Pre Match: Manchester City V Liverpool (25th Aug 2014 - 8pm)

The top two from last season and I cannot wait. If we perform like we did against Southampton, City will run riot but I'm expecting big improvements. Last season we lost here and probably deserved to win the game but for refereeing errors and goalkeeping errors.

           
                         Mignolet

     Johnson   Skrtel     Lovren    Moreno

                        Gerrard
               Henderson   Allen

        Sterling     Sturridge    Coutinho

Allen in for Lucas and a debut to Moreno. If Flanagan is fit, drop Johnson. COME ON REDMEN!!! 
 

I was to create this later this week so to celebrate yesterday's hard game.

My team 4-1-2-2-1:
                           Mignolet
   Manquillo   Skrtel     Lovren    Moreno
                            Gerrard
       Henderson                     Allen
                Sterling     Coutinho
                       Sturridge   

Change of tactic for me to 4 4 2. Have 2 attacking full backs with 2 wide men who will cover teh full backs when eeded whil offering a lot themselves going forward. Lambert to start to see if he can create that extra space for Sturridge like yesterday. And Emre Can to start to curb Toure

               Mignolet

Manquillo Sakho Lovern Moreno

Henderson Can Gerrard Sterling

          Sturridge Lambert

Can't wait for this game already, getting the taste of a victory again just makes you want it more and more.

Really hoping that Markovic is fit for this one, think he can bring a lot to our side and would most certainly start with our new wing-backs:

                       Mig
Manquillo    Skrtel   Lovren   Moreno
                    Gerrard
          Henderson Coutinho
Sterling                           Markovic
                   Sturridge

Really think this side would have way too much pace and movement for City. Toure (Yaya) looked like he had put on plenty of weight over the holidays and gathered himself for maybe 2 sprints the entire game against Newcastle. I know he can be languid at the best of times but I think now is a good time to play them.

Their strength is always their wing-backs we have to fight fire with fire in that department, force them to defend rather than attack and we will do these and send a real message. Anyone that wants a piece of the 10/1 left available for us for the title should get on before this game.

We win and that will plummet, also we could very easily have Falcao around that time too, which would also have a price reduction in it too.

HUGE game, even if only in the 2nd week. Need to improve greatly from yesterdays performance, need to be a lot more fluent in attack, especially with the likes of Fernando playing, but also having a defensive eye with their potent attack.

Yesterday was hopefully the last time we'll see a Gerrard-Lucas combo, both failed to pick up their man for the majority of the game, once leading to Clyne's goal and if thats repeated against City they will punish us. I would bring in Allen for Lucas, who can hopefully be better at tracking his man down, but can also cover down the left hand side for if Moreno starts and makes some attacking runs down the wing. Also can offer a little more offensively than Lucas.

Would certainly bring Moreno straight in on the left, but perhaps the big question is who starts at right back? Whilst the majority of people don't want to see Johnson play for us again I still think he would be more useful for this game than Manquillo. Manquillo was caught out on a few occassions yesterday and seemed to lack a bit of inexperience in terms of when to make challenges and which man to track, but then again Johnson makes a few silly decisions like that also.

I think Brendan will go with...
                                Mignolet
            Johnson   Skrtel      Lovren   Moreno
                               Gerrard
                     Henderson      Allen
                    Sterling         Coutinho
                             Sturridge

I liked the role Lambert played when he came on yesterday and could be useful again if we need a goal later on, but also I really hope Markovic is fit enough to at least play a part as I think he could cause the City defence some problems, not only due to his qualities but with having such little game time perhaps City may not look at how to defend against him too much.

If he is fit the bench would perhaps be - Jones; Toure, Sakho; Can, Lucas; Markovic, Lambert.


Will probably change my mind numerous times in the lead up to the game but right now I would take a draw. 1-1 my prediction to now

This is gonna be big, I can't wait for it. City are the main challengers imo and with good reason. They're a very physical side and we'll need to be solid defending. In terms of attack, I think we have lenty of pace and movement to create chances against the best teams around, so I'm not that worried for goals. Plus, I get the feeling Sterling will want his goal to make up for what happened last year.

We cannot play Johnson, he's simply too slow and poor in defending. Apart from one last ditch tackle yesterday, he was vulnerable against S'ton. We'll need Can to counter their physical domination of the midfield. Hendo and Can are big and athletic, so we'll need that. Plus Gerrard struggles against teams with pace. With Silva, Nasri and Aguero attacking, he wouldn't have the legs so he'll need both Hendo and Can alongside him for protection.

                         Mignolet
   Manquillo   Skrtel     Lovren    Moreno
                            Gerrard
       Henderson                     Can
                Sterling     Coutinho
                       Sturridge   

First game wasn't great, but we now have over a week to prepare for this. CMON REDS!!!!

