TLW picks the team v West Ham

[Paco]

Liverpool will be boosted by the return of Daniel Sturridge after almost five months out with a thigh injury.

Mamadou Sakho is a doubt with a back problem sustained during the midweek League Cup defeat against Chelsea.

West Ham are hopeful that Carl Jenkinson, Alex Song and James Tomkins will be available after minor injury concerns this week.

Senegal's Cheikhou Kouyate could feature after returning from the Africa Cup of Nations.

MATCH PREVIEW

It was a case of so near and yet so far for Liverpool this week following their narrow defeat by Chelsea after extra time in the Capital One Cup semi-final. 

They'll need to put it behind them quickly against West Ham, who sit a point and one place above them in the table and survived a tricky FA Cup tie away to Bristol City last week. 

Liverpool fans will look forward to the prospect of welcoming back Daniel Sturridge with open arms after his lengthy absence because of injury. It's almost five months since he last played and it sounds as though we may see him at some point on Saturday. 

West Ham's tally of 36 points from 22 games is a far cry from last season's struggles and constitutes their strongest campaign so far in the Premier League. They travel to Liverpool after beating Hull and Bristol City without conceding in their last two outings, hoping to turn the club's wretched record at Anfield on its head. 

They're without a win there in the league for over 50 years and have only ever won three times in 56 league visits. Rarely will they have travelled with a better chance of a decent result than this season, but Liverpool are unbeaten in six in the league and have not lost at home since the Chelsea game in early November. 

As a side note, two of West Ham's most prominent players head back to their former club this weekend. Liverpool and West Ham both paid record transfer fees for Andy Carroll, while Stewart Downing left Anfield for Upton Park a couple of years ago. 

Liverpool's Glen Johnson started at West Ham, of course, and unusually for a player with one league goal in just over two years has scored three in his last half a dozen appearances against the Hammers. 

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• Liverpool are unbeaten in 41 top-flight home matches against West Ham since a 2-1 defeat in September 1963 (W30, D11). 
• That remains West Ham's last win at Anfield in any division. They have only won three of 56 league encounters at the stadium.
• West Ham sit one point and one place above Liverpool in the league table. This is the first time the Hammers have been above Liverpool after 22 games in the Premier League.

Liverpool

• Liverpool are unbeaten in their last six Premier League matches (W4, D2) and have lost once in the last ten matches.
• They are vying to win three successive matches, and keep three clean sheets in a row, for the first time in the league this season. 
• Steven Gerrard is one short of his 700th Liverpool appearance in all competitions. Only Ian Callaghan (857) and Jamie Carragher (737) have played more matches for the club.
• Fabio Borini scored his first league goal for Liverpool since April 2013 in the 2-0 against Aston Villa.
• Raheem Sterling has already equalled last season's tally of five Premier League assists.

West Ham United

• West Ham's tally of 36 points is their highest in the Premier League after 22 games.
• However, they have not kept an away clean sheet in 16 league matches spanning almost a year.
• Sam Allardyce has never won a Premier League game at Anfield as manager in 11 attempts.
• West Ham have scored a league-high 14 headed goals. Five of those have been scored by Diafra Sakho, which is also the best record in the division.

[Paco]

353 option should be 352

 

 

mignolet

 

can skrtel sakho

 

markovic lucas coutinho henderson moreno

 

sterling sturridge

[Brigant Moloch]

if there's no Sakho and BR wants to stick to the 3-4-3 I'd like to see Manquillo as right sided CB becaue he played this position before and was more than solid, and Can as left sided with Skrtel in the middle. Just don't play Lovren or that fucking fraud Johnson.

[reece289]

West Ham like playing out wide. 4231 to cut out crosses, 

[Brigant Moloch]

West Ham like playing out wide. 4231 to cut out crosses, 

 

we never played well in 4-2-3-1 under Rodgers

[Paco]

we never played well in 4-2-3-1 under Rodgers

we might have to with so many no 10 type players. Gerrard Lallana Coutinho and Sterling if Sturridge starts.

 

hope we dont like. There's a good balance with 343

[Dr. J]

 

Liverpool will be boosted by the return of Daniel Sturridge after almost five months out with a thigh injury.

