Fa Cup 3rd Round Mansfield (A) Build Up

[dom9]

Please don't get called off. My phones weather app is showing dry weather this weekend. How the hell do Mansfield fulfil their football status if their drainage is so ****? Can't blame the weather we live in England ffs.

Well, they're non league. It's not uncommon at that level. Bath City always seem to get an almighty fixture pile up at the end of the season.

[Chazza]

Ah I wasn't aware of that.

So if the Mansfield pitch ends up being an absolute bog then they'd look to move it to, erm, the City Ground or Chesterfield's stadium or something before deciding to move it to Anfield?!

Well everyday is an education.

It would just get called off mate as they would never be able to police it properly.

[Lee]

Oh yeah.

[Shaggy]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/jan/04/steven-gerrard-liverpool-mansfield?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Liverpool's Steven Gerrard will be spared FA Cup trip to Mansfield

• Luis Suárez may also be rested, but will travel to Field Mill
• New signing Daniel Sturridge not judged ready for a start

Brendan Rodgers is to leave out Steven Gerrard and possibly Luis Suárez for Liverpool's trip to Mansfield Town on Sunday but insists no risks will be taken against the Blue Square Premier side.

Gerrard has played every minute of every Premier League game this season and after a demanding spell of four matches in 10 days over the festive period will be omitted from the team at Field Mill. Leading goalscorer Suárez has also faced a gruelling workload, but with the new £12m signing Daniel Sturridge unlikely to start the third-round tie, the Uruguay international may be involved in some capacity. Jonjo Shelvey operated as a "false nine" when Suárez was suspended for the league win over West Ham United and offers an alternative, but Rodgers is confident Liverpool have the depth to avoid a major upset.

The Liverpool manager said: "This is one where I'm looking to utilise the squad. This is the nature of it coming on the back of four very tough games but I'll pick a group to win. That's the key. I am confident in the group and I would never risk the tie because this is a competition we want to do well in.

"Luis loves playing, that is why he is here: to play games and score goals. I speak a lot with him and I know from working with him that he wants to play. But he's coming off the back of a real busy period where he's given everything in the games and scored goals."

Jamie Carragher will play, but Sturridge, having not started a competitive game since 17 November in 2012 – when Chelsea lost at West Bromwich Albion in what proved to be Roberto Di Matteo's final league game as manager – is unlikely to be hurried into the side. The 23-year-old is, however, included in the squad.

Rodgers explained: "Daniel is still catching up a bit on his fitness because he has been out for a period of time. He's looked good in the couple of sessions we've had but I'm not looking to rush Daniel into anything. He is not under big pressure to come in and perform straightaway, in particular because of the form of the team at the moment."

The Liverpool manager, who insists his staff "have prepared exactly the same for Mansfield as we would Manchester United", expects to be without José Enrique for six weeks after the defender aggravated a hamstring injury at Queens Park Rangers on Sunday. "It's a shame because in the game he felt nothing," said Rodgers. "Sometimes you can enter games and be tight and stiff but he felt great. It is unfortunate because he has looked fantastic."

His fellow defender Sebastián Coates may be allowed to leave Liverpool on loan in the transfer window providing there is necessary cover for Martin Skrtl and Daniel Agger, Rodgers has confirmed. He said: "It's been difficult for him to get games. The best thing for Sebastián will be to go out and play some games."

[BobTheCharmer]

Should've probably been switched in the first place but I'm guessing it's too late now anyway.

Really? They had been a league team for years until recently. I hate it when they started all this ground swopping. The pitch will be ****, it'll be muddy, thats why it'll be great, a leveller, its what gives the underdog a chance, that is the FA Cup.

[Lee]

Really? They had been a league team for years until recently. I hate it when they started all this ground swopping. The pitch will be ****, it'll be muddy, thats why it'll be great, a leveller, its what gives the underdog a chance, that is the FA Cup.

Really.

[BobTheCharmer]

Really.

why though?

[Lee]

why though?

Dunno.

[jono]

JamesNursey 5 mins ago Twitter
Mansfield's err...pitch for #LFC . twitter.yfrog.com/kfq82df...



Like a carpet

Like a dog shat all over the carpet!!

[Fosterbloke]

Let's play Ibe, Sinclair and Yesil.

[Vermilion]

Just hope a slippy boggy pitch and some over exuberant part time players don't cost us injury wise.

edit: *Pray for LFC*

[Exiled_red]

So there were reports earlier that this may fall victim to the weather or a waterlogged pitch, is that still likely? Is there a pitch inspection or anything planned?

[Vermilion]

So there were reports earlier that this may fall victim to the weather or a waterlogged pitch, is that still likely? Is there a pitch inspection or anything planned?

Not seen anything so far, the pic above doesn't look waterlogged, it looks slippy and sticky at the same time, that ****ty mud that sticks to your boots when you stand still for a second, but is still slippery as **** when running or stopping!

[Chazza]

BBC forecast not showing any rain so it should be on but the pitch will be a shocker regardless.

[Neil Young]

Well, they're non league. It's not uncommon at that level. Bath City always seem to get an almighty fixture pile up at the end of the season.

I think I've detected the cause of their waterlogging problem.