Blackburn build up

[SB]

First question is when does Luis's 8 week ban start? Hope he's available for this but if he's out or not Bellamy should start this one.

I'm kinda out of the loop as I'm on holidays but did we pick up any injury concerns against wigan?

When's Gerrard back too?

How did maxi do vs wigan? Keep his place or not?

I'd expect the same back 5 that have kept how many clean sheets in a row now?

Adam & Hendo again in the middle?

[Rabiosa]

First question is when does Luis's 8 week ban start? Hope he's available for this but if he's out or not Bellamy should start this one.

I'm kinda out of the loop as I'm on holidays but did we pick up any injury concerns against wigan?

When's Gerrard back too?

How did maxi do vs wigan? Keep his place or not?

I'd expect the same back 5 that have kept how many clean sheets in a row now?

Adam & Hendo again in the middle?

1. Starts after the Newcastle game.

2. Don't think so, Kenny said no new injury concerns.

3. Should be in the squad for this game, should defo start against Newcastle though.

4. Pretty average, but so was most of the players, should play ahead of Downing.

5. Yes i think thats the back 5 we will stick with for the rest of the season now, feel sorry for Coates and Wilson as Agger and Skrtel have got many years left in this team.

6. Probably Adam,Spearing and Hendo/Shelvey in the middle.

[Craig_H]

First question is when does Luis's 8 week ban start? Theoretically, it should start 14 days after the ban was issued - so that would be January 4th. However, if we appeal, then the ban wont start until the appeal has been heard and concluded.Hope he's available for this but if he's out or not Bellamy should start this one.

I'm kinda out of the loop as I'm on holidays but did we pick up any injury concerns against wigan? Nope

When's Gerrard back too? Could make the bench against Blackburn but more likely to be sub 4 days later vs Newcastle

How did maxi do vs wigan? Keep his place or not? One of his poorer games, pretty anonymous and sloppy at times. Didnt really make an impact so based on form, he should probably be dropped.

I'd expect the same back 5 that have kept how many clean sheets in a row now? 3 - QPR, Villa & Wigan.

Adam & Hendo again in the middle?Adam wasnt very good at Wigan, but at home to Blackburn there's probably little need for Spearing - so probably Adam and Henderson again, yes. With Gerrard maybe waiting in the wings to make a cameo appearance.

[Exiled_red]

I think that we have left alot of space between the midfield and defence in recent games, I'd like to see Spearing come back into the side now his suspension is over, in an attempt to sort this one out. Hopefully Bellamy will play as well having not started against Wigan. There were also rumours that Gerrard should be back on the bench for this one. Hopefully we can have the game wrapped up and bring him on for the last 20 mins or so, (although somehow I doubt we'll have the game wrapped up...)

[lickedlollipop]

i totally forgot about spearing and his ban

[Exiled_red]

I've just seen the other fixtures, it seems likely that all the teams around us will win their games therefore we need to win this one just to maintain the current position.

[SB]

1. Starts after the Newcastle game.

2. Don't think so, Kenny said no new injury concerns.

3. Should be in the squad for this game, should defo start against Newcastle though.

4. Pretty average, but so was most of the players, should play ahead of Downing.

5. Yes i think thats the back 5 we will stick with for the rest of the season now, feel sorry for Coates and Wilson as Agger and Skrtel have got many years left in this team.

6. Probably Adam,Spearing and Hendo/Shelvey in the middle.

Thanks lads. Have a merry Christmas. Only 50 mins now to go here. The wife's still wrapping presents which is a laugh considering how long she's been buying the bloody presents for. 3 points is what I'm after on boxing day.

[Vermilion]

Oh **** i'm really worried about this one, i know we're better than them, i know we have a better manager than them, better fans too..

But you know when **** is going against us, and were seen as the enemy of the game, while Keane is being praised for taking unfair criticism, from every man and his dog...and Fergie, then i just fear the worst, evrything that can gpo wrong will go wrong.

[Muddled]

Reina

Johnson
Skrtel
Agger
Enrique

Henderson
Spearing
Adam

Suarez
Carroll
Bellamy

Subs:

Jones
Carragher
Coates
Gerrard
Kuyt
Downing
Maxi


------------------ Reina

- Johnson -- Skrtel -- Agger -- Enrqiue

---------------- Spearing

-------- Henderson ------ Adam

--- Suarez ----- Carroll ------ Bellamy

Kuyt, Downing and Maxi drop to the bench after an insipid performances against Wigan.

The back five pick themselves at the moment.

Spearing to hold and mop up behind Adam and Henderson as they lack the discipline, but are allowed to orchestrate.

A three pronged attack; get Carroll up against Samba and let Suarez and Bellamy run amok around him.

