FK Rabotnicki v Liverpool

[Mark79]

¿Quién es nuestro próximo firma... LOL.

Oigo su algún burro del Aston Villa. ¡Oh bien!

[Ben_Itez]

I really think we'll lose tomorrow. Probably beat them in the return leg but im not at all confident that we'll progress.

[Woobus]

I like Roy.

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12876_6283948,00.html

He wouldnt have been my first choice but how cant you like the man. Has got Gerrard and Torres to stay and added Cole into the mix (even Babel seems up for it this season). I didnt think I would have been this positive going into this season but thankfully I am. Dont think we will challenge for the league but feel we will do a lot better than I did a couple of months ago.
Hats of to him, he has kept the side together when I didnt think he would have and added some half decent signings.

[SB]

Liverpool are in Macedonia ahead of the Europa League third qualifying round clash against FK Rabotnicki without any of their England internationals as Roy Hodgson puts his faith in the Reds' starlets.

The likes of Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Glen Johnson and Joe Cole have remained at Melwood as they continue to ease their way back into the groove following the World Cup.

Instead, youngsters such as Jonjo Shelvey, Nathan Eccleston, Martin Hansen, Peter Gulacsi, David Amoo, Lauri Dalla Valle and Tom Ince have been included in the 20-man travelling party.

However, Martin Skrtel, Daniel Agger and Sotirios Kyrgiakos were amongst the squad that departed from John Lennon airport this morning - as were new boys Milan Jovanovic and Danny Wilson - as the Reds prepare to kick off the 2010-11 season.

Liverpool squad: Cavalieri, Aquilani, Agger, Jovanovic, Kyrgiakos, Lucas, Wilson, Ngog, Spearing, Darby, Shelvey, Kelly, Skrtel, Eccleston, Ayala, Hansen, Gulacsi, Amoo, Dalla Valle, Ince.

Author: James Carroll

[SB]

I don't think that team will play. I think it will be:

-----------Cavalieri
--Kelly-----Soto-----Ayala-----Darby
------Spearing--------Lucas
---Amoo-----Aquilani-------Jovanovic
------------Ngog

Liverpool squad: Cavalieri, Aquilani, Agger, Jovanovic, Kyrgiakos, Lucas, Wilson, Ngog, Spearing, Darby, Shelvey, Kelly, Skrtel, Eccleston, Ayala, Hansen, Gulacsi, Amoo, Dalla Valle, Ince.

Author: James Carroll

You could be right Fernandinho. I'm not sure though if we'll play all 3 youngsters at the back though. I'd expect either Skittles or Dagger to play. I could also be tempted to replace Jay for Dalla Valle and go more 442. Maybe later on though.

[SimonNo7]

Eh?....

Even more tougher than what?

He was talking about how stupid it is, in World Cup year, that teams across Europe are having to play a European tie this week when top players may have got back to their clubs less than a week ago.

I can understand what he is saying. Yes we should be able to beat this lot but then again we shouldn't be playing a big game (yes it is a big game if we want to have a long run in Europe) when the majority of our first team squad have not long finished playing in the World Cup. Just like the previous season in certain countries was finished early perhaps the new season should be starting slightly later.

[Reece]

Don't know if it's been mentioned already, but there is a £2.50 registration fee for this PPV channel that the game is on tonight. Plus the £4.99 for the game itself, and it can take 4 hours to actually activate. What an absolute farce.

(According to a few twits).

[Guest]

Don't know if it's been mentioned already, but there is a £2.50 registration fee for this PPV channel that the game is on tonight. Plus the £4.99 for the game itself, and it can take 4 hours to actually activate. What an absolute farce.

(According to a few twits).

I don't understand why people who'd pay for that. There are loads of feeds on the net and you just plug in a HDMI (or a VGA cable) to your TV set and you've got a great deal.

[Reece]

No way I'm paying for it

Don't really see the point of connecting up to your TV to watch it - the stream quality is rarely good enough to make the most of it. I'll just watch it on my laptop.

[Guest]

No way I'm paying for it

Don't really see the point of connecting up to your TV to watch it - the stream quality is rarely good enough to make the most of it. I'll just watch it on my laptop.

