Topic: Match Preview - Manchester City v Liverpool - 3 January 2019 8.00pm

[NewfoundRed]

A lovely thought provoking OP and another elegantly written post from E2K. This site is a joy and so are the Reds.

A good friend of mine is a City fan and we were exchanging texts. He's worried that we'll do them 3 or 4-1, but was hanging on to the hope that KDB would be fit. He went quiet when I pointed out that KDB was a  boyhood Liverpool fan!

I do think they are slight favourites for this game, but it feels like we have got in their heads. If that has happened, I can see my friend being right. Can't wait.

[Nick110581]

And so can we.

Pep knows they need to win on Thursday, he'll be leaving his players in no doubt of that.

That’s a fair point about us.

I would take a draw now.

Hopefully he tries some hipster formation

[PaulKS]

No we can't

Depends if you're pessimist or optimist... 

[RainbowFlick]

On edge already. Midfield selection will be interesting.

[Fordy]

Alison
TAA Lovren VVD Robbo
Fabinho
Wijnaldum Keita
Salah Firmino Mane

This is how I'd like to see us line up.  Would go back to a 3 man midfield and let Keita run riot against the City midfield which isn't at 100% right now. 

Midfield is the key area.

With them more than likely playing the Silva's and Fernandino 

We need to be able to push them ball with a ball carrier in midfield like Shaq or Keita

Henderson or Fabinho or Keita or Shaq are the key decisions

Plus maybe Milner for TTA for this game.

[SerbianScouser]

Aguero played in 6 Ettihad league games against us and scored 6 goals - one goal in each of those games. So we can forget about the clean sheet.

On the other hand we lost to Pep in only 1 of the 7 games we played against him which is a game we had a red card early on. Let's hope Klopp's great record against him continues.

[gazzalfc]

Anthony Taylor will be the referee

Anthony Taylor from Wythenshaw in Manchester

[Nick110581]

Anthony Taylor will be the referee

Anthony Taylor from Wythenshaw in Manchester

He reffed a Manc derby before.

Let our football do the talking.

[Doc Red]

Wonderful OP, and a fabulous analysis, E2k!

Nothing more I can add to what you both wrote, beyond my opinion that we'll learn more about Pep and City, than Klopp and us, by the time the game ends.
We've shown we can keep up and overtake an opposing team on a formidable run, and the goal is to show we are just as comfortable as frontrunners.
I'll be interested to see how City do with the pressure of needing to catch a team on a great run.
They've got a squad that has players with league medals, but they've failed to repeat even when theyve had the stronger squad on paper. They seem to do well when leading, but pressure seems to get to them, in the rare moments they've faced it.
And Pep is used to being the frontrunner. Part of the probkem with being so immensely successful so early on in his managerial career, is he hasn't faced failure as a consistent probable outcome. Just as with Mourinho,  when you've gotten so used to winning that your career can only be measured with trophies,  it can be tough to cope with a run of losses or failure. Not losing is a fear they haven't often faced, and I'm thinking that Pep's fear of failing actually transfers itself onto his players. A fear of failure can be a great motivator,  but as long as you dont end up facing a run of failures, than it can really screw with the mind.

Either way, we've found ourselves in a great position,  and regardless of the outcome of the game, City have already shot themselves in the foot with their December run.

[Andy82lfc]

Anthony Taylor will be the referee

Anthony Taylor from Wythenshaw in Manchester

He supports Altrincham, has never had any interest in any other manchester team ever, honest.

[rafathegaffa83]

Couldn't give a shit about Pep's mind games nonsense. We need to score early and build up a lead. Three points would be huge

Anthony Taylor will be the referee

Anthony Taylor from Wythenshaw in Manchester

Oh FFS

[Stevie2810]

Alison
TAA Lovren VVD Robbo
Fabinho
Wijnaldum Keita
Salah Firmino Mane

This is how I'd like to see us line up.  Would go back to a 3 man midfield and let Keita run riot against the City midfield which isn't at 100% right now.

This is the team I'd go with too although if Milner is back fit I could see Klopp starting him.

[Red Beret]

I'm hoping Fernandino is rusty.

[Brain Potter]

Anthony Taylor will be the referee

Anthony Taylor from Wythenshaw in Manchester

Who the City fans think supports United.

[vicar]

I expect around 3 yellow card worthy challenges from Fernandino in the first half and not one of them given.
Someone needs to give Taylor some shit after the first one to ensure he doesn't get away with it.

[Nick110581]

I expect around 3 yellow card worthy challenges from Fernandino in the first half and not one of them given.
Someone needs to give Taylor some shit after the first one to ensure he doesn't get away with it.

