The Soccer Blog: Match Preview: Liverpool v. Stoke City, 11.12.10

By: Ed | November 12th, 2010

Liverpool head to the Britannia in search of their second away win.

The string of away fixtures continues that Liverpool should expect to win but can’t expect to win because they’re going to lose matches people expect them to win and win matches people expect them to lose. So I suppose they’ll win.

If Wigan away was tricky, the trip to the Britannia is a giant pain in the ass. They’re only marginally higher in the table than the Latics (and marginally behind Liverpool), but Tony Pulis and Stoke are a dangerous prospect for Roy Hodgson’s Liverpool. Even though I’d like to throttle Pulis with his baseball cap, he’s got the Potters playing consistent football—they’re rarely blown away, they can stick with anyone, and they have more than enough ways to threaten Liverpool. Yes, they’re currently in 16th, but after starting the season with three straight losses, 13 points is an above-average return at this point.

Stoke have somehow managed to keep themselves remarkably fit as a squad—they’re only missing Mamady Sidibe. They’ll be boosted by the return of Ryan Shawcross in defense, and I’m guessing at one point or another they’ll give Liverpool fits from the wide area. Whether it’s a Rory Delap throw-in or a set piece, I’m sure that Stoke will have their chances. Kenwyne Jones will be the main threat up top, and he’s supported by Jermaine Pennant, Matthew Etherington, Dean Whitehead, and Delap in midfield. Bonus points for the fact that Thomas Sorensen and the Stoke back line (typically Robert Huth, Danny Collins, Abdoulaye Faye, and Shawcross) have only kept one clean sheet all season—a 1-0 win at the Britannia over Blackburn.

As for Liverpool:

1. Who will start for Liverpool?
2. What’s the most important factor for the Reds?
3. Who’s going to win and what’s going to be the scoreline?

Do your best Roy Hodgson impression below—just cut out the whining and blaming.

1. Who will start for Liverpool?

Reina
Carragher Kyrgiakos Skrtel Konchesky
Meireles Gerrard Lucas Maxi
Kuyt
Torres

—If choosing the squad midweek was difficult, this one is nearly impossible. Nobody’s rested and if they are, they’re not fully fit. Glen Johnson’s out still, as is Joe Cole. Daniel Agger’s also out, and Raul Meireles could be out after coming off due to illness at the half against Wigan.

—Martin Kelly’s done well in the past week, and is likely the better fullback, but 180 minutes in four days is probably too much for him to recover from. With Johnson not yet fit, Carragher at right back is likely, with Skrtel and Kyrgiakos partnering in the center.

—It’s nigh-on impossible to exclude Christian Poulsen, but I’ll continue to try. With Meireles a doubt, and the oft-injured Joe Cole just recently back to full training, the only other choice is Jay Spearing, who’s done well in limited action, but is probably not in the mix. I think it’s a big ask for Lucas here as well, though, and it’s not out of the realm of possibility to see a Spearing/Poulsen partnership. But I guess we go with the same personnel as the past two matches, giving Hodgson a ready-made excuse for brainless tactical decisions.

—As much as the front five need rest, there’s not many alternatives given the injury worries and Hodgson’s apparent preferences of late. Milan Jovanovic is a willing runner and high on energy, but he can’t seem to work his way through, and the decision to leave David Ngog on the bench for the entire match Wednesday was not encouraging. I don’t want to see Kuyt, Torres, Maxi, and Gerrard for a full 90, but I can easily see Hodgson picking them again.

2. What’s the most important factor for the Reds?

Finishing upright sounds like a good place to start. Ignoring the sheer idiocy of the idea that two and a half days after Wigan will somehow be more restful than the two and a half days after Chelsea, it’s a tall order for a similar eleven to play the type of football we’ve come to expect—that is, stretched by the opposition, sitting back and waiting to break on the counter, defending with the striker.

It’s not likely that Liverpool change much tactically, or that they’re going to have enough stamina to get on the front foot with much energy. But that doesn’t mean they need to invite pressure. They can maintain possession and move forward with some sort of tact rather than waiting for an aimless 50-yarder from Carragher in the corner. I’m tired of the rope-a-dope, in case you haven’t noticed.

3. Who’s going to win and what’s going to be the scoreline?

I think Stoke are a tougher ask than Wigan, and I’m supremely worried about this squad’s level of fatigue. My heart says 2-1 Liverpool, but my head says 1-0 Stoke. On a Jim Halpert throw-in, of course.

Tomorrow continues the great run on US television for Liverpool, with Fox Soccer Channel giving it the sexy treatment in HD. It’ll also be televised live on ESPN in the UK, so anyone with cable has a good shout at catching the match live. Matchday post and links for those who find the allure of internet streaming too exciting to pass up will run in the morning, as usual.

Enjoy your Friday, deviants, and try not to get arrested.

