Topic: Match Preview - Reds v Man City

[DutchRed]

you not arsed about winning the league then

That's a bit far. It's just not a real game to me in the sense that losing to them just does never hurt me. Even beating them, which is a great thing because they have a fantastic team, doesn't really mean much. They honestly should not be allowed to play football under their current ownership imo

Not winning the league felt bad for like five minutes last season. Maybe without the Champions League final it would have been ten minutes. Lose a league to United, Tottenham or Arsenal and I'd feel sick for days, maybe weeks. Simply because I wouldn't want us to win the league the way they did. I'd rather never win anything again than have such horrible people in charge of us.

[Yesitsanextender]

Any news on hendo ? If fit he needs to start...if not i cant see milner in the middle to be honest..we would be even more defensive than Ever and i still
Believe a goal scorer with fab and gini woild put equal
Pressure on theirs...i.e start ox if hendos out

[12C]

Yep. I'm, personally, not into the idea of a coach welcome as it feels too early in the season. Just get in the ground early, get it bouncing and angry. Their lot won't fancy it, least of all Pep.

The trouble surrounding their coach was due to the police re routing it past the fans. Stupid idea.
If it had come on it’s normal way there would have been no one there - everyone being on the Reds route.

What would be cool is if Liverpool get their coach welcome and by the time Abu Dhabi Fc get there the streets are deserted. Like a scene from on the beach, or behind the goal at Emirates sponsored Etihad, Just the odd chip paper blowing like tumble weed. Pep is shitting bricks wondering what is going on.. where are the Dingues Rouges.
They arrive at the ground to find it bouncing along to Allez Allez and as they get off the coach even their Emirates sponsored noise cancelling headphone can’t cancel the strains “We are the Champions Champions of Europe”
Pep turns to speak to Kompany and realises it is Otamendi. He falls to his knees beside the wall of fame and cries.
Now that would be psywar

[Legoland]

Normally, when you have a massive massive game like this, it's all spoilt by something unexpected. So, to make sure it's not unexpected this time I'm going to say what it's going to be and then maybe, just maybe it won't happen:

1. Early red card from one of our players changes the whole landscape.
2. Crippling injury early on changes our preparation and hurts the mentality monsters.
3. The referee gives a key player a yellow card early on, and another yellow card soon after... One of the yellow cards was clearly a big mistake but VAR can't overrule it as they can only step in on straight red card decisions. The loophole in this rule and how it spoilt the game is talked about all season but forgotten by neutrals after that.
4. We outplay Man City and even score a goal for a great orgasm in the first half, but we think we should've scored more to finish this game. In the 2nd half we decide to protect the lead and do it well as City have lost their mojo. Late on Man City get a free kick where their player clearly dived but VAR can't change free-kick decisions. They score and it ends 1-1.
5. You get into bed to enjoy the game but the maid has mixed up last week's guests polyester underwear with your pure cotton, you're wearing the long John's and feeling the silk sheets but it's so uncomfortable and tight (his size is smaller) that it takes 5 minutes to change back into pure cotton, at which point you miss Manchester City's opening goal, and when you return Hendo and Milner are just running out like headless chickens and there's no cohesion or control in midfield at all. The boys are lumping it up to Salah and Mane but those long balls are going nowhere.
6. You worked double-shift at the video store on Saturday so that you can get time off on Sunday for this game, with the extra money you got the beer on ice and everything, but 15 minutes before kickoff your boss phones you to say the till doesn't tally and he's accusing you of pocketing the balance of cash. To make sure you can afford your Internet connection for illegal streaming sites, you try to explain your innocence for the next 45 minutes but by the time you can concentrate on the game, Liverpool's already 2-0 down due to Lovren believing Aguero was on the floor, when in fact he stood up behind him, while for the second goal Lovren allows the ball to bounce instead of kicking it away, and it ends up bouncing weirdly over Van Dijk and into the path of Jesus to score.
7. You're so psyched up for this game that 10 minutes before kickoff you decide to go to the toilet so that nothing disturbs the kickoff, you come back only to realise you forgot to untick ''hidden files'' and when your girlfriend wanted to see how much the embroided stockings costs, she finds the photos of her younger sister, Liverpool win 5-0 but you've seen none of it.

 

[Indomitable_Carp]

Such a meh game. Winning is great but there's just no real pain in losing to them. All they have and are is due to some abhorrent slave holders. Whatever they win is utterly irrelevant and worthless. They are irrelevant whether they win, lose or draw and I just can't see how anyone at LFC will ever consider them to be rightful rivals. Even if they wil dominate world football literally nobody will envy them because of how they pay for it.

