Topic: Liverpool FC v Watford Sat 2nd April @ 12:30 - Pre Match Thread

[Crimson_Tank]

Liverpool FC V Watford

   

Venue: Anfield



Current League Form:

Liverpool: WWWWW

Watford: WLLDL

Liverpool Manager: Jürgen Klopp

Watford Manager: Roy 'The Owl' Hodgson

Currently Watford sit 18th, and us, well if you are reading this you know exactly where the Reds sit. Do not let the distance on the table dissuade you from the fact that this could be a difficult match. We are playing post International break, which may throw off our own rhythm while bolstering the Hornets' who may have had more time to recover and focus on this match. Throw in injuries (real or fictional) and illness to key players - Trent (hamsting), Naby (knee), Mo (foot), Milner (illness?). Throw in continued paper talk about contracts which may or may not disrupt squad harmony and the potential is there for a slip up. Watford are deep in the relegation battle but it is another Merseyside club that may help determine their fate, not the Boys in Red. Yes, much to our joy, Everton are wallowing on the cusp of a historic relegation and Watford may just avoid the drop should they take a few more points this season and Everton's form continues in the manner in which it has seemingly grown accustom. Points that will be available should they win at Anfield. History is on our side (as well as a deeper squad) as Watford have only won one once at Anfield (three times in all) in their last 15 meetings with the Reds. Thus I do not expect anything less than a hard fought match, but during that nighty minutes I have a feeling that our lads quality will shrine through and that we shall come out on top.

We kick off second in the table, but we play the early match. City play later and they play Burnley. I am not saying I expect City to drop points, I am not saying that I expect Burnley to take points off City. But, most importantly I am not saying that the above wont happen. It just may. Should we win on the day, and win handedly, the pressure will be off of us as we will go top of the table before City have a chance at kick off. All pressure will be back on Pep's lads in blue. Top for the first time in months. Top means City are chasing us, Top means the pressure is on them, and City under pressure, may just crack.

Lets Shatter them.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/WVvQsl6_V-Y&amp;ab_channel=LiverpoolFC" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/WVvQsl6_V-Y&amp;ab_channel=LiverpoolFC</a>

What I sincerely hope for is a repeat of my trip to Anfield back in late February of 2018. A few fellow Rawkites and I were treated to a sublime performance as we pushed on-wards, relentlessly, towards the season's end. Trent with a hattrick of assists, Virg with a brace, big Divvy with a wonderful goal and Mane with his own brace, including that cheeky little back-heel goal that made all of our collective jaws drop. We were scintillating that season, and since then we have hardly let our foot off the gas. The finish line is in sight, lets press on and win this title race. 9 more Cup finals and lets see where this Manager, this Team, this Momentum can take us. My head is well and truly in the clouds, I am among the birds at heady heights. Please, Red men, don't bring me crashing down to earth, it is nice up here. Instead win this match and show others how nice it can be up here. 

Match Officials:
Referee: Stuart Attwell.
Assistants: Marc Perry, Timothy Wood.
Fourth official: Tony Harrington. VAR: John Brooks.
Assistant VAR: Simon Bennett

[JerseyKloppite]

Bump.

[Crimson_Tank]

Bump.

Cheers for the Bump (was just going to move it over)

[disgraced cake]

Hodgson had what everyone believed to be his final ever match at Anfield and he's fucking back 10 months later 

Think everyone is fit but we should have an idea on Friday if that's the case and what's happened over the international games. I think pretty much everyone has played now.

Any win is nice but ideally we can improve the goal difference even further here as there is a little chance it might matter come the end. Hopefully though we can have the game in the bag ASAP and turn attention to Benfica away which is massive.

[William Regal]

Right back will be interesting, does he stick with Gomez or bring Milner in?  Can see us labouring to a 2-0 type performance which will do me fine.

[Ghost Town]

Mind the gap!

[stockdam]

Thanks CT. It’s nice to be back to league games again. I don’t like the first game back as players have been playing in different styles and may be a bit rusty. For me, the break favours Watford so we need to focus and get a grip of the match.

We have the players and the squad depth. Let’s win and then sit back and hope Burnley can get something out of the other match.

[Gifted Right Foot]

What a horribly timed international break.  Really hope it hasn't disrupted our momentum.  Any sort of win please to keep it going. 

[kavah]

Nice one CT, another performance like 2018 would do very nicely.
Get some pressure on City.
Mo will be fired up.
And why do the Hornets have a moose on the badge? 

[JJ Red]

Any kind of win please. Roy will have had longer with his team to prepare the inevitable 10 man behind the ball, momentum dulling shitefest. Lets not let him get away with it.

[chromed]

Brilliant, now that the pre match thread is up and running it means the international break is officially over and we can get back to the task in hand.

I’ve had a nice break from the footy for the last 2 weeks to mentally prepare for what could be an absolutely incredible end to the season.

I think that we’ll come back with a sluggish start and then find our groove midway through the first half and see out a comfortable 3-0 win in the end

[Brain Potter]

What a month we have ahead of us. I’m as nervous and excited as anything.
First up Watford who have had some right hammerings interspersed with the odd win.
2-0 Liverpool please.

[jckliew]

What a month we have ahead of us. I’m as nervous and excited as anything.
First up Watford who have had some right hammerings interspersed with the odd win.
2-0 Liverpool please.

Yeah. Don't think i have experienced this type of excitement in my 45 years of supporting the club!

[12C]

Yeah. Don't think i have experienced this type of excitement in my 45 years of supporting the club!

It’s like the run in, in 77. League, Cup and Big Ears.
Saint Ettiene, Everton in the Cup semi, and grinding out wins in the league. Every game was huge.
Enjoy it.

[SamLad]

this is exactly the kind of game where having 5 subs would really help us.

with so many key players having played for their countries, with some having pretty damn emotional experiences (Mo, Mane and Diaz) followed by l-o-n-g plane trips home .... will be a real test of the squad/bench and how Jurgen manages minutes.

that said, we do have both Thiago and (looks like) Naby available, and Joe to start at RB (my preference, no offence Millie!). Bobby will be fresh and raring to go as well.

maybe Hodgson will surprise everyone by coming out hard and fast from the start.

as if .... 

he'll do what he always does, Master of AntiFootball that he is.

as for Mo being "fired up" as I've seen in a few places, I don't buy into that.  for one thing he's always fired up, and the whole "wounded animal" things is so trite (players and teams) I find it tiresome.  of course he'll want to score - badly - but nothing new in that is there. 

a nice early goal to settle everyone's nerves, please Reds, on the way to a comfy 3 points ... with no injuries.

[G1-tiga]

Can't wait. Spent the international break healing up, spending time with my Finacee and friends and doing good deeds to up my karma. Because these next weeks belong to Liverpool Football Club. We are on the verge of history here.

It could explode in a week but just to be here now is amazing, trying to really enjoy it. Spent some time talking to my blue mate here in Bucharest and his woes are unreal. Made me glad I'm a red all over again.

Watford pose a threat but I have to be confident. Hard games away against Arsenal and Brighton have been navigated and the game against Forest, while a bit nervy, was won as well. Think we'll be a bit slow in the first 20-30 as per after an international break but fancy Liverpool to spring to life between 30-90 which should be enough.

No score prediction form me, any win will be sweet.

[-Willo-]

An early goal would be nice, 12:30 after a few weeks away could mean for a slow start. No Trent too?

Confident of a win but the time and circumstances make it slightly less of a given for me, if you want to win the title though, no excuse.

[rob1966]

Lets fucking smash these, go top and put the pressure right on and get inside this pricks head

[Sharado]

An early goal would be nice, 12:30 after a few weeks away could mean for a slow start. No Trent too?

Was reported a few places he's back training. Not sure how reliable though.

Crowd have a big part to play every game from here on in. Starting Saturday. Been some decent atmospheres this season, some not so good and some in the middle. The maddest month in not far off 40 years starts for liverpool now, and the month after could be even madder. The lads will give it everything, we need to too.

Wine for my men, we ride at dawn.

[thaddeus]

Thanks Crimson Tank 

I'm looking forward to this for no other reason than it feels like a relative age since we played.  I never particularly enjoy playing Watford but am confident we'll win this one.

Bobby to start but the rest of our forwards have had a gruelling few days.  I expect Salah will start as the man's a machine and he won't want to dwell on the Egypt result, then whoever is freshest of Jota, Mane and Diaz on the left - probably Jota just based on air miles.  Gomez to continue at right back.

I genuinely thought we'd packed Hodgson off into retirement with our final day cruise against Palace last season but the snide bastard lovely old gentleman is back.  Hopefully this will be last time he graces Anfield and hopefully we can leave him with yet another unhappy memory of the place.

[NarutoReds]

Liverpool VS Watford

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/R09uTGzg1BQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/R09uTGzg1BQ</a>

[KurtVerbose]

Watford have been getting the odd good result. They beat Southampton away, put 2 past Arsenal, beat Aston Villa away and drew with Utd at Old Trafford.

Ok, the last result wasn't particularly impressive.

Anyway, they're certainly becoming a different proposition under Roy, and they're fighting hard to avoid relegation. By no means an easy match, especially with the early kick off and the international break.

Have to agree with Crimson Tank though. I think our lads will turn up and have too much for Watford.

[tubby]

Watford have tended to create decent chances against us over the last few matches, but that was before Hodgson, who'll have them playing a lot more rigid and deeper.  Obviously we should have way too much for them, but feels like this is a game where we might need a spark from midfield to open them up.

[Lfc19ynwa]

Lets fucking smash these, go top and put the pressure right on and get inside this pricks head

This in a nutshell

[Crosby Nick]

Any win will do to be honest. I’d be delighted with a routine 2-0 where everyone eases down for the last half hour.

[jonnypb]

We know what Watford are going to do, their away record is better than when they play at home because they park the bus away and don’t leak anywhere near the amount of goals that they do at home when they come out and attack.

They shouldn’t be a problem, but it’s Roy and Watford…. TAA will be a miss for this for when they park the bus. Screaming for Thiago to open them up with his passing and for Diaz to run at the defenders to scare the shit out of them.

2 or 3 goals for us in the first half will be good so that we can manage the game in the second half and not start sweating!!!!

[Dench57]

Any win will do to be honest. I’d be delighted with a routine 2-0 where everyone eases down for the last half hour.

Utopia.

[Ycuzz]

Lets fucking smash these, go top and put the pressure right on and get inside this pricks head

Yep, yep, yep and yep.

Added bonus; putting Hodgson in his place.

[Fruity]

A nice cagey 5-0 would be good.

[scalatore]

While our players have been away on international duty, Watford have been together practicing drills to hold off our attack.

Unfortunately for them, those training sessions have been run by Roy Hodgson, so they're going to be worse than ever. Let's smash them.

[El Lobo]

Line-up will be interesting. Seven games in 22 days and this looks the easiest on paper, so might be the opportunity to start a few of Origi, Taki, Gomez, Konate, Millie etc.

[disgraced cake]

Line-up will be interesting. Seven games in 22 days and this looks the easiest on paper, so might be the opportunity to start a few of Origi, Taki, Gomez, Konate, Millie etc.

Think Gomez will start at right back ahead of Milner again. I Would probably play Konate and go Matip/VVD on Tuesday against Benfica. For the midfield would play Keita/Jones and an attack with Salah, Jota and one of Mane or Diaz. Also got a very strong bench if it's Bobby too plus Minamino/Div. Hopefully we can get this one tied up ASAP and look to midweek.

[Cracking Left Foot]

Not going to be pretty as we're facing HodgeBall, but I think Jurgen and this team has more than enough to take care of Watford. An unflashy, solid 2-0 to the Reds I reckon.

[Persephone]

How does Hodgson drag his creaking bones out of bed everyday to play such turgid rubbish? His wife probably got tired of him muttering about football all day and kicked him out to go back to work, and give her some peace.

I'm hoping for an easy 3-0 in the first half, and the ability to coast through the rest of the 45mins. Bobby, Gomez, Milner, Konate and Tsimikas to start hopefully. We're going to need every member of our squad over the next month, and we have the luxury of some great squad players.

[Jookie]

Just win!

I think the team will be interesting. For the lads away on international duty this may be the game to rest them. Even though it's only our 1st game back I can't see many other occasions were we could rotate (maybe Benfica 2nd leg (but unlikely) or even Everton at H).

Think we'll go with a lot of the players who either didn't go away on international duty or only played sparingly/travelled less.

Alisson

Gomez/Milner
Matip
Konate
Tsimikas/Robertson

Henderson
Keita
Thiago

AOC/Elliott
Firmino
Jota

Keep back VvD, Fabinho, Diaz, Mane and Salah for the bench. All have either played lots or travelled a fair bit in this international break. We can still put out a strong team and get in a little rest before Benfica, City, Benfica, City.

[rocco]

Is Salah injured ? as opening post says Salah ( foot )

[Persephone]

Is Salah injured ? as opening post says Salah ( foot )

Doubt it, he was in the team training pics.

[RogerTheRed]

Come on Redmen!!
Thanks Crimson. Best I went to against them was the four goal show from Mo. Not sure what line up to expect but am made up I will be there to see it.
Whatever line up I think we will win by a couple despite their recent improvement.

[Dave McCoy]

Watford are just not a very good team and they're almost certain to be relegated. Will Roy set them up to be hard to break down? Yes. Will that matter? It shouldn't. Really having a hard time seeing how we don't just walk this, would take something really fluky to not get all 3 points.

[duvva 💅]

Is Salah injured ? as opening post says Salah ( foot )

Doubt it, he was in the team training pics.

Sounds as though Naby was missing though