Topic: Liverpool v Chelsea CL 8/4/09 red/flag day - pre match build up

[ShanksLegend]

Every effort from everybody for this important fixture, we can't let whats happening in the league effect this one.

As normal we need to sing loud and proud, but lets all wear red take our scarfs and flags and do anything we can to show our support for the reds, lets support us to the final.

No away goals, we need a win nothing less.

Masch is band.

My team

                             Reina

Arbeloa     Skrtel       Carra            Aurelio

Kuyt          Alonso       Lucas          Riera

                       Gerrard
                 
                                   Torres

or

                            Reina

Arbeloa          Skrtel        Carra         Aurelio

Kuyt              Gerrard       Alonso      Riera

                                Benyoun

                                    Torres     

What players do Chelsea have banned     

[farawayred]

Oh boy, if it's not the best time to start this thread! B ring them on! I watched both games, and I'm telling you, we'll own them.

[Hazell]

Wouldn't be surprised to see Gerrard start central midfield, seeing as Mascherano's out.

[jooneyisdagod]

I fully expect us to go 4-2-3-1 for this game.  That formation has clearly now been established as our best.  My team :
-------------------Pepe----------------------

Arby-----Skrtel------------Carra-------Aurelio

------------Lucas---------Xabi----------------

Kuyt--------------Gerrard--------------Riera


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

[Miguel Sanchez]

No away goals, we need a win nothing less.


My team

                             Reina

Arbeloa     Skrtel       Carra            Aurelio

Kuyt          Alonso       Lucas          Riera

                       Gerrard

                        Torres

I think this will be the team. Need a clean sheet more than anything. But I fancy us to win 2 or even 3 nil. 

[7777]

I think we will win 2-0 and we will need to aswell. We need to treat this exactly like the Real Madrid game at Anfield and start with a tempo they have never seen before.

We need to kill this tie at Anfield cos Rafa is a master of getting the right result away from home and if it has to be a drab 0-0 in that London then so be it

[Swieve]

This team can win anywhere and we all know that.  As long as we can keep a clean sheet I will be more than happy, and confident.

Saying that, 4-0 would do lovely

[jooneyisdagod]

I think we will win 2-0 and we will need to aswell. We need to treat this exactly like the Real Madrid game at Anfield and start with a tempo they have never seen before.

We need to kill this tie at Anfield cos Rafa is a master of getting the right result away from home and if it has to be a drab 0-0 in that London then so be it

Very true.  I don't think playing at Stamford Bridge will be easy at all, so we need our big guns to fire for this one and need a 2 goal cushion to take to the bridge. 

[Joe Rogans Chin]

 

What players do Chelsea have banned     

None

They have fitness doubts over Boswinga and Drogba.

Disciplinary information
• Anelka, Ashley Cole and Terry will incur a ban with their next bookings.

Disciplinary information
• Albert Riera is available again after a one-game ban on Matchday 8, although Mascherano serves a one-match suspension after his yellow card against Real Madrid at Anfield. Arbeloa and Andrea Dossena are both within a booking of a ban.

I'd expect 4231 with lucas instead of Mascherano, given that he has never let us down in Europe. I reckon how well he plays will be the key to us getting through or not. It's that simple.

[Swieve]

They have fitness doubts over Boswinga and Drogba.

I think Essien is also an injury doubt after yesterday.  I really do hope so.  I reckon he is their best player

[jooneyisdagod]

I think Essien is also an injury doubt after yesterday.  I really do hope so.  I reckon he is their best player

How I hope he is out !  By far their best player IMO.  Forget Lampard, Drogba and Terry, for me Chelsea's two best players are Carvalho and Essien. 

[Joe Rogans Chin]

I think Essien is also an injury doubt after yesterday.  I really do hope so.  I reckon he is their best player

Why, didn't get to see MOTD?

[andy in warrington]

I'd take any score that ends with Chelsea 0.

[Twelfth Man]

None

They have fitness doubts over Boswinga and Drogba.

Disciplinary information
• Anelka, Ashley Cole and Terry will incur a ban with their next bookings.

