Stoke City vs Liverpool: (Sat November 13th K.O. 17:30) Pre Match

VS

Another Big game this one, but will Roy see it that way and plan for an excellent and well earned 0-0 draw.

One interesting point is that our relent and professional ex-winger Jermaine Pennant may be facing us.

With our solid wing play I'm sure he will have a hard game.

The game itself will be live on

I do not have a good feeling on this. Stoke seem to be one of our many boggie teams. A Liverpool Win would be fantastic after the Wigan display.

IS this Roy's last game? Well only time will tell. As JD has been requesting ATTACK.

Roy already sets the team to sit back and deep in our own backyard so I'm expecting he'll be happy with a point in this one.

He needs to start playing positive football. Close down opponents, put pressure on the ball, attack, attack and attack to score goals. Afterall, that's how football is meant to be played home or away unless the aggregate stuffs come into play. You score goals to win. There should be alot of movement in the team. Play the ball forward to Torres, he's a more confident now and he'll score the goals when given the ball.

If Roy actually does that, I'll be happy because that's what Liverpool is all about.

Wouldnt suprise me if Roy made some changes for this, I expected some changes last night seen as he's banging on about the squad being so thin at the moment.

Whatever team he puts out, just hope we dont sit back and invite them onto us because that would make it a more difficult game than it already is.

Ive got a fear that Pennant will have a stormer against the below par Konchesky too!

Sounds negative but I can see a draw here.

Roys tactics bring the same depression that the H+G era had. He is the last remains of that horrific period in our history and I don't think I will be able to fully enjoy football until its over. It just hasn't felt right with him in charge.

This game will suit Hodgson a bit more tactically because Stoke are a long ball team a bit like Bolton, I can see Sortis playing if fit.

We can't handle football teams like Wigan. I think this will go the same way as the Bolton match but I expect it to finish in a draw.

Ya, Soto should play if fit, a real presence in the air will be neccessary against Stoke, both defending and attacking, so likewise Kuyt should continue up front. I said before the Wigan game that 4 points from 6 from, well lets be honest 1 tricky enough away ties would be good, so a win here should make the 4

RH will says:

"Defend is the first priority, one point from away game is our target, winning is bonus..
"Try get a goal in first in any chance, then shut the door, 11 men behind the ball..
"If we are lucky, we can get 3 points, if we are out of luck, we can still have one point..
"If we are losing, be panicked, and start attack to have a draw..
"When I see you having difficulty in defending, I will substitute one of you with my love boy, Poulsen..
"By the way, Konchesky, no matter how badly you played, unless you are injured, you will always be in the first team.. You have my support..

I have no confidence in winning the game what so ever.

 It is with a lot of regret that I think it will be more of the same (Wigan) against Stoke.I have always gone into every new season believing we can win the lot,sadly these days I do not have that confidence.Please prove me wrong Mr Hodgson and set out a team that will attack for the duration of the match,I dare you.

Woy hasn't changed his methods away from home his whole career, i'm not deluded enough to think he will now.

Sit back and hopefully nick a goal.

Don't feel good about this game though.

3 points are a must.

Enough excuses, we need to play for the win, from the off and to the final whistle.

We are not a mid-table side happy to scrap out draws, we should stop acting like one.

I would be praying for a win rather than being confident about it.

3 points are a must.

Enough excuses, we need to play for the win, from the off and to the final whistle.

We are not a mid-table side happy to scrap out draws, we should stop acting like one.

That's right.

A team wanting to challenge for top four (and the title) should always be going for the win from the start, home or away.

I think Roy is seriously putting that mid-table mentality into the team and it seems every away draw is a point earned.

It's just so annoying when we have the ammunition to play good football.

Play;

-----------------Reina-------------------
--Johnson----Carra--Greek---Konchesky--
----------------Miereles------------------
--Kuyt------Gerrard--Lucas-----Rodriguez-
----------------Torres--------------------

Subs: Jones, Kelly, Skrtel, Babel, Shelvey, Pacheco, N'Gog.

Predo: 0-1 Liverpool (sit back and nick a late goal tactics).

Dreading this game... away to Stoke... depressing

IS this Roy's last game? Well only time will tell.

No the 28 day window has now closed, he is here for a while

Dreading this game... away to Stoke... depressing

No the 28 day window has now closed, he is here for a while

f*** sh*** boll** ar**

ah well

anyway, looking at teams above us , sunderland and bolton (i know, depressing) are away to chelsea and wolves respectively, so we a chance to climb up a couple of places (3 if we get a better win then spurs). another excellent opportunity and another excellent reason to go on the attack and try to get a few goals.

will it happen? i hope so, but as people pointed out, roy will prob play for a draw the senile old bat. if he sets the defence out to sit on the edge of the box as usual, i will have a mild heart attack.