 

 

Frailty, thigh name is Sturridge.

[reece289]

we never played well in 4-2-3-1 under Rodgers

Playing Gerrard in midfield was a clear problem.

 

Playing Henderson and Lucas in the to with Markovic on the left with Moreno behind and Sterling on the right with Manquillio behindany forward will do.

[Mark M]

Looks like Sakho is fit. Thank fuck. This is from a guy who's got the last 5-6 teams spot on.

 

@DamianLFCpl: Mignolet – Emre Can, Škrtel, Sakho – Marković, Henderson, Lucas, Moreno – Lallana, Coutinho – Sterling.

[AngryOfTuebrook]

353 option should be 352

 

 

mignolet

 

can skrtel sakho

 

markovic lucas coutinho henderson moreno

 

sterling sturridge

No it shouldn't

 

I've gone for

 

Mignolet

 

Can Skrtel Sakho

 

Markovic Lucas  Henderson Captain Heptacentennial  Lallana  

 

Sterling  Sturridge  Coutinho

 

 

(Given the quality of refereeing these days, we might just get away with that.)

[mouse1989]

Mig

 

Can Skrtel Skaho

 

Markovic Lucas Hendo Moreno

 

Lallana Sterling Cou

 

Gerrard to replace Lallana after 60 mins and hopefully a little run out for Sturridge

[Pureblood]

I predict 3-1 to Liverpool FC. 

[Pureblood]

Indispensable Lucas.  What a turnaround. 

[an tha]

Sturridge saying he could have played and wanted to play against Chelsea 'he argued his case'

[an tha]

Looks like Sakho is fit. Thank fuck. This is from a guy who's got the last 5-6 teams spot on.

 

@DamianLFCpl: Mignolet – Emre Can, Škrtel, Sakho – Marković, Henderson, Lucas, Moreno – Lallana, Coutinho – Sterling.

Story on echo site about how the teams keep leaking because of people watching at melwood

[Denny Crane]

Indispensable Lucas.  What a turnaround. 

 

TK421 1 ROTW 0

 

300 million plus spent by FSG and Lucas can not be moved.

 

Does this mean we have spent 300 million poorly or that it takes a spend of at least that to replace Lucas.

 

Will Lucas end up captaining the team next season?.

 

According to this man he should.

 

http://metro.co.uk/2015/01/31/lucas-leiva-should-replace-steven-gerrard-as-liverpool-captain-not-jordan-henderson-5040525/

[Bobby Hundreds]

Ahhhhhh Sturridge. A player that doesn't have some kind of brain seizure infront of goal. WE HAVE MISSED YOU

[Paco]

It arrived just like clockwork on Friday afternoon.

 

Twenty hours before Liverpool’s Premier League showdown with West Ham at Anfield, Brendan Rodgers’ starting XI came through in a text message from a fan. By then it was already available on social media sites.

 

Week after week the same thing has been happening. Week after week the information has been spot on. It’s not guesswork. Back in mid-December, Rodgers made some sweeping changes ahead of the trip to Old Trafford.

 

VIEW GALLERY

 

He opted to drop goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, bring in Brad Jones and change the formation to 3-4-2-1. Rodgers went with Raheem Sterling as the central striker after Rickie Lambert had played there against Basel five days earlier. Alberto Moreno, Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana came in for Jose Enrique, Lucas Leiva and Lambert.

 

Yet there was no element of surprise when the team sheets landed an hour before kick-off against Manchester United. On the eve of the game Rodgers’ team was already out there in the public domain.

 

It’s something Rodgers is acutely aware of and it’s a source of great frustration for the manager. It doesn’t happen at any other top Premier League club.

 

There is no mole in the Liverpool camp who is giving his pals confidential information from team meetings the day before matches.

 

Liverpool know exactly where it’s coming from and currently there is precious little they can do to stop it.

 

The fact is Melwood isn’t just open to the elements, it’s open to virtually anyone who is determined enough to catch a glimpse of Rodgers putting his players through their paces. It’s a snoopers paradise.

