Topic: Internal Spyin' Kop: Jake and Stevens LFC v Young Boys pre:chatter

[Jake]

How about a question and answer thing? I'll fire off a question, you (Stephen) answer it and fire one back to me, which I answer then ask another ad infinitum.

So, Ste, what made our young men click so well last time against Young Boys, and will it happen again?

[StevenLFC]

I think we played well offensively last time around, although it wasn't until Shelvey came on at 3-2 down that the game changed. He scored two very good goals and his energy seemed to spur us on. I think we will win on Thursday, although we defended poorly in the first meeting between the sides and that'll have to improve. Do you see us picking a srong eleven like we did vs Anzhi at home or do you see it being a team full of youth/squad players like Anzhi away?

[Jake]

I agree with you there, Jonjo changed the game.

I think it'll be a mixture, but stronger than the away game. We had a decent game at home on Saturday and we need to keep the momentum going, plus there is nowhere for the team to travel so it will take less out of them. I'd like to see Robinson, Coates and maybe Adjoran come into the side to give the team a boost, players like Agger and Suarez we should leave on the bench, they must be knackered! Ultimately I think we'll win, heck, we need to win!

What went so 'right' in the last game vs Wigan then? Was it just luck, or are things clicking a little more?

[StevenLFC]

I'd say things are clicking a bit more, we'd stopped losing games and it was about time we turned a performance into a win. I was highly impressed with Rodgers and his pragmatism in making the Henderson/Suso substitution. People said selling Carroll took away our plan B, but that's not the case at all. We've seen plenty of changes in formation mid-way through games, at that was something I was critical of previous managers for. Getting back to the Europa League, have you been impressed with how Bredan has used the squad? We looked tired at home to Arsenal after playing a full team vs Hearts, yet we looked fairly fresh away at Everton after playing the Anzhi game.

[Jake]

Yes and no, I couldn't believe we threw away the game against Udinese, and that one lapse against Anzhi was troublesome, and as much as I love Carra, we need to qualify so I'd be rotating Agger/Skrtel alongside Coates (here comes a formation... NOT).
The squad as a whole has pulled some decent bits of play out of the bag but its inconsistent. After the 5-2 we all got a bit excited and we need 4 points minimum I think. Hopefully we will use a strong team with 3 big boys in and out, keeping them fresh and supple for the weekend. I was impressed with the way we came out against Everton for sure, but we were sloppy at the back, perhaps due to the chopping and changing?

Heres one for you, UEFA Cup win or genuine league progression? Say... 5th place, just shy of the CL.

[StevenLFC]

Depends what you mean, if for example your saying 5th and no trophy or 7th and the Europa League then I'm taking the Europa League every time. If you said 4th place then I'd take that as we could attract better players if we were in the Champions League, plus the extra revenue wouldn't go a miss. I'd love us to have a real go at the Europa League as winning a European trophy is still a big achievement, plus a final in Amsterdam would be fantastic! I agree that we could end up needing 4 points, but if we win & Anzhi beat Udinese we'll be through as our head to head record v Young Boys will keep us above them. It'd be a great bonus to have qualified with a game to spare as we could send a similar squad to Udinese as we did to Anzhi.

In our last Europa game, we won thanks to a goal from our left back Stewart Downing. What have you made of him being deployed there?

[Jake]

Oh don't get me started on Stewart Downing. What a disappointment, slowly but surely overtaking Andriy Voronin as my most detested player in a red shirt. He's got no confidence, no pace, no composure, no balls. He should offer to tear up his contract, its an obscene amount of money he gets paid, and we spent 18 million pounds on him! I can't wait to see the back of him and he shouldn't be taking up the place of one of Liverpool's real players like Robbo or Enrique at left back. Yeah it was a good goal, but if you throw enough shit, some of it will stick.

How far can you actually see us getting in this competition then? As you've said, the Kop would love a trip to Amsterdam.

[StevenLFC]

It depends on the draw really. We could get the team who finish third in the Real/City/Ajax/Dortmund Champions League group for example and then it's a tough ask. I think we certainly have a side good enough to win it, but until we see who drops down from the Champions League then it's difficult to say. That's a stupid rule by the way isn't it?

