Everything's great now but next Sunday...

[pondus]

Happy to lose? Nonsense.

Do you not think we'll step it up, bearing in mind the higher level of opposition?

We might well lose and it's not a disaster if we do, but we're capable of getting something there, even a win if we got the rub of the green.

Never happy to lose any game.

[Craig_H]

Actually, i tell a lie - i was happy to lose 1-0 at home to Barcelona in that Champions League 2nd leg tie the other season

[BigChief]

This is probably the best time to meet Chelsea. Do I sound stupidly confident? Maybe, but here's why:

1. We are on a sustained period of good luck which no amount of skill can ever hope to overcome. Granted that may end tomorrow, but it may not. As far as now is concerned, we still have it.

2. We, as a team, play our best football when one or both our star players are out. Its almost as though we know we have to work 200% instead of 100%.

3. Like a tough Champions League run, its always best to face and beat tough teams before getting to the 'final' rather than poorly defensive teams. Look what happened to us after we destroyed a poor Derby last season.

4. Star players like Cole, Deco and Drogba may all return to the team next week. Which is great because this will upset/bench current squad players that are playing really well (Kalou, Belleti, etc). It also means they will have replaced players that were giving 110% with those who can only give around 70%.

5. We're the underdogs by a large margin, just like we were against scum. :-)

[lucas]

Maybe last day of the season 1995 against Blackburn, I did a bit.

Sorry forgot about that one. What a great defeat that was.

[rage]

chelsea will be worried about playing us next week. they have not played an inform in the league, resilient , full of confidence liverpool before.

i think we've competed with them in the league even when we were poor so there is nothing to fear here. 0h and i'd much rather lose 6 nil having gone for it rather than a 1-0 lampard deflection.

it'll be interesting to see where gerrard plays on saturday as i think both masch, alonso , riera and kuyt will all play

[Shaggy]

Sorry forgot about that one. What a great defeat that was.

We won. Would've laughed if we'd lost though.

[Shaggy]

it'll be interesting to see where gerrard plays on saturday as i think both masch, alonso , riera and kuyt will all play

It'll be those 4 across the middle with Gerrard off Keane, IMO.

[Phoenix07]

Hopefully Pennant plays again.

He loves tearing Cole and Bridge apart.

And hopefully,Kuyt and Keane will play up front.

[-V-]

Def out- Carvalho, Essien, Ballack and Drogba. That is 4 players they heavily rely on in BIG games against elite opposition

Forget form because both teams are winning matches and their margin against Boro was mostly down to Boro fielding a bunch of kids and not making any real effort all game long.

We match chelsea when they have their strongest team out so no reason why we cant beat them and blow their home record. Lets get Babel and Mascher fit and we can def take them. Alex, Bridge, Mikel, Malouda and Anelka are all likely to play and none of them should be difficult to play against.

[Craig_H]

The only problem is the same one as we had before we signed Torres. We'll work hard, we'll battle and on the balance of play, we will match them. But in the final third, we rarely have enough to trouble what is a top class defence. We lack the cutting edge and quality required to score against them at their place. In the CL semi final, we had Torres and he produced a moment of class to score. Without him, we'll find it hard again.

And in their own back yard, they very rarely fail to find a breakthrough.

That's the only concern i have.

[-V-]

Yes but this time they wont have Carvalho and Essien who have always been vital for them against us. Also Cech is not 100%. I feel we have more firepower this season than last- Riera, Keane, Kuyt, Gerrard, Babel are all capable of getting us a couple of goals

[Crazy-Horse]

it's feckin Chelski away & the way we r playing compared 2 them I would be happy 2 only lose by 1 or 2 goals. Kuyt played well up front but he's no Torres. I think we r gonna struggle big time next week, especially the way we start games, ie. only start playing properly in the 2nd half. I'm VERY worried!!

WUM or a bad case of Marvin the Paranoid Android....

"and me with this terrible pain in all the diodes down my left side."

[DannyMan2006]

The only problem is the same one as we had before we signed Torres. We'll work hard, we'll battle and on the balance of play, we will match them. But in the final third, we rarely have enough to trouble what is a top class defence. We lack the cutting edge and quality required to score against them at their place. In the CL semi final, we had Torres and he produced a moment of class to score. Without him, we'll find it hard again.

And in their own back yard, they very rarely fail to find a breakthrough.

That's the only concern i have.

Exactly.

We'll go 451 and will invite pressure due to them having a high line. Due to this we'll get bogged down in midfield and will struggle to break out and let Gerrard link with the attacker, be that Keane or Kuyt.

Personally I would be brave an go 442. Maybe drop Alonso for Mascher, or maybe even stick Gerrard on the RW for this one. Mascher is vital to break up the play of Lampard in he final third. But it must not cost us our attacking options.

This game will be nothing like the Mourinho v Benitez dour battles of the past. Scolari will go for it. Question is, will Rafa? Either way, it's LFC, we would only get a good hiding if we had men sent off early in the game.

As for the question of can we win, well any team in the League can beat anyone on their day if the other team doesn't turn up. The big games are often decided by one big desicion, hopefully we can nick that first goal.

My final concern is that we are travelling over from Spain. Chelsea are home to Roma. The fatigue can tell in the big games.

[slimbimjim]

Exactly.

We'll go 451 and will invite pressure due to them having a high line. Due to this we'll get bogged down in midfield and will struggle to break out and let Gerrard link with the attacker, be that Keane or Kuyt.

Personally I would be brave an go 442. Maybe drop Alonso for Mascher, or maybe even stick Gerrard on the RW for this one. Mascher is vital to break up the play of Lampard in he final third. But it must not cost us our attacking options.

This game will be nothing like the Mourinho v Benitez dour battles of the past. Scolari will go for it. Question is, will Rafa? Either way, it's LFC, we would only get a good hiding if we had men sent off early in the game.

As for the question of can we win, well any team in the League can beat anyone on their day if the other team doesn't turn up. The big games are often decided by one big desicion, hopefully we can nick that first goal.

My final concern is that we are travelling over from Spain. Chelsea are home to Roma. The fatigue can tell in the big games.

I've never understood this tiredness from travelling stuff. They are put on private jets with luxury, not made to walk to the Chanel Tunnel.

[Scratch]

I've never understood this tiredness from travelling stuff. They are put on private jets with luxury, not made to walk to the Chanel Tunnel.

Also, it's spain, not Singapore...a 3 hour flight?? If that's gonna fatigue the players then something is seriously wrong.