Pre-Match Thread: Liverpool vs Hull City

Saturday 13th December
Kick Off 15:00

After a convincing win against Blackburn and a solid performance against PSV I expect nothing more than 3 points in this encounter. This week has been significant as higlhighted in another thread not just because the young lads that were given opportunities have stepped up and shown their hunger but also it is an opportunity to gather winning momentum ahead of our trip to Arsenal next week and the all vital hectic Christmas schedule.

Hull have shown some balls and grit this season and have shocked everyone with their current position in the league, one vital area where I think we will outshine them in is technical ability. Geovanni aside they lack creativity in the middle and upfront and are too reliant on size and power. In saying that I think Xabi and Stevie will be key to breaking them down should they park their bus in front of their goal.

I am undecided as to who and how we should start this game upfront surely we can not play with one striker at home against a side like Hull. If we do opt for two strikers who will we see up there will it be Keane and Kuyt, maybe even Babel or N'gog.

Regardless who starts I think we will be too strong for Hull and 3 points will be in the bag!

Come on you red men!!!!!!

Keane and Babel up front.

They won't park the bus. Hull didn't do that against United or Arsenal, I doubt they would against us.

Come on.

We can't even think 'bout another draw at home.
We just need get three points, cause Arsenal game at Christmas schedule gonna be too nervous, and lost top at saturday could carry away all confidence that we got at two away victories against Rovers and PSV.

Bet 2 - 0. Keane Brace.

10 games to our next champions league game and we need to aim for 30 points.
ONE game at a time, though.

I'd like 2 strikers but we probably need Javier to mark Geovanni and Stevie and Xabi to unlock them. Xabi is the key, and has always been(I'm confident he'll get one of his 45 yarders in soon).

I'm going for 3-1 again?

I can't watch a few matches. I've missed PSV and i will also miss Hull and Arsenal Last one i watched was Blackburn. Till now, i haven't missed any BPL game.This is because i'm on holiday in Califronia, U.S.A and they don't have football on tv sucks. I check the scores online though, they don't even have results in the papers! GO REDS GO

I'm going to swing towards a 4-4-2 this week. Need to have more bite up top but i'm not sure whether Keane and Babel work together or if N'gog even deserves a place and as i write this it has struck me that Kuyt can play up top too

                               Reina

Arbeloa         Carragher         Agger          Insua


 Benny           Alonso           Gerrard         Riera
 
       
                      Kuyt             Babel

I'm shocked myself that i have chosen Benny but if Rafa gives him one instruction (F***ing STAY ON YOUR WING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) then it'll be fine.

3-0 to us with Babel, Alonso and Gerrard delivering the goods.

10 games to our next champions league game and we need to aim for 30 points.
ONE game at a time, though.

I'd like 2 strikers but we probably need Javier to mark Geovanni and Stevie and Xabi to unlock them. Xabi is the key, and has always been(I'm confident he'll get one of his 45 yarders in soon).

I'm going for 3-1 again?

I can't watch a few matches. I've missed PSV and I will also miss Hull and Arsenal Last one I watched was Blackburn. Till now, I haven't missed any BPL game.This is because I'm on holiday in Califronia, U.S.A and they don't have football on tv sucks. I check the scores online though, they don't even have results in the papers! GO REDS GO

Unlucky...some of the streams are from America, If I remember I'll look on the stream lists tomorrow and see if any are from your side, and I'll PM you. Around 2pm GMT, whats that, 6am pacific time !!

I hope we score early. That will calm the nerve of the players. We are not great at home game. Partly because of the pressure that our fan impose on the players. They have to get behind them 110%, be patient. It don't matter whether you win it in the last second or the first. A win is a win & 3 points in the bag. Let them build up their confidence.

Going for 2-0 win.

I hope we score early. That will calm the nerve of the players. We are not great at home game. Partly because of the pressure that our fan impose on the players. They have to get behind them 110%, be patient. It don't matter whether you win it in the last second or the first. A win is a win & 3 points in the bag. Let them build up their confidence.

