Topic: Preview: Reading FC v Liverpool FC (Sat 13th April, 3pm)

[Earl of Dingleberry]

My prediction for this game

[Thog]

Henderson on the right and Coutinho on the left in a 4-4-2?

I'd have thought 4-3-3, Suarez central with Sturridge right and Coutinho left.

[bigbear]

Maybe it's over the last 10 matches that he's played? If it is, then it would be correct to say we've won 60% with him in the side. We've only lost 2 of those 10 matches, too.

Can't be because it says we have only won 14% where he hasn't played ie 1 in 7.

I think it's because BR gave him some easy minutes when he wasn't getting a look in against the likes of Wigan at home/Soton at home and so he has played a part in some of the wins when he hasn't really played much part. If we were losing a game he would never be brought on to change it so the stats get skewed.

[Zaffarious]

dont get me wrong , i dont think downing has done much wrong for quite a while now. but sturridge in for him is the logical choice. it means that we may be a little more vulnerable on the right hand side (assuming suarez goes there and is allowed to roam where he wants) but i think offensively we should be alot better.

The only downside of playing luis there is if he has 1 of those games where he rushes everything then we will lose the ball alot and struggle to apply any serious preasure. but this is a good game to try it because next season we should be seeing this alot more.

[Solomon Grundy]

No Downing, wonderful stuff

Downing been pretty well recently.

[UntouchableLuis]

Strongest team possible, if we don't win then something will have gone seriously wrong.

[Hij]

I quite like the look of this team- famous last words and all that, but there's energy and verve in the middle with Henderson and Lucas, differing options upfront in terms of skill, speed and vision and I'm sure they won't have static positions and will be able to float and move about as Brendan has told them or as they see fit, and Johnson, Enrique can overlap and Gerrard should be able to effect the game. Quietly optimistic about this, I think it's the strongest we've been for quite someti

[ScouserAtHeart]

I'd have thought 4-3-3, Suarez central with Sturridge right and Coutinho left.

Me too. But he likes to have both Suarez and Sturridge central. A 4-2-1-3 maybe with Suarez just behind the striker possibly

[Caston]

Downing been pretty well recently.

May be playing well, but we need better

[jaffod]

Interesting. We could get caught playing very narrow in attack where we want them to be pulled wide at the back. It could get very congested. Although Johnson will have a lot of space to get forward if he stays wide instead of cutting inside like against West Ham

You'd have to hope that Sturridge is the target player and Suarez and Coutinho will play off Sturridge - Suarez from the left, Coutinho from the right. Henderson though will be important in keeping them pushed back, so there could be a lot of space for Gerrard to get a few shots off

That's my concern and it happened last week against West Ham. We tried to funnel everything through the middle with no success.

[The Infamous_LFC]

Strong selection there. Looking forward to this game

[The Gigi]

I'm happy with the team, and it will be interesting to see how Suarez, Sturridge and Coutinho will link up. Also glad to see Henderson again, I think he is vital for the balance of the team.
I would love to see Sturridge score a goal, I think he needs it.

[bigbear]

Me too. But he likes to have both Suarez and Sturridge central. A 4-2-1-3 maybe with Suarez just behind the striker possibly

Might try a diamond at times with Coutinho behind the 2 of them but I think we'll start with Sturridge from the right.

[se9R.F.L]

Probably our best line up on paper considering Skrtel doesn't play anymore. Downing has been doing well but Sturridge needs gametime. Glad to see Henderson starting and looking forward to seeing what Coutinho has up his sleeve today.

Roll on 3pm.

[Solomon Grundy]

May be playing well, but we need better

Can't do anything about that till the summer though can we?

[007.lankyguy]

Interesting to see if it's 4-3-3 as it has been recently or if it's back to 4-2-3-1, with Suarez behind Sturridge. I imagine it'll be 4-3-3 because of the inclusion of both Henderson and Coutinho.

There was quite a good stats preview piece here of the game http://basstunedtored.com/2013/04/12/reading-vs-liverpool-preview/

Interesting things to note; Reading make the least amount of short passes in the league and the second most crosses. They also have won the fourth most aerial duels (we've won the second least).

In short we need to make sure we press them back in their own half and sustain pressure. They don't have many shots generally but we might expect more today as they'll be up for one last fight to stay in the league. We need to make sure that we keep possession and have good intensity in our pressing when we lose it, push them back deep in their own half so they can't win aerial duels high up the pitch where we struggle. If Sturridge plays on the right he needs to make sure he has a good work rate in order to stop their full back playing diagonals and crosses into the box and both our wide men need to try and show them inside when they've got the ball.

If we keep patient and keep the ball in their half then our mobility between the lines with Suarez and Coutinho backed up by Gerrard, with Sturridge making runs behind into space, we will win comfortably. We need to make sure though that we aren't too narrow like we were against West Ham, although we should find it easier to break through their defence.

[alfonso]

Someone mentioning they saw on sky a thatcher minute of silence at grounds today.

Can we have a Justice for the 96 if Reading announce "Also please pay your respects for he witch"...

