TLW picks the team v Burnley

[Paco]

pick your starting 11

 

pick your formation

 

merry christmas

 

 

 

      TEAM NEWS

Burnley forward Sam Vokes is in line for his first appearance since March after a cruciate knee ligament injury.

Matt Taylor could also be involved following an Achilles problem but Michael Duff and Stephen Ward are set to miss out.

Liverpool forward Mario Balotelli returns from suspension to take a place on the bench.

Fellow forward Fabio Borini is suspended and Joe Allen will miss out with a knee injury.

MATCH PREVIEW

If you were compiling a Christmas report, it would make for better reading from a Burnley point of view than their Boxing Day opponents.

Most had tipped the Clarets to be cut adrift at the bottom by now, while Liverpool certainly don't enter the festive fixtures in the position they expected to be in.

Brendan Rogers has rightly taken confidence from his team's last two performances against Bournemouth and Arsenal, but they are small steps.

 

Liverpool still have a lack of killer instinct at one end of the pitch, and a lack of resilience at the other.

Both will need to improve in the second half of the season if they are to get close to their targets.

The win in the League Cup at Bournemouth and the performance against Arsenal will have helped the confidence and self-belief in the short term. Seven league defeats already, and only two wins from their last nine matches, isn't the form that was anticipated.

It is incredible what a difference a year makes. On Boxing Day last year, I watched Liverpool at Manchester City as genuine title contenders and, significantly, they had scored twice as many goals as this season's tally after 17 matches.

Daniel Sturridge's return can't come quickly enough.

Like Liverpool, Burnley will have concerns on the goalscoring front. Their goals, or lack of them, could well determine whether they defy the odds and survive. Twelve goals from 17 games is the current total and that ratio won't be enough in the remaining 21 matches.

While they have Danny Ings fit, they have a chance. He has a third of that total and I was really impressed with his overall contribution in their last home game when they beat Southampton.

They kept their fifth clean sheet of the season in that match, but they can't keep relying on a defensive foundation to find the wins required.

Brendan Rogers thinks his team can still secure a top-four finish, this is the type of game Liverpool have to win to maintain those aspirations.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• Both of their previous Premier League meetings in the 2009-10 season ended 4-0 to Liverpool.
• The latter of those defeats relegated Burnley on 25 April 2010 but it was only Liverpool's second victory at Turf Moor in 10 attempts in all competitions.
• Burnley have won 18 of their 38 home league clashes with Liverpool (D9, L11).

Burnley

• Burnley have only lost twice in seven league matches (W3, D2, L2).
• They have won just one of their eight games against top-half opposition this season.
• Burnley's tally of seven home goals this season is the fewest in the Premier League.
• The Clarets are unbeaten in four league games at home (W2, D2).
• Danny Ings (four goals, two assists) has been involved in half of Burnley's league goals this season. Only QPR's Charlie Austin (65%) has been involved in a larger share.

Liverpool

• Liverpool and Burnley have an identical record from their last six league games (W2, D2, L2).
• Liverpool have 22 points - no side with 22 points after 17 games has ever finished higher than sixth in the Premier League.
• The Reds are in their lowest position on Christmas Day since the inaugural Premier League season in 1992-93 (also 10th).
• After 17 games last season, the Reds topped the table with 36 points and had already scored 42 goals - twice this season's tally.
• Mario Balotelli has only scored one more goal (20) than he has received yellow or red cards in his Premier League career.

[Kevin D]

Cunt ref.

[Babb'sBurstNad]

Same as last game, but this time with a goalkeeper please.

[Anubis]

As it's Chrsitmas, I Have reached into my animal armoury and will unleash something special on Burnley. Should they choose to put up any resistance they will witness the firepower of this fully-armed and operational robotic Polar Bear Of Destruction.

 

 

As can be seen, it has an arial combat mode, and precision lasers.

 

[Razoray]

at the moment it looks like same formation as last week with Moreno in for Gerrard -I presume Henderson going into the middle and Morkovic switching to the right - and Mignolet back in

[Red Banjo]

If Skrtel and Jones play, then I'll politely decline the opportunity to watch this.

 

Drop players who are playing shite. Easy this manager lark eh.

[Mook]

at the moment it looks like same formation as last week with Moreno in for Gerrard -I presume Henderson going into the middle and Morkovic switching to the right - and Mignolet back in

Nanoo nanoo.

[Grinch]

If Skrtel and Jones play, then I'll politely decline the opportunity to watch this.

 

Drop players who are playing shite. Easy this manager lark eh.

 

Sounds good but there wouldn't be a centre back playing.  Still think most of the defensive problems fall with the manager.  

[Red Banjo]

Sounds good but there wouldn't be a centre back playing.  Still think most of the defensive problems fall with the manager.

 

Sakho and Toure?

[Guest davelfc]

If Skrtel and Jones play, then I'll politely decline the opportunity to watch this.

 

Drop players who are playing shite. Easy this manager lark eh.

 

Until you lose a world class player that scores for fun and creates loads of space for others, then have to come up with some other shit that works, apparently. 

[Grinch]

Sakho and Toure?

 

Wouldn't say either have been playing well.  Both playing their part in goals conceded.  Sakho less so, but then that's down to less games in Rodgers shambolic defensive set up imo.

 

We could have Baresi and Maldini and they'd be making these so called "defensive errors" regularly,

[Dr. J]

Must 3 points today, with some chances to creep up the table a bit. Do you start Jones under those conditions?

[ZonkoVille77]

We're fucked

[Denny Crane]

Sort it out Rodgers no more pissing about.

[Tony Moanero]

It's fucking disgusting that we haven't scored yet, these are shit.

 

Rodgers out.

 

Next person to post is a cunt.

[Adebisi]

Lucas and Gerrard out, Can and Moreno in please. 

I'd be tempted to start Balotelli too. But I put that down to the beers I've had. 

[Allan]

Jones, Toure, Skrtel, Sakho, Henderson, Lucas, Gerrard, Markovic, Coutinho, Lallana, Sterling

Confirmed #LFC subs v Burnley: Mignolet, Lambert, Moreno, Manquillo, Can, Balotelli, Ojo

[Grinch]

Ojo is the only thing that interests me really. Don't think this side is good enough to do anything this year, so win lose or draw I'm pretty meh. Horrible way to feel after the high of last season.

[RazorBack]

Is Henderson right back?

[magicrat]

The fucking stupid cunt has gone for Jones again. I expected it but you still hope the scales may have fallen from eyes .  

[billypilgrimnz]

The fucking stupid cunt has gone for Jones again. I expected it but you still hope the scales may have fallen from eyes .  

 

Don't worry, as soon as he keeps a couple of clean sheets he'll be binned, if Mignolet is anything to go by.

[magicrat]

Don't worry, as soon as he keeps a couple of clean sheets he'll be binned, if Mignolet is anything to go by.

Not holding my breath

[Mook]

Lucas and Gerrard in midfield?

 

Going to be a long afternoon.

[lebron]

Gerrard in midfield?

 

Going to be a long afternoon.

Fixed

[Dr. J]

Why? He'll have a nice stroll, again. Since he walks through matches, with Henderson doing any necessary running for him, he could play until he's 50, or until Rodgers is sacked.