The Liverpool FC Thread XIII

Very nervous about the Burnley game, it's the perfect game for us to **** up after great wins against Soton and City.

Na, you'll add Sturridge to the side from the start so he should find his shooting boots soon, Burnley is the perfect game for that. I think Gerrard is in contention, but he'll most likely come off the bench to get some minutes/provide set piece threat.

I think Gerrard will do well from now till the end of the season though. He's had a rest after being injured, playing in a better system than he was before where there's movement in front of him.

Lol at the irony of a team who play 5 at the back, shove a defensive midfielder in and then sweating it with FIFA style pace with a fast black man up top labelling other people's style of play.

**** me you don't watch us much, do you?

I think Gerrard will do well from now till the end of the season though. He's had a rest after being injured, playing in a better system than he was before where there's movement in front of him.

Yh, Burnley will look to press us and won't be sitting back. Should be space in behind for Sturridge or Sterling to make runs.

The difference between getting knocked out against Blackburn and winning the whole thing is two games, one of which isn't until a week after the season has finished... I really don't see what the problem is. Coutinho can be rested here and there, Lallana is a worthy replacement and would thrive if he was the focal point.

While from the highlights the win looks deserved since you missed a lot of half chances and a couple clear cut chances(Lallana, Sturridge etc.) City did have a few chances to make it 2-2. Anyway you look like the form team, but I see the way to beat you guys. Going 4-3-3, sitting deep, you have a screen player to help the defence with the diagonal runs that the AMs like to make, the team are deep already rather than playing the offside trap like City do so you don't get space in behind to have as many chances as you did.

Gerrard is now an AM option for us rather than a CM option. At CM, we have (in order) Lucas, Henderson, Allen, and Can ahead of him.

At AM he doesn't have the speed or technique to trouble anyone, or the long shots anymore. He isn't nuanced or subtle enough to be a classic Riquelme type playmaker, even if he has the technical tools to be one, and we don't need or want one, in any case.



Win % with Gerrard in the team: 40%
Win % without Gerrard in the team: 85%

United struggle against the small teams because they don't have a clue how to break defences down other than hoof to Fellaini, when it comes to a big game where it is more open they will fare better, (eg Chelsea, Tottenham). They can hurt us on the counter if we arn't careful but our defence is a lot more solid than it was at OT and their away form is **** as it is so we are favourites for that game but it certainly won't be a comfortable one.

I can see them playing on the counter like they did at OT (and at the Emirates in the second half), worked well but we made it easy for them via diabolical defending. This time they will have to work harder to get the goals.

The issue has been our form against lower league opposition at Anfield. We've only won ONCE out of SIX against lower-half opposition at home - and that was West Brom, by a single goal.

Draws against Hull, Sunderland and Leicester were symptomatic of the problems we faced without a nippy, mobile and energetic striker up top. Hopefully Sturridge's return rectifies that - but we've only scored more than twice at home on two separate occasions this season. We're 31 goals shy of our home tally from last campaign, and we're ten goals behind Man United/Southampton's goal difference.

Try it against us this year. The difference between us this year and last year, is twofold.

Now when we attack walls, we have a) more penetrative and aggressive dribbling threats from all over the pitch, and b) far, far better long range shooting. What we've lost is Suarez's ingenuity and our set piece ability from last year, but if we took this team (assuming a more on form Sturridge, but even the Coutinho-Lallana-Sterling front three) into last year's Chelsea game, we'd win. We'd make the breakthrough at some point. We've already seen, in the first leg this year, how having that front three with Sterling dropping deep causes you immense problems. You didn't even have to face Ibe in that match.

Yeah Coutinho and Henderson have improved in that regard and you probably would have got a result against us with this formation. Our defence is a bit shaky this year in comparison though.

That front 3 and Sterling dropping deep again caused us problems but the real problem was Jose's tactics, you've said yourself that acceleration is better than pace when it comes to recovering the ball(hence why e.g. Barcelona were so good at this) so with Henderson, Allen, Coutinho, Sterling on a midfield of Mikel/Fabregas/Matic there's going to be a mismatch, we have no means of countering with that Central combination and no means of recovering the ball either. I highly doubt Mourinho would use the same combination vs Pool, considering how Ramires helped us immensely in that second leg.


Yeah possibly. Lets wait and see.

Gerrard's departure will possibly unlock the ability for Liverpool to excel forward In the league. I believe it's possible for players like Gerrard, these dominant fan favourites, to have too much of an influence. The new & younger players will feel pressure to give Gerrard the ball when he shouts for it. Without him in the team I feel these players will be able to express themselves more freely & will begin to show the talent they showcased before arriving at Liverpool.

Win % with Gerrard in the team: 40%
Win % without Gerrard in the team: 85%

The issue has been our form against lower league opposition at Anfield. We've only won ONCE out of SIX against lower-half opposition at home - and that was West Brom, by a single goal.

Draws against Hull, Sunderland and Leicester were symptomatic of the problems we faced without a nippy, mobile and energetic striker up top. Hopefully Sturridge's return rectifies that - but we've only scored more than twice at home on two separate occasions this season. We're 31 goals shy of our home tally from last campaign, and we're ten goals behind Man United/Southampton's goal difference.