Such a big game so early on in the season and yet its so important to our whole season. I think we are so much better than yesterdays performance and the team selection will be very interesting too.

Yep massive game this, but coming to early for it to be a classic unfortunately, simply have to perform much better than yesterday or else we could get battered, there's no way in hell I would play Johnson not a f***in chance, nor Lucas for that matter, I agree with having to man up in midfield so for me Can comes in to support Henderson with Gerrard at DM,
Manquillo rwb Moreno lwb, same cb pairing and a front three of Sterling, Coutinho, &  Sturridge,

We keep a high tempo & get in their faces when off the ball we will do well, sit back and we're asking for a sh*t storm,

Not changing my prediction going for a 1_2 reds victory,

                       Mignolet
   Manquillo Skrtel Lovren Moreno
                        Gerrard
   Henderson                  Can
    Sterling.      Coutinho    Sturridge

Bench;   Jones, Sakho,  Lucas, Allen,  Lambert,  Ibe,  Markovic

Neither us nor the Abu Dhabi X1 have played well so apart from the personell we're pretty evenly matched, like I said we need to play a high tempo game keep it tight at the back and we have a great chance of bagging 3 pts.


YNWA

25th August? Is this seriouly going to be on a Monday? Oh for fucks sake. The Premier League hates me. I'll have to find some excuse to miss work and watch this.

Surprised a game of such magnitude is to be shown on a Monday, but then I realised it's a bank holiday so it makes perfect sense to.

Not entirely sure how I feel about this game. If I were to make a prediction, I'd like to think we could snatch a draw. We should all be aware that our performance on Sunday wouldn't be sufficient if facing these boys in Manchester. We'll have to up our game, which I think we will, and as usual, I think Coutinho will be our goal scorer against City.

I would play nearly the same team as we did on Sunday. Resign Lucas to the bench for either Can or Allen and start Moreno before Johnson.

Not expecting either team to be at their best this early on in the season so we could really take advantage of any rust they may have.

YNWA

I don't want us to come away with a courageous defeat. A draw would be a great result but lets take the game to them and see how good they are.

Can in for Lucas and Moreno in for Johnson.

Can in for Lucas and Moreno in for Johnson.

This! I want to see Can smash into Yaya and Fernandinho

We looked very good against them in pre-season from what I saw of the game. Hopefully Can and Sterling would have such an impact against them again. Them two linked up well together and Can was a brick wall.

Lucas, Coutinho and Jonno started slowly yest, and given City away, might start as below:

Mignolet
Manquillo Sakho Lovern Moreno
Allen Gerrard Can
Hendo Sterling
Sturridge

Game might come too soon for Moreno though unfortunately, lets see.
With Lambert/Coutinho serious options to come on.

Would go for the same lineup, except with Allen (or maybe Can) instead of Lucas and someone instead of Johnson (at this point, anyone would do, but hopefully Moreno )

Playing City in Manchester is never easy but this could be a good time to do so, they didn't look all that good vs Newcastle, started slowly like us

Would rather this match was later on in the season, but we must surely improve on Sundays performance.
Johnson was a liability against Southampton I thought, so hope if he plays he raises his game, but to me he is just going through the motions.
Would obviously love a win, but a draw would be a good result.

Mig
Manquillo - Skrtel - Lovren - Moreno
Gerrard - Can
Henderson - Coutinho - Sterling
Sturridge

Mignolet
   Manquillo Skrtel Lovren Moreno
                        Gerrard
   Henderson                  Can
    Sterling.      Coutinho    Sturridge

Bench;   Jones, Sakho,  Lucas, Allen,  Lambert,  Ibe,  Markovic

This from Billythered all day long. Good to see you haven't got Johnson on the bench either. The further he's away from the squad the better.

----------------Mignolet---------------
Manquillo----Skrtel----Lovren----Moreno

----------Can--------Gerrard-----------

---Henderson----Coutinho----Sterling---
--------------Sturridge-----------------

Was thinking about starting Ibe for this one because of his pace. I think they would struggle with the pace of Ibe, Sterling and Sturridge. But I opted to go for the safe route with above. Safe yet lethal.

Thought City looked very solid in the back last night. Toon threw everything at them and they just dealt with it. Regardless of how good or bad Toon's attack is, City just dealt with it so easily.

We play like we did against Soton and they'll tear us a new one

Poll added, this will be interesting, head vs hearts!

Not sure if this is too early in the season for me or not. But better to get it over and done with.

Just hope the linesman is not as blind as last years.

Don't like such fixtures this early on. Neither team will be at their sharpest.

Mignolet
Moreno
Lovren
Skrtel
Manquillo
Gerrard
Allen
Henderson
Coutinho
Sterling
Sturridge