Fulham v Liverpool - Pre Match Thread

Yeah , he still has feelings for the reds but it will be a big mistake to think we'll get any favours from him tomorrow. As he said he's Fulham's captain and with that goes leadership , and he'll be out to do us ! That's just how it is. As long as we start well and get an early goal we'll be able to keep them at arm's length. But if it's one of them tentative shows by us it could be an uncomfortable evening. Still i say 2-0 to the redmen. Then it's C'mon the Villa!!

Lets get off the blocks quickly reds.
Keep the momentum going
Most important is to attack until you are at least 2 goals up.
Then Rafa can look at the game and do some tactical genius.

my prediction 3-1 to Liverpool, Torres 2 goals one for Gerrard.

I think Fulham will come straight at us, just like they did the mancs.

Well if they do, all the best to them. Exploiting spaces is what we do best. With our pace, there will be free flow of goals for us. Even our goalie can create goals.

Yeah , he still has feelings for the reds but it will be a big mistake to think we'll get any favours from him tomorrow.

Yes, if I ain't wrong, he won the coin toss in at Anfield resulting in us attacking the Kop end in the first half. He surely knows us well.

have misgivings about this game due to fatigue of our star players and team selection will be crucial. with the big game at chelsea perhaps some players should be rested or play half a game. could be a draw

Some interesting stats here folks (from the LFC.tv link), thought they were worth posting in full.

LFC statto Ged Rea provides all the relevant facts and stats ahead of this weekend trip to Craven Cottage.
Fulham V Liverpool Premier League


# Head to Head: (league only)
At Fulham: Liverpool 8 wins, Fulham 7 wins, 6 Draws.
Overall: Liverpool 24 wins, Fulham 7 wins, 12 Draws.
 
# Should Liverpool avoid defeat they will return to the top of the league, though Manchester United will have two games in hand.
 
# Earlier this season the sides played out a goalless draw at Anfield. It started a run of seven draws in 10 games for the Reds which incorporated two full months either side of Christmas.
 
# Last season Liverpool won 2-0 at Craven Cottage just days before they met Chelsea in the Champions League at Anfield. Jermaine Pennant (with his last goal for the Reds) and Peter Crouch scored the goals.
 
# Should this game end in a draw it will be the first time since 1966-67 that both league meetings in a season have ended in stalemate.
 
# Liverpool are looking to score at least four goals for the fourth successive game, a feat they have only ever achieved twice in their history and not for 104 years.
 
# Overall in the Premier League Liverpool have won four and lost three at Fulham but home and away have won nine and drawn three of the 15 meetings.
 
# Liverpool's biggest win over Fulham in the league came in November 1955 when they won 7-0 at Anfield.
 
# Their best win on this ground came in October 2004 when they won 4-2 after being two goals adrift at half-time. In that game Xabi Alonso scored his first Liverpool goal.
 
# The Reds heaviest ever defeat at Fulham came in April 1956 when they were beaten 3-1.
 
# Liverpool's clean sheet last season was only their second in the last 12 visits to Fulham.
 
# Billy Liddell, with the help of two penalties, scored Liverpool's only hat-trick in meetings between the sides doing so in September 1954 at Anfield.
 
# Steven Gerrard has scored 13 of his last 14 penalties for the Reds and the one he missed (at Marseille in last season's Champions League) he scored from the rebound. However, two of his five misses have come against Fulham.
 
# Steven requires just one goal to score 50 for Liverpool away from Anfield.
 
# He has scored six goals in his last three games against Real Madrid, Manchester United and Aston Villa.
 
# A win will take Liverpool beyond the 350 point mark under Rafa Benitez (will be 351).
 
# The Reds have won four on the spin in all competitions scoring 15 goals in the process with seven coming before half-time.
 
# They have won nine away from home in the league this season – only Chelsea and Aston Villa (ten each) have won more while no team has scored more on the road than Liverpool who have netted 27.

# Liverpool's total of 54 league goals this season is higher than any other side in the Premiership.
 
# The Reds have lost just once in the last 19 league games since Tottenham won on the first day of November. That was at Middlesbrough in February.
 
