Liverpool v Liege game

[sir roger]

At last , a real game to worry about.

 

Should we put our best 11 out or a bit of a halfway house with one eye on Sunderland ( Seem to remember us going with Crouch & Voronin up front at Toulouse last year )

 

I am going for

 

Reina

Arbeloa , Carra, Agger , Dossena

Xabi , Plessis

Kuyt, Gerrard , Keane

Torres

 

p.s . Is it on tv at all ?

[robslappa]

It's on ITV1.

 

We should put out a strong side and put the tie to bed as early a possible. We can then make changes for the second leg.

[Paulie Dangerously]

It's on ITV1.

 

We should put out a strong side and put the tie to bed as early a possible. We can then make changes for the second leg.

 

Agreed, if we get 3 goals then we can put a weak side out for the second leg. Not sure about the quality of the Belgian league but looking at Rangers the other day it seems the qualifiers contain some decent teams (although obviously we're a lot better than Rangers)

[Red Nick]

At last , a real game to worry about.

 

Should we put our best 11 out or a bit of a halfway house with one eye on Sunderland ( Seem to remember us going with Crouch & Voronin up front at Toulouse last year )

 

I am going for

 

Reina

Arbeloa , Carra, Agger , Dossena

Xabi , Plessis

Kuyt, Gerrard , Keane

Torres

 

p.s . Is it on tv at all ?

 

Be interesing as Rafa has indicated we`ll be playing two upfront on that basis i expect the team to be

 

-------------------Xabi---------------------

--------Kuyt------Stevie--------Benayoun

--------------Keane-------Torres

[JoeyKop]

..........Reina...........

Bob.......Agger...Carra.....Dosenna

.............Xabi......Stevie

Kuyt.............Keane..............Benny

....................Torres....................

 

When everyone gets back then, mascherano next to Xabi/Barry... Babel in the place of Benny. Gerrard in the place of Kuyt.

[derykw]

Fuck the Sunderland game for now, the next game is the important one. Take nothing for granted. Balls it up in Belgium and the temptation will be to hold back some big players on Saturday for the 2nd leg.

[Paulie Dangerously]

Fuck the Sunderland game for now, the next game is the important one. Take nothing for granted. Balls it up in Belgium and the temptation will be to hold back some big players on Saturday for the 2nd leg.

 

Yup, the second leg will be sandwiched inbetween league games we should win, best getting the job done in one attempt. Need to be quick off the mark this season on all fronts, not just Europe

[coop]

Be interesing as Rafa has indicated we`ll be playing two upfront on that basis i expect the team to be

 

-------------------Xabi---------------------

--------Kuyt------Stevie--------Benayoun

--------------Keane-------Torres

 

Pretty confident then Nick with only selecting 6 players and no defence or keeper.

[Newport]

 

Reina

Arbeloa , Carra, Agger , Dossena

Xabi , Plessis

Kuyt, Gerrard , Keane

Torres

 

FAO everyone. Have a look at that lineup and then keep in mind that we miss two of our best players plus among others a talented Lucas, Skrtl, Hyypia, Aurelio and a possible new signing. I just got a great feeling about the coming season.

[Scott_M]

Read the other day that these only lost one game last season, and that was after they'd already won the league.

 

Think it'll be a tight game tomorrow.

 

Rafa has already said we'll be playing with the majority who started against Lazio. If fit, Gerrard will come back into the team.

 

Will be interesting to see if Alonso plays or not. Will be a real indication if he's staying or not.

[Code]

------------Reina------------

Arbeloa-Carra-Agger-Dossena

--------Alonso-Plessis-------

Gerrard - Voronin -Benayoun

--------Torres------------

[RedBrian84]

-----------------Reina------------------------

Arbeloa-----Agger-----Carragher-------Dossena

 

----------Xabi------------Plessis--------------

 

Gerrard------------------------------Benayoun

-----------------Keane-----------------------

 

-----------------Torres-----------------------

 

 

I've heard Leige are good, but in all fairness and no disrespect to them, we should be too strong for them. Although Rangers said that about Kaunas....

 

Seriously, I reckon a 2-0 win for us.

[sir roger]

It's on ITV1.

 

We should put out a strong side and put the tie to bed as early a possible. We can then make changes for the second leg.

 

Are you sure its on ITV 1 RS ? , I've not seen it advertised at all & it's not in the weekly TV magazines.

[kopitegaz]

Are you sure its on ITV 1 RS ? , I've not seen it advertised at all & it's not in the weekly TV magazines.

 

 

From ITV.com

 

Uefa Champions League Live

ITV 1 Granada

Standard Liege v Liverpool

Standard Liege v Liverpool (Kick-off 8.05pm). Craig Doyle presents coverage of the third qualifying round first-leg encounter at the Stade Maurice Dufrasne. The Reds have a decent record in this competition in recent years, but will still be wary of taking on the Belgian champions given the financial consequences of not reaching the group stages. Rafael Benitez has added several new faces to his squad and the likes of Robbie Keane and Andrea Dossena are hoping to take their European bow for the 2005 champions. With commentary by Clive Tyldesley

[Faustus]

In fairness to them, if we can't beat them over two legs, then we, quite frankly, don't deserve to be in the Champions League.

