FC Basel (H) - Build Up

[danperkins]

trying to score points against the tranny committee/prove some sort of point.

id hope not though. the idea of a manager playing politics over doing whats best for our club is shocking. nah, couldn't possibly be true.

It's hard to know if that is in fact the case but I find it strange the complete lack of urgency in changing his team selection & his unwillingness to change tactics that aren't working.

Either he's too stubborn, doesn't know what way to set us up with the current crop or he is proving some sort of point. Who knows what has gone on behind the scenes. Whatever the malfunction, we need to sort it the **** out sooner rather than later ..come what may.

[DannyMan2006]

At the start of the season, our two main issues were that we were conceding too many & not scoring enough, obvious I know.

But staying on point, I think Lucas coming in has helped solve the first issue, whilst Gerrard going further forwards is helping at the top end of the field. So that's a better team than what's previously been fielded. I don't buy that Toure and Lambert are a massive improvement on Lovren & Balotelli. I just think the others have been lucky of a personnel change.

I wouldn't be resting Toure though, no matter how vital it is we win at Old Trafford - though I do have to bare in mind that he can't play every game due to his age. Should have rested him v Sunderland.

IF that was the team I wouldn't mind it. I think we do need some experienced heads in there. Could always go with the pace of Moreno late on if we needed a break through. But we have to be mindful of the counter. This team we have doesn't scream goals, and if we a goal down we could be virtually out of it. Sad but true. Don't think we can afford to concede the first goal. Big, big ask otherwise.

[Muddled]

It's hard to know if that is in fact the case but I find it strange the complete lack of urgency in changing his team selection & his unwillingness to change tactics that aren't working.

Either he's too stubborn, doesn't know what way to set us up with the current crop or he is proving some sort of point. Who knows what has gone on behind the scenes. Whatever the malfunction, we need to sort it the **** out sooner rather than later ..come what may.

Rodgers has changed his tactics and he's been changing personnel. Unless you mean it took a while to do so? In that case, dropping players, perhaps; But you could clearly see he was trying new things when the rot was setting in.

Rodgers had an idea of his strongest starting eleven. When our performances dropped, he tweaked our play expecting the same core eleven to adapt. When they didn't, that's when he started dropping players.

I don't think he could have been much swifter in acting and I certainly don't think he's point scoring. Stubborn? Well, it's probably a trait, but then it is of every manager who wants to stand by their decisions.

[The_weatherman]

Rodgers has changed his tactics and he's been changing personnel. Unless you mean it took a while to do so? In that case, dropping players, perhaps; But you could clearly see he was trying new things when the rot was setting in.

Rodgers had an idea of his strongest starting eleven. When our performances dropped, he tweaked our play expecting the same core eleven to adapt. When they didn't, that's when he started dropping players.

I don't think he could have been much swifter in acting and I certainly don't think he's point scoring. Stubborn? Well, it's probably a trait, but then it is of every manager who wants to stand by their decisions.

I really disagree, it has been painfully obvious almost from day one what is not working for us. Gerrard in the DM position being the main thing for me but also playing Balotelli without him contributing a thing for so many games. Him tweaking the side only confused the players IMO and made it clear he was trying to fit in his favourites, I wouldn't call it acting swiftly. We are four months in and he only acted properly what three weeks ago?

[Muddled]

I really disagree, it has been painfully obvious almost from day one what is not working for us. Gerrard in the DM position being the main thing for me but also playing Balotelli without him contributing a thing for so many games. Him tweaking the side only confused the players IMO and made it clear he was trying to fit in his favourites, I wouldn't call it acting swiftly. We are four months in and he only acted properly what three weeks ago?

It worked last season, perhaps Rodgers was hoping it was a drop in form? For 12 months, Gerrard as our holding midfielder was more than adequate. If Rodgers had dropped him immediately, he would have been slammed for being rash.

Balotelli had game time because Lambert's head was all over the place and Borini isn't very good. Lambert has spent some time with Dr Peters and it's showing.

Unfortunately, we get frustrated with the players on the pitch and think other squad players are more than capable of stepping in. They get talked up to be better than they are, when in reality, only Rodgers will know what's best.

Where you see favourites, I see Rodgers relying on experienced players to try and drag the team through a rough patch. I think he's been trying different things for longer than three weeks, but we're only just getting to see the work that's been put in on the training pitch.

[The_weatherman]

It worked last season, perhaps Rodgers was hoping it was a drop in form? For 12 months, Gerrard as our holding midfielder was more than adequate. If Rodgers had dropped him immediately, he would have been slammed for being rash.

Balotelli had game time because Lambert's head was all over the place and Borini isn't very good. Lambert has spent some time with Dr Peters and it's showing.

Unfortunately, we get frustrated with the players on the pitch and think other squad players are more than capable of stepping in. They get talked up to be better than they are, when in reality, only Rodgers will know what's best.

Where you see favourites, I see Rodgers relying on experienced players to try and drag the team through a rough patch. I think he's been trying different things for longer than three weeks, but we're only just getting to see the work that's been put in on the training pitch.

We'll never agree on this one.