Klopp needs to mention it before

Get it in press

[scalatore]

What's our record when refereed by Taylor? RAWK loses its mind every time he's selected, but I don't really remember his performances. Has he made some bad shouts? More bad than the rest of the useless middle aged doughboys who referee our league, I mean.

[NarutoReds]

The question is, can Salah dives again in this game without being lambasted by media? Please, kindly.

EDIT: (ACCUSED OF).

[Suareznumber7]

Midfield is the key area.

With them more than likely playing the Silva's and Fernandino 

We need to be able to push them ball with a ball carrier in midfield like Shaq or Keita

Henderson or Fabinho or Keita or Shaq are the key decisions

Plus maybe Milner for TTA for this game.

Pretty sure Milner is still injured and I really wouldn't have him as a RB with his lack of mobility anyway.  If we are looking for a more defensive minded RB then it has to be Clyne.

I think we will play a midfield 3 in this match so it should be Keita.  Shaq plays more of a right sided attacker as opposed to a #8.  Hendo or Fabinho is a tough one since Hendo has been playing so good lately but I'm leaning towards Fabinho since he's a better option against a team that will likely press us. 

[TepidT2O]

The question is, can Salah dives again in this game without being lambasted by media? Please, kindly.

He hasn’t dived inthe last two games so this makes no sense.

[deFacto please, you bastards]

Pep has started mind games, and calling for Man City fans to make an atmosphere haha

[Suareznumber7]

I'm hoping Fernandino is rusty.

I'm hoping he's injured and doesn't play

[Suareznumber7]

Pep has started mind games, and calling for Man City fans to make an atmosphere haha

He's started mind games with his own supporters?

[Elzar]

Don't think Zinchenko starts here after his Southampton performance.

Danilo at LB with Walker at RB most likely

[campioni]

I think City have to come flying out of the traps similar to the Champions League game at the Etihad last season. If they let us settle in they could be in for a long frustrating night. We have shown recently we don't need to try to blow teams away early, we can grow into games and grind out results. We look at peak fitness and can last the 90 minutes whereas they have been tiring in the second half of games recently.

It has me thinking there might be a possibility we leave one of the front three on the bench and go with four midfielders for more solidity and protection of the full backs, as City are very dangerous down the sides. It would also mean we have very good attacking options on the bench to throw on with 20-30 minutes to go if the game is in the balance and they are tiring.

[NarutoReds]

+ Liverpool's Mane free to face City despite Lichtsteiner incident, Escape FA's Action

-------------------------------------------

Sadio Mane is free to play in Liverpool's crucial clash at Manchester City on Thursday
after the English Football Association decided not take action over an incident that saw him
put his hands on Stephan Lichtsteiner's throat, a source has told ESPN FC.

Mane reacted to the way Arsenal defender Lichtsteiner blocked his attempts to reach a pass
from Fabinho in the seventh minute of Liverpool's 5-1 win at Anfield on Saturday.

The clash was seen by referee Michael Oliver, who awarded Arsenal free-kick, meaning
no further action will be taken.
 
 
After grabbing Lichtsteiner, Mane gestured to indicate that he felt he had been elbowed,
but the source said the FA would not take action against Lichtsteiner either.

Meanwhile, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said Mohamed Salah did not dive after the
forward was accused of going down too easily to win a penalty for the second time in a week.

Salah won and converted a spot-kick against Arsenal when he was adjudged to have
been fouled by Sokratis Papastathopoulos, who confronted him as the teams headed in at half-time.
 
 
He also won a disputed penalty when he went to ground following contact to his
arm by Newcastle's Paul Dummett on Boxing Day.

- http://global.espn.com/soccer/liverpool/story/3740084/liverpools-mane-free-to-face-city-despite-lichtsteiner-incident-source

[Tony19:6]

I'm hoping he's injured and doesn't play

You'd think he was the best player on the planet the way some are carrying on...

[thaddeus]

In some ways a free hit which surely nobody expected a month ago!  It feels like as good a time as any to play City.

It might be because City have responded to team's defending narrowly against them but they don't seem to score that many goals through the middle anymore.  Crosses and in-particular cut-backs seem to be their most potent weapon.

With two of Sane, Sterling and Mahrez out wide for them we've got to realistic and expect they're going to get to the touchline a few times.  Since the first half of the PSG game - when we were unable to clear the ball from our penalty area - we've defended those situations much better.

For me Keita in-front of Wijnaldum and Fabinho/Henderson would cause them problems whenever we were able to break their press; Keita sprung free with the front three as runners.  It's unfortunate that Keita hasn't found his best form yet though so I think it will be Wijnaldum, Fabinho and Henderson and we'll trust the front three to inflict the damage without so much midfield support.

