Bournemouth V Liverpool Build Up

[calvoboy]

Jones
Manquillo Toure Sakho Moreno
Lucas
Can Lallana
Markovic
Balotelli Borini.

I'd give something like this a try:

---------------Jones-------------
Manquillo Toure Skrtel Moreno
--------Lucas----Can------------
Sterling----Lallana----Markovic
------------Balotelli-------------

Thinking along the same lines - allowing for the fact that he will rest a few ahead of Arsenal, and one or two positions are forced due to injury, I'd like to see:

-------Jones--------------
Manquillo Toure Sakho Moreno
---------Lucas------------
----Lallana------Can
-------Markovic-------
---Balotelli Sterling------

Let's get back to the diamond, give Markovic 90 minutes after a couple of good cameos, give Sterling and Balotelli the chance to develop a partnership ahead of the Arsenal game (both should be fine to play Sun, Weds, Sun for one week at least), give Toure and Sakho a chance to impress (and keep them in the side if they do).

Bournemouth are a good Championship side. We, for all our relative faults, are a top-half Premiership side with the potential to do better. We've only lost 1 in 6 despite our slump. We should win this, even if pourscousertommy is on the mark as usual with the team. And to be fair, with that team I can see the logic in sticking with a formation for a while rather than chopping and changing. I hate seeing Lucas and Gerrard together in midfield though.

[Bender]

Thinking along the same lines - allowing for the fact that he will rest a few ahead of Arsenal, and one or two positions are forced due to injury, I'd like to see:

-------Jones--------------
Manquillo Toure Sakho Moreno
---------Lucas------------
----Lallana------Can
-------Markovic-------
---Balotelli Sterling------

Let's get back to the diamond, give Markovic 90 minutes after a couple of good cameos, give Sterling and Balotelli the chance to develop a partnership ahead of the Arsenal game (both should be fine to play Sun, Weds, Sun for one week at least), give Toure and Sakho a chance to impress (and keep them in the side if they do).

Bournemouth are a good Championship side. We, for all our relative faults, are a top-half Premiership side with the potential to do better. We've only lost 1 in 6 despite our slump. We should win this, even if pourscousertommy is on the mark as usual with the team. And to be fair, with that team I can see the logic in sticking with a formation for a while rather than chopping and changing. I hate seeing Lucas and Gerrard together in midfield though.

Balotelli is injured

[calvoboy]

Balotelli is injured

Yeah, just seen that after posting that team (sorry I missed your post)...bollocks. Thought he was back now. Ah well, I'd probably go Sterling and Borini then - I just think we look much better with two up front. Despite that, I think the leaked team should be good enough, Bournemouth aren't Barca even if they are doing well at the moment.

[Phoenix07]

They were discussing this on the Redmen TV. It's a tough one because the fringe players will be wondering when they can get a game i.e. Can, Sakho, Markovic, and that if they can't start against Bournemouth, when there's a massive game against Arsenal coming up, then it's a kick in the teeth.

Also, with Rodgers mentioning about a lack of preparation time, to then put out a strong team in the one game which we can lose, is strange.

On the other hand, we should have enough quality to win, and it's a chance for these players to get a win under their belts in a big game. Basel was the bigger of the two games, and they didn't show up, so we'll see how things go.

[DannyMan2006]

I wouldn't play Lucas & Gerrard together, feel it lacks energy.

But....... It's better than Allen & Gerrard.

Moreno needs better protection than Allen. Gerrard has Henderson on his side, so he's less likely to get in trouble.

Also, I hope Lovren plays in the centre of the three. He's fine at battling for the ball and takes some pressure away. That or Toure, who can maybe give them all some orders. It'll probably be Skrtel though....

[DannyMan2006]

They were discussing this on the Redmen TV. It's a tough one because the fringe players will be wondering when they can get a game i.e. Can, Sakho, Markovic, and that if they can't start against Bournemouth, when there's a massive game against Arsenal coming up, then it's a kick in the teeth.

Also, with Rodgers mentioning about a lack of preparation time, to then put out a strong team in the one game which we can lose, is strange.

On the other hand, we should have enough quality to win, and it's a chance for these players to get a win under their belts in a big game. Basel was the bigger of the two games, and they didn't show up, so we'll see how things go.

Playing in a losing team does no player any good.

We had a line up that seemed to click in an attacking sense v United. It's wise to stick with that and get some goals. Take players off when the game is won (if possible) as opposed to not starting them and playing ET.

If we can beat Bournemouth and follow up with a win against Arsenal, we're back in business, and can change a couple of players moving forwards.

[Phoenix07]

I think we'll beat Bournemouth comfortably, as I've said before. My previous post just raised some of the points discussed from the Redmen TV. The Basel comment was my own.

