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Boro v Liverpool Match Thread Sat 15:00

MementoMori

Off to the unhappy hunting grounds that is the Riverside go Liverpool, hoping to build on the massive momentum from Wednesday night and just possibly making Fergie's bum that bit squeakier for the next while anyway.

So the boy Torres is doubtful but the good news is that Gerrard looks set to start.

Just to remind people how shockingly bad our record on Teeside is we have a miserable record there since the Premiership with Middlesbro 5 wins, Liverpool 3, Draws 5 and have scored just one league goal in their last six league visits to Teesside with the goalscorer being Fernando Torres goal last year. :eek::(

As against that Boro have been very poor this season and are right down there in the relegation zone battling for survival. They've drawn six and lost eight of 14 Premier League matches (six points out of 42) since defeating Aston Villa 1-2 at Villa Park on 9 November and not scored in four games, or 495 minutes (eight hours 15 minutes) of Premier League football. However you have to wonder if their two nil win over West Ham on Wednesday might get things going for them.

I'm expecting a line-up something like the following and would expect a 4-2-3-1 formation but could see Benayoun, Kuyt and Babel shifting around and maybe even Kuyt and Babel starting up front

Reina
Arbeloa Carra Skrtel Aurelio
Masch Alonso
Benayoun Gerrard Babel
Kuyt

Subs : Cavailieri, Hyypia, Agger, Insua, Lucas, N'gog, Riera, El Zhar

I don't know if Agger's back is ok but I would expect so.
I have Insua in there ahead of Dossena (more in hope than anything)

As for the Boro lineup I don't know enough to make that educated of a guess but I wouldn't be surprised if they try to keep midfield as congested as possible.

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Melion

Shocking performance, nothing wrong with the players he picked, they just didnt perform. El Zhar was good in the first half, that was about it.

Melion

Villain wrote: »

Leaving Benayoun on the bench today was a very odd decision, I said about 2 weeks he was really looking on form and he done well at Madrid and then gets left on the bench??

Rafa will win you the CL but he will never win the PL title imo

Im sure Rafa thought the team picked would have enough about them to beat Boro while resting players for Sunderland on Tuesday.

copacetic

ButcherOfNog wrote: »

Team looked tired today, Alonso in particular was terrible in the 2nd half.

El Zhar I thought did well enough, had two good chances and probably should have scored one of them, wasbetter than 12M Babel, what the hell happened to Babel? He was awful and has been awful most of the season.

Gerrard seemed to be playing within himself. Still made a couple of chances for others.

Carragher offers nothing going forward at right back, why not try Skrtel out there?

Kuyt missed a sitter.

Overall, worst performance of the season.

finishing was farcical, if you said there was a massive betting scam by the players to throw the game away I'd believe you.

ElZhar did alright, but to say he probably should have scored one of them is understatement of the year, it was a shocking miss.

opr

Melion wrote: »

Shocking performance, nothing wrong with the players he picked, they just didnt perform. El Zhar was good in the first half, that was about it.

Skrtel at RB, reaaallllly ?

Opr

Melion

As someone already said, Carra offers nothing going forward from RB so why not try Skrtel there. Arbeloa was injured and he didnt want to risk Darby(Rightly so)

opr

Melion wrote: »

As someone already said, Carra offers nothing going forward from RB so why not try Skrtel there. Arbeloa was injured and he didnt want to risk Darby(Rightly so)

I am not even going to argue this because anyone with the smallest amount of common sense can see trying someone who has never played at RB against a really good winger like Downing who is your oppositions main threat is insane.

Opr

ziggy

This post has been deleted.

denashpot

ziggy wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Helix

denashpot wrote: »

i reported it too for no reason other than ive been banned for calling liverpool fc the same thing

ntlbell

not sure why robbie keane is even being brought up you wouldn't play him when he was there so even if he was still at the club he probably wouldn't have made it into the first 18 as the premiership don't allow you to pick 19 players :rolleyes:

Anyway I got this one so wrong.

Great result for southgate nice to see a club stand by their man.

elshambo

opr wrote: »

I am not even going to argue this because anyone with the smallest amount of common sense can see trying someone who has never played at RB against a really good winger like Downing who is your oppositions main threat is insane.

Opr

+ Carra is going to offer a lot more going forword than Skrtel
+Carra has played well the last few times at RB imo
+Carra is a tidy simple passer and can back up the play from RB without setting the world on fire

only reason can be he was scarred of Downing's pace against Carra
But playing Skrtel out at RB is real Football Manager stuff!:o

ironictoaster

My friend was fuming at the full time whistle. He just threw his liverpool jersey in the bin and walked out the door...

Melion

creggy wrote: »

My friend was fuming at the full time whistle. He just threw his liverpool jersey in the bin and walked out the door...

Your friend doesnt deserve to wear that shirt. I cant stand fans like that who expect us to win every game every season just because of who we are, or more importantly who we were about 20 years ago.

therecklessone

I shouldn't have to say this:

If you have a problem with a post you report it, and leave the mods of this forum to take action.

Do not comment on-thread about the post, stating you have reported a post is considered back-seat modding.

joe123

creggy wrote: »

My friend was fuming at the full time whistle. He just threw his liverpool jersey in the bin and walked out the door...

Shameful thing to do imo.

podge018

Skrtel at right back was no big deal. Both goals came from the other side. Carragher has played there this season to no effect. Darby couldn't be put out there behind El Zhar, would have been suicide. Try Skrtel and see how he gets on. He wasn't great, and I doubt he'll ever play there again. But lets get it straight, it was in no way the reason we lost today.

Headshot

heres what rafa has to say

Rafa Benitez refused to call time on the title race after the 2-0 defeat to Middlesbrough - but admitted the Premier League was now Manchester United's to lose.
The Reds slumped to only their second league defeat of the season after Tuncay added to a Xabi Alonso own goal.