Some Related Liverpool Posts:Match Preview: Liverpool v. Bolton, 10.31.10Match Preview: Liverpool v. Birmingham City, 09.12.10Match Preview: Liverpool v. Chelsea, 11.07.10Match Preview: Liverpool v. Everton, 10.17.10Match Preview: Liverpool v. Sunderland, 09.25.10

Category: Match Previews, Miscellaneous, Premier League, Team News

Tags: Christian Poulsen, David Ngog, Dirk Kuyt, Fernando Torres, Glen Johnson, Jamie Carragher, Jay Spearing, Joe Cole, Lucas, Martin Kelly, Martin Škrtel, Match Previews, Maxi Rodriguez, Milan Jovanovic, Miscellaneous, Paul Konchesky, Pepe Reina, Premier League, Raúl Meireles, Sotirios Kyrgiakos, Steven Gerrard, Team News
« Thursday Miscellany | Home | FernandoHELP!!! CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHERE I CAN GET LIVE STREAMING OF THE GAME, WITHOUT HAVING TO DOWNLOAD ANY SOFTWARE!!!

btw hopefully roy will recognize the lack of depth, so put pacheco and babel on the bench. Also there are big rumours that sampdoria are to cancel cassano's contract after a row with the president. We are being heavily linked with him, lets just hope it materializes...Bonus στοιχημαLiverpool must start winning away from Anfield. Let's hope that they will make it against Stoke. Torres is in form and this is good news.GrubbIf we are terrible in this game, I don't see how it can be put down to anything except Roy. I hope we are excellent rather than terrible. But I'm not expecting it.JoelI'm sure he'll blame it on the players again, especially how he aired the laundry regarding Johnson today.NoelYup. Johnson's hardly played due to injuries, and everybody with half a brain knows he isn't quited to camping on the eighteen yard line with defense being his primary concern anyhow. It's just more of the "Rafa left a thin squad" "Torres is out of sorts because of the World Cup" "If I made a mistake it was putting too much faith in the b-team and they let me down."

Johnson's a fucking wingback, and he's hardly played, so what the hell is gained from the manager publicly taking shots at him for not being outstanding in the roll of defensive fullback when he played a bit, oh, a month ago? What's gained is that it's not Roy's damn fault because it's never Roy's damn fault.

Yeah, we paid over the odds for Johnson, and yeah, he's not a stellar defender, but he was tagged with the English premium (and when Hodgson's finished helping the media turn him to shit how much of that English premium's gonna be recouped by the club when he gets moved on?) and he was meant to be primarily an attacker in a more modern system.

The only person who gains anything out of what he just did is Roy Hodgson, who now has another built in excuse as to why he'll have done an outstanding job if he cracks tenth at the end of the season after the last manager was fired for getting to seventh. Not only is he a tactical dinosaur, he's self-serving in the extreme and doesn't care a damn about the club--if he did care about the club but didn't think Johnson could cut it for whatever reason, the last thing he'd be trying to do is drive down his price just so that it could re-enforce the "I only had crap to work with" narrative. All he cares about is his position in the English old boys' club and the continued glad-handing of his media sycophants who tell him how super-awesome he is and have another manager of the year award oh glorious English footballing god.

/drunkenrantedsGrubbMay I suggest "Roy - Johnson's a fucking wingback" as your next photoshop project?

It'd look good on the Juicy Mangoes banner...
http://www.offthepost.info/wp-content/uploads/mangoes-fresh-juicy-liverpool-chelsea.png
JoelI'm terrified that Roy won't rotate this weekend, maybe I'm being cynical, but I expect something like:

Reina
Carra Soto Skrtel Konchesky
Eccleston Poulsen Gerrard Jova
Kuyt Torres

I would like to see:

Reina
Carra Soto Skrtel Aurelio
Eccleston Gerrard Lucas Jova
Ngog Torres

Torres could use a break, but I think Kuyt needs one more, so I think the answer may be partnering Ngog with Torres to take some of the pressure off him. I would really like to see a 4231 with Pacheco in the hole and Ngog up top, but that won't be happening. Ngog to play on Carra's side to handle the inevitable hoofing, Eccleston's pace and Gerrard's roaming on that side to support Ngog, Torres and Jova pressuring the opposite side of Stoke's defense.

However we line up, we need to come out of the gate with some energy and play to win. If we sit back like we did against Wigan, we're going to get demolished.Red2death"we need to come out of the gate with some energy and play to win"

This is exactly what needs to happen to keep Liverpool fresh and competitive throughout the season. And this is not just Hodgson's failing, Benitez was guilty to an extent too. Hate to compare to Utd or Chelsea, but when you see them play, they'd start strong and they'd never take their foot off the pedal until they're 2 or 3 goals to the good at least. Once you have a 3-0 against a 'lesser' opponent that never fancied their chances in the first place, they tend to give up the ghost. The heads drop, adrenaline drops, that extra fight that they would have put in is saved for another day. And that means tired legs can be rested, those on the pitch just need to see out the match.

