LFC V Spurs (H) Build up thread

[SB]

So 8pm KO at home on Tuesday

A few injury concerns it would appear.

Lucas a real threat. Hopefully Coutinho & Markovic are ok for this.

Any other news yet?

[Gibbo]

I'm excited for this and I'm not sure why, mid-week football

[Chris]

Massive game, losing any more ground would just be too much to overcome I think, wouldnt be so bad if we just needed to get above 1 team but it's 3 and the games are ticking by. Utd and Arsenal have gimmes on paper this midweek aswell. Lets destroy these ****ing **** cunts.

[Bender]

Need to take kane and erriksen out of the game

[danperkins]

Such a pity we have so many injury concerns, as we really need to win this. Going to be a very tight game.

[BigChief]

Allen had a storming game against Spurs not so long ago. Lets hope he's in the mood again.

Sturridge needs to start and ensure he puts away the half chances we create. Kill any hopes of a comeback and mentally the Spurs players will just give up. Its the end game that keeps them believing.

[Chazza]

Liverpool made to sweat over Lucas Leiva injury in Merseyside derby

LIVERPOOL face an anxious wait to discover the extent of the injury that forced Lucas Leiva out of the Merseyside derby.

The return of the Brazilian midfielder to Liverpool’s starting line as coincided with an upturn in fortunes, but he is out of Tuesday’s pivotal showdown with Tottenham and could be facing a lengthy absence.

Lucas missed the FA Cup win over Bolton Wanderers last Wednesday with a thigh problem linked to his adductor muscle and had not trained properly in the build up to the stalemate with Everton.

He was withdrawn after 15-minutes at Goodison Park, and replaced by Joe Allen, amid fears he suffered a new injury in the same area rather than aggravating the existing problem.

Manager Brendan Rodgers was assessing his walking wounded in the aftermath of Saturday’s goalless stalemate with Raheem Sterling and Philippe Coutinho both substituted after receiving knocks to their foot and knee respectively.

Liverpool are four points behind fifth-placed Tottenham and can ill-afford to lose any ground, but looked leggy against Everton as if their recent schedule is catching up with them.

“The only downfall of being in cup competitions is the number of games, but whatever happens with injuries to players the squad will be better for the experience,” said Rodgers.

“If we are playing one game a week it is because we are not in cup competitions and not doing as well as we would want. We want the games to come.

“This is a challenging year, but we will be better when we come out of this year and so will the players. Phil Coutinho had a knock on his knee and Raheem had a knock on his foot.

“We had fresh players on the bench to bring on and hopefully they will be fit for Tuesday.”

Adam Lallana hopes to be available for the visit of Tottenham when Liverpool’s defensive improvement will be put to the test by in-form striker Harry Kane.

In the last 822 minutes that Emre Can, Martin Skrtel and Mamadou Sakho have played in a three man defence, Liverpool have conceded four goals. In the last 822 minutes they haven’t Rodgers side has leaked 11.

“We are happy for that because from the beginning of the season there was a lot of criticising of the defending,” said Skrtel. “I’m happy we improved that and in recent games we kept a lot of clean sheets. I think in this year I think we have only conceded in one game from open play so that is very goad. We just need to carry on that way.

“I said that many times, defending is not only about the defenders but the defending of the whole team. We improved that.

“We play Tottenham and then we play Southampton later on so it is the game against the opponents that are also fighting for the top four so they are going to be crucial games.

“We are just going from game to game, and try to get as many points as we can. We just believe we can finish in the top four.”

Skrtel also hailed the impact of 19-year-old Jordon Ibe – who was born after Everton last won a trophy - against Roberto Martinez’s side.

“He was great,” said the defender. “He came back from loan and it is not easy for young players to join the game like this because obviously it is a derby, it is a massive game but I think he was great.

“He did well, he hit the post and he was unlucky he didn’t score. I’m just happy for him.

“He showed his quality on the pitch. We knew he has got the quality because we can see him every day in the training. I’m just happy he played like that today and hopefully he can carry on playing that way.”

http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/556902/Liverpool-Wait-Lucas-Leiva-Injury-News-Merseyside-Derby

[SB]

http://www.express.co.uk/sport/footb...rseyside-Derby

Good to see Skrtel talking your Ibe up. And the fact that he wasn't born when the bitters won there last trophy.

[Phoenix07]

These cunts need destroying, and I mean to the point whereby they collapse to the ground in submission at our awesomeness. **** fans, **** ground, **** players, **** club.

Press them hard and press them fast. I hope Sterling and Coutinho are on top form and embarrass Eriksen and Kane.

[SB]

I'll 2nd that motion.

I don't hate them but I sure don't like them.

[RedRum]

Should be a different game from the last one. Pochettino has got them pressing well.

[BobTheCharmer]

It should be a cracking game. We will need to be at our best and become clinical if we're to get the 3 points.

[SB]

Become clinical? It's hard to imagine right now isn't it.

[BobTheCharmer]

Its a pipe dream.

[BigChief]

Should be a different game from the last one. Pochettino has got them pressing well.

We'll have better players and better pressers on the pitch in this game than we did against Everton. Spurs have been riding their luck like Utd. Time for the world to see how they perform when Erikson/Kane aren't bailing them out time and again.

A bit like how we almost exposed Chelsea with Fagregas and Costa.