That said just smash them anyway.

This isn't about City. It's about winning the league. I've still not seen us lift one, and this would be a massive boost even this early in the season. So this game is anything but meh for me! If we'd been this pumped up to beat them at Anfield last year, the league might've been ours.

[kaesarsosei]

The more I think about this, the more a draw suits City more than us. 6 points with 2/3 of the season left is nothing really - 1 bad result and a loss at the Etihad. 9 points is a proper cushion.

On the other hand, a draw suited us a lot more this time last year so I expect a much more attacking mindset from us.

Still really want to see Gini/Fab/AOC midfield. Also inclined to favour Gomez over Lovren because Lovren was at fault (slightly) for both goals at the Etihad. Admittedly one of them was a pacey Sane which we don't have to worry about this time at least. But at this stage I am expecting Lovren/Henderson regardless.

[Crosby Nick]

That's a bit far. It's just not a real game to me in the sense that losing to them just does never hurt me. Even beating them, which is a great thing because they have a fantastic team, doesn't really mean much. They honestly should not be allowed to play football under their current ownership imo

Not winning the league felt bad for like five minutes last season. Maybe without the Champions League final it would have been ten minutes. Lose a league to United, Tottenham or Arsenal and I'd feel sick for days, maybe weeks. Simply because I wouldn't want us to win the league the way they did. I'd rather never win anything again than have such horrible people in charge of us.

It’s the opposite for me. I felt a bit cheated at t end of last season. We put together one of the most consistently brilliant campaigns in English football history and it wasn’t enough to be crowned champions because of some tinpot club that got lucky, first with getting a stadium for free that then enabled them to end up on a shortlist of clubs in Abu Dhabi’s shopping list.

I didn’t actually feel half as bad as when we lost the league to United in 2009. That was two quality sides slugging it out and as annoying as it was to lose out to them we gave it our best shot but lost out to a very strong side.

[Mozology]

Don’t get the people who would take a draw here - at all. If we want to win the title, well this is one of only two chances to take points off them directly. Fuck praying for other teams to get a result against them like we did weekly for the whole second half of last season. Let’s do it ourselves.

A win on Sunday would be huge psychologically and ram the message down their throats that we are the better side this season and won’t be derailed.

A draw and they likely leave feeling optimistic that we will be caught as we were last season - with the return game at the Etihad yet to play. We can put our foots well and truly on their throats here - this game is a huge opportunity to go in for the kill, to suck the fight out of them ahead of a difficult set of November/December fixtures.

9 points behind with the knowledge that they still have Arsenal, Leicester, Utd, Chelsea to play this side of the new year? We need to put them in that position. Anything less than a victory would be a disappointment for me.

hear hear

good post

[xbugawugax]

3 points please. Time to lay down the marker.

a loss wouldn't be devastating but just enough to sow the seeds of doubt.

but somehow i do feel the ball is in our court. city need the points more than we do and hopefully they come at us which fits our game plan better.

what concerns me is that the past few games, we have conceded first and look like slow starters. That would give them the added advantage to be honest. If we conceded early, i do think that they will throw every dark arts on the pitch and make the game as disruptive as possible for us. the quality of their squad might be too much for us to handle as well.

[Lynndenberries]

Looking at the fixtures they have played this season, they still haven't really faced a decent attack outside of Wolves. I don't think it will happen, but I could see a repeat of the 17/18 performances if they aren't careful.

[classycarra]

The trouble surrounding their coach was due to the police re routing it past the fans. Stupid idea.
If it had come on it’s normal way there would have been no one there - everyone being on the Reds route.

The trouble was some of our vans throwing shit. Including a lot of very bad throwers catching fellow reds instead of the massive coach. The police were stupid, but they didn't make people do it.

What would be cool is if Liverpool get their coach welcome and by the time Abu Dhabi Fc get there the streets are deserted. Like a scene from on the beach, or behind the goal at Emirates sponsored Etihad, Just the odd chip paper blowing like tumble weed. Pep is shitting bricks wondering what is going on.. where are the Dingues Rouges.
They arrive at the ground to find it bouncing along to Allez Allez and as they get off the coach even their Emirates sponsored noise cancelling headphone can’t cancel the strains “We are the Champions Champions of Europe”
Pep turns to speak to Kompany and realises it is Otamendi. He falls to his knees beside the wall of fame and cries.
Now that would be psywar

love it

[redalways]

Oliver is the referee best in the league.

Best of a mediocre bunch.

[Robinred]

Agree with Yorky that typing out preferred teams is rather pointless.