 

Most Premier League training complexes are in a private and secure environment away from prying eyes. Liverpool don’t have that luxury.

 

The reason the team keeps getting out is because of those onlookers who use an assortment of bins, cars or ladders to be able to peer over the Melwood walls.

 

The players know who is playing the day before a game when Rodgers asks them to work on the team shape. The XI with the same coloured bibs for the session are the ones who have got the nod. Within minutes that information is being tweeted around the globe.

 

Liverpool even had an issue earlier this season where someone was filming the set-piece routines they were working on.

 

Rodgers has tried to get around the problem. Earlier in the campaign there were times when the Reds trained at Anfield instead in a bid for some privacy. However, the problem is that the playing surface there is so poor. It’s being ripped up and relaid this summer but training on it the day before a game at the moment just isn’t feasible.

 

Liverpool do have an indoor facility at Melwood but it’s small and unsuitable for the kind of work Rodgers wants to do.

 

Of course it’s nothing new. There were issues with the team leaking out under Kenny Dalglish.

 

But with the growth of social media it’s now spreading like wildfire and inquisitive fans are handing opposition teams a significant advantage.

[Dr. J]

Marcovic was poor against Chelsea, surely it's time to give Ibe a run at RW.

[Grinch]

Marcovic was poor against Chelsea, surely it's time to give Ibe a run at RW.

 

Ibe's more likely to play at right back.

[s(k)aturation]

It arrived just like clockwork on Friday afternoon.

 

Twenty hours before Liverpool’s Premier League showdown with West Ham at Anfield, Brendan Rodgers’ starting XI came through in a text message from a fan. By then it was already available on social media sites.

 

Week after week the same thing has been happening. Week after week the information has been spot on. It’s not guesswork. Back in mid-December, Rodgers made some sweeping changes ahead of the trip to Old Trafford.

 

VIEW GALLERY

 

He opted to drop goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, bring in Brad Jones and change the formation to 3-4-2-1. Rodgers went with Raheem Sterling as the central striker after Rickie Lambert had played there against Basel five days earlier. Alberto Moreno, Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana came in for Jose Enrique, Lucas Leiva and Lambert.

 

Yet there was no element of surprise when the team sheets landed an hour before kick-off against Manchester United. On the eve of the game Rodgers’ team was already out there in the public domain.

 

It’s something Rodgers is acutely aware of and it’s a source of great frustration for the manager. It doesn’t happen at any other top Premier League club.

 

There is no mole in the Liverpool camp who is giving his pals confidential information from team meetings the day before matches.

 

Liverpool know exactly where it’s coming from and currently there is precious little they can do to stop it.

 

The fact is Melwood isn’t just open to the elements, it’s open to virtually anyone who is determined enough to catch a glimpse of Rodgers putting his players through their paces. It’s a snoopers paradise.

 

Most Premier League training complexes are in a private and secure environment away from prying eyes. Liverpool don’t have that luxury.

 

The reason the team keeps getting out is because of those onlookers who use an assortment of bins, cars or ladders to be able to peer over the Melwood walls.

 

The players know who is playing the day before a game when Rodgers asks them to work on the team shape. The XI with the same coloured bibs for the session are the ones who have got the nod. Within minutes that information is being tweeted around the globe.

 

Liverpool even had an issue earlier this season where someone was filming the set-piece routines they were working on.

 

Rodgers has tried to get around the problem. Earlier in the campaign there were times when the Reds trained at Anfield instead in a bid for some privacy. However, the problem is that the playing surface there is so poor. It’s being ripped up and relaid this summer but training on it the day before a game at the moment just isn’t feasible.

 

Liverpool do have an indoor facility at Melwood but it’s small and unsuitable for the kind of work Rodgers wants to do.

 

Of course it’s nothing new. There were issues with the team leaking out under Kenny Dalglish.

 

But with the growth of social media it’s now spreading like wildfire and inquisitive fans are handing opposition teams a significant advantage.

 

Shanks/Paisley were happy to tell people our team, the same team, every week.

They were the original hash taggers.

 

Sir Bob only got a bit paranoid behind the Iron Curtain.