A victory for Chelsea over Wigan means Liverpool now sit third in the Premier League, seven points behind Alex Ferguson's front runners.

Benitez said: "Before the game it was difficult and after it is more difficult. We will see against Sunderland and try to improve but it depends on United now.

"If you want to stay at the top of the table you have to score.

"I will not say too much because for me it's clear that in the first 20 minutes we created five chances and you have to take chances if you want to win.

"We had some problems and injures - some players were tired but we had chances. We were in control for the first 30 minutes. Middlesbrough did well in the second half."

Liverpool's day got worse on 77 minutes when the returning Steven Gerrard had to be withdrawn after picking up a knock.

However, Benitez revealed afterwards that the injury was unlikely to keep him out of Tuesday's visit of Sunderland.

"He had cramps. I don't think it will be serious," said the boss

jesus_thats_gre

The most frustrating aspect of todays match is the amount clear cut chances that we missed.. If you are playing poorly, you have to take the chances when they come..

Boro played very well today also.

invincibleirish

Villain wrote: »

Rafa will win you the CL but he will never win the PL title imo

Surely Pool fans will be happy with that and wish the manager to stay?

LFC are in no different a state to what they were 12 months ago, why should they expect to compete with Man Utd when they have no faith in their Clubs hierarchy to do so.

Benitez just needs to sit tight, wait for those above to be sacked or sell up and then he'll get the honeypot and control he wants.

I'd gladly take a Pool CL victory if it means depriving Arsenal another route to the CL.

Headshot

jesus_thats_gre wrote: »

The most frustrating aspect of todays match is the amount clear cut chances that we missed.. If you are playing poorly, you have to take the chances when they come..

Boro played very well today also.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/football/premier-league/2008-2009/middlesbrough-liverpool-236889.html

23 shots

only 4 on target

whatawaster

Headshot wrote: »

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/football/premier-league/2008-2009/middlesbrough-liverpool-236889.html

23 shots

only 4 on target

we already have the worst shots on target ratio in the league. Something like 35 percent. Shocking lack of composure. I think United have the best.

Racing Flat

creggy wrote: »

My friend was fuming at the full time whistle. He just threw his liverpool jersey in the bin and walked out the door...

That says more about him than the Liverpool performance or current standing.

elshambo

Racing Flat wrote: »

That says more about him than the Liverpool performance or current standing.

True, they have been that horrible to watch in most of the games ive made myself sit thru

He should be well used to it at this stage!

Highsider

creggy wrote: »

My friend was fuming at the full time whistle. He just threw his liverpool jersey in the bin and walked out the door...

Pathetic thing to do. Who did he support before? Leeds,Blackburn and then Chelsea before we won the champions league. Clown :mad:

jesus_thats_gre

Headshot wrote: »

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/football/premier-league/2008-2009/middlesbrough-liverpool-236889.html

23 shots

only 4 on target

I am talking specifically about the missed chances from El Zhar and Kuyt.

I am not making excuses for loosing as we were very poor. I am saying that in games like these when you are playing poor, you have to take the chances when you get them.

jesus_thats_gre

invincibleirish wrote: »

Surely Pool fans will be happy with that and wish the manager to stay?

LFC are in no different a state to what they were 12 months ago, why should they expect to compete with Man Utd when they have no faith in their Clubs hierarchy to do so.

Benitez just needs to sit tight, wait for those above to be sacked or sell up and then he'll get the honeypot and control he wants.

I'd gladly take a Pool CL victory if it means depriving Arsenal another route to the CL.

Tis a sad day when you are being damned for being happy with Champions League success. We have shown time and time again that we can compete with the best teams in the world. I just don't understand how a manager can be slated while this remains the case.

The lack of success in the PL is disappointing but as you point out, there are countless reasons that can be used to explain this. I won't be criticising Rafa to any large degree until the clubs ownership and hierarchy are sorted out.

[Deleted User]

League is over but still in the CL, which the last time I checked is the biggest trophy in club football. Its not all doom and gloom;)

Aquos76

So are we now seeing some pool fans saying they want the CL now more than the PL, thats a turn up for the books aye....

I am quitely confident that liverpool will be ending the season without any trophies this season. They do not have the squad for them to win anything imo

Here are the goals for those who have not yet seen them
1-0
2-0

El Zhar's miss

200motels

It's about time Rafa went and I'm not overreacting because of today. it's being like that for years under him, I've never being a fan of the way he sends his teams out to play, look at Carriger coming off today he looked dejected like he's had enough of this managers total disregard for the League. The sooner he goes the better and takes most of the rubbish he's bought with him. Lots of Pool fans keep saying but there's no one else to replace him I'd rather Noddy take over than have him around for another 5 years to bore me to tears with his game by numbers.

ironictoaster

Melion wrote: »

Your friend doesnt deserve to wear that shirt. I cant stand fans like that who expect us to win every game every season just because of who we are, or more importantly who we were about 20 years ago.

joe123 wrote: »

Shameful thing to do imo.

Racing Flat wrote: »

That says more about him than the Liverpool performance or current standing.

Highsider wrote: »

Pathetic thing to do. Who did he support before? Leeds,Blackburn and then Chelsea before we won the champions league. Clown :mad:

I'll show him these comments tomorrow! He's a bit of a sap alright. He's goes mad when they lose yet, when they he praises and calls them world class when they beat Madrid the other day :rolleyes: Coming to think of it, he's probs one of the worst Liverpool supporters I've ever met. He'd be the one who would remind you that Liverpool won the European Cup 5 times, ugh.

He just rang me a couple of minutes ago, he wants the jersey back :rolleyes: