Everything's great now but next Sunday...

[Craig_H]

I have a sneaky feeling that Torres might be fit...

But even if he's not we can turn in a performance like we did against man ure and control the midfield, we'll be fine!

It's not the same when you're playing away at Chelsea, compared to home to the mancs.

[Vermilion]

It's not the same when you're playing away at Chelsea, compared to home to the mancs.

It'll be tough, also they'll have some players back fit, but i still think we can get a result, a point would be fine away imo, well actually it would be great, but i have a sneaky feeling that this home run of theirs is our's to end, and wouldn't that be ****in fantastic.

[El Jefecito]

Lucas should be nowhere near the starting XI at Chelsea.

I bet if Lucas played, he'd add more than SG did against Wigan.

[Craig_H]

I bet if Lucas played, he'd add more than SG did against Wigan.

Possible, but i'd say unlikely.

In all honesty though, you wouldnt pick him ahead of SG.

[Vermilion]

Lucas instead of Gerrard at Chelsea, no thanks.

[pondus]

Drogba has made a very quick recovery and is in contention for a starting place against us, according to liverpool.no.. Big surprise there!

As for happy to lose by one or two goals, wtf is that about??

[El Jefecito]

Possible, but i'd say unlikely.

In all honesty though, you wouldnt pick him ahead of SG.

Instead of SG. NFW. I wouldn't pick anyone in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD ahead of SG. But would I pick him in a more balanced team which included SG in a position more appropriate to his playing style. Well, yes I might. It's not SG vs. Lucas. It's what is the most balanced team, and IMO, the most balanced team does NOT have SG in CM.

I don't care what Rafa paid for Keane, but based on the last 2 years performances El Jefecito + 1 other needs to be in CM and SG needs to be behind Torres / ANO.

In that scenario, Lucas is not first choice, but he gets more games!

[Vermilion]

Drogba has made a very quick recovery and is in contention for a starting place against us, according to liverpool.no.. Big surprise there!

As for happy to lose by one or two goals, wtf is that about??

Would hate to lose this game, a win could be just the spur the team needs, a pivotal point in the season that could really make the side believe they can actually win the title.

But it's going to be extremely difficult, even more so without Torres.

[El Jefecito]

Lucas instead of Gerrard at Chelsea, no thanks.

Nobody said that so don't be flogging a dead horse.

[El Jefecito]

Would hate to lose this game, a win could be just the spur the team needs, a pivotal point in the season that could really make the side believe they can actually win the title.

But it's going to be extremely difficult, even more so without Torres.

Chelsea have not played anyone who is anywhere as close to as good as us. They're two good wins, were against teams that just laid down and died (Pompey and Boro).

They have not yet been subjected to the type of mental pressures that are common in the EPL, whereas we have. Scolari definitely has a Plan A, we I think will be the first to force them to consider Plan B. I don't think he has a Plan B!

[frank the tank]

i reckon torres might be fit but that rafa might start him on the bench and if we were still 0-0 at 70mins, bring him on....

i really dont know how benitez will line up his team (i suppose nobody really knows!) but i would like to see:

-----------------------reina--------------------------

arbeloa----carragher----------agger-----------dossena

-----------mascherano-------alonso-------------------

kuyt----------------gerrard----------------------babel

--------------------keane-----------------------------

with a bench of hyypia, benny, riera, torres, lucas, cavalieri and nGog......

come on redmen


by the way, isnt it strange that we are so up for this match and we still have a massive game away to atletico between now and then......a sign of the times i suppose that we are a football superpower again when you consider that we assume that we are thru in the cl group already.....

[Vermilion]

Nobody said that so don't be flogging a dead horse.

And that's why i didn't quote anyone.

If you believe Lucas would have a better game against Chelsea than Gerrard did against Wigan that's fine, i dont, i'm just not convinced with Lucas yet, i know he has talent, but i'm yet to be convinced the Prem is the place for him to show it, but he's young and seems keen, and is level headed, so he can definitely learn given time and games.

[Dhav]

Drogba has made a very quick recovery and is in contention for a starting place against us, according to liverpool.no.. Big surprise there!

London press reported the same thing today

[Vermilion]

Chelsea have not played anyone who is anywhere as close to as good as us. They're two good wins, were against teams that just laid down and died (Pompey and Boro).

They have not yet been subjected to the type of mental pressures that are common in the EPL, whereas we have. Scolari definitely has a Plan A, we I think will be the first to force them to consider Plan B. I don't think he has a Plan B!

Totally agree with that, Boro were a total flop against the Chav's, talk about standing off attackers, they never got near nor seemed to attempt to get near.

I just hope we play well, do ourselves justice on the day, then i believe we can do it, Scholari v Rafa will be good to watch.

[frank the tank]

by the way ElJefico.....you talk a lot of sense tonight mate.... i wouldn't have SG in centre midfield either.....and i have said that since rafa arrived at lfc to be honest.

i ****in hate it when the likes of jamie redknapp and andy gray blow on about stevie needing to play in the middle of the park - ****in idiots.... gerrard is a class player and all class players make teams pay when they have space and time on the ball. Put a player like gerrard either on the wing cutting in or else in a free role behind a striker and watch him fluorish.... and no **** sherlock, when has gerrard scored most, played his best, and caused the opposition most damage - either in the free role or on the wing.

I would love to see the likes of gray and redknapp take a managerial job so that they could FAIL and then **** off the tele and shut the **** up. They love to talk ****e like "gerrard needs to be in the middle of the park so he can dictate the play" - well ****wads, if he is in the middle of the park, he could very well be crowded out of it by the likes of nicky butt!!! If you look at the history of football and the most influential players, they didn't ALL play centre midfield. I think just cos Keane and Viera were centre midfielders, everyone thinks gerrard should be too. I would ask you this though, where did Zidane play on the park? Or maradona????

plus in mascher and alonso, we have two class centre midfielders anyway who can do what good centre midfielders do - which is stop the oppositions attacks and give the ball to players that will hurt the opposition - like Gerrard.....