Disciplinary information
• Albert Riera is available again after a one-game ban on Matchday 8, although Mascherano serves a one-match suspension after his yellow card against Real Madrid at Anfield. Arbeloa and Andrea Dossena are both within a booking of a ban.

I'd expect 4231 with lucas instead of Mascherano, given that he has never let us down in Europe. I reckon how well he plays will be the key to us getting through or not. It's that simple.

Lucas! just shows how much we need to improve in central midfield next year. Play Aurelio in central midfield with Alonso. Fabio played excellently against Portsmouth in that position.

[jaffod]

I'd go for Benayoun behind Torres.Bring on Dossena  later on to finish them off.

[mikeb58]

Don't fear these fuckers at all, 2nd leg will be one big anti climax for the TV companies, cos we'll wrap it up at Anfield !!

3-0 to the League leaders, and these days our goals just won't be from Gerrard and Torres either ( though take Torres to get on the score sheet, to ' bounce ' back from yesterdays slightly below par performance)

[liverpooll]

Lucas! just shows how much we need to improve in central midfield next year. Play Aurelio in central midfield with Alonso. Fabio played excellently against Portsmouth in that position.

And because of fans like you who dont watch any of our matches and just make decisions based on some bandwagon, put our own players under loads of pressure

Lucas imo, is an excellent back up player who potentially has great chance of first team reguarly

[Mr.Red]

We face the hardest possible opponent in this stage of the competition but we have to beat them all to be champions.I can see Rafa saying 'we must learn from last year's mistakes' and rightly so.I must admit 1-0 win would do me well.We'll probably go with the formation 'jooneyisdagod' mentioned above.

[otitito]

And because of fans like you who dont watch any of our matches and just make decisions based on some bandwagon, put our own players under loads of pressure

Lucas imo, is an excellent back up player who potentially has great chance of first team reguarly

[Joe Rogans Chin]

Intersting article, shows why Rafa will be desperate to play Gerrard behind Torres on wednesday night;

The Kop likens them to Rush and Dalglish without feeling blasphemous.
The records of the two partnerships are eerily similar. Rush and Dalglish scored 334 times at a rate of 0.532 goals per game across nine seasons. Eight strikes in matches against Real Madrid, Manchester United and Aston Villa raised the combined total of Torres and Gerrard to 86 goals, at 0.534 per game, in the 20 months since Torres’ arrival in August 2007.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/european_football/article6036254.ece

[Benimar Col]

Every effort from everybody for this important fixture, we can't let whats happening in the league effect this one.

As normal we need to sing loud and proud, but lets all wear red take our scarfs and flags and do anything we can to show our support for the reds, lets support us to the final.

you wont have to worry about the support on Wednesday,   all the season ticket holding stiffs wont be present, the passionate fans are / will be present,    when we / if we get our new stadium we ought to have a section especially for these silent and booing cnuts,  call in the library or something

[Benimar Col]

What players do Chelsea have banned     

this chart should help for all teams left in the competition

http://www.uefa.com/multimediafiles/download/disciplinarychart/uefa/uefamedia/81/40/33/814033_download.pdf

[teganyavo]

                            Reina

Arbeloa          Skrtel        Carra         Aurelio

Kuyt              Gerrard       Alonso      Riera

                                Benyoun

                                    Torres     

That's the team we want. Lucas doesn't have it all together defensively yet, and with Mascherano out, I don't trust the 4-2-3-1 against a central midfield like Essien and Lampard. Gerrard and Alonso to play deep and keep Essien and Lampard busy, and the red-hot Benayoun in the hole to help out Torres sounds like more than enough to get the winner.

[Tommy Torres]

It would just be like Rafa to spring a surprise on Chelsea. So when they are expecting Gerrard and Torres upfront he might after yesterday decide to play Kuyt and Torres upfront with Benni on the right and Gerrard in central midfield with Xabi.

[Gnurglan]

                 Torres
Riera       Gerrard       Kuyt
           Alonso Lucas
Aurelio Carra Skrtel Arbeloa
               Reina

Only doubt is Skrtel/Agger. I say so because with the exception of Lucas/Mascherano, it's the team we've used against Chelsea this season.