# In October 2004 at Craven Cottage Josemi became the first, and so far only, Liverpool player to be sent off against Fulham.
 
# The only Fulham player to score a hat-trick against Liverpool is Elton John's uncle Roy Dwight who did so in 1956.
 
# Fulham have only won seven of the 43 League games between the two sides.
 
# The Cottagers go into this weekend's fixtures in 9th place and with an eye on qualifying for Europe. Last season it was a different story with Premiership status only being secured on the last day when Danny Murphy's goal at Portsmouth ensured they stayed up by virtue of having a three goal better goal difference than Reading who went down instead.
 
# Murphy managed one goal against Fulham as a Liverpool player. He scored an 89th minute penalty as Liverpool won 2-1 at Craven Cottage in November 2003. He played 249 times for the Reds in total notching 44 goals. Two Saturdays ago he netted a penalty against Manchester United in his side's 2-0 win to add to the three winners he scored at Old Trafford as a Red.
 
# Clint Dempsey, on as substitute, scored his first goal for Fulham in this fixture two seasons ago.
 
# Fulham have the best home record of any Premier League team except Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City. Fulham have won 30 points on home soil with United (37) and Liverpool (33) accruing more.
 
# They have conceded 26 goals – only Chelsea (17), Manchester United (18), Liverpool (21) have let in fewer.
 
# They have defeated Bolton and Manchester United in the last two games and are looking to win a third in a row since the final three games of last season that kept them up.
 
# Their second goal against United two weeks ago was their 200th at home in the Premiership.
 
# Roy Hodgson has been Fulham manager since replacing Lawrie Sanchez in December 2007. Today will be his 49th league game in charge and so far he has won 16 and lost 19.
 
# He has yet to record a victory over Liverpool in four previous games as a boss (two each with Blackburn and Fulham) though he has lost only one of those – here last season.
 
# They have failed to score in nine of their last 13 games against the 'big four'.
 
# This season they have defeated Arsenal and Manchester United at home and have drawn with Chelsea while on the road they have recorded goalless draws at Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal.
 
# They have lost three times at home this season – to West Ham, Hull and Blackburn – all by a single goal.

# Leading scorers (league in brackets):
 
Liverpool: Gerrard 21 (13), Torres 11 (9), Kuyt 10 (, Keane 7 (5), Riera 5 (3), Benayoun 4 (3), Alonso 3 (3), Babel 3 (2), Aurelio 2 (2), Dossena 2 (1), Hyypia 2 (1), Ngog 2 (1), Agger 1 (0), Arbeloa 1 (1), Carragher 1 (1), Lucas 1 (0), Plessis 1 (0), own goals 1 (1).
 
Fulham: Johnson 10 (7), Dempsey 6 (5), Murphy 6 (4), Zamora 4 (2), Bullard 3 (2), Davies 3 (2), Gera 3 (2), Nevland 2 (2), Hangeland 1 (1), Kamara 1 (1), Ki-Hyeon 1 (1), Konchesky 1 (1), own goals 1 (0).
 

fulham 0 liverpool 2 

Rafa should start our best 11. My List is this: Reina, Arby, Carra., Agger, Aurelio, Masch., Alonso, Kuyt, Reira, Gerrard, Torres.

I chose Agger instead of Skrtel 'cos Danny is v.good passer & knows where the goal too (Only my opinion). 3-1 for us Torres, Alonso, Agger

I would go with:

Reina
Arbeloa, Carragher, Skrtel, Aurelio
Kuyt, Alonso, Macherano, Riera
Gerrard, Torres

we should win at a canter but with liverpool you never really know.

we should win at a canter but with liverpool you never really know.

Have some faith at least!

We're probably more determined than ever to try and win every game from now on.

Rafa should start our best 11. My List is this: Reina, Arby, Carra., Agger, Aurelio, Masch., Alonso, Kuyt, Reira, Gerrard, Torres.

I chose Agger instead of Skrtel 'cos Danny is v.good passer & knows where the goal too (Only my opinion). 3-1 for us Torres, Alonso, Agger

I would go with:

Reina
Arbeloa, Carragher, Skrtel, Aurelio
Kuyt, Alonso, Macherano, Riera
Gerrard, Torres

I doubt very much if Mascherano will play tomorrow, I think he'll be pretty tired after his journey.

