Build Up & match thread - Sheff Utd - 24 Feb 2007

[lfc4ever]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/6371337.stm

Liverpool v Sheff Utd

Anfield

Saturday, 24 February

Kick-off: 1500 GMT

Coverage on the BBC Sport website, BBC Radio Five Live & highlights on MOTD

Liverpool midfielder Mohamed Sissoko is expected to have recovered from the shin injury that forced him off against Barcelona in midweek.

Argentine midfielder Javier Mascherano, Peter Crouch, Jermaine Pennant and Sami Hyypia may all start.

Sheffield United's Danny Webber (calf), Luton Shelton (groin) and Chris Morgan (calf) are all doubts.

Leigh Bromby serves a one-match suspension, while Keith Gillespie completes a four-game ban.

Liverpool (from): Reina, Finnan, Arbeloa, Carragher, Hyypia, Agger, Riise, Gerrard, Alonso, Zenden, Sissoko, Mascherano, Pennant, Gonzalez, Bellamy, Fowler, Crouch, Kuyt, Dudek.

Sheff Utd (from): Kenny, Davis, Jagielka, Kozluk, Tonge, Armstrong, Morgan, A Quinn, S Quinn, Montgomery, Fathi, Webber, Hulse, Stead, Nade, Kazim-Richards, Geary, Lucketti, Seck, Bennett.

#
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez:
"The performance in Barcelona was good, but we can play a lot better. We must continue to think about where we can improve and focus on the Blades.

"We know it will be tough. They have shown this with their results and have had a lot of time to prepare.

"When you come back from a Europeaan game it can be a dangerous time."

#
Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock:
"We're going to Anfield playing as well as we have done, and we need to do that after their result against Barcelona.

"We know who they are and that they're good players, but they're going to be playing against good players.

"We're aware of what we need to dobut we know if things don't go right there's no need to get down."

BIG-MATCH FACTS

LIVERPOOL return to Anfield after Wednesday's highly creditable winning Champions League performance with Barcelona, looking to break a top flight club record of eight successive clean sheets on home turf. They defend their unbeaten home Premiership record against Sheffield United, aiming to stretch an undefeated home League run to 30 games. The Reds have not conceded a single goal in 754 minutes (12 hours 34 minutes) since Gabriel Agbonlahor netted Aston Villa's consolation in the 3-1 home win on 28 October.

The Reds surrendered the lead and lost for the first time in seven Premiership games at Newcastle on 10 February. Now they must prevent back-to-back defeats for the first time in 23 League outings.

Sheffield United and Liverpool kicked off this Premiership season at Bramall Lane with a 1-1 draw. It was a satisfactory opener for the Blades on their return to the top level, who were denied victory by a controversially awarded penalty, converted by Robbie Fowler.

SHEFFIELD UNITED have a ten point cushion between themselves and the relegation zone, going into this game. Two clubs stand between them and the bottom three, and in Liverpool they face a club 20 points better off, who have just two clubs above them in the top table.

Neil Warnock's side have won two of their last three Premiership matches, but have lost the last four on the road. The last time they claimed any points away from Bramall Lane was at Wigan on 16 December, when Rob Hulse scored the only goal of the game.

The Yorkshire club won their last Premiership visit to Anfield on 2 April 1994, but the 1-2 victory in which Jostein Flo scored a brace, was not enough to save them from relegation.

REFEREE Steve Bennett (Orpington, Kent)

SEQUENCES/RECENT FORM

LIVERPOOL
Club stats
Fixtures
3rd 50 points
Highest achievable after Saturday's matches: 3rd
Lowest could realistically fall: 3rd

1. Won four and lost one of the last six in all competitions.

2. Won nine of 12 Premiership matches.

3. Kept clean sheets in 12 of the last 15 top flight games.

4. Won 15 times in the highest League - only Manchester United (21) and Chelsea (18) have won more.

5. Lost seven games in the uppermost echelon - only Manchester United and Chelsea (three each) and Arsenal (five) have lost fewer.

6. Conceded 19 Premiership goals - only the leaders have leaked fewer (18).

7. Kept 15 top tier clean sheets (won 12, drawn three) - only Chelsea have managed that many shut-outs.

8. Boast the best disciplinary record in the highest League with just 29 yellow cards shown.

9. Won 24 and drawn five home Premiership games since the 1-4 loss to Chelsea on 2 October 2005.

10. A heavyweight home League game against Manchester United follows this next Saturday lunchtime, before the Champions League return leg with Barcelona, a League visit to Aston Villa, and home clash with Arsenal.

SHEFFIELD UNITED
Club stats
Fixtures
15th 30 points
Highest achievable after Saturday's matches: 12th
Lowest could fall: 16th

1. The last four Premiership matches have resulted in a loss, win, loss, win.

2. The current tally of 30 points after 27 matches is the club's best yet in the Premiership. They had 28 points after 28 matches in their initial season in this League in 1992-93, when they finished 14th.

3. One of three clubs to have used as many as 30 players in this top flight season. The others are Aston Villa and West Ham. No club has used more.

4. Lost the last four away against Portsmouth (3-1), Middlesbrough (3-1), Reading (3-1) and Blackburn (2-1).

5. Suffered nine away defeats in the highest League. Only Charlton (11) and West Ham (10) have lost more.

6. The first goal conceded in this game will be the 150th they've shipped in Premier League history.

7. Netted one goal in each of the last six away League games.

8. Either scored one goal or failed to score in all 13 Premiership matches on the road this term.

9. Used more players in Premiership matches this season than any other club, with the exception of Aston Villa and Wigan. All three have fielded 30.

