Spurs v LFC 28/11/10

[Paco]

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

 

Glo-Jo---------Carra------------Ninja---------Konch

 

 

Maxi----------Meireles---------Lucas--------Joe Cole

 

 

---------------Torres--------Kuyt------------------

 

 

or change it to 4231 with kuyt and maxi wide and cole off Torres

[usernameunknown]

Would be absolutely astonished if we avoid defeat here. We'll be set up for a 0-0 and wont know what to do when we go behind, pretty much like every away game of this buffoons career.

[Phoenix]

I think we will win

[18-5]

Hodgson has admitted that visiting Spurs, as his side do on Sunday, is a much tougher proposition than in the past and that Harry Redknapp's side "are no longer the Tottenham of old." Hodgson needs a win to cement Liverpool's pursuit of a top-four position and Champions League football, which Spurs have deprived them of this season. But he characterised Tottenham as a wealthy, lavishly assembled club this season.

 

"One defeat in eight is a good run at any stage of the season. We have to be happy with that but we are not stupid," Hodgson said. "We know that if you go to Tottenham it could be two defeats in nine but, if we can play like this, we can make sure Tottenham don't have a cakewalk and, if we can keep Fernando Torres and David Ngog firing, we may spring a surprise. Wins are hard to come by against the top teams and today we have got to admit that Tottenham... are a top team and have just beaten the European champions in the Champions League. It is an expensively-assembled team and we are not playing against mugs any more."

 

Liverpool's 2-0 victory over Tottenham in January in one of their better performances of last season heralded hopes that they might tighten their grip on the fourth place which ultimately proved way beyond them. Steven Gerrard is targeting the Aston Villa home match on 5 December for his comeback, which means he will have missed only three games with his hamstring pull.

 

Liverpool have confirmed that Tom Werner, John W Henry's co-owner at Liverpool and chairman of New England Sports Ventures, will succeed Martin Broughton as the club's chairman on 1 December. Broughton said of his task: "It was more difficult [a challenge than expected]. I think the low point was pretty early on, when we had a situation with unpopular owners, the manager [Rafael Benitez] going – so no manager – stories about Stevie [Gerrard] wanting to go, stories about Fernando [Torres] wanting to go. That looked a pretty uncomfortable position at the time."

 

Liverpool mull January bids for Lille stars Rami and Gervinho - Transfers, Football - The Independent

 

Can't he ever say anything positive about the club? He is talking about defeat straight away. WTF!!!! :telloff:

[Jose Jones]

Apart from the "cakewalk" and "we may spring a surprise" there's not really much wrong with that is there?

Pretty much everyone on here reckons it'll be a difficult game, and the Spuds are better than they've been for years.

They've spent more money than us the last 3 years, they've got a better squad in a lot of positions, they finished higher than us last season, they're ahead of us now. We can't take the piss like we used to.

[18-5]

Yeah but when he said "if you go to Tottenham it could be two defeats in nine", he has already counted it as a loss. Can't we even get a draw there? :telloff:

 

Anyway it is interesting that he mentions N'Gog. Will we play a 4-4-2?

 

Reina

 

Johnno-Carra-Skrtel-P.Kon

 

Kuyt-Meireles-Lucas-Maxi

 

N'Gog-Torres

[JohnnyH]

Apart from the "cakewalk" and "we may spring a surprise" there's not really much wrong with that is there?Pretty much everyone on here reckons it'll be a difficult game, and the Spuds are better than they've been for years.

They've spent more money than us the last 3 years, they've got a better squad in a lot of positions, they finished higher than us last season, they're ahead of us now. We can't take the piss like we used to.

 

Yeah, but's it pretty damning.

 

I'd actually privately disagreed with people who think Hodgson thinks he's still managing a small club, but I accept I'm probably wrong and he does think this way. I'm actaully really pissed off to see "We may spring a surprise". I wouldn't even want to see a Liverpool manager say that going to Barca or the Real, never mind Spurs. Fuck sake. I know in truth we have sank quite low, but we should still give out the aura of treating ourselves like a big club.

 

We don't "spring surprises" by fucking beating other teams, especially teams like fucking Spurs.

 

This has really fucking pissed me off. Our press people really need to keep him away from the press. From day fucking one of the Torres comments he has talked down players and talked down the club. I dread every word out of his mouth now. This and the Pocheco nonsense is really pissing me off.

[RedinSweden]

Apart from the "cakewalk" and "we may spring a surprise" there's not really much wrong with that is there?

Pretty much everyone on here reckons it'll be a difficult game, and the Spuds are better than they've been for years.

They've spent more money than us the last 3 years, they've got a better squad in a lot of positions, they finished higher than us last season, they're ahead of us now. We can't take the piss like we used to.