 

My cousin is a red but has lived in Belgium virtually all his life and reckons we have nothing to worry about as he believes that the Jupiler League is a pretty poor standard of football.

 

I'm fairly confident of good result tomorrow night.

[aws]

Gerrard will be on the bench.

 

0-0

[Wig]

Liege concern over Liverpool game

 

Standard Liege defender Oguchi Onyewu says it is unfair the Belgian league winners have to play Liverpool in a Champions League qualifier.

 

The Belgian champions face Liverpool, who finished fourth in the Premier League last season, on Wednesday.

 

"I'm sure a lot of Belgians feel it is unfair the champions of a country have to play a qualifying round to get into the Champions League," said Onyewu.

 

It was worse because Liverpool were "such a strong opponent", he said.

 

Liege won their first title in 25 years with last season but did not get an automatic place in the group stages because of governing body Uefa's coefficient ranking list.

 

"I'm sure people in Belgium were hoping that once you win your championship that you would automatically qualify for the Champions League like some other countries do, such as England, Germany, Spain and so on," the Liege centre-back.

 

"It is going to be a very difficult two matches to qualify for the next stage of the Champions League.

 

"People here in Belgium were probably hoping for a more favourable draw but we are still relishing the opportunity to play against Liverpool.

 

"We definitely respect Liverpool. They are a great and huge club. They have a great history, especially in terms of the Champions League so we will have our work cut out for us.

 

"Hopefully, we will be able to rise to the occasion in the two matches that lay ahead there is always belief.

 

"I'm sure that the people of Liverpool are probably happy with the draw and hopefully we can use that to our advantage.

 

"You never know in football. We have a lot of good players here.

 

"Obviously, the Belgian league is not as respected as the Premier League but I feel that we have quality players that can possibly make a difference on any given day."

 

Onyewu spent three months on loan at Newcastle from January 2007 and helped the Magpies to a 2-1 win over the Reds in his first home game for the Tyneside outfit.

 

And, although he has tasted victory over Liverpool, he has played down any significance of that game heading into Wednesday's game.

 

"Any win against Liverpool is going to be a big win but for me it was so because it was my first start at home and first win with them," said the United States international.

 

"It will always stay a big souvenir for me in terms of my Newcastle experience. But that is in the past and I tend not to dwell on the past too much and try to concentrate on the future.

 

"A lot has changed at Liverpool. A lot of different players have come into that team."

 

One player who Onyewu has faced more recently is Liverpool striker Fernando Torres and he is wary of the threat the Spaniard poses.

 

"Fernando Torres is a great player and I had the opportunity to play against him this summer when the US played against Spain," said Onyewu.

 

"It was 1-0 to Spain. Torres played the first half and at the end of that it was 0-0.

 

"Personally, I think I defended pretty well against him, although he was also coming off an injury so he probably wasn't at 100%.

 

"He has a lot of different tricks in his arsenal and you have to be on your toes at all times and concentrate.

 

"But there is not just one player that we have to be aware of, it is the whole squad."

 

Onyewu was not signed permanently by the Magpies but believes he has improved since his spell in the top flight and wants another crack at the Premier League.

 

"I've always said that my ambitions are to leave Belgium for a bigger league. If that be England then that would be great," he said.

 

"I've matured a lot and progressed in a lot of different factors and aspects of my game since 2007.

 

"I feel as though I had a short stint in order to adapt to the style of the Premier League.

 

"Sometimes it takes players six to eight months to get used to the Premier League style.

 

"I feel as though I didn't have adequate time to really showcase what I am capable of doing. Perhaps, next time around I'll get that opportunity."

[Red Mist]

Thank God, a game. How I've missed watching the red men in action. But if they fuck this up tonight I'll be back on here tonight having a right go. It's so good to have proper football back...

[hamstrung]

Be happy with a score draw.

[Guest davelfc]

I'd be really unhappy with a score draw, I think we have what it takes to all but put this tie to bed tonight.

[hamstrung]

You might be right, buts its early on in the season and they are a bit of an unknown quantity. Provided we can put it to bed at Anfield, I'll be happy enough.

 

More often than not, these qualifiers are more difficult than they should be.

[Guest davelfc]

I still expect us to win tonight, I won't be going mental if we get a score draw but we're a much better team and should win.

 

Lazio was a great test, a very good difficult team to break down. I do not believe Liege will offer anything near the same challenge and so am really confident we'll see them off tonight.

[Glen C]

If gerrard is fit i'm expecting alonso to be on the bench tonight so that he's not cup tied. My starting team:

 

-------------------------reina-----------------------

 

bob------------carra------------agger------dossena

 

kuyt-----------gerrard---------plessis--------yossi

 

-----------keane------------torres----------------

[al daas]

"We'll get snotted"

[aws]

"We'll get snotted"

 

Feeling more confident now.