Having said that, I’m surprised at how few of those who have made suggestions think Lallana won’t feature at some point. I think, and hope, he does.

[keyop]

I'd also be happy with a draw, but there's no doubt a win is absolutely massive. One result keeps us 6 points clear and City still under pressure, and the other opens up a gap that will be very difficult to breach, putting Guardiola in a position he's never faced before.

This was always going to be a huge game but given City's injuries, we need to continue to maximise our points return until they get Laporte and Sane back, and are able to buy reinforcements in January. If David Silva and Rodri are definitely out then that's an added bonus, and if Ederson doesn't play then suddenly their whole back 5 looks vulnerable.

A win would also achieve a lot more than a big points gap - it would represent a shift in power, and maintain our momentum (whilst putting a big dent in theirs). It will also mess with Guardiola's head and may move their focus more onto the Champions League.

In terms of preparation we couldn't have asked for a better week, and with City getting less rest plus letting a lead slip last night, missing a penalty and ending up with Kyle Walker in goal, its all setup nicely for us to capitalise on any weaknesses.

[Lynndenberries]

Best of a mediocre bunch.

Overrating them a bit there.

[Marty 85]

Normally, when you have a massive massive game like this, it's all spoilt by something unexpected. So, to make sure it's not unexpected this time I'm going to say what it's going to be and then maybe, just maybe it won't happen:

1. Early red card from one of our players changes the whole landscape.
2. Crippling injury early on changes our preparation and hurts the mentality monsters.
3. The referee gives a key player a yellow card early on, and another yellow card soon after... One of the yellow cards was clearly a big mistake but VAR can't overrule it as they can only step in on straight red card decisions. The loophole in this rule and how it spoilt the game is talked about all season but forgotten by neutrals after that.
4. We outplay Man City and even score a goal for a great orgasm in the first half, but we think we should've scored more to finish this game. In the 2nd half we decide to protect the lead and do it well as City have lost their mojo. Late on Man City get a free kick where their player clearly dived but VAR can't change free-kick decisions. They score and it ends 1-1.
5. You get into bed to enjoy the game but the maid has mixed up last week's guests polyester underwear with your pure cotton, you're wearing the long John's and feeling the silk sheets but it's so uncomfortable and tight (his size is smaller) that it takes 5 minutes to change back into pure cotton, at which point you miss Manchester City's opening goal, and when you return Hendo and Milner are just running out like headless chickens and there's no cohesion or control in midfield at all. The boys are lumping it up to Salah and Mane but those long balls are going nowhere.
6. You worked double-shift at the video store on Saturday so that you can get time off on Sunday for this game, with the extra money you got the beer on ice and everything, but 15 minutes before kickoff your boss phones you to say the till doesn't tally and he's accusing you of pocketing the balance of cash. To make sure you can afford your Internet connection for illegal streaming sites, you try to explain your innocence for the next 45 minutes but by the time you can concentrate on the game, Liverpool's already 2-0 down due to Lovren believing Aguero was on the floor, when in fact he stood up behind him, while for the second goal Lovren allows the ball to bounce instead of kicking it away, and it ends up bouncing weirdly over Van Dijk and into the path of Jesus to score.
7. You're so psyched up for this game that 10 minutes before kickoff you decide to go to the toilet so that nothing disturbs the kickoff, you come back only to realise you forgot to untick ''hidden files'' and when your girlfriend wanted to see how much the embroided stockings costs, she finds the photos of her younger sister, Liverpool win 5-0 but you've seen none of it.

8. You get a lift to the game in your mates van but it breaks down and you miss the match completely. Thus ending a lifelong obsession with the automotive transporter of goods.

[So… Howard Philips]

What would be cool is if Liverpool get their coach welcome and by the time Abu Dhabi Fc get there the streets are deserted. Like a scene from on the beach, or behind the goal at Emirates sponsored Etihad, Just the odd chip paper blowing like tumble weed. Pep is shitting bricks wondering what is going on.. where are the Dingues Rouges.

And they realise they forgot to set the alarm clock and they've missed the kick off.

That's probably Guardiola's regular anxiety dream, along with turning up just wearing his trusty cardie and realising the whole of Anfield can see his arse.

[duvva 💅]

Henderson in today’s training photos so looks like he’ll be available Sunday

[Henry Kissinger]

Rather up for this

Will you be able to maintain an erection til Sunday though?

[Henry Kissinger]

The biggest matches deserve the best pre match writers. Nice one Yorky!