I hope to god he doesn't push for ngog to play now just because of what happened at wigan, we need these 3 points from this physical side

A win would put us on 19 points which is strong compared to the 12th to 5th being close by only 2 points.

League is blown wide open.

I have no confidence in winning the game what so ever.

Me neither. Kenwyn Jones is a real concern for me.

Not confident at all.

Reina
Kelly - Carragher - Kyriagkos - Aurelio
Johnson - Gerrard - Lucas - Maxi
Torres - Jovanovic

This please Roy. I know 4-4-2 may be a bad idea away against Stoke but Torres dosen't look as good without someone next to him/dropping deep off him.

I'd give Raul and Dirk a rest. Hopefully Sotis is back.

I don't think I've ever seen us beat Stoke at the Britannia Stadium ever since they came up in 2008/2009.

Not confident at all, dreading this

Considering Roy's away form getting 3 points will be like winning the title :p

                     Reina
Johnson Carragher Kyriagkos Aurelio
         Meireles Lucas Gerrard
Kuyt              Torres             Jova

Would love to see this.

Il try and bring in some optimism.

I think we can get a draw here.

Not confident at all.

Reina
Kelly - Carragher - Kyriagkos - Aurelio
Johnson - Gerrard - Lucas - Maxi
Torres - Jovanovic

This please Roy. I know 4-4-2 may be a bad idea away against Stoke but Torres dosen't look as good without someone next to him/dropping deep off him.

I'd give Raul and Dirk a rest. Hopefully Sotis is back.

Why drop Kuyt?

Why drop Kuyt?

cos he's in danger of wrecking his body through over exertion. love kuyt, he will run himself to a ground for lfc

Stoke are playing very poor football, we are playing what I would concider poor football. This has all the hallmarks of a dire game!

We need to rip into to Stoke early and build on a lead. None of this 1 goal and sit back, we should attack hard and pin them in for 70 mins, get a few then let them over commit and get a few more!

In reality I think Roy will play a super negative game here, defend a draw and we could end up losing if not careful.

Lets play to our strengths, get stuck in and win by a few.

This is going to be a tough game, Stoke are always hard to play and our away form has been dire to say the least. We need to put in more than a 15 minutes performance like we did mid-week. As far as the line-up I can see Poulson slotting back into the side as well Soto (which we need).

---------------Pepe---------------
Kelly-----Carra------Soto----Konchesky
Kuyt-----Lucas----Poulson-----Maxi
--------------Gerrard--------------
--------------Torres---------------

Bench: Hansen, Skrtel, Spearing, Meireles, Jovanovic, Ngog, Jonjo

3 points are a must.

Enough excuses, we need to play for the win, from the off and to the final whistle.

We are not a mid-table side happy to scrap out draws, we should stop acting like one.

Very game we must play to win and that can olnly happen if we play attacking football .This thing of playing with one striker every game is not good ,why don't we play with two strikers and put pressure on our opposition?

Very game we must play to win and that can olnly happen if we play attacking football .This thing of playing with one striker every game is not good ,why don't we play with two strikers and put pressure on our opposition?

Because the number of strikers you have on the pitch doesn't necessarily have much to do with how attacking the football you play is.

Formations are neither attacking or defensive. Its how a manager choses to instruct the players that defines the way you play the football.

Roy should start sitting Stevie and Torres for games we are favored since he can't win with them unless we are the underdog. 

3 points nothing less!!!

cos he's in danger of wrecking his body through over exertion. love kuyt, he will run himself to a ground for lfc

? He hasn't played for 3 months, he should be fresh a daisy. What he needs is more match time not less. Unless his ankle is troubling him I can't see why he'd be rested.

Surprised so many are predicting 3 points.

I'll be praying for it, but i'm not predicting anything more than 1 point.

Hope Soto plays. He's a must in this game.

Surprised so many are predicting 3 points.

The triumph of hope over expectations...

If we go to Stoke with the same negative attitude we have had in virtually every game this year, if we go there looking to avoid defeat, we will come away will nothing - unless Nando pulls something out of his arse.

We would need to see the Liverpool of last Sundayto get 3 points here. I more expect to see the Liverpool of Wednesday sadly with a similar or worse outcome

This please Roy. I know 4-4-2 may be a bad idea away against Stoke but Torres dosen't look as good without someone next to him/dropping deep off him.