[Jake]

Again there are good and bad points to it. The whole system is flawed really. It would be like Premiership teams getting knocked out in the third round of the FA Cup going into the FA Vase or the JPT. Smaller teams that aint gonna win would like it, a chance to play one of the really big boys. I'm sure Anzhi would change their tune about playing us being their biggest ever game if Real Madrid came to town.
On the other side, it cheapens it for me. We've played 10 games and get through to the KOs, it should be those other teams in the same position which get to duke it out for the trophy. If you don't do well in the CL, try again next year. The winner of the Europa League should get a CL group spot the following year anyway. That would be exciting, it would be up for grabs every year and teams would put out their best squad no doubt.

Do Liverpool fans in general care about this cup? Will a possible lack of qualification be another stick for the gobshites to aim at BR's head?

[StevenLFC]

I think we all want to do well in it but not at the detriment to our league form, which is a big ask considering we don't have a huge squad. I think we should qualify and I'm sure we will. Udinese are a good side but bar the trip to Anfield they've not really given a toss, while Anzhi and Young Boys haven't really impressed me at all. What I think our fans underestimate sometimes is how big a deal it is for opposition players and fans to play a European tie at Anfield. Hearts and Udinese both played their arses off to beat us, while a lot of our fans turned up with little interest in the game.

So, on Thursday do you play Suarez if you're Rodgers?

[Jake]

I don't play him from the start for sure. He must be cream crackered and we need to show that we have more than one goalscorer in the team. I'd play Suso and Assaidi with someone else who plays really fluid up top, maybe Sterling in the middle. Or someone like Ngoo who knows where the goal is.

Then at half time bring on Suarez no matter how the game is going (well unless we're 3-0 up) to really put the shitters up them

Do you think the squad can cope with a long European run?

[StevenLFC]

I think so. Other than up front we have plenty of options to make changes in pretty much every position. I like that we have a first team squad backed up by youngsters rather than below average fringe players (except for Joe Cole, who just looks useless!)

The manager has never managed in Europe before this season though, and possibly that inexperience could hinder us, what do you think?

[Jake]

No I don't think it will be a problem, he's worked at clubs with heavier gameloads than this so the only difference I see is having to board a plane sometimes, which the lazy feckers do anyway when they go to London . As we all know, Brendog does his homework, and if we qualify we'll be up against the bigger teams. If anything I think its good we're in the Europa, ease him in gently.

Have Young Boys got anyone we should be worrying about?

[StevenLFC]

I'm not going to lie, as much as I enjoy my continental football, my knowledge of Swiss football isn't great so my opinions of the Young Boys side are based solely on the game in Bern in Septmeber. I was impressed by Nuzzolo who scored their opening goal, and Ojala looked a threat from set pieces, even though he did give us one of the most comical own goals I've seen in such a long time! I was also impressed by Raul Bobadilla who almost scored in the first half, and set up Zarate for their third by outmuscling Caaragher and playing a lovely through ball. It's obviously hard to judge players after one game, but that's pretty much all I know about them really. So fancy making a prediction?

[Jake]

I know bugger all about them either, which is why I threw the question at you before you could ask me!

Prediction? I'll go for 2-0, we're on a good wave of form at the minute, I can see a fringe player getting one just after half time then Suarez wrapping it up with 10 minutes to go.

Is it fair on the ticket buying fans to put out a second string in these games?

[StevenLFC]

I've paid between £14-£20 for my Europa League tickets this year so I feel like I've had decent value for money in the four games so far. Rodgers seems to have picked strong sides in the home games, it's been the away ties where he's changed it up a bit. For the record, I think we'll win quite comfortably too, I think it'll be 3-0. I'd love Joe Allen to get a rest and for us to go with a midfield three of Henderson, Shelvey and Sahin. Any particular players you'd like to see rested?

[Jake]

But its those fans that go to the away games that are really getting mugged off having to watch Joe Cole et al?

