Liverpool Season 2013/14 part 2 - Great Start to New Season

[Jamesc]

Joe Hart is a liability for City.

 

His hands are made of butter fingers.

[Count-Bracula]

 

i have to agree... i think the one whose free kick can beat riise would be Eder's in the 1982 world cup. i remember clearly at that time the reports said the speed was the fastest on record, but not sure if the subsequent ones by roberto carlos and others would have surpassed it.

Roberto Carlo's shot broke that?

 

You wouldn't want to be in that wall when he sends in the cracker.

Joe Hart is a liability for City.

 

His hands are made of butter fingers.

Let's hope he plays.

Edited December 25, 2013 by Count-Bracula

[Othello]

The main man for Man City is Yaya Toure... Hendo or Allen will face the best CM in the league...

 

just ask Kolo to give him apple pie laced with laxatives during Boxing Day breakfast can liao

[Raymondism]

 

just ask Kolo to give him apple pie laced with laxatives during Boxing Day breakfast can liao

No need la.. just mix in flu medicine.. sure lembeh

[Atrecord]

Just feel he deserve some mention. Seems like sports journalist don't like to cover Lucas.

 

There are many reasons why Lucas didn't get much mention. We all know DM not glam, so already start at a disadvantage. Then there is also the burden of him not playing well in the first couple of years (of course not helped by the fact that they had hamman, sissoko, mescherano and then alonso to set the bar which made it difficult for a young lucas to match up to...), which the fans will remember and hold against him. To his great credit, he stuck around, and finally made it good in the last few years. But despite this, record not perfect so journalist will not focus on him (mind you, british press are known to hype things up, so they choose what can be hyped up to write...).

 

Then there is the unfortunate injury which halted his rise in terms of 'stardom', plus the slow recovery...

 

Also, he is not even a regular in the Brazilian national team, so that didn't help.

 

Finally, something that is not remotely his fault, but didn't help him attract media coverage: once my wife happened to be watching a game with me, and while players like owen (in his younger days) was cute, beckham was handsome, gerrard had/has leadership air, suarez has skills -- all of which can define a player's impression -- all wife could say of lucas was 'very ugly leh'. Sigh... this is what woman look at when watching soccer...

 

So hor, bad luck for him lor.

 

The only DM i know who was famous, and rightly so, was Dunga. Saw him winning almost every 50-50 ball during the world cup when he was captain. wondered how he did it...

Roberto Carlo's shot broke that?

 

You wouldn't want to be in that wall when he sends in the cracker.

 

Actually i can't be sure. But you look at the take off distance Carlos needs, already quite intimidating liao lor...

shit... tonight got game at 8.45 pm, but pool game must be at 1.30 am... can't watch liao...

[Raymondism]

 

There are many reasons why Lucas didn't get much mention. We all know DM not glam, so already start at a disadvantage. Then there is also the burden of him not playing well in the first couple of years (of course not helped by the fact that they had hamman, sissoko, mescherano and then alonso to set the bar which made it difficult for a young lucas to match up to...), which the fans will remember and hold against him. To his great credit, he stuck around, and finally made it good in the last few years. But despite this, record not perfect so journalist will not focus on him (mind you, british press are known to hype things up, so they choose what can be hyped up to write...).

 

Then there is the unfortunate injury which halted his rise in terms of 'stardom', plus the slow recovery...

 

Also, he is not even a regular in the Brazilian national team, so that didn't help.

 

Finally, something that is not remotely his fault, but didn't help him attract media coverage: once my wife happened to be watching a game with me, and while players like owen (in his younger days) was cute, beckham was handsome, gerrard had/has leadership air, suarez has skills -- all of which can define a player's impression -- all wife could say of lucas was 'very ugly leh'. Sigh... this is what woman look at when watching soccer...

 

So hor, bad luck for him lor.

 

The only DM i know who was famous, and rightly so, was Dunga. Saw him winning almost every 50-50 ball during the world cup when he was captain. wondered how he did it...

 

Actually i can't be sure. But you look at the take off distance Carlos needs, already quite intimidating liao lor...

shit... tonight got game at 8.45 pm, but pool game must be at 1.30 am... can't watch liao...

Lucas reminds me of Harry Potter's side kick Ron Weasley

[Kar_lover]

Hate saying this but TBH, I am mentally prepared to lose - maybe by 3 goals? If they could do it to arsenal, they could do it to us. And of course we lost to hull by 2 goals.

 

If we want to take anything from this game we really have to be firing on all cylinders with monster performances from all depts. And if we have a "hull" day, it could be 5-0. Only consolation is SA is out.

[Jamesc]

Dun be afraid of city.

 

We have a secret weapon.

 

Jon Flanagan

 

We have never lost to city when he plays.

 

Hope he recovers in time.

[Count-Bracula]

Hate saying this but TBH, I am mentally prepared to lose - maybe by 3 goals? If they could do it to arsenal, they could do it to us. And of course we lost to hull by 2 goals.

 

If we want to take anything from this game we really have to be firing on all cylinders with monster performances from all depts. And if we have a "hull" day, it could be 5-0. Only consolation is SA is out.

Quite true.

 

1:2 is my prediction.

[Kar_lover]

Quite true.

 

1:2 is my prediction.

 

I just trying to get real....hope not to see fans flaming the team here if things don't work out. At the end of the day it is just 3 points.

 

If I had to choose, I rather the team play well this weekend against chelski where we have a better chance of getting a result.

Dun be afraid of city.

 

We have a secret weapon.

 

Jon Flanagan

 

We have never lost to city when he plays.

 

Hope he recovers in time.

 

Latest update is that he won't make it.

[Count-Bracula]

Liverpool team news

Liverpool defender Jon Flanagan picked up a slight hamstring problem in Saturday's victory over Cardiff and could be a doubt for the Boxing Day trip to Manchester City.

Captain Steven Gerrard is progressing well from a similar problem but manager Brendan Rodgers is looking at bringing in reserves and youth team players to bolster a squad which has only 17 fit players.

Striker Daniel Sturridge (ankle) and left-back Jose Enrique (knee) are still sidelined until the new year.

Provisional squad: Mignolet, Johnson, Skrtel, Sakho, Agger, Flanagan, Lucas, Henderson, Allen, Sterling, Coutinho, Suarez, Jones, Kelly, Toure, Alberto, Aspas, Moses, Cissokho.

Manchester City team news

Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart is to retain his place for the Boxing Day clash with Liverpool after making a first Premier League start in almost two months at Fulham.

Gael Clichy could continue on his 'wrong' flank at right-back due to injuries for Pablo Zabaleta and Micah Richards (both hamstring) or central defender Dedryck Boyata, midfielder James Milner or Aleksandar Kolarov could be drafted in.

Top scorer Sergio Aguero (calf) and defender Matija Nastasic (calf) are out and Stevan Jovetic missed the win at Fulham due to illness so could be absent once more.

Provisional squad: Pantilimon, Hart, Boyata, Milner, Kompany, Demichelis, Lescott, Clichy, Kolarov, Nasri, Silva, Navas, Garcia, Fernandinho, Toure, Rodwell, Dzeko, Negredo, Guidetti, Jovetic.

 

Big match stats

The last top-flight team to score as many goals as Man City (35) in their opening eight home games were Spurs in 1962-63.

Liverpool have only won one of their last five Barclays Premier League away games (D2 L2).

Six of the last nine Premier League matches between Liverpool and Manchester City have been draws (Two City wins, one Liverpool, all 3-0 at home).

Manchester City have failed to score in their last two Premier League games played on December 26 (0-0 with WBA in 2011 and 0-1 v Sunderland last year).

Liverpool last won on December 26 back in 2009 when Rafa Benitez was manager (2-0 v Wolves).

Luis Suarez already has 10 goals in December 2013 – no other player in the history of the Premier League has scored more than eight in a single month of Premier League action within a season.

Suarez has 29 goals in 26 Premier League appearances in 2013. Should he score one more, it’ll be only the seventh time that a player has scored 30+ goals in a calendar year in the PL.

Suarez has made 149 touches in the opposition box this season, more than any other player despite missing Liverpool’s opening five games.

Yaya Toure has scored four direct free kick goals in his Premier League career; with all of them coming this season.

Manchester City are the only team in the Premier League this season yet to drop a point at home (P8 W8 D0 L0). They have also scored in each of their last 58 Premier League home games.

Stats supplied by Opta

[Kar_lover]

 

Yaya Toure has scored four direct free kick goals in his Premier League career; with all of them coming this season.

