Pre-Match: FA Cup Semi Final - Aston Villa v Liverpool

How big is it??

Just looked it up. Yes I'm sad like that Debs.

Wembley 115 by 74 yards.
Villa Park 115 by 72 yards.
Anfield 110 by 75 yards.

Bit longer than ours but not as wide.

Virtually the same as Villa's.

Looks like a bit of a myth then.

How big is it??

Big enough to fill a pram or two
 

As much as i dislike Johnson would have him in at RB instead of Markovich

Mignolet

Johnson
Emre Can
Skrtel
Moreno

Henderson (c)
Lucas
Allen

Sterling
Balotelli
Coutinho

Subs: Jones; Flanagan, Lovren; Gerrard; Markovic; Lambert, Borini.

Ibe being cup-tied is a pain but let's see what Balo can do when given a chance from the start!

2-1 to us! 

I'm so hungry for winning some piece of silverware like any other Liverpool supporter! Its been far to long! Lets get to the final boys!

I'm so hungry for winning some piece of silverware like any other Liverpool supporter! Its been far to long! Lets get to the final boys!

Likewise mate, epitomises the club.

All is well with the world this morning.

Managed to get the shop covered so I'll be able to see the game which I thought wasn't going yo happen.

Biggest game of the season so far for me.

No mistake, this game is now humongous.

Gerrard, Skrtel, Can are all banned. We desperately need to win this, and then, if we get to the semi, & beat Villa, then we are into the Europa via the back door.

Suspect Blackburn will come out all guns blazing, and we need to be strong, any wimps out there & we can kiss this game good bye.

Strongest possible team in all areas is a must.

Reading and Aston Villa need FA Cup win for Europa League spot

Reading and Aston Villa will have to win the FA Cup if they are to qualify for next season's Europa League.
Uefa introduced a new rule in July  that if the domestic cup winners had already qualified for the Champions League, the spare place would revert to the league.

Previously, the beaten finalists would qualify, as Hull City did after losing last year's final to Arsenal.
The Gunners, second in the Premier League, are likely to secure a European place through their league position.
Liverpool are currently fifth in English football's top-flight and will also play in European competition next season if they finish in the top six.

But for Aston Villa, 15th in the Premier League, and Reading, 18th in the Championship, only victory in the Wembley final will do.
Reading play the Gunners at Wembley in Saturday's semi-final, which kicks off at 17:20 BST and is live on BBC One Radio 5 live and the BBC Sport website.

Villa meet Liverpool on Sunday at 15:00 in a game that the BBC is covering live on radio and the website, with highlights on BBC One.

Villa have not played in Europe since 2010-11, when they were beaten by Rapid Vienna in the Europa League play-off round, while it would be Reading's first experience of European football.

If Arsenal win the FA Cup, or Liverpool do so and finish in the top six, the last Europa League spot will go to the team seventh in the Premier League, currently Tottenham.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32358581

Nothing has changed, but we need to win.

Was listening to The Anfield Wrap on the way to work this morning and the kads were discussing the merits of using Stevie into he front three and as a false 9 and I can see the merits in it.

He's a big game player and has goals in him and if Sturridge isn't fit I think it could be an option.

Any thoughts?

Was listening to The Anfield Wrap on the way to work this morning and the kads were discussing the merits of using Stevie into he front three and as a false 9 and I can see the merits in it.

He's a big game player and has goals in him and if Sturridge isn't fit I think it could be an option.

Any thoughts?

Maybe as an option off the bench after 60mins Si but I wouldn't start him.

Maybe as an option off the bench after 60mins Si but I wouldn't start him.

I don't think I would either Debs but they were saying if Sturridge didn't make it would you rather have a three of Phil, Sterling and Markovic or Phil, Sterling and Gerrard.

I think in that scenario I'd go with the skipper.

I don't think I would either Debs but they were saying if Sturbridge didn't make it would you rather have a three of Phil, Sterling and Markovic or Phil, Sterling and Gerrard.

I think in that scenario I'd go with the skipper.

Still a maybe from me Si. 

I know it's a big game and one that everyone is desperate to win but for me, we need as many penalty takers as possible on the pitch at 90 mins, just in case 

Again for me Brendan needs to stick as much as possible to players he'll have available at the start of next season to try and win the game on their own, if they can't then bring on the Skipper and let him do what he's done so many times before, get us out of the sh*t.

Training pictures from Melwood yesterday.  No Lucas 

http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/latest-news/183685-photo-gallery-reds-prepare-for-wembley

Was listening to The Anfield Wrap on the way to work this morning and the kads were discussing the merits of using Stevie into he front three and as a false 9 and I can see the merits in it.

He's a big game player and has goals in him and if Sturridge isn't fit I think it could be an option.

Any thoughts?

Sooner field a team that has the highest chance of goals early on in it and win the game in nighty. If you start Gerrard and it goes to extra time, you're faced with either taking off one of your best penalty takers, or leaving him on for hundred and twenty minutes of football on his first game back after injury and suspension at the age of thirty four.

Sooner field a team that has the highest chance of goals early on in it and win the game in nighty. If you start Gerrard and it goes to extra time, you're faced with either taking off one of your best penalty takers, or leaving him on for hundred and twenty minutes of football on his first game back after injury and suspension at the age of thirty four.

But would Gerrard starting offer us the best chance of goals in the 90?

Travelling down in the morning, any info on congregating areas for a few beers other than Wembley

But would Gerrard starting offer us the best chance of goals in the 90?

He produces the second most key passes in the team and has the highest number of second assists; he's still a good bet offensively. For me, whether he starts really depends on the formation we are playing.

So, when is the match gonna be played?

So, when is the match gonna be played?

Tomorrow at 3.

But would Gerrard starting offer us the best chance of goals in the 90?

As opposed to Sturridge? If it's an either/or situation then give me a striker over a midfielder, even one of Gerrard's calibre. If you want both in then again the question comes down to do you want Gerrard on for potentially 120 minutes and so knackered at the end that he fluffs a penalty? If he hadn't been injured then suspended I'd risk it but that's not the case is it. Personally I'd start with a front three of Sterling, Sturridge and Countinho and look to bring Gerrard on as an impact player because he can either control the game and shut it down if we're leading, or score a goal/take a penalty if we're not. Realistically it's how Gerrard should have been employed all season.

Is this match on normal TV
or sky/bt?

BT Sport 1 apparently. Typical.

Is this match on normal TV
or sky/bt?

BT sports.which means the local will be showing it on Italian sky oddly.