[calvoboy]

I wouldn't play Lucas & Gerrard together, feel it lacks energy.

But....... It's better than Allen & Gerrard.

Nor me, I suppose it depends where Gerrard is playing though. If they're alongside each other in a '2' then I'm a bit concerned, even if it is "only" Bournemouth - it's never worked, they both end up in each others way and haven't got the pace to track fast runners. If Gerrard is further forward then it might work.

[Shaggy]

The team posted here by PST looks right - Tony Barrett's article in today's Times has the team identical except for Markovic for Coutinho.

[Paddy]

Coutinho has been well off the boil. Markovic deserves his place just because of that.

[frank the tank]

Coutinho has been well off the boil. Markovic deserves his place just because of that.

i get the feeling that if a player is out of the team, then his rep goes up - just because he is not directly part of the cluster**** that is on the pitch.....

it's been like that all season. If you go back far enough at some of the threads on here, then earlier in the season people were saying that "we will be much better when Joe Allen is back from injury". Fast forward 2 or 3 months, and Joe Allen is about as popular as the Pakistani Taliban........it is all very fickle...

For me, Markovic should play against Bournemouth. But only really because we should be able to rotate players for a game against Bournemouth. If Rodgers plays the same players as he did against United, then it puts a huge question mark over him in my view. Why did he need so many players then???

I would like to see a team of:

----------------------------MIGNOLET---------------------------

MANQUILLO-------TOURE-------------SAKHO---------MORENO

-------------------------------LUCAS----------------------------

----------------HENDERSON-----------EMRE CAN---------------

MARKOVIC---------------------------------------------LALLANA
----------------------------BORINI------------------------------


what we actually see is a totally different story (including the car crash that is Brad Jones) but for me, that team has energy in the centre of midfield and both full back positions, has defensive organisation in the form of Toure and Lucas......and gives attacking players that feel they should have got more game time some game time...... You would expect that front 3 to be motivated to stake a place in the team. Brendan should play that team and say to each and every one of them - you play well tonight and you start at home to arsenal.

But he won't.

If we see the 3 centre back line up......against Bournemouth.......then that is crazy.
If we see the midfield 2 of Allen and Gerrard.......then that is crazy.
If we see the no striker formation that he started at Old Trafford.......then that is crazy.
If we see Sterling playing....not rested for the weekend......then that is just plain stupid.

[Lecter]

i get the feeling that if a player is out of the team, then his rep goes up - just because he is not directly part of the cluster**** that is on the pitch.....

it's been like that all season. If you go back far enough at some of the threads on here, then earlier in the season people were saying that "we will be much better when Joe Allen is back from injury". Fast forward 2 or 3 months, and Joe Allen is about as popular as the Pakistani Taliban........it is all very fickle...

For me, Markovic should play against Bournemouth. But only really because we should be able to rotate players for a game against Bournemouth. If Rodgers plays the same players as he did against United, then it puts a huge question mark over him in my view. Why did he need so many players then???

I would like to see a team of:

----------------------------MIGNOLET---------------------------

MANQUILLO-------TOURE-------------SAKHO---------MORENO

-------------------------------LUCAS----------------------------

----------------HENDERSON-----------EMRE CAN---------------

MARKOVIC---------------------------------------------LALLANA
----------------------------BORINI------------------------------


what we actually see is a totally different story (including the car crash that is Brad Jones) but for me, that team has energy in the centre of midfield and both full back positions, has defensive organisation in the form of Toure and Lucas......and gives attacking players that feel they should have got more game time some game time...... You would expect that front 3 to be motivated to stake a place in the team. Brendan should play that team and say to each and every one of them - you play well tonight and you start at home to arsenal.

But he won't.

If we see the 3 centre back line up......against Bournemouth.......then that is crazy.
If we see the midfield 2 of Allen and Gerrard.......then that is crazy.
If we see the no striker formation that he started at Old Trafford.......then that is crazy.
If we see Sterling playing....not rested for the weekend......then that is just plain stupid.

You didn't hear me clamouring for Joe Allen to be brought back into the fold

[kubrickscube]

Would LOVE to see Sakho in the defence tonight. I don't really think we've given him enough opportunities to stake his claim.

[McDermotX]

He shouldn't of mouthed off at Brendan like that then !

[frank the tank]

maybe Rafa will play him when he comes back!!!



Seriously though - if BR gets the bullet, then the next manager will have some low-hanging fruit when he takes up the role. Our crop of young players are going to get better and better and he can say "it wasnt me that paid £20m for Lovren and £17m for Sakho" but if he can get a song out of either player (or both) then he is onto a winner when compared to Rodgers.