Thank You.

I would like to nominate you as the next Liverpool manager.

Perhaps we could have got those four extra points last May and won some so far this season.

Thats what that Redknapp chap down South also  thought of doing.

Nice one PR.

We would need to see the Liverpool of last Sundayto get 3 points here. I more expect to see the Liverpool of Wednesday sadly with a similar or worse outcome

How depressing we dont know which Liverpool will turn up on the day!
I would like to hope for 3 points- but who knows the way our seasons been going?!

I'm afraid a draw is all I can hope for with Roy as Liverpool manager. I do hope that I am proved wrong though. We really need to abandon these negative tactics though if the side has a chance of moving up the table.

If your hoping for Roy to change his tactics your having a laugh, he's been using the same tactics for 35 years or so he keeps reminding us, and you know the sayings " a leopard never changes its spots" & "You can't teach an old dog, new tricks".

I'll expect the expect the worst a loss, accept a draw & be chuffed to bits with 3 points, which will we get ?, I'm about as clueless as Roy's tactics to be honest.

I've optimistically gone for a point.  I just know we are going to be as deep as ever.  Roy's away record tells us that.  If we can keep the mighty Stoke city at bay (as there's not much between us) we'll take 0-0 and Roy will say it 'would not have been fair for us to beat Stoke.'

But this is our world now, low expectations and being lowered by the day.

I think I'm going to tweet Mr Henry 

My sisters husband dies in the morning Liv played Che. He went to rescue mission in chopper in Mt. Ama Dablam, Nepal.  That day win or loss I was happy to get distracted by my personal loss to see the reds play. 
Wig match couldnt watch cos it was man game or che.  So lets get back on track so Liv game will be on live rather than other teams.

Even in my deepest grieving. Liv still game me some moment to forget my sorrow. I am sure all over the world in happy or sad we all look to Liv for happiness.

Capt. Sabin Basnet RIP YNWA

Sorry to hear about your loss, BK. Let's hope that our doubts are unfounded and the lads can put together another winning streak for you.

RIP Capt. Sabin Basnet

3 points would be nice, but Stoke ain't no mugs these days! we need to be clever, score early and close them off at home sounds tricky but can be done.

Reina

Kelly Carra Skrtel Konchesky

Kuyt  Gerrard  Lucas Raul Maxi

Torres

They should get the job done, just have to watch out for Pennant's crosses and Delaps throws and we should be fine!

Can't see us even picking up a point here to be honest.

Torres will be isolated, midfield will go too deep, everyone will just give it to Stevie to create something and he'll fail because only Torres bothers to move and then our defence will be sh*te again....... same old, same old.

2-0 Stoke.

Cannot F***ing believe I've just predicted that but come on Redmen and Roy, prove me wrong.

Stoke are a very strong team, very big, rarely play any sort of football.

But we are big too! I think if we can match them in strength with players like gerrard and kyriakgos when in the box we could get a goal or two from set pieces.

& also torres on form means dribbling, and big bulky players like that haven't a hope of catching him!

Roy is away from home and is going for a 1-1.

Was just thinking that we haven't THUMPED anyone this season. No 4-1 scorelines or anything of the like. I hope this is the game (not optimistic).

we always have a hard time against stoke and its an away  it seems as though we rely on torres and gerrad to score so if they have good games we can get the three points

I believe we can get a 1-0 win against Stoke, just like how we win against Bolton.. Sh*te performance, but win..

This is the type of game that needs a winger to be able to have a go on the outside of the pitch. We will play too compact, and it'll be very hard to find goals once again I reckon.

The best we are going to get from this game is a draw. Torres may have found his shooting boots, but his chances will be limited today.
I don't have any confidence in our defence at the min, and can see us conceding at least one.
Fingers crossed we can hit them on the counter, and steal a win, but i wouldn't put money on it!

A win is a must! We must/want go back into the top 4! And when we are not winning against teams like Stoke, than we don't deserve it!
The difficult time is not over yet! But I want to see 11 players on the pitch, who are motivated to play for our big club!
Believe!

Reina

Carra Sotis Skrtel Koncheskey

Shelvey Lucas Poulsen Spearing Wilson

            N'Gog

Stoke wouldnt know what to do against that

We just can't concede possession and invite them on.