Going for 2-0 win.

I agree with the above comment almost totally, but I have gone for 4-0 which I predicted a while ago and I never change my mind regardless of how the team or their opponents are playing !
so fingers crossed and I may will improve my position in the prediction league 

I reckon we'll be seeing something like this tomorrow:

_______________Reina____ ___________

Arbeloa___Carragher____H yypia___Dossena

______________Alonso____ ___________

Benayoun______Gerrard___ _________Riera

___________Kuyt___Keane_ ____________

I'm going to swing towards a 4-4-2 this week. Need to have more bite up top but I'm not sure whether Keane and Babel work together.

                               Reina

Arbeloa         Carragher         Agger          Insua


 Benny           Alonso           Gerrard         Riera
 
       
                      Kuyt             Babel

I'm shocked myself that I have chosen Benny but if Rafa gives him one instruction (F***ing STAY ON YOUR WING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) then it'll be fine.

I agree with you all of that. I am starting to go off Benny. He drifts inside far too much, maybe tho Dossena could be given another game? Played well against PSV, lost the ball a bit but he won it back 100% of the time.

I'd rather see Insua given another chance rather than Dossena. The Italian had to scramble back to get out trouble after lapses of concentration got him into trouble a few times.

I'd rather see Insua given another chance rather than Dossena. The Italian had to scramble back to get out trouble after lapses of concentration got him into trouble a few times.

Fair comment mate

i'd like to see us starting with a real intesity agaisnt hull don't know about you lot but i thought agaisnt west ham we just started to flat. it was only in the last 20 mins that we really started to play and by that time it was to late. the early goal is crucial and we need to get at them from the off dont let them settle into 2 banks of 4 in front of us.
                      

I can see Rafa going all out on this one. At home to Hull, don't see how we can't start with 2 strikers up top. If it was away then maybe could go 1 up and break them down with the 4-2-3-1, but we're at home so all out attack IMO.

We need to get about them quickly and rattle them, yeah. They may have already performed well at Arsenal, Spurs and United, but we could unsettle them early doors.

The Marlon King situation will hopefully be a distraction for them too. With any luck it will have upset team harmony, but that may just be wishful thinking.

I reckon they will do as West Brom did and come to have a go and play more openly, unlike West Ham, Stoke and Fulham...which would see us get more space to work with.

I can see Rafa going all out on this one. At home to Hull, don't see how we can't start with 2 strikers up top. If it was away then maybe could go 1 up and break them down with the 4-2-3-1, but we're at home so all out attack IMO.

This is why I expect to see Kuyt and Keane in tandem upfront (or perhaps Babel?).

I can't see N'Gog playing this one, despite his goal on Tuesday. He grew as the game went on, but he's still not ready for a potentially tight home game where he won't get as much space in behind the defenders.

LIVERPOOL V HULL CITY: STAT ATTACK
 
Ged Rea 12 December 2008 
 
Here are the pre-match stats and facts ahead of our first ever Barclays Premier League meeting with Hull City

A win in this game will take Liverpool four points clear at the top of the table for at least a day as Chelsea do not entertain West Ham until Sunday.
 
  The last time the two sides met was in the League Cup on this ground. The Reds won 4-2 in September 1999 to give them passage to the Third Round of the League Cup by virtue of a 9-3 aggregate victory.
 
In that meeting only Steven Gerrard (an unused substitute) of the Reds 16 man squad is still at Anfield.
 
The last league meeting at Anfield came in August 1959 when Liverpool won 5-3.
 
Liverpool have never lost to Hull in any of the 12 meetings in all competitions with Liverpool winning ten.
 
Only one Liverpool player has ever scored a hat-trick against the Tigers. Ian Callaghan scored all the Reds goals in a 3-1 League Cup Replay in December 1973 with the game being played on a weekday afternoon to conserve power. That was the only time ‘Cally' scored three times in any of his 857 games for the Reds.
 
Hull City will now become the 41st different team Liverpool have faced in the Premier League.
 