10. Another Premiership fixture against Merseyside opposition follows this. They are home to Everton, before trips to champions Chelsea and also high flying Bolton.

KEY PLAYER NOTES/POTENTIAL MILESTONES

LIVERPOOL
Squad profiles

Peter CROUCH is Liverpool's top scorer with 13 goals.

Dirk KUYT is the club's leading marksman in the Premiership with nine.

Jose Manuel REINA is the only remaining player to have been on the field for every minute of the Reds' Premiership matches this season.

REINA and Steven GERRARD are the only players to have figured in at least a part of each of Liverpool's Premiership games this season.

SHEFFIELD UNITED
Squad profiles

Rob HULSE is Sheffield United's leading scorer with seven goals - all scored in the Premiership.

Only Phil JAGIELKA has played every minute of every one of Sheffield United's Premiership matches this season.

If he plays, Alan QUINN will be making his 250th career League appearance (Sheffield Wednesday, Sunderland and Sheffield United).

Suspended: Leigh BROMBY

THIS SEASON'S REVERSE FIXTURE

Sheffield United 1-1 Liverpool
19 August 2006 - Ref: Rob Styles
Sheff United scorer: Hulse 46
Liverpool scorer: Fowler 70 pen

HEAD TO HEAD TOTALS

Home and away
League: Liverpool 54 wins, Sheff United 36, Draws 27
Prem: Liverpool 1 win, Sheff United 2, Draws 2

at Liverpool only
League: Liverpool 37 wins, Sheff United 9, Draws 12
Prem: Liverpool 1 win, Sheff United 1, Draws 0

[ronan]

shouldnt matter who we put out tomorrow ,should bowl this lot over no problems

[Los Rojos]

Argentine midfielder Javier Mascherano, Peter Crouch, Jermaine Pennant and Sami Hyypia may all start.

I'd be surprised if all four didn't to be honest. It should be an easy win.

[Joey Jones]

shouldnt matter who we put out tomorrow ,should bowl this lot over no problems

That's what we all said when we played them in the first game of the season. Sheffield United haven't played in two weeks so they'll obviously be up for it tomorrow, but having said that we should have the quality to beat them.

It'll be interesting to see if Mascherano plays, if he and Pennant are selected who will Rafa drop from midfield?

[Los Rojos]

It'll be interesting to see if Mascherano plays, if he and Pennant are selected who will Rafa drop from midfield?

Interesting question - Rafa will not doubt surprise us all tomorrow.

[Joey Jones]

Mascherano In Line For Debut

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N155096070223-1514.htm

Javier Mascherano could make his Liverpool debut on Saturday after being named in the 16-man squad to face Sheffield United.

The Argentinian could feature if Rafa Benitez decides some of his Barcelona heroes need more time to recover.

Mascherano has been training at Melwood for several weeks and, despite not playing a game since early December, Benitez insists he is fit and raring to go.

"He's in the squad tomorrow and he will have possibilities. We have to see about the physical condition of the players. When you ask them if they are fit, they will all say yes. I need to take a look at each one," said the Liverpool boss.

"Javier is training really hard. It's not been easy for him; he's a young player, but he's happy now and he's desperate to play.

"I think he can do well – he has the game intelligence we are looking for. Also, he can play with players with quality like Zenden, Sissoko, Alonso and Gerrard – I think this can be a help to him.

"If you had an English player in the national team at the age of 22, you'd all be saying he is a very good player. Mascherano has 22 caps for Argentina and he is only 22. For me, that shows the mentality, character, quality and personality of this player."

[Shaggy]

I reckon Masher will play at Xabi's expense, who'll be rested IMO.

[Howard_lfc]

Tomorrow's game will be tough. Anybody expecting anything else are mistaken.

[mick the click]

shouldnt matter who we put out tomorrow ,should bowl this lot over no problems

I'd be surprised if all four didn't to be honest. It should be an easy win.

I disagree. I think this team is vulnerable after a big European win. The great teams of the past would cruise through it like a practice match. Times have changed and I'm more cautious than you both and hope we don't get bitten.
Funny, I always thought we'd beat Barca?!

[Los Rojos]

I reckon Masher will play at Xabi's expense, who'll be rested IMO.

I'm thinking it might be Xabi who doesn't play as well but we can't say he's being rested - they've just had 10 days off drinking, singing and fighting.

[Shaggy]

But we've got some incredibly important games coming up.

[bazza76]

I really hope Mascherano gives a good account fo himself, he could turn out to be a very usefull addition to the squad for the remainder of the season.
The lads should be alright, those that are coming in have had a nice break and should be in good condition tactically and physically.

[Los Rojos]

But we've got some incredibly important games coming up.

Yeah I know mate. Just can't believe we'd rest someone who had played so little over the last fortnight or so.

It'd be better to say Sheffield United are pants so we'll play our fringe players

[Shaggy]

Well I'm just thinking in terms of minimising the chances of one or more of our better players getting injured, rather than actually resting due to any recent exertions. I think Carra and Xabi will sit it out tomorrow. Don't ask me why, I just do

[Los Rojos]

You worry too much pal