[peachybum]

I like the team

I'd like to see Sturridge up top running in behind because they have to come at us. Then i'd play Suarez off the right(where he played a lot at Ajax). He works hard enough to cover Downings graft and he showed against Arsenal(when he played wide left) he knows how to get into the box and be effective even when wide.

[-Daws-]

Me too. But he likes to have both Suarez and Sturridge central. A 4-2-1-3 maybe with Suarez just behind the striker possibly

Looks to me like it'll be a 4-4-2/4-3-1-2 with Henderson playing from the right and Coutinho drifting infield from the left to support Suarez and Sturridge. If Suarez plays as the #10 then we will cause ourselves a few problems, he has to play up front or from wide. Henderson will hopefully tuck inside when we lose the ball and press ahead of Gerrard and Lucas whilst one of Suarez or Sturridge come wide to track their left full back. Once we have the ball however I imagine Suarez and Sturridge will be central and within 15 yards of each other most of the time whilst Coutinho drifts in behind them and Henderson holds some width on the right with Johnson.

Best possible side we can play in terms of talent, not sure that complete balance is there yet but it's good enough to win this. Come on redmen!

[PhaseOfPlay]

Me too. But he likes to have both Suarez and Sturridge central. A 4-2-1-3 maybe with Suarez just behind the striker possibly

That would become and out and out 4-2-4 within 10 seconds of the match starting. It has to be either 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 with Henderson ahead of Lucas/Gerrard.

Although - if it is a 4-4-2 with Coutinho and Henderson as the outside mids and Sturridge and Suarez as two forwards, it might actually work, but only as long as the back 6 press forward and compress to the front 4 on attack. Any dropping off will give Reading a ton of space to get McEnuff and Hunt free. If we push up, though, Pogrebnyak will be too far away from where he can do damage, and we can win the ball back early and keep them under pressure

[Motty]

Best team we could pick for me on paper but I've thought like that before this season just for the game to be a let down. If were playing well then this team will flourish but if Reading are playing well then not sure how much cover were going to have defensively, which is the reason why Downing is usually in there

[Hoenheim]

The best starting 11, an early goal would be nice.

[bigbear]

That would become and out and out 4-2-4 within 10 seconds of the match starting. It has to be either 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 with Henderson ahead of Lucas/Gerrard.

Although - if it is a 4-4-2 with Coutinho and Henderson as the outside mids and Sturridge and Suarez as two forwards, it might actually work, but only as long as the back 6 press forward and compress to the front 4 on attack. Any dropping off will give Reading a ton of space to get McEnuff and Hunt free. If we push up, though, Pogrebnyak will be too far away from where he can do damage, and we can win the ball back early and keep them under pressure

We could do what we did against Norwich at home but with Henderson tucked in a half position from the right leaving Johnson for the width and Coutinho playing normally.

[North Red]

I think that's the line-up everyone was hoping to see at some point.

[Thog]

I think that's the line-up everyone was hoping to see at some point.

We saw it last week?

[Dave D]

Near enough to the strongest team we can put out. Should be an easy 8-0 win for us.

I don't think Lucas and Gerrard are the best central midfield partnership, they need Henderson (or another player) in there helping to close up the huge spaces that appear. Hopefully a 4-3-3 to start off with.

[swoopy]

We saw it last week?

The team today was not the starting XI of last week

[Thog]

I thought it would be 4-3-3 at 1st glance but I'm becoming convinced it's 4-4-2 with Henderson and Coutinho as tucked in midfielders and Suarez and Sturridge upfront. This formation worked well for Southampton here last week.

[Caston]

The team today was not the starting XI of last week

sturridge came on for Downing after 20 minutes, so we did have the same team at that point

[OLDIE]

No Downing, wonderful stuff

Good God 

[clinical]

Probably our best team at the minute starting today

[Thog]

That's my concern and it happened last week against West Ham. We tried to funnel everything through the middle with no success.

Rodgers:
 
“I don’t think it was to do with any way of playing or not having a Plan B, C or D,” Rodgers said.
 
“We played well, we defended well and the structure of the team was good. We just weren’t quite as fluent in the final third of the pitch and that was probably our downfall against West Ham.
 
“In many games this season that attacking thrust and threat has been there. For whatever reason it wasn’t there last weekend. Our quality just wasn’t good enough at the top end of the field.
 
“But I don’t think there’s been any complaints about goals this season. Our goals to games ratio is at a high level. It was just one of those games where after failing to get the early goal we struggled to find that way through.
 
“We have done some good work this week on how to play against teams who sit in and defend really deep. If you can’t play through them then you have to play around them. If you can’t play around them then you have to play over them.
 
“We are always looking to find ways and looking to find players to give us the solutions to winning those types of games.
 
“Is there a time to be more direct? Of course but you can be too direct. We made a change the other day to try to get around the sides. We brought a winger on in Oussama Assaidi because it was very congested centrally. We wanted to get crosses into the box.
 