[SB]

No way I'm paying for it

Don't really see the point of connecting up to your TV to watch it - the stream quality is rarely good enough to make the most of it. I'll just watch it on my laptop.

I watched Sydney FC vs Rangers last night and the feed was apparently 705 KBPS ( or whatever it is ) and it was ****e on my 19" monitor. How bad would it have been on a big screen

[Mr Darko]

I don't understand - it seems from Roy and the general concensus of fans that there's no point in taking this match seriously and we may aswell get knocked out and concentrate on other trophies, why is this?

Rabotnicki have NEVER even got past the 3rd qualifying round and are ranked approx 289th in the world. Any Premier League side or even Championship side should be able to field 100% reserves and still walk all over them let alone having the first team members available such as: Lucas, Aquilani, Kyriakos, Skrtel, Ngog and Jovanovich.

Surely if it's purely to stop the likes of Gerrard, Cole, Torres etc getting injured then why not take the Europa League as an opportunity to field younger stars, or at least until later rounds such as semi-final/final and then use Gerrard.

Is it just me - I don't see the point in not taking this competition seriously. Wouldn't winning the Europa League be far better than the Carling/FA cup? Surely our priorities should be...

1. Premier League top spot
2. Premier League top four (if 1 not possible)
3. Europa League.
4. FA Cup
5. Carling Cup

[SB]

I don't understand - it seems from Roy and the general concensus of fans that there's no point in taking this match seriously and we may aswell get knocked out and concentrate on other trophies, why is this?

Rabotnicki have NEVER even got past the 3rd qualifying round and are ranked approx 289th in the world. Any Premier League side or even Championship side should be able to field 100% reserves and still walk all over them let alone having the first team members available such as: Lucas, Aquilani, Kyriakos, Skrtel, Ngog and Jovanovich.

Surely if it's purely to stop the likes of Gerrard, Cole, Torres etc getting injured then why not take the Europa League as an opportunity to field younger stars, or at least until later rounds such as semi-final/final and then use Gerrard.

Is it just me - I don't see the point in not taking this competition seriously. Wouldn't winning the Europa League be far better than the Carling/FA cup? Surely our priorities should be...

1. Premier League top spot
2. Premier League top four (if 1 not possible)
3. Europa League.
4. FA Cup
5. Carling Cup

I agree mate.

( but I always agree with mass murderers )

[dww]

I've not got that impression from Roy at all. I know he hasn't taken many first teamers but only a few days ago he was getting slated for suggesting that he might prefer them in his match squads despite the advice of his medical staff. Clearly a compromise had to be reached and largely he has looked at the longer term.

I agree that we should certainly look to take the Europa seriously and want to win it. I however tend to think that Roy thinks his bet chance to do that and compete in the league is to use the players he has had most time with now and save the big guns for challenges to come.

I think the point that "Rabotnicki have NEVER even got past the 3rd qualifying round" is a bit of a red herring as presumably they usually meet teams with a full complement of players or who may well build up to the game as the most important of their season. I think Roy's analogy to the danger smaller teams present in the FA cup is a sound one.

I think this will be a big game for Aquilani. If he can stamp his authority on the game and get some confidence he could be a real asset to us.

[SB]

I've not got that impression from Roy at all. I know he hasn't taken many first teamers but only a few days ago he was getting slated for suggesting that he might prefer them in his match squads despite the advice of his medical staff. Clearly a compromise had to be reached and largely he has looked at the longer term.

I agree that we should certainly look to take the Europa seriously and want to win it. I however tend to think that Roy thinks his bet chance to do that and compete in the league is to use the players he has had most time with now and save the big guns for challenges to come.

I think the point that "Rabotnicki have NEVER even got past the 3rd qualifying round" is a bit of a red herring as presumably they usually meet teams with a full complement of players or who may well build up to the game as the most important of their season. I think Roy's analogy to the danger smaller teams present in the FA cup is a sound one.

I think this will be a big game for Aquilani. If he can stamp his authority on the game and get some confidence he could be a real asset to us.

Truly hoping your right their Dave .

He does need to stamp his authority on this.