League cup: West Brom V Liverpool. 26/09/12 20:00

Is Shelvey suspended for this match? Like is his ban league only or all English competitions? I would play Srktel and Coates together. It looks like they will be our short term centre half pairing so it would do them no harm to get used to playing together. Srktel has enough experience at the back now, we don't need Carra as much. Also I think Morgan will play ahead of Yesil. Rodgers seems to like Morgan and has that extra bit of experience of playing with the team. Downing, Hendo, Sahin all have to play and it will be interesting to see who plays at left back, will it be Enrique, Robinson or Downing.

West Brom will be up for this, they probably will put out a near full team and they think they will go far in this competition, they'll be no pushover anyways.

I think it will be;

                              Jones
Wisdom       Srktel        Coates       Downing
                    Sahin        Hendo
Morgan                 Suso               Assaidi
                             Pacheco

Doesn't happen very often the Reds playing on my birthday.

All I ask as a present is the win, please!

Same team as the Europa match, but move Pacheco out wide and play Yesil or Morgan up top.

Not really confident but to be fair it's a long time since I've been really confident we'll beat a Premier League side.

I don't get it - people who said last season they would take a cup trophy over a top 4 finish, are now saying we should play a weakened side?

Well, we have little chance of a top 4 finish this season, so are you going to risk one of our biggest chance of getting silverware this season in the very first round?

It's not as if we were playing some League Two crap team, but in fact a side that has already beaten us this season...

I would be alright with some minor changes but I sure as hell wouldn't play a B-side for that one.

Some shocking team selections on this page.

We need wins and we need confidence. Can somebody please explain to me the point of playing a weakened side tomorrow and getting beat??

Kenny played strong sides last season and we ended up winning the competition. Granted we are in europe this season but perhaps winning this cup again or the FA Cup might be our only chance of getting into europe next season.

Play a strong side and get a good win under our belts. We may even get in a position where we can rest a few with 20/30mins to go.

Playing a team of kids and reserves and getting knocked out will achieve nothing.

And to be quite honest we f*cking owe these a beating after the last few games against them!

Rumoured..

Jones
Wisdom Carragher Wilson Robinson
Henderson