[fowlerisgod96]

Oh shite I forgot Masch is suspended.

[Swieve]

Why, didn't get to see MOTD?

I'm unsure if he is injured, but i think the radio commentary said he took a knock early on and I know he only played about 53 minutes and was subbed.  Maybe they are trying to keep him fit for wednesday.  Not sure

[TOMMO86]

I can see Gerrard going back in the centre for this. I can not wait for the game would love a 2-0 to take there, like we did with Inter.

[JoeRed]

I don't know why people want Gerrard in centre. He has been outstanding and so has our midfield in dominating every team we play. And this includes when Lucas is playing.

The guy slagging off Lucas right now really baffles me and we shouldn't be considering to ruin the great formula which is Gerrard and Torres up front by not putting in Lucas for Masch.

[Gnurglan]

I can see Gerrard going back in the centre for this. I can not wait for the game would love a 2-0 to take there, like we did with Inter.

I think we'll keep the same CM we used vs Fulham. Lucas is getting more and more trust and we'll build on that.

[wideawakewesley]

I'd like to see Aurellio play alongside Alonso in the middle for this one with Insua at the back.

[Gnurglan]

I'd like to see Aurellio play alongside Alonso in the middle for this one with Insua at the back.

Insua is not in the CL squad.

[wideawakewesley]

Insua is not in the CL squad.

Balls

[Sorted!!]

With Terry and Ashley Cole one booking away from missing the next game and the two being key players in defence for Chelsea, I can see Rafa saying to Kuyt and Torres to give them a good working over and hopefully get a booking, so they miss the game at Stamford Bridge.

That would be a physiological blow to Chelsea if their captain was to miss the second leg. He has always struggled to handle Torres and I hope the next game or 2, are the rule rather than the exception.

We have to avoid the mistake we made the last time round by gifting them an away goal. That meant they would have been ultra-confident going back to London and in a way, it but a grain of doubt in our players' minds.

[rocco]

None

They have fitness doubts over Boswinga and Drogba.

Disciplinary information
• Anelka, Ashley Cole and Terry will incur a ban with their next bookings.

Disciplinary information
• Albert Riera is available again after a one-game ban on Matchday 8, although Mascherano serves a one-match suspension after his yellow card against Real Madrid at Anfield. Arbeloa and Andrea Dossena are both within a booking of a ban.

I'd expect 4231 with lucas instead of Mascherano, given that he has never let us down in Europe. I reckon how well he plays will be the key to us getting through or not. It's that simple.

Not sure that's correct isn't that Gerrard and Torres are one card from a ban ?

[GinKop]

As normal we need to sing loud and proud, but lets all wear red take our scarfs and flags and do anything we can to show our support for the reds, lets support us to the final.

Well said Shanks.

We need to turn it up a notch. Sure they'll be impressed by the atmosphere, but will they be scared like they were in 2005? Not unless we ratchet up the atmosphere. Red, flags, scarves, banners swarm the stands you're in.

The players have a job to do, but so do we.

[Joe Rogans Chin]

Not sure that's correct isn't that Gerrard and Torres are one card from a ban ?

Thats from the UEFA website.

[a glass of wine Sir?]

                          Reina

Arbeloa       Carra      Skrtel      Aurelio


               Alonso       Lucas

Kuyt                  Gerrard           Reira

                         Torres


I can't understand why people slate lucas?!! He has improved a lot (since he had his haircut)...but he also doesn't let us down in europe. My belief is he was played yesterday ahead of JM, because Javier was obviously tired after internationals, but also for a bit of match practise with Xabi ahead of wednesday. LB, Aurelio rested yesterday because we all know its risky trying to play him 3 times in a week, so he is fit and ready for lb or cm if needed.

2-0

[kmo1969]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/european/championsleague/5105873/John-Terry-is-dreading-Chelseas-Champions-League-clash-with-Liverpool.html

[rocco]

Thats from the UEFA website.

?  99% sure Gerrard and Torres are one card away from bans