I see his favourites being Lovren and Gerrard, Skrtel to a certain extent. It's well and good sticking with them to a certain point, Balotelli had what 10 games in the league without a goal. IMO he needed to be taken out of the firing line. Gerrard is 34 and was playing two games a week in an illsuited position. Lovren received no protection from his DM and was bought as a leader but was failing in every game.

He should have rested Gerrard earlier and more, Sakho should have had chances with Lucas as well and although I buy your reasoning I think Balotelli needed to be taken out of the firing line - every game was about him not scoring at one stage.

[BigChief]

Fair enough Muddled, he is the manager and knows the players better than us. One thing you can say about Rodgers he does change things for the better eventually. Did it in his first season post-Christmas, spectatularly in his second and hopefully we'll see it from tonight onwards.

I do care about getting through tonight, obviously, but what I really want more is to see our excellent press, pass and move style return. We might not have SAS to finish off our chances but they weren't the be all and end all of our style. Its his footballing style I have admired since he arrived.

[Yozza]

Time for some players to step up and take responsibility.... I still believe a lot of them are better than what they have been showing lately.......

This is Anfield - Big European Night

Come on....

[Muddled]

We'll never agree on this one.

I see his favourites being Lovren and Gerrard, Skrtel to a certain extent. It's well and good sticking with them to a certain point, Balotelli had what 10 games in the league without a goal. IMO he needed to be taken out of the firing line. Gerrard is 34 and was playing two games a week in an illsuited position. Lovren received no protection from his DM and was bought as a leader but was failing in every game.

He should have rested Gerrard earlier and more, Sakho should have had chances with Lucas as well and although I buy your reasoning I think Balotelli needed to be taken out of the firing line - every game was about him not scoring at one stage.

It's an interesting point you raise about Sakho and how Rodgers seemingly doesn't rate him ... or at least he doesn't rate him alongside our available centre backs.

I don't think our options at centre-back are the greatest; I really rate Sakho and think he is who we should be building our defence around, but his partnership with Skrtel isn't ideal and Lovren looks like he can't play alongside anybody. Toure is doing well there at the moment, but he is a mistake waiting to happen. But I digress, I'm of the opinion that Rodgers plays Skrtel because he does show glimpses of ability, but goes wandering. Lovren was brought in to marshal him, but unfortunately Lovren has the same traits. Combine this with two young, naive full backs, one stropping full back and a 'keeper low on confidence and this shows our highly disfunctional defence.

Anyway, I don't think it's any surprise that we look more solid with Lucas back and playing well. But that's because Rodgers has deployed a defensive midfielder. Another example of him tweaking our tactics.

But like you say, we're at polar opposites.

[S-RED]

I'll tell you what, that is a ****ing atrocious team. Our squad is ****, really poor.

This..... 100million later FFS

Basel will get at least a point tonight

[RedRum]

I would have Can in for Henderson as he has been poor for a while. It won't happen though. Can and Lucas shielding the back four and Gerrard further forward.

This is what I would go with

------------Jones------------
Johnson-----Skrtel-----Toure------Moreno
-------------Lucas-----Can------------------
---Sterling----Gerrard-----Markovic---
------------Lambert-----------------------------

Would like to see Markovic in as he showed some desire the other day and could give us more pace in attack. Jones for Mignolet because I feel safer with him himself in goals.

[Pablo]

Hard not to fear the worst here. They are a very decent, organised team. They will be more than happy sitting deep, pressuring us and counter attacking. I can definitely see them scoring.

[BigChief]

The one thing in our favour is they don't need to win. So they hopefully won't put too much pressure on our brittle backline. At some point they'll have to balance defending for 90 minutes with some attacking. And in that confusion maybe we can nick something.

I'd rather not be going into this match needing a draw. The one thing we're not good at is holding a result and I would age badly.

[Shaggy]

Probably bollocks but if true this would be a fairly damning indictment of Brendan's summer spending...

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/liverpool-could-name-teenage-winger-4774307

Brendan Rodgers could turn to 17-year-old Sheyi Ojo for Liverpool's crunch tie with Basel tonight.

The England youth international trained with the first-team squad on Monday as they prepared for the must-win Champions League clash.

And the Liverpool Echo reports, Rodgers is considering naming the teenage winger among his substitutes.

Ojo, who joined Liverpool from MK Dons in 2011, is blessed with great pace and the Reds boss believes he could be a useful weapon if his side are in need of a late goal.

He travelled with the first-team squad to last week's win over Leicester but failed to make the bench.

Ojo recently caught the eye with a clinical double in the Under-19's 3-0 win over Ludogorets in the UEFA Youth League.

With Mario Balotelli still sidelined by a groin injury, Rickie Lambert will once again lead the line tonight.

Steven Gerrard will return to the starting line-up in an advanced midfield role with Philippe Coutinho or Adam Lallana likely to miss out.

[ronanm]

It's an interesting point you raise about Sakho and how Rodgers seemingly doesn't rate him ... or at least he doesn't rate him alongside our available centre backs.

Suffice to say BR wouldn't know a good CB if he saw one.