I would expect to see Lucas play

i cant see maschereno playing, playing at high altitude [ re quito ecuador ]can knock the stuffing out of you plus jet lag.give the guy a break please

I cant see maschereno playing, playing at high altitude [ re quito ecuador ]can knock the stuffing out of you plus jet lag.give the guy a break please

That is what im thinking, even though he cannot play in the midweek, its not sense to play him tomorrow. BUT saying that I think we will have him on the bench and brought of, if needed.

fulham 0 liverpool 2 

I'd take that mate, even 0-1. It is gonna be a nervy game I feel, what we want is, us to seal the win asap and then think about Wednesday's game.

I reckon we should go with this (4-2-3-1):

Reina
Arbeloa
Aurelio
Carragher
Skrtel
Kuyt
Alonso
Lucas
Riera
Gerrard
Torres

Subs: Cavlieri, Agger, Dossena, Benayoun, Mascherano, Babel, N'gog.

Hoopia can sit out this one 

Prediction:

Fulham Football Club 0 - 3 Liverpool Football Club

Scorers: Torres 32, Kuyt 43, Gerrard 66.

I think Rafa won't pick his best players for this game cause we have to play Chelsea in middweek.

Hoopia can sit out this one 

Prediction:

Fulham Football Club 0 - 3 Liverpool Football Club

Scorers: Torres 32, Kuyt 43, Gerrard 66.

Hoopia      is injured

I think Rafa won't pick his best players for this game cause we have to play Chelsea in middweek.

Vitally important we win this one though surely...............it is the Premiership we want you know.

Looking forward to tomorrows match as per usual but especially since its been 2 weeks since last match! Anyways, think that we can win, and need to win! Hopefully fulham are quiet after their win over man u!

Hyypia wont be a good choice anyway, Andy Johnson is lightning and Sami wouldnt catch him.

It'll be tough, their best players are Hangeland and Murphy - a holding midfielder and a central defender. We have to break them down the hard way.

I think we should play Agger instead of Skrtel and rest Skrtel for the champions league game ...plus Agger gives an attacking edge to the team  so he can also helps us attack Fulham and break them down .  Alonso , Riera and Kuyt will be pumped after play all played so well in their internationals ...and I think that Masch will be rested and if he's needed he can come off the bench ...poor thing must be tired and stressed after the defeated to Bolivia and traveling 5000 kms from La Paz . Lets hope Danny Murphy gives mercy to us ..still love him though ! Lets hope Torres can give Hangeland a torrid time like he did with Vidic ! I think Rafa will be hoping approaching this one differently and will be pleased with a scrappy 1-0 win . We have to be tactically correct to break down a well organized Fulham team  . But I believe by the end of the game the redmen will be on top of the table , the players know not to write off  Fulham ...like Fergie did  ! Well I'm sticking my neck out and saying 1-0 or 2-0 to the redmen ! YNWA !

Can't wait for this one. It's been too long since we've seen the boys.

I don't expect Masch to play either. Lucas will get the nod, hope he's up for it...I'm sure he will be and he'll have the support of the crowd. I'd personally prefer SG to drop back to midfield to partner Xabi and for Benni to play just behind Torres only for more creativity.

I don't pick the team however and trust that Rafa will put out his best available squad.

I think it will be harder than a lot of us are expecting. I've predicted 2-1 to us with Stevie and Fernando to score.....but I had a dream the other night that Torres scored 5. Just not game enough to pick it. 

Im goin to craven cottage.Fulham 0 v 2 Liverpool

He's got to play his strongest team,which means no Lucas,we can't afford any more slip ups ,and goal diff could come into it,so they have to go and try and get 2 or 3,because if they go for 1-0 and try and defend it,Fulham will probably get a point out of it.Attack attack attack

please show the right stuff here reds beg everyone to pray here for a win. its going to be tougher than you think. come on reina long balls for torres to show his lightning pace. we have to win every game. things at utd imploding now beratov is injured hope villa can stick to utd