You’ve summed up City brilliantly. While we can say they’ll never be a big club or a true rival you have to admit that they are really the only barrier between us and domination. So while United and Everton games will always be huge, it’s not an understatement to say this is our biggest game of the season. Win it and we’re in a wonderful position. Lose it and we’re still somewhere we’d have been happy to be in August. With that in mind I hope we do go all out for the win. Last season I think due to their altered approach we gave it our best and then stepped back and thought a point would be ok (obviously could have lost it late on). I think if it’s similarly poised this time we’ll give it the kitchen sink in the last 20.

I dare not post a formation now but from what we’ve seen of late I’d start Lovren over Gomez which then just leaves a question of which midfield three. Fabinho is a certainty. One of Henderson or Wijnaldum is a certainty. Then it’s a question of do you play the other, or one of Ox or Naby. Whatever we decide we’ll have some brilliant options on the bench and as York says, options for every scenario.

I can often be nervous before big games, that feeing of trepidation. I’m not feeling that at all this time. I can’t wait for this.

Good job I'm doing the derby then. I do prefer doing the write ups for our games against the fodder.   


I was rather aroused by SteveZissou's post, just wondering if I should see a  therapist of some sort.

Would like to see a front three of Sadio, Div (in the middle) and Mo, with Bobby behind. Just go for it I say, fortune favours the brave they say. Although I bravely asked Gaynor Rowley to be my girlfriend when I was at school and she burst out laughing. Not much fortune there eh. Proverbs and phrases are shite sometimes.

[Hazell]

Good job I'm doing the derby then. I do prefer doing the write ups for our games against the fodder.   

I'm doing the Salzburg away game. I'm hopping it's the most irrelevant game of our season, which would be quite fitting

[rob1966]

[Henry Kissinger]

I'm doing the Salzburg away game. I'm hopping it's the most irrelevant game of our season, which would be quite fitting

Well if it does turn out to be irrelevant, may I suggest a webcam link to a zebra crossing in Austria. 

[Yorkykopite]

Agree with Yorky that typing out preferred teams is rather pointless.

Having said that, I’m surprised at how few of those who have made suggestions think Lallana won’t feature at some point. I think, and hope, he does.

Me too mate.

My strong feeling is that Liverpool have to use this special talent. He's fitter now than he's been for two years, simply because he's accumulated minutes without injury. I'm a great admirer of Oxlade and Keita too, but no one works the half spaces as well as Lallana. And the Lallana-Mane conversation on the pitch is among the most cultured you'll see in the Premier League.

[Red Beret]

I never enjoy finishing second in the league.  Doesn't matter who finishes above us, how well or deserved it might be for them.  Did finishing second last season hurt?  Yes.  But not as much as it pissed me off.

Steamroller these sky-blue fuckers please.

[bornandbRED]

Agree with Yorky that typing out preferred teams is rather pointless.

Having said that, I’m surprised at how few of those who have made suggestions think Lallana won’t feature at some point. I think, and hope, he does.

I can't see how Lallana gets anywhere near the starting line up. He hasn't started a game of this magnitude or intensity in how long?

A 15 min cameo off the bench at best.

[Yorkykopite]

I can't see how Lallana gets anywhere near the starting line up. He hasn't started a game of this magnitude or intensity in how long?

A 15 min cameo off the bench at best.

"won't feature at some point" were the magic words.

[PoetryInMotion]

That's a bit far. It's just not a real game to me in the sense that losing to them just does never hurt me. Even beating them, which is a great thing because they have a fantastic team, doesn't really mean much. They honestly should not be allowed to play football under their current ownership imo

Not winning the league felt bad for like five minutes last season. Maybe without the Champions League final it would have been ten minutes. Lose a league to United, Tottenham or Arsenal and I'd feel sick for days, maybe weeks. Simply because I wouldn't want us to win the league the way they did. I'd rather never win anything again than have such horrible people in charge of us.

What? A league title is a league title. Regardless of whom you lose to. The title loss in 2014 to Man City still hurts, how can you say it doesn't? Yes, we don't want to win it their way, but we aren't doing that, we're having a well built football team close to beating a financially doped football team over a season, why delude ourselves that it will not be sweet, and that losing will not hurt?

[bornandbRED]

"won't feature at some point" were the magic words.

As I acknowledged.

Although I’m not sure what the talking point is here if you’re not discussing him potentially starting. Yes, he will be on the bench. Yes, he may come on for a bit in the second half. So might the other 6 lads.

[bornandbRED]

That's a bit far. It's just not a real game to me in the sense that losing to them just does never hurt me. Even beating them, which is a great thing because they have a fantastic team, doesn't really mean much. They honestly should not be allowed to play football under their current ownership imo

Not winning the league felt bad for like five minutes last season. Maybe without the Champions League final it would have been ten minutes. Lose a league to United, Tottenham or Arsenal and I'd feel sick for days, maybe weeks. Simply because I wouldn't want us to win the league the way they did. I'd rather never win anything again than have such horrible people in charge of us.