Daniel Agger celebrated his 24th birthday yesterday.
 
Nick Barmby scored eight goals in 58 appearances for the Reds after joining from Everton in 2000.
 
Should this game fail to produce a goal it will be the first time in Liverpool's history they have played out three goalless draws at home in succession in the league.
 
If Liverpool win today they will be guaranteed to be top of the Premier League for the first time ever after 17 games.
 
If they beat Hull Liverpool will have hit the 40 point mark quicker than they have ever done in the Premier League (17 games). In 2005-06 they had 40 points from their opening 18 games.
 
This is Hull's first ever season in the top-flight. They were the biggest city in Europe never to have played at such a level.
 
City came up visa the Play-Offs beating Bristol City 1-0. At the age of 39 Dean Windass, the former frozen food packer, became one of the oldest Wembley scorers.
 
Phil Brown celebrated the second anniversary of his appointment two years ago. His league record as boss currently stands as Pld 87 W 37 D 22 L 28.
 
Hull have picked up 15 points on their travels this season. Only Chelsea (24), Liverpool (19) and Everton (16) have accrued more away from home.
 
They have scored 15 away goals in the Premiership. Only Chelsea (21) have found the net more frequently.
 
Hull are unbeaten in their last four league games (one win and three draws). Away from home Hull have won at Newcastle, Arsenal, Tottenham and West Brom while in their only defeat on the road, they still managed to score three times at Old Trafford.

******************************************************************************************

I have a lot of time for Hull and Phil Brown, I've enjoyed some of their footy this season, I like the way they go out to attack teams and not just sit back.

Tomorrow's game should produce a few goals, hopefully all scored by Liverpool, but I'm not so sure, think we need to watch that Marlon King, he's a bit of a danger man.

But I'll plump for a 4-1 win to the home side, and see us extend our lead at the top to 4 points.

As long as Rafa plays 2 up front, we should be OK.

Come on Liverpool, this is your best chance for years, don't blow it against these lesser teams.
 

We cannot go into this just expecting a win, Hull have been very good away from home and we will need to make sure the side is not complacent.

I'd like to see Mascherano start so he can keep an eye on Geovanni, who pulls the strings for them.

I know Hull are better than Fulham and W.Ham. But I expect this to be an easier game for us. Hull do play an open game even in away matches with usually a 4-3-3 formation. We will get more space in midfield to play and we are usually defensively solid. We should win 2-0. BTW King was arrested this week for assault.

                                 Reina

Arbeloa         Carragher         Agger          Dossena


 Babel           Alonso           Gerrard         Riera
 
      
                      Kuyt(2nd goal)             Keane(To play for 90 min and score)

I'd like to see Keane score, but I wouldn't back him to. He did pick up towards the end of the PSV game and hopefully he can carry that into this game.

4-1 MsG,

We are at home you know not away, I'll just be happy with a win.

fingers crossed, lets hope Hull don't do a, well a Hull.

Anfield Online match preview

http://www.anfield-online.co.uk/match-preview/2008/match-preview-hull-city-h/

Some of these confident predictions I suggest you throw a few quid on!

Yea throwing around 3-4 goal wins is far too optimistic IMO. We have to give Hull some respect and acknowledge it will be hard. I think scoring an early goal will do as a world of good.

If we win this, I reckon it'll be by the odd goal, or perhaps a 2-0...I very much doubt we will hammer a side high on cofidence and form. They are still flying high...people seem to have forgotten that!!

The squads for tomorrow:

Liverpool (from): Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher, Agger, Dossena, Babel, Benayoun, Gerrard, Mascherano, Lucas, Alonso, Riera, Kuyt, Keane, Ngog, Cavalieri, Insua, El Zhar.

Hull (from): Myhill, McShane, Turner, Zayatte, Ricketts, Ashbee, Boateng, Marney, Barmby, Geovanni, King, Garcia, Halmosi, Windass, Mendy, Cousin, Giannakopoulos, Hughes, Doyle, Duke.