Contrast with a one goal lead, where the opponent has everything to fight for and will certainly press hard for a result. Sure, with a good defence we might be able to hold on for a gritty win, but at what cost? A top team with a packed domestic and European schedule simply can't afford to fight gritty wars week in week out.

In the end the blame will be put squarely on the players (too tired), or injuries (bad luck), or lack of squad depth (blame the owners, blame Rafa, what have you). Fact is, it's simply bad tactics and management.RedLiverBirdFC2-1 to Liverpool with Kuyt and Gerrard scoring.... I hope....!!Tom FoolerySomething is telling me that getting arrested tonight and spending Saturday morning in the clinker may be more interesting than what we'll see from Pool in the morn. My guess is a stalemate (yes lots of deep defending), and Roy attempting to take the plaudits in the post-match...ahh yes another famous draw. I think Ed's right about right with the 11, what with Roy's comments and all. Or who knows, he could start Pacheco, Shelvey, and Wilson and really throw us for a loop (I'm dreaming of course...and drinking of course).RhymenocerosYou know what, screw it, I'm going to get ballsy and just say it...Liverpool wins 4-0. It's friday afternoon, I can't wait for the weekend and I want beer. Why make myself sad by speaking the truth? 3 to Torres and 1 Kuyt. BWWWWAAAAHHHHHHH!!!EdWas that a Dirk Kuyt laugh at the end or just completely falling off the rails?RhymenocerosIt's Kuyt falling off the rails.GalahadThreepwoodOK, so:

1. Reina
Carra Soto Skrtel Konchesky
Eccleston Gerrard Spearing Maxi
Jova
N'Gog

(I almost put Torres's name in there...not because I want him to start, but because I think Roy might be foolish enough to try it. I wouldn't put anything past him anymore.)

2. I really wish we could see Liverpool get back to playing like they did in the first half on Sunday. That's the way this team is meant to play. If they can find a way to get on the front foot against Stoke and keep some form of pressure on them, rather than playing most of the game in their own end as they did against Wigan, good things might happen.

3. Feeling like Ed here...would love to see a Reds win, but a 1-0 Stoke result seems more likely.

Gah, when did this depression come back? I thought I had shaken it off last week...NoelRight, so on top of those obviously out, Kelly, Lucas, Meireles, Kuyt and Torres probably shouldn't start because of fitness issues. If Torres does start, then 3 matches in a week with the final being against a side that will try to kick him to death is just asking for something horrible to happen. Have him around to play the last 20 if needed, when Stoke might be a bit tired, but starting him three in a row like this would be beyond foolish. So:

--------------Reina-------------
Carra---Skrtel--Soto---Aurelio
Eccles-Gerrard-Spearing-Maxi
---------------Jova-------------
--------------N'Gog------------

Would have been nice to see a bit of rotation midweek, and I rather suspect that any "a team" players who can stand will start like Ed suggests, so that's probably not very likely but anyhow just no Poulsen and better tactics would be nice.

I've got a losing feeling about this one in any case.EdI vacillate between predicting what I hope for and what I think we'll see, and if I went with the former it would have pretty much been what you put down. Hodgson's comments in that link above make me think that won't be the case, though.

But at least he manages to inspire the youngsters again:

"...then it's young players like Jonjo Shelvey, Jay Spearing and Danny Wilson."NoelI think we'll probably see what you think we'll see, too. And anyhow, a radically changed side would only offer a better chance of winning if the tactics were radically different than against Wigan.

Though looking at injuries and probable fitness levels, it really looks to me like a situation where it would be beneficial to have a side that had done a little bit of work each week with a three-man defensive line, just in case. I know in past years 4-2-3-1 was the standard, but 4-4-2 and 3-4-2-1 was always available in case of emergency, but Hodgson throwing out a half-changed side in a radically different formation on two days notice seems... well, yeah.Red2deathI have Hodgson down for 3 away wins this season. (Yes, a minimum of 32 points dropped already just by having Hodgson at the helm). We've already got one win, so I reckon the next one maybe in Jan/Feb?

RhymenocerosFSC HD is horrible. Do I have the channels wrong here? Lol.EdWell yeah, but it's better than my laptop screen. At times.blog comments powered by Disqus

Russia gets Nasty in World Cup Bid Panic on the Streets of London, Panic on the Streets of Birmingham Injury List Lengthens Ahead of Montenegro more news...

Search The Offside

Support Your Club Official Gear at SOCCER.COM

The Soccer Blog

Pages

Saturday, 13 November 2010

Match Preview: Liverpool v. Stoke City, 11.12.10

No comments:

Post a Comment