Whilst I can see the point you’re making about the way Man City have gone about establishing themselves, FSG and Abu Dhabi are two sides of the same capitalist coin. I’m not sure we can claim any moral superiority over those ‘horrible people’, as ours are probably just as ‘horrible’.

[my usenme changed?]

Whilst I can see the point you’re making about the way Man City have gone about establishing themselves, FSG and Abu Dhabi are two sides of the same capitalist coin. I’m not sure we can claim any moral superiority over those ‘horrible people’, as ours are probably just as ‘horrible’.

Ummmm, pretty sure FSG don't have an appalling human rights record.

[Yorkykopite]

As I acknowledged.

Sorry to be a pain, but in replying to a poster who thought Lallana might figure at some point you said that you couldn't see him "anywhere near the starting line up". I always think of the bench as being quite near.

[DangerScouse]

https://amp.theguardian.com/football/2019/nov/07/manchester-city-repeat-bus-attack-message-liverpool-fans-social-media?CMP=share_btn_tw&__twitter_impression=true

[bornandbRED]

Sorry to be a pain, but in replying to a poster who thought Lallana might figure at some point you said that you couldn't see him "anywhere near the starting line up". I always think of the bench as being quite near.

It’s clear you understood what I meant.

What is your point here?

[Dim Glas]

Whilst I can see the point you’re making about the way Man City have gone about establishing themselves, FSG and Abu Dhabi are two sides of the same capitalist coin. I’m not sure we can claim any moral superiority over those ‘horrible people’, as ours are probably just as ‘horrible’.

 

I think you may need to educate yourself about Abu Dhabi who own Manchester City, to compare them to the owners of LFC is really quite ignorant.

[reddragon]

https://amp.theguardian.com/football/2019/nov/07/manchester-city-repeat-bus-attack-message-liverpool-fans-social-media?CMP=share_btn_tw&__twitter_impression=true

hahaha its deffo happening now

[JerseyKloppite]

Whilst I can see the point you’re making about the way Man City have gone about establishing themselves, FSG and Abu Dhabi are two sides of the same capitalist coin. I’m not sure we can claim any moral superiority over those ‘horrible people’, as ours are probably just as ‘horrible’.

Very dangerous ground. If you're going to accuse FSG of human rights abuses of the kind that are well documented as regards Abu Dhabi, please show your workings.

Saying that two large capitalist organisation are basically the same is like saying that the Guardian and the S*n are the same because they're booth, loosely speaking, newspapers. But I feel fairly happy identifying the moral high ground in that comparison as I do with our owners. No one is saying that they're a benevolent charity but there is a significant distinction between our owners and theirs.

That or acknowledge that you might be missing the mark slightly, and move on.

[Red Eyed]

I feel surprisingly calm about this one, looking forward to what should be a great game. Last time we hosted them it was on the back of a really brutal run of fixtures whereas we're in much better shape this time. I wouldn't take a draw if it was offered, these boys at Anfield have what it takes to put them to the sword and go 9 points clear.

[bornandbRED]

Very dangerous ground. If you're going to accuse FSG of human rights abuses of the kind that are well documented as regards Abu Dhabi, please show your workings.

That or acknowledge that you might be missing the mark slightly, and move on.

No need to put words into my mouth - I haven't accused FSG of anything. Perhaps I should have phrased it our people 'may well be' as horrible. Or they might not be.

The simple point is I do not agree on the basis DutchRed was attempting to criticise them. Man City can be admonished for many things football related (financial doping, tactical fouling, being plastic), but I'm not interested nor do I deem it relevant to discuss non-football related matters such as human rights abuse in their owner's native country before a football game.

Either way, this certainly isn't a conversation for a pre-match thread and so I'll leave it there.

[Dim Glas]

No need to put words into my mouth - I haven't accused FSG of anything. Perhaps I should have phrased it our people 'may well be' as horrible. Or they might not be.

The simple point is I do not agree on the basis DutchRed was attempting to criticise them. Man City can be admonished for many things football related (financial doping, tactical fouling, being plastic), but I'm not interested nor do I deem it relevant to discuss non-football related matters such as human rights abuse in their owner's native country before a football game.

Either way, this certainly isn't a conversation for a pre-match thread and so I'll leave it there.

If you don't want to discuss it, maybe you should delete the original comment you made then and go educate yourself about their owners. Because what you wrote was utterly baffling to be honest.