Manchester City are the only team in the Premier League this season yet to drop a point at home (P8 W8 D0 L0). They have also scored in each of their last 58 Premier League home games.

Stats supplied by Opta

 

 

YT hasn't featured for the past 3 games.....dropped down the pecking order?

[Atrecord]

If their flanks are weak, attack the flanks...

 

Flanagan... hopefully he'll recover. else cissokho is a recipe for disaster... even johnson + kelly might be a better bet.

 

hope they had too much to eat over christmas so that we'll be able to capitalise...

[Othello]

 

YT hasn't featured for the past 3 games.....dropped down the pecking order?

 

huh ? he scored a beautiful free kick last match wor ....

[Little_prince]

If their flanks are weak, attack the flanks...

 

Flanagan... hopefully he'll recover. else cissokho is a recipe for disaster... even johnson + kelly might be a better bet.

 

hope they had too much to eat over christmas so that we'll be able to capitalise...

BR claim they are down to 17 players....

 

poo depth so thin meh?

 

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers says he is down to 17 fit players as Jon Flanagan battles a hamstring problem ahead of the Boxing Day trip to Manchester City.

GettyImagesBrendan Rodgers has a small squad to deal with.

Flanagan, normally a right-back, has started the last six games at left-back as Jose Enrique recovers from knee surgery. But the 20-year-old hobbled off during Saturday’s 3-1 win over Cardiff, and will be assessed ahead of Thursday’s match at the Etihad Stadium.

Captain Steven Gerrard, who has a hamstring problem, and striker Daniel Sturridge, who is recovering from an ankle injury, are both out until January. And the Premier League leaders are struggling for numbers as they prepare to visit a City side who have won all eight of their home games in the competition this season.

Rodgers said: “Our squad is very thin at the moment. We’ve got 17 players, which is unfortunate for us, going into a busy period. We just have to assess young Jon Flanagan. Leading into the game against Cardiff, he had a tight hamstring for a few days.

“He was fit enough to start play, but he felt it a little bit during the game, so we had to take him off. We need to assess that over the next 24 hours. None of the guys who have been out have returned, so we’re quite thin on the ground.”

Martin Kelly, who came on for Flanagan against Cardiff, is an option for Rodgers, but has not started a first-team game since rupturing his cruciate knee ligament against Manchester United in Sept. 2012. And the manager has indicated that he is wary of throwing the 23-year-old back in for such a big game.

Rodgers said: “He’s working very hard in training, Martin, and I think all the players know that it’s something I look very closely at. I think he’s said it himself that he’s over the injury now. It’s really about him performing to a level where we can see him getting the opportunity.

“He’s a good guy, Martin. I like him a lot. He’s been through a lot with his injury. That just takes that bit of time before psychologically and physically, you feel ready to play. If he’s 100 percent on his game, then he’s a very valuable player for us.”

Despite his squad’s injury troubles, Rodgers is relishing the challenge of becoming the first away team to win a Premier League game at the Etihad Stadium this season.

 

Edited December 26, 2013 by Little_prince

[Kar_lover]

 

huh ? he scored a beautiful free kick last match wor ....

 

Last match? You mean vs Cardiff? It was 2 x LS, 1 x RS.

 

Match report vs Cardiff (unused sub)

http://espnfc.com/en/report/367328/report.html?soccernet=true&cc=4716

 

Match report vs Spurs (unused sub)

http://espnfc.com/en/report/367338/report.html?soccernet=true&cc=4716

 

Match report vs West Ham (not even on the team sheet)

http://espnfc.com/en/report/367353/report.html?soccernet=true&cc=4716

[Count-Bracula]

 

BR claim they are down to 17 players....

 

poo depth so thin meh?

 

 

 

Mind game kwah?

[Kopites]

 

I just trying to get real....hope not to see fans flaming the team here if things don't work out. At the end of the day it is just 3 points.

 

If I had to choose, I rather the team play well this weekend against chelski where we have a better chance of getting a result.

 

 

Latest update is that he won't make it.

Yes we should not get too cirtical. We should be happy to see the team moving in the right direction.

 

infact zero point from our next two matches not all doom and gloom. Come end may all so call big teams still need to visit anfield, except moyes B team.

Edited December 26, 2013 by Kopites