Long balls to Nando, who'll be playing against four, count 'em FOUR big F**k-off, centre halves just won't work. The fact is we need to get in their faces, high up the pitch. That way, when their play does break down, a short, slipped pass for Nando or Dirk to run onto is all it will take.

In my opinion, if we get this right, we'll beat them.

Stoke are going to park the bus. Roy will have us playing counter attack, when we need to get stuck into them from the first whistle.

My worries   are i am pretty  bloody confident that roy would start with poulsen in midfield as he was praising him after the shitty performance and draw against wigan
  he said " we were more balanced and and better when CP came on"
  c'mon roy play something like this >>

      Reina

kelly   carra    skrtle/sotis   konchesky( him as we have no replacment ATM)

      raul-lucas
johnson                kuyt/maxi
             gerrard
                    torres
   

Stoke are going to park the bus. Roy will have us playing counter attack, when we need to get stuck into them from the first whistle.

Why would Stoke park the bus? They are at home to another mid-table side managed by one of the fraggles

I fear that Roy will park the bus in the hope of getting a draw.  We are only going to get something out of this game if Fernando and Stevie pull a bit of magic out of their arse.

I really hope he goes at them from the kick-off, trying to get the ball, move it forward, attack them and go for the win... I just don't believe he will.  We are easily capable of winning this game.

I fear that Roy will park the bus in the hope of getting a draw.  We are only going to get something out of this game if Fernando and Stevie pull a bit of magic out of their arse.

Suppose that will be better than the horror show of Tevez trying to pull it out of Ferdinands

6 Hours till KO, 3 F***ing joyous points will make the early morning wake up worth it.

Come on you lads, get a lead early and no matter what Roy says after that, do the opposite.

head says 2-2 heart says we win it

Soto might play but Cole and Johnson are ruled out.

I reckon the best we can hope for is a point here today, can't see us getting a win but I hope I'm wrong, Stoke are pretty hard to beat on their own ground and what with Roy's negative tactics I can't see further than a point.

Hopefully the way we played against Wigan in the week will mean the lads give themselves a kick up the backside and get their act together today, let's hope Nando has his scoring boots on again, cos we sure do need him.

I'm going for a two all draw.

You've just played two brutal games of football in four days, 180+ minutes of relentless action in the most physically demanding division in the world. Your limbs are aching, you've got bruises everywhere, mentally you're exhausted and your body is pleading with you to give it a break. But it's Saturday and so, a little over 60 hours after leaving the pitch last time around, you've got to go through it all over again. Put your kit on, don your boots and walk out into that arena accompanied by a deafening roar to put yourself on the line for your club and the fans to whom you mean everything. Welcome to the Premier League, the most relentless exhibition of the greatest game on Earth.

Big task for Torres today i reckon as he is alone upfront.

We'll need to tackle the physicality of the Stoke.

I reckon the best we can hope for is a point here today, can't see us getting a win but I hope I'm wrong, Stoke are pretty hard to beat on their own ground and what with Roy's negative tactics I can't see further than a point.

I think if we take it to them then we can come away from there with 3 points. But you just can't see us playing like that, can you?

Definitely a tougher game than Wednesday in my view but let's not forget Torres has got his scoring boots on lately. As long as we don't stupidly isolate him, we have a chance.

Really, we should be going there expecting 3 points. But we're never going to be like that under Roy, unfortunately.

Wearing our poppy shirts today btw all. Black kit I think.

I'm not intending on accepting anything less than 3 points today.

You can't beat Chelsea and then drop 4 or 5 points against Wigan and Stoke.  It's just unacceptable and would speak volumes about his ability to motivate the team.

Win, and we soldier on.  Lose or draw and the club really need to consider that this season will not end on a happy note.

Attack.  Not defend.

Off to the Britannia I go then.

Have a good game folks and let's hope the Liverpool from the Chelsea game turns up again.

COME ON YOU REDS!!!!!!!

Scrappy one nil win for us. Hopefully Soto is back. Would love Lucas or Ngog to get it. Looking forward to seeing how the kit looks. Will need to be a big performance or the Chelsea win will have been for nothing. Hard for teams with three games in a week, but it is the same for every team. Come on!

Would like to see someone other than Torres & Gerrard on Score/assist sheet.

All 13 goals that we have scored this season so far have either been assisted or scored by Torres and Gerrard.

Others need to step up.

I predict.. 1 depressing point!
But we should win.. If we attack we can win easily, but if we don't (as usual).. we'll draw.. Well, hopefully! We can also lose

I think if we take it to them then we can come away from there with 3 points. But you just can't see us playing like that, can you?