Put Paul Robinson in your Fantasy Football teams.

[Mattshark]

That is basically playing to all Carroll's weaknesses.

[Muddled]

We've lacked a focal point to our attack in our last two games; luckily Villa were awful from set-pieces, but without those two early goals, I have a feeling we'd have been cursing the woodwork and up in arms about failing to score *again* - we all know what happened at Wigan.

We seem to have reached an unfounded opinion that Carroll can only play if Downing is whipping in crosses, I think we can see a different side of Carroll's game without Carragher in the team looking for him from the back and Downing trying to float one in from the right with his weaker foot.

We'll have the width from both Johnson and Enrique - both capable of hitting him from the flanks (and to a lesser extent - but more than capable - Henderson and Adam), but equally we'll have a presence constantly in the centre of the pitch. Against Wigan, Suarez drifted towards the ball and more often than not ended up on the left side with nobody in the middle. Kenny tried to address this by getting Bellamy to hug that left side, but Suarez continued to float.

I think the formation above allows Suarez to go get the ball, but it also keeps some one up top. I also think Carroll will occupy Samba - if in the right frame of mind - and we can have two players coming off him and taking the game to Blackburn.

In my opinion of course.

[cled the red]

First question is when does Luis's 8 week ban start? Theoretically, it should start 14 days after the ban was issued - so that would be January 4th. However, if we appeal, then the ban wont start until the appeal has been heard and concluded.Hope he's available for this but if he's out or not Bellamy should start this one.

I'm kinda out of the loop as I'm on holidays but did we pick up any injury concerns against wigan? Nope

When's Gerrard back too? Could make the bench against Blackburn but more likely to be sub 4 days later vs Newcastle

How did maxi do vs wigan? Keep his place or not? One of his poorer games, pretty anonymous and sloppy at times. Didnt really make an impact so based on form, he should probably be dropped.

I'd expect the same back 5 that have kept how many clean sheets in a row now? 3 - QPR, Villa & Wigan.

Adam & Hendo again in the middle?Adam wasnt very good at Wigan, but at home to Blackburn there's probably little need for Spearing - so probably Adam and Henderson again, yes. With Gerrard maybe waiting in the wings to make a cameo appearance.

Doesn't the 14 day appeal period start once LFC have the written report from the FA Commission?? Bearing in mind that there are rumours that the report won't be received until the middle of January, if Liverpool put an appeal in at the end of the 14 day period Luis may be available well into February.

[Mattshark]

We've lacked a focal point to our attack in our last two games; luckily Villa were awful from set-pieces, but without those two early goals, I have a feeling we'd have been cursing the woodwork and up in arms about failing to score *again* - we all know what happened at Wigan.

We seem to have reached an unfounded opinion that Carroll can only play if Downing is whipping in crosses, I think we can see a different side of Carroll's game without Carragher in the team looking for him from the back and Downing trying to float one in from the right with his weaker foot.

We'll have the width from both Johnson and Enrique - both capable of hitting him from the flanks (and to a lesser extent - but more than capable - Henderson and Adam), but equally we'll have a presence constantly in the centre of the pitch. Against Wigan, Suarez drifted towards the ball and more often than not ended up on the left side with nobody in the middle. Kenny tried to address this by getting Bellamy to hug that left side, but Suarez continued to float.

I think the formation above allows Suarez to go get the ball, but it also keeps some one up top. I also think Carroll will occupy Samba - if in the right frame of mind - and we can have two players coming off him and taking the game to Blackburn.

In my opinion of course.

Fair enough mate, I would worry about Carroll against Samba, who is imo stronger in the air than him.

Imo, our problem in against Wigan was that our midfield offered so little in terms of support,

[Muddled]

Fair enough mate, I would worry about Carroll against Samba, who is imo stronger in the air than him.

Imo, our problem in against Wigan was that our midfield offered so little in terms of support,

There is that; our midfield was transparent against Wigan - it was neither supporting Suarez, nor protecting our defence and I couldn't quite put my finger on why.

My reason for including Spearing is to designate a responsibility to defend and free up Adam and Henderson to get us ticking over.

As for Samba, it would depend on Carroll's state of mind - frustrated at not getting game time, he might meet the challenge head on and put his height around, or he'll shirk under the task and we've got some excellent options from the bench.

We're due to demolish a side soon - hopefully Blackburn will be that team.

[dww]

Fair enough mate, I would worry about Carroll against Samba, who is imo stronger in the air than him.

Imo, our problem in against Wigan was that our midfield offered so little in terms of support,

I can see that argument, but so far this season most teams have worked on the assumption that given the paucity of their fullbacks you can just play the numbers game in terms of waiting for your forwards to best their one decent defender. I think it is probably worth a try.