that happens.

 

One game at a time lads, leave the "how many points from the next 7 and a half fixtures" to clever people on Internet forums.

[Adebisi]

Mingolet
Skrtel Agger Sahko
Henderson Johnson
Lucas Allen
Gerrard
Suarez Coutinho 

A sort of 3-5-1-1. Or swap Allen for Alberto and drop Gerrard back. 

Watched the highlights of City's game last night and the way they were breaking forward in numbers had me shitting myself and we don't play them for another 3 weeks. I have no qualms with going back to 3/5 at the back while we're without Sturridge/until we can add some midfielders. 

[Torvald Utne]

I don't think the players were a problem on saturday, I think it just looked like they had been told to play it slow and ponderously around the back and to take 4-5 touches before laying it off or hoofing it 70 yards up field.  That's the only explanation I can think of.  

 

So, same team with a different mentality please.

[sir roger]

352 for me.

 

Skrtel or Toure / Agger / Sakho

 

Johnson/Gerrard/Henderson/Cissokho

 

Coutinho

 

Suarez / Moses or Aspas

 

Would rather nail my tezzies to my seat in the Kemlyn than go with one up front against Norwich at Anfield & Suarez works better with support to take a bit of the attention away from him.

[Red Banjo]

Sakho, Suarez + 9. Not even arsed who plays. As long as we play an actual defender and a player who likes scoring hat-tricks against Norwich.