I'd deffo rest Suarez, he must be knackered. I'd rest Sterling too, and maybe push Stevie G up top as a striker. Maybe give Wisdom and Agger a break too.

Is this game good prep for the Swansea game or an unwanted distraction?

[StevenLFC]

I imagine the fans who travel to the away games must get a bit annoyed paying all that money to see our second eleven play, but then again most go to European away ties for the trip itself, not necessarily just the game.

I would take the Swansea game out of the equation and say this is an important game for us, and one we really need to win if we want to get through to the knockout stages. It's not an unwanted distraction for me as it's European football, and Liverpool F.C exist to win trophies and play European ties. The standard of opposition in the competition at present isn't great, but it does get highly competitive after the groups and there'll be some decent sides knocking about in the competition. Seems like you don't rate this competition as highly as I do?

[Jake]

Far from it mate, I was gutted when Atletico Madrid knocked us out in Rafa's last season, if we'd have won the UEFA Cup we'd probably be in a different position now, and I was there in 2010 when we again went out in the knockout rounds. Its the format I don't like. Allowing all the Champions League losers in just cheapens the process. Plus I don't think we have the squad to do well in the League, Europa League and FA Cup at the minute. Because we probably won't get 4th I'd go as far to say I'd love to see us win this, Liverpool FC does exist to win trophies, and winning this would put us in good light to European players who still value the competition so highly.

I'll open this up to the rest of the forum then, what is your best memory of the Europa League/UEFA Cup?






PS NO FORMATIONS!

[royhendo]

Thanks for this lads - a nice read to start the day. Over to you guys... and please - no formations!

[Harinder]

I'll open this up to the rest of the forum then, what is your best memory of the Europa League/UEFA Cup?

2001. Barcelona. More than beating Alaves in the final. For good reason too.

Unsurprisingly there was a lot of despondency around. Low expectations of anything going our way and Liverpool were considered underdogs. No way we could beat Barca and proceed. Just doesn't work out that way

Pepe made a great save that day too. For the opposite team 

This is why I love this cup. It's not a devalued Champions League in my eyes... it's something we've got a real romance with.

[Crosby Nick]

I'll open this up to the rest of the forum then, what is your best memory of the Europa League/UEFA Cup?

October 1995, my first ever European game at Anfield. The floodlights, the history, the excitement...the...the...the late header from Dan fuckin' Eggen that gave Brondby (Brondby!) a 1-0 and knocked us out.

Hmmm, maybe not that on reflection. Has to be the 2001 run doesn't it. We were pretty poor in the early rounds and then suddenly turned into a team capable of getting the better of quality sides, or at the very least sides with decent European pedigree. I've always maintained that at that time, a Champions League group containing ourselves, Olympiacos, Roma, Porto and  Barca would be a) illegal given it contained 5 teams and b) a very decent standard.

Each round I thought we'd come too far and each round we found a way to win. The highlight probably being the 2-0 win in Rome. I forget who scored.

[FernandoSusoLFC]

I'll open this up to the rest of the forum then, what is your best memory of the Europa League/UEFA Cup?

For some odd reason when we played Benfica and they had a class team with Ramires, Di Maria, Luiz in their squad. I have some odd memory of Luiz just charging forward trying to get something going. We had Ryan Babel sent off fairly early on and they kept throwing fireworks on the pitch. Now we looked fucked coming into the second leg and thought we were well and truly out. We then go and turn it around and win 4-1 with Torres being the hero.

The second leg was funny as the linesman ruled a corner offside where Dirk Kuyt scored and we went mental. Then we scored possibly one of the best link up play goals I've seen LFC play. Here is the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdPWPrURvnY

Now mind the shoddy wank gangster rap and fast forward to the goal at 1:20.

That is the fucking jizz of football for me.

[Harinder]

bump. Too good to be languishing

[The 5th Benitle]

bump. Too good to be languishing

For some reason the gen footy and sprt forum seems to be busier today?

Good stuff though LJ and Steven, enjoyed it.

I really like the UEFA Cup/Europa League. Robbie's goal against Alaves is probably my favourite ever goal.

[royhendo]

bump. Too good to be languishing