Definitely a tougher game than Wednesday in my view but let's not forget Torres has got his scoring boots on lately. As long as we don't stupidly isolate him, we have a chance.

Really, we should be going there expecting 3 points. But we're never going to be like that under Roy, unfortunately.

Unfortunately no, I can't Kenny 

I agree with JD though, surely we can't play the way we did against Chelsea, and let's face it, that's the best we've seen from Liverpool this season, and then the same team plays the way we did against Wigan, and we looked abysmal in comparison  Let's hope the team perform as well as they did against Chelsea and for sure we'll take the three points, and possibly move up to 5th?

Enjoy the game Chats, hope the lads win for ya !

Premier League has gone so dolally that it actually feels strange to have a saturday game. Seems like we only play on sundays and weekdays. I don't have a feeling either way this game. Really depends on which team shows up on the park.

Will be very interesting to see how two ''park the bus'' managers play this out...

Will be even more interesting to see if Torres returns to his grumpiness after being harrased and harried by Showcross and Huth. If he doesnt resort to being grumpy (his usual reaction to over physical center halves) we can say that he is truly back.

As for results, well It is going to be scratchy for sure.

Rumours that Poulsen may start the game against Stoke

Rumours that Poulsen may start the game against Stoke

That wouldn't surprise me to be honest.

Slow physical team, poulsen will most certainly (in my opinion, not preference) start.

Assuming since I havent heard bout Raul that he is injured as he came off v wigan I reckon:

----------Reina----------
kelly - skrtel - carra - konch
-----lucas - poulsen -------
Kuty ---- stevie ---- Maxi
-------- nando ----------

Thats what I reckon not what id go for but its prob what I think roy wud go for.
Wud prefer stevie further back knocking it left and right testing stoke speed and Meireles in for Poulsen (playing the stevie role)

I understandably have severe misgivings about this match as our performances at Stoke have been at best abysmal

Meireles was ill apparently, not injured.

I'd like to see this defence
---------Reina------------
Kelly--Soto--Carra--Konchesky

My prediction: 1-2
Kyrgiakos and Torres

well in that case id slot mereiles in and drop poulsen. this is a game that needs creativity to break down a very good stubborn team at home.

Why can i sense a 1 depressing point being the result today

I understandably have severe misgivings about this match as our performances at Stoke have been at best abysmal

AND we never got that goal at Anfeld on the 20th Sept 08 (which to this day is still unclear to me) which would have won us the league by a point and would have been Gerrard's 100th goal!

Let's take a trip down memory lane shall we

Stoke 0 Liverpool 8 - League Cup (Nov 29 2000)

You all remember that one surely, back in the days when Stoke were still a tricky away team for any Division 1 club and we had the days of "whos gonna score today" wether it be Hyypia, Fowler, Owen, Hamann, Smicer or Babbel all getting regular goals and creating plenty of shots with a variety of players not 2 or 3 as is the case now.

I miss them days and over the last 10 years or so the team mentality has changed dramatically, not just in the managers styles we have had or the players who have been sold and replaced but the overall Liverpool winning spirit of old, teams know too well how we work now and one of our biggest weaknesses is isolation of individual players ie Gerrard and Torres for defending teams to focus on, why do you think Lucas played a blinder against the chavs the other day? was it stored up talent which is finally coming to light or did he just take advantage of the freedom he was given because the less of a threat Chavs thought he was ?, don't get me wrong I rate Lucas as a handy player who can win possesion well and pass as good as any other defending mid, but if he can he capitalise on the way he played against the chavs, he will go out today and give Stoke a really bad nightmare!

Why can I sense a 1 depressing point being the result today

Coz your feeling lucky 

Would like to see someone other than Torres & Gerrard on Score/assist sheet.

All 13 goals that we have scored this season so far have either been assisted or scored by Torres and Gerrard.

Others need to step up.

Apart from Ngog wondergoal v Arsenal

Would like to see someone other than Torres & Gerrard on Score/assist sheet.

All 13 goals that we have scored this season so far have either been assisted or scored by Torres and Gerrard.

Others need to step up.

Exactally my thought sir, what happened to our defenders getting goals (Risse ) seems to be only once in a red moon that they score these days! oh well I guess that's just the way things are now still at least we are scoring I guess!

He shouldnt have dropped Kelly, Soto back though which is good. Soto for Kelly the only change no Dani on the bench.

Topic Locked.

Live Match Topic here

http://www.lfcreds.com/reds/index.php?topic=34483.0