“We will do whatever it takes to win games and there’s no snobbery here towards only one way of football. I have my principles I feel very strongly about which I’ll always protect and defend, but our idea is to win and whatever ways we can do that we will.”

[PhaseOfPlay]

We could do what we did against Norwich at home but with Henderson tucked in a half position from the right leaving Johnson for the width and Coutinho playing normally.

Yeah, that's probably what will happen, although Coutinho can also pinch in too, so it could be a case that we get narrow and tight in the middle on defensive transition and wide and open on attack. My guess would be that Rodgers is not only thinking of how Reading play, but also how Southampton played against us earlier in the season, with Pogrebnyak taking the Lambert role, and McAnuff taking the Lallana role.

[Crimson_Tank]

Hoping that we plat a very strong starting XI and that we take all three points.

Would be a boss pressie for my birthday.

[swoopy]

Good God 

Good God what?

I'm not getting into a discussion on Downing here, but he's "been playing ok" as has been pointed out. "Playing ok" and should be "Liverpool Standard" are two totally separate things. If we are to improve, players like Downing should not be in the starting XI which is why I see it as a good thing. The starting XI today is the best XI we have on paper.

[PhaseOfPlay]

Rodgers:
 
“I don’t think it was to do with any way of playing or not having a Plan B, C or D,” Rodgers said.
 
“We played well, we defended well and the structure of the team was good. We just weren’t quite as fluent in the final third of the pitch and that was probably our downfall against West Ham.
 
“In many games this season that attacking thrust and threat has been there. For whatever reason it wasn’t there last weekend. Our quality just wasn’t good enough at the top end of the field.
 
“But I don’t think there’s been any complaints about goals this season. Our goals to games ratio is at a high level. It was just one of those games where after failing to get the early goal we struggled to find that way through.
 
“We have done some good work this week on how to play against teams who sit in and defend really deep. If you can’t play through them then you have to play around them. If you can’t play around them then you have to play over them.
 
“We are always looking to find ways and looking to find players to give us the solutions to winning those types of games.
 
“Is there a time to be more direct? Of course but you can be too direct. We made a change the other day to try to get around the sides. We brought a winger on in Oussama Assaidi because it was very congested centrally. We wanted to get crosses into the box.
 
“We will do whatever it takes to win games and there’s no snobbery here towards only one way of football. I have my principles I feel very strongly about which I’ll always protect and defend, but our idea is to win and whatever ways we can do that we will.”

Not to intentionally digress - but this is why the man needs time and support. He DOES get it. We'll be in better shape the more he gets to work with the team and bring the right players in. He wasn't dozing at the back of the class when he was working with Mourinho.

I think we might see a measure of that pragmatism today if we aren't in the lead by half time. If anyone cares to pay attention to it today, it will be a good game to look at the opposition, see what problems they are causing tactically, and then see what solutions are on the bench and how they are used. Could be a good insight into Rodgers' thinking on the game.

[B0151?]

It will be a 4-2-3-1 in my opinion. Suarez in a free role though so he'll be popping up everywhere.

--------Gerrard-------Lucas------
Hendo------Suarez------Coutinho
                 Sturridge

Similar to the one that we have been criticized for playing before, only difference is that Henderson will be providing more cover centrally which should go some way to addressing the only 2 men in the middle concern.

We'll see though, I didn't see last game so not sure how it worked out when all these were on the field then

[Mercer]

Loving that team. Great to see Sturridge back in the starting line-up.

If we don't win this game, then...

[GrkStav]

Interesting to see if it's 4-3-3 as it has been recently or if it's back to 4-2-3-1, with Suarez behind Sturridge. I imagine it'll be 4-3-3 because of the inclusion of both Henderson and Coutinho.

There was quite a good stats preview piece here of the game http://basstunedtored.com/2013/04/12/reading-vs-liverpool-preview/

Interesting things to note; Reading make the least amount of short passes in the league and the second most crosses. They also have won the fourth most aerial duels (we've won the second least).

In short we need to make sure we press them back in their own half and sustain pressure. They don't have many shots generally but we might expect more today as they'll be up for one last fight to stay in the league. We need to make sure that we keep possession and have good intensity in our pressing when we lose it, push them back deep in their own half so they can't win aerial duels high up the pitch where we struggle. If Sturridge plays on the right he needs to make sure he has a good work rate in order to stop their full back playing diagonals and crosses into the box and both our wide men need to try and show them inside when they've got the ball.

If we keep patient and keep the ball in their half then our mobility between the lines with Suarez and Coutinho backed up by Gerrard, with Sturridge making runs behind into space, we will win comfortably. We need to make sure though that we aren't too narrow like we were against West Ham, although we should find it easier to break through their defence.

The number of long passes is important but primarily in conjunction with the number and percentage of attacking aerial battles won, and "second-balls' won.

What kind of pressing works best against teams that "launch" long balls pretty accurately?

[lessthanmatt]

A must win for Reading. That could work into our advantage. If our defence is tight, we'll win this I feel.

And happy birthday Crimson_Tank