[Tony19:6]

Anthony Taylor the ref from Manchester is our ref. Makes sense.

Looks like he'll be free to officiate this one

Man cleared of trying to buy sex doll the size of a five-year-old.

Anthony Taylor was found not guilty at Liverpool Crown Court

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/man-cleared-trying-buy-sex-15613650

[Dave D]

They're going to come out and attack...aren't they? I mean they're not going embarrass themselves like they did at Anfield, playing for a draw, maybe try to win it with a set-piece, celebrating a draw like they've just won the league. An embarrassment of a team.

Will the match even sell-out? Every fucking home game they claim it's a sell-out (it helps with FFP, not that they bother playing by the rules), every game there are thousands of empty seats. You can however still buy tickets for the game, 3 days out on their official/unofficial ticket reseller you can still buy 5 tickets seated beside each other, fucking joke club. I can't wait to see all those plastic flags fluttering in the wind again.

They need to remember who they are do they? I'll tell them who they are. They're a financially doped football club that would be playing in league one without the billions pumped into the club and their flaunting of FFP rules. Every single player is a mercenary only there for the money, manager included. Not one of them even knew man city existed 15 years ago.

Fuck waiting around for Thursday, get the arrogant c*nts on the phone and tell them we'll play them right now. We're ready.

[robgomm]

Loved Guardiola's supportive comments of Zinchenko yesterday. I thought he'd get subbed but he recovered very well from his early error and for the manager to publicly back him like that was great.

That said, if he does play against us I think we must target him in the press because that error was a lack of awareness. He's a more orthodox looking full-back to me whereas Pep's full-backs need to receive the ball almost in the 6 position as the team shapes up in something like a 2-3-5 when they get the ball. Both full-backs could be spots to try to target.

[jepovic]

My biggest fear is simply that ManC plays on top of their game. It's a very good football team after all.
No need for overly clever tactics here. Henderson abd Wijnaldum have been brilliant in these kinds of games before, and Fabinho has been great lately.
Time will be on our side at 0-0.

[Big Red Richie]

Said this before the Arsenal game, last week....

Would be happy with 1-0, in off someones left bollock, if it gets us 3 points. 


…. and it's just as profound now. If not more so. 




I'm really excited and positive, and full of dread, in equal measure, right now.


Biggest game of the season so far, and could go some way in determining our season's outcome.



Bring it on REDS!!!! 

[Red Beret]

Pep has started mind games, and calling for Man City fans to make an atmosphere haha

The only atmosphere that shower will be creating is if they have a massive collective fart in the stadium.

[deFacto please, you bastards]

The only atmosphere that shower will be creating is if they have a massive collective fart in the stadium.

 

[lukeb1981]

Think we will play within ourselves and try just to frustrate and control them most of the game but i do think we will have a spell of going all out against them for 15 mins or so and try to blitz them.If you think back to last season at our place and it was 1-1 then when bobby scored Klopp signaled to Can to start the press , he was screaming over at him after the goal while pushing imaginary weights up off his chest. We then destroyed them for the next 15 mins or so pressing them into mistake after mistake.The only difference this year is we will have a keeper and defense that are less likely to ship the 2 late goals we conceded in that game.
These know what we can do to them and make no mistake they fear us and will shit themselves at the thought of going 10 points behind.

[deFacto please, you bastards]

They will attack, I can't see them approaching the game any differently, and I don't think we'll ever play for a draw under Klopp, we'll go to win the game best we can. Don't let them score early, and take our chances.

[harleydanger]

Looks like he'll be free to officiate this one

Man cleared of trying to buy sex doll the size of a five-year-old.

Anthony Taylor was found not guilty at Liverpool Crown Court

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/man-cleared-trying-buy-sex-15613650

You sure thats the same Anthony Taylor? Because the ages don't seem to match. The accused was 33, the ref 40.

[thaddeus]

Don't let them score early, and take our chances.

Absolutely.  In the first 15 minutes of games this season they've scored 10 and conceded 0.  To put it into context ourselves (and Everton?!) are second-best in that part of the game with 5 scored and 1 conceded.

I can't see Guardiola not going for the early blitz - if nothing else he won't want the crowd going flatter than is usually the case - so it will be interesting if Klopp tries to meet fire with fire or tries to ride it out.

In the last 30 minutes of games they've scored 16 and conceded 4, while we've scored 22 and also conceded 4.

https://www.soccerstats.com/timing.asp?league=england

As an aside, the value of a good (and healthy) squad emphasized by Spurs' second half showings and in-particular the last 15 minutes of games.

[Sheer Magnetism]

Hendo and Gigi seem nailed on to start this one, only question is who's in the midfield alongside them. Wouldn't be at all surprised to see Keita get the nod.