Topic: Liverpool v Manchester United - Anfield

[Ziltoid]

IT'S THE NORTH WEST DERBY....................................

.................AND IT'S LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[CraigDS]

Wasn't talking to you

Then I guess you should use the private message system designed for when you are speaking to just one person and don't want anyone else on a public forum to comment.

 

[LallanaInPyjamas]

IT'S THE NORTH WEST DERBY....................................

.................AND IT'S LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Martiaaaaal.... Yes!

Coutinho... Oh No!

IT'S THE MARTIN TYLER DERBY

[Iska]

Stockport v Blackpool is the traditional North West Derby, but there hasn't been one of those since 2005 so nowadays Sky just have to hype up whatever they can get.

[RedSince86]

What viewing figures? I work in broadcasting and have not seen such numbers. Not talking about UK only but in Europe.

El Clasico doesn't get bigger numbers in Asia/Oceanic than a Liverpool v United game.

Anyway just seen Wythanshaw Greater Manchester's  finest Anthony Taylor is the ref for the game. 

[Crosby Nick]

Stockport v Blackpool is the traditional North West Derby, but there hasn't been one of those since 2005 so nowadays Sky just have to hype up whatever they can get.

Is Stockport v Liverpool technically a Merseyside Derby?

[Haemoglobin]

The correct term for this historic fixture is El Twatico.

[LallanaInPyjamas]

El Clasico doesn't get bigger numbers in Asia/Oceanic than a Liverpool v United game.

Anyway just seen Wythanshaw Greater Manchester's  finest Anthony Taylor is the ref for the game. 

Looking through this list of who referees support:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/liverpool-manchester-united-referee-taylor-9020081

It would not surprise me whatsoever with the lack of top referees if they are encouraged to lie about it. Do I really believe they pretty much all support their local teams and have no vested interest in any big side other than our boy Clatts with Newcastle?

As for our game, it's no surprise with that manc Riley at the top. Would Mike Dean get a Liverpool United game? Nay chance.

[DangerScouse]

What viewing figures? I work in broadcasting and have not seen such numbers. Not talking about UK only but in Europe.

http://www.skysports.ie/football/news/11662/9985539/manchester-united-v-liverpool-the-biggest-game-in-football

[gollne]

http://www.skysports.ie/football/news/11662/9985539/manchester-united-v-liverpool-the-biggest-game-in-football

well look at that! I can only blame the fact that I don't know much about the asian market

El Clasico is bigger where i'm working!

[Broad Spectrum]

I think we can at least all agree that Manchester is full of shit.

[Suareznumber7]

With the injury to Wijnaldum I'm guessing we set up something like this. 

Karius
Clyne  Matip  Lovren  Milner
Can
Hendo  Coutinho
Mane  Sturridge  Firmino

Bench - Lucas, Klavan, Migs, Origi, Ings, Moreno, Grujic

[pyroparty]

Looking through this list of who referees support:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/liverpool-manchester-united-referee-taylor-9020081

It would not surprise me whatsoever with the lack of top referees if they are encouraged to lie about it. Do I really believe they pretty much all support their local teams?

Yeah that list is a load of shit. Had to laugh when I saw that. 19 guys from all over, 2 Luton fans yet not one supports Utd, Liverpool or Arsenal?  Yeah right.

[Bend It Like Aurelio]

well look at that! I can only blame the fact that I don't know much about the asian market

El Clasico is bigger where i'm working!

Oh yes, huge here. People who don't support either team will still watch it to bet on the game.

The reasons why El Clasico isn't as popular here in Asia:

a) Usually a late afternoon or night game, which means an early morning kick off in Asia. There are a few exceptions though. The big Premier League games are usually lunch or afternoon kick offs, which is late evening for us on the weekend.

b) People will pay to watch the Premier League, but no one pays to watch La Liga. There just isn't as much support for the Spanish league outside of the top two here.

But don't get me wrong. El Clasico is still huge here. Lots of RM and Barca fans abound.

[LallanaInPyjamas]

Yeah that list is a load of shit. Had to laugh when I saw that. 19 guys from all over, 2 Luton fans yet not one supports Utd, Liverpool or Arsenal?  Yeah right.

It's blatant lies/self-preservation so that they are less restricted in the games they can referee. As a by-product, the chance of bias increases. Lee Mason case in point.

Can just imagine Manc Riley looking over their shoulder while they fill out the form.

"What are we going to do tonight, Mike?"

"The same thing we do every night, Anthony. Try to take over the world."

[Big Red Richie]

Is Stockport v Liverpool technically a Merseyside Derby?

I see what you did there.   

[Red Beret]

Can just imagine Manc Riley looking over their shoulder while they fill out the form.

"What are we going to do tonight, Mike?"

"The same thing we do every night, Anthony. Try to take over the world."

"What are we going to do tonight, Mike?"

"The same thing we do every night.  Try to make the game all about us."

[Kekule]

Looking through this list of who referees support:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/liverpool-manchester-united-referee-taylor-9020081

It would not surprise me whatsoever with the lack of top referees if they are encouraged to lie about it. Do I really believe they pretty much all support their local teams and have no vested interest in any big side other than our boy Clatts with Newcastle?

As for our game, it's no surprise with that manc Riley at the top. Would Mike Dean get a Liverpool United game? Nay chance.

I'm positive they only check the list after someone associated with one of the clubs has looked at it and asked them to explain their appointment decision.
Which probably explains why Roger East can get away with leaving his entry blank.

[Midekima]

Shows how far we have come with Georginio Wijnaldum and Adam Lallana out we get Emre Can and Daniel Sturridge in and don't look any weaker. 

[Red_Rich]

Only one thing for certain here.

If they get any kind of favourable result, there's someone on here who hasn't posted since September 16th who'll no doubt make an appearance (and who IMO should be banned automatically if he does and starts winding people up)

Other than that ... can't call anything else we any degree of confience. Especially with the increasing injury worry to two of our best midfielders AND the momentum loss of an international break with extra traveling back from South America etc

Worse time to have had this fixture imo.  Favourable things seem to be edging in their favour. The ref is another one.

I'm not pissing my pants. Just sayin'. The thrashing they would have got 3 weeks ago isn't as predictable now.

[peachybum]

Karius
Clyne  Matip  Lovren  Milner
Can
Hendo  Coutinho
Mane  Sturridge  Firmino

I think this is the obvious team. I've wanted Coutinho to be used deeper for a while now so it'll be interesting to see how he does if Klopp does go that way.

Hendo has been so good as the 6 i'd be inclined to leave that part of the side alone and play Emre Can further forward.

Also i wonder if Klopp would go with Origi instead of Sturridge for the extra height and power. United are potentially a big physical side and i wouldn't put it past Mourinho to play to that strength and not try to play much football(like he did in the second half against City).

[Doc Red]

"Manchester-born Anthony Taylor to referee Liverpool vs. Man United"
http://www.espnfc.com/english-premier-league/story/2969931/manchester-born-anthony-taylor-to-referee-liverpool-vs-manchester-united

[Red_Rich]

"Manchester-born Anthony Taylor to referee Liverpool vs. Man United"
http://www.espnfc.com/english-premier-league/story/2969931/manchester-born-anthony-taylor-to-referee-liverpool-vs-manchester-united

Yep.

ANd anyone saying it doesn't matter ought to look at 2013/14.

Mason robbed us at the Etihad.  Even a draw there would have seen us technically go on to win the league.

[jimbo1962]

Then I guess you should use the private message system designed for when you are speaking to just one person and don't want anyone else on a public forum to comment.

 

i really love the quality and succinctness of some of the posts on this forum....Im serious.

[JackWard33]

Sweating Lallana and Wijnaldam ... don't think we can afford to lose both and continue to play in the same way we've have done.
Can is a very different player and clearly isn't at peak fitness yet this season.
We can still be effective but we could really do with one of the two of them making it.

[bobadicious]

With the injury to Wijnaldum I'm guessing we set up something like this. 

Karius
Clyne  Matip  Lovren  Milner
Can
Hendo  Coutinho
Mane  Sturridge  Firmino

Bench - Lucas, Klavan, Migs, Origi, Ings, Moreno, Grujic

Wont Lallana be back for this?

[4pool]

Over here, Liverpool v Man utd is a "Super Clasico".


As for Can or Sakho...both played in a behind closed doors match. Sakho also played in the last U23's match. So they are getting a bit of match fitness.

And fwiw..the U23's take on Man utd on Tuesday at theirs.

[Caston]

Wont Lallana be back for this?

Still not returned to full training

[Malcolm Night]

Really looking forward to this one, shame it's still 6 days away

Gutted about Wijnaldum's injury, he's been great for us so far despite having not even started scoring. Anyone think that with Klopp's comments on how Moreno has been one of the best players in training and the fact that Man Utd play with pacey wide players we could see Moreno come in at left back with Milner moved back into the midfield? Most likely will be Can that comes into the team but it is a thought.

[chrisfletcher]

"Manchester-born Anthony Taylor to referee Liverpool vs. Man United"
http://www.espnfc.com/english-premier-league/story/2969931/manchester-born-anthony-taylor-to-referee-liverpool-vs-manchester-united

Isn't the old joke that if he is from Manchester then he won't support United anyway?

[SC04OCT]

Seeing as it looks likely that we're without Wijnaldum and Lallana, I'd go for:

Firmino - Sturridge - Mane
Coutinho - Can
Henderson
Milner - Lovren - Matip - Clyne
Karius

I'd like to have seen:

Sturridge
Coutinho - Firmino - Mane
Henderson - Can

But I don't see us changing the shape we've done really well with.

Either way, it's still a very strong side.

Lallana being injured could be a blessing in disguise in the sense that it means we can see Sturridge, Firmino, Mane and Coutinho playing together. The movement is going to be unreal.

[sinnermichael]

Graham Poll on the radio there saying they changed the rules after the Kevin Friend debacle last season when he couldn't referee the Stoke-Spurs game as he lives in Leicester. Proximity isn't taken into account anymore when selecting referees. They merely can't referee the teams they support which they have to declare at the start of the season.

[scalatore]

Communicates a lot about our improvement that the team we resort to because of injuries would've been our strongest eleven last season. I'm so pleased we have this much depth, and that a single player getting injured isn't the end of the world anymore (alright, Mane and Clyne don't have much backup, but still).

[Chakan]

So who does he support?

[LallanaInPyjamas]

Graham Poll on the radio there saying they changed the rules after the Kevin Friend debacle last season when he couldn't referee the Stoke-Spurs game as he lives in Leicester. Proximity isn't taken into account anymore when selecting referees. They merely can't referee the teams they support which they have to declare at the start of the season.

And we're seriously supposed to believe that of the 19 referees, 2 support Swindon, 2 support Luton and none support any big club except arguably Newcastle and Villa 

[Tobez]

I've wanted Coutinho to be used deeper for a while now.

I think we've all wanted Coutinho to go deeper at some point in our lives...

Agree that the team mainly picks itself barring any further injuries/upsets. There's a faint possibility Lallana will make it, though whether he'd come in for Wijnaldum or Sturridge is an interesting point. I can't see a midfield of Henderson-Lallana-Coutinho being used, to be honest, although I suppose that there isn't actually a lot of reason why not. Some of the greatest midfields have been built around small players.

If, as seems likely, Lallana doesn't make it, then I think we'll see Can-Henderson with Coutinho nominally a tad further forward. Whilst it's a bit of a shame to move Henderson out of the no.6 spot he can still play very well further forward and Can being there might give him a bit more licence to bring the game to Pogba and whoever else starts in CM for United.

I hope to see a huge level of agression and snap for this, too often in the league in recent times we've seemed cowed and oddly meek against United when really it should be the game we are most up for.

[MobileBayRed]

Seeing as it looks likely that we're without Wijnaldum and Lallana, I'd go for:

Firmino - Sturridge - Mane
Coutinho - Can
Henderson
Milner - Lovren - Matip - Clyne
Karius

I'd like to have seen:

Sturridge
Coutinho - Firmino - Mane
Henderson - Can

But I don't see us changing the shape we've done really well with.

Either way, it's still a very strong side.

Lallana being injured could be a blessing in disguise in the sense that it means we can see Sturridge, Firmino, Mane and Coutinho playing together. The movement is going to be unreal.

It could be, that's certainly a lot of firepower, but if you aren't getting the turnover in the midfield it could be wasted.  Lallana has excelled this season being dropped back into the midfield.  He has been pivotal to our high press.  This is going to put a lot of pressing responsibilities on Coutinho.  I'm wondering if we could see a Lucas-Can-Henderson midfield, keeping Coutinho-Firmino-Mane up front. 

Also going to mean our bench is weakened. (Could this mean that we actually see Ings make the bench?)  I'm still going to hold out hope that Lallana can get fit before the end of the week.

[Lone Star Red]

Seeing as it looks likely that we're without Wijnaldum and Lallana, I'd go for:

Firmino - Sturridge - Mane
Coutinho - Can
Henderson
Milner - Lovren - Matip - Clyne
Karius

I'd like to have seen:

Sturridge
Coutinho - Firmino - Mane
Henderson - Can

But I don't see us changing the shape we've done really well with.

Either way, it's still a very strong side.

Lallana being injured could be a blessing in disguise in the sense that it means we can see Sturridge, Firmino, Mane and Coutinho playing together. The movement is going to be unreal.

Hard to see how arguably our most important player of the season being out for this game is a blessing, in disguise or not. It's certainly not the end of the world as our depth is good, but pretty impossible to spin it as an outright positive.

[paul211b]

Hard to see how arguably our most important player of the season being out for this game is a blessing, in disguise or not. It's certainly not the end of the world as our depth is good, but pretty impossible to spin it as an outright positive.

I agree, without Lallana playing that limits our pressing.  Firmino and Lallana are the reason we can play like we do.  Major loss for this game if he does not make it.

[lionel_messias]

Our midfield is going to Vajazzle them.

Fellooney is going to look like a straw man in the middle of a hurricane.

Pogba is going to throw his arms up in the air like the Frenchest man in the heart of Paris on Bastille day.

And DeGea is going to turn into a mixture of superman and Lev Yashin on PES 2016 Top Player mode.