 

I wouldn't want him to be saying "we are going to batter these cunts, they are shit", but "spring a surprise" is a pretty shit way of describing a liverpool win.

[Delmar]

Yeah, but's it pretty damning.

 

I'd actually privately disagreed with people who think Hodgson thinks he's still managing a small club, but I accept I'm probably wrong and he does think this way. I'm actaully really pissed off to see "We may spring a surprise". I wouldn't even want to see a Liverpool manager say that going to Barca or the Real, never mind Spurs. Fuck sake. I know in truth we have sank quite low, but we should still give out the aura of treating ourselves like a big club.

 

We don't "spring surprises" by fucking beating other teams, especially teams like fucking Spurs.

 

This has really fucking pissed me off. Our press people really need to keep him away from the press. From day fucking one of the Torres comments he has talked down players and talked down the club. I dread every word out of his mouth now. This and the Pocheco nonsense is really pissing me off.

 

I think you're fucking having a fucking bad day. Fuck.

[RedinSweden]

I think you're fucking having a fucking bad day. Fuck.

 

He's fucking right though.

[Reacher]

 

I think you're fucking having a fucking bad day. Fuck.

 

I don't think he's having a bad day I think he's spot on!

[William_Ulsterman]

I don't think he's having a bad day I think he's spot on!

 

i agree

[sh#t waffle]

Roy Hodgson? Fuck Fuckson, morelike.

[Il Fenomeno]

"if we can keep Fernando Torres and David Ngog firing"

 

Fucking hell, we're really going to play 4-4-2 against Spurs? What a clown.

[navbasi]

FYI - There is a tube strike in London from Sunday evening for those of you that might be getting the train down to Euston/Kings Cross.. I think it kicks off around 7pm so might want to check that you can get the tube back to whatever station you need to after the game...

 

Home | Transport for London

[navbasi]

Apart from the "cakewalk" and "we may spring a surprise" there's not really much wrong with that is there?

Pretty much everyone on here reckons it'll be a difficult game, and the Spuds are better than they've been for years.

They've spent more money than us the last 3 years, they've got a better squad in a lot of positions, they finished higher than us last season, they're ahead of us now. We can't take the piss like we used to.

 

They're so great and so much better than us that they are only 3 points and 2 goals ahead of us after 14 games.

[Reacher]

Don't think it'll be half as bad as most of you make out. Not saying we'll win but we won't get bummed, aslong as we don't camp in our own half. I can see us winning if we have a good go with a high tempo.

[DaveT]

Just spotted that Atkinson is referee, so the biggest surprise that might get sprung is if we get any decisions in our favour, irrespective of what team we put out or how we play.

[ngogswilly]

Don't think it'll be half as bad as most of you make out. Not saying we'll win but we won't get bummed, aslong as we don't camp in our own half. I can see us winning if we have a good go with a high tempo.

 

Yeah but thats the defining thing about Hodgsons tenure so far. Theres been at least 2 or 3 games we could have won this year had we adopted a more positive approach.

 

I can see us getting something out of it if we don't hide like cowards in our own box hoping not to lose.

 

The question is, what way will he approach this. If we set up like we did against Wigan and Stoke we're in deep shit.

[Razoray]

Reina

Johnson Skrtel Carra Konch

Kuyt Lucas Mereiles Maxi

Ngog Torres

 

Gomes

Hutton Gallas Kaboul Assou-Ekkoto

Lennon Modric Jenas Bale

vdVaart Crouch

 

I predict this is how both teams will line up. Surely our 11 should not fear that Spurs side and should have a real go at them. Their defence is their weak link and their midfield are poor defensively as well, bar Bale who is good at protecting the LB.

Let them off the leash Roy and press high up the pitch, please!!!!!!!

[PaulMcC]

Pepe, Johnson, Carra, Skrtel, Konchesky, kuyt, Lucas, Merieles, Maxi, Ngog, Torres

 

The team apparently.

[Carra_is_legend]

Yeah, but's it pretty damning.

 

I'd actually privately disagreed with people who think Hodgson thinks he's still managing a small club, but I accept I'm probably wrong and he does think this way. I'm actaully really pissed off to see "We may spring a surprise". I wouldn't even want to see a Liverpool manager say that going to Barca or the Real, never mind Spurs. Fuck sake. I know in truth we have sank quite low, but we should still give out the aura of treating ourselves like a big club.

 

We don't "spring surprises" by fucking beating other teams, especially teams like fucking Spurs.

 

This has really fucking pissed me off. Our press people really need to keep him away from the press. From day fucking one of the Torres comments he has talked down players and talked down the club. I dread every word out of his mouth now. This and the Pocheco nonsense is really pissing me off.

 

Spot on that.

 

A Liverpool win should never ever be a fucking surprise. Even worse when people talking about "springing a surprise" BEFORE the game.

 

The man still thinks we are like Fulham.

[18-5]

Pepe, Johnson, Carra, Skrtel, Konchesky, kuyt, Lucas, Merieles, Maxi, Ngog, Torres

 

The team apparently.

 

Where did you hear this?

 

djPhall on RAWK hasn't posted anything yet. Do you have another source?:|

[18-5]

The away dressing room was alive with the euphoria of a scrappy late winner, often the finest source, when Roy Hodgson sought out Paul Konchesky at the Reebok Stadium last month. "We haven't been blessed with many of them," the Liverpool manager conceded to his former left-back at Fulham. It is a statement that applies throughout his Premier League career.

 

Liverpool and Hodgson have not connected seamlessly during the manager's first five months in charge but, on the road, they make a perfect fit. That victory at Bolton, courtesy of Maxi Rodríguez's 86th-minute winner, was the first time Hodgson and Konchesky had collected three points on their travels since Fulham's win at Portsmouth on the opening day of last season.

 

It was also Liverpool's first away win since beating Burnley in April and, after two further painful performances and just one point from Wigan and Stoke, their record this year stands at two wins in 16 Premier League games outside Anfield.

 

Tomorrow's visit to White Hart Lane may well suit a side with a contrary nature but history, particularly Hodgson's history, explains why even Liverpool's hardcore support now travels with trepidation.

 

At least Hodgson cannot be accused of shying away from a record of only nine victories from his past 70 away matches in the Premier League, a sequence that stretches across six seasons and three clubs – Blackburn Rovers (where he lost only one of his first 10 away games in charge in 1997), Fulham and now Liverpool.

 

"I've had several bad experiences," he said. "Even at Halmstad in the 70s, in the year we won our second championship, it took until the second half of the season to win our first game away and that broke a record going back two seasons. We went over two seasons without winning an away game, which is quite strange for a team that won the league in '76 and again in '79."

 

Liverpool's results flip home and away this season – won four, drawn two and lost one at Anfield, won one, drawn two and lost four away – but Hodgson, who secured Fulham's Premier League status thanks largely to three away wins in 2007-08, when the Cottagers had to go for broke, denies his tactics are the root cause.

 

"There is certainly no difference in the way we approach the games," he said. "We don't have a home approach and away approach. We want to do the same things with the ball and without the ball home and away. You can't deny that at Anfield the crowd is an advantage and that it spurs people on. Also, you can't deny that decisions go in your favour more when you are at home. That is a fact of life. But if you take away those minor caveats the most important thing is to be more positive, have more confidence, get more balls into the box and for people to help Fernando [Torres] get in behind defences. These are things we work on all the time."

 

In mitigation Liverpool are under new management and have travelled to Manchester City, Birmingham City, Manchester United and Everton this season, all tough places to visit, although Hodgson's overall record indicates deep-lying flaws. "It could be the type of players you have, I don't know. The reason we have not done well enough away is that we have not created enough chances. But that is certainly changing at home. We are getting behind teams more, we are getting our crosses in, our strikes in and Fernando is coming back to his best. We did sprint tests the other day and he came out on top, which is good for us and him to know. We are getting there.

 

"It might also be to do with mentality and maybe there is an underlying sense that a point away from home is enough because we will win at home. That is a very dangerous mentality but maybe it is a subconscious factor and, if there is, it is up to us to remove it. If we are a good enough team to beat Spurs then we should beat them home and away and if we are not good enough we should lose home or away. We go into the game with confidence even though we know we are playing a very good team and we know the problems that Spurs will cause us."

 

Hodgson admits his target "is not to be divorced from the top teams" by the mid-way stage of the season and, in that respect, Jamie Carragher's 450th league game for Liverpool is a key moment against a Tottenham side only three points above them. That point was reinforced by José Reina yesterday, when the Liverpool and Spain goalkeeper called on fans to "support Roy 100%" but conceded big players will be likely to leave should the team fail to rise.

 

"We have to finish this season in a better position than we are at the moment and make sure we build for the next years and try to be competitive. If not, it's going to be difficult to keep these kind of players. We are not probably as strong as Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham can be so that's why we have to make sure we build a better squad. At the moment, it's almost impossible to compete for nine months against Chelsea, for example, and that is what I want."

 

Liverpool's away-day flaws have Roy Hodgson struggling for a solution | Andy Hunter | Football | The Guardian

 

Is this guy for real? O_o:wallbutt:

[Razoray]

"It could be the type of players you have, I don't know. The reason we have not done well enough away is that we have not created enough chances."

 

Answer to 1st line - Or maybe it's you and your shite tactics?

Answer to 2nd line - Or maybe it's you and your shite tactics?

 

I honestly believe that if this group of players had a manager that just said on a Saturday, "go out, press high up the pitch, play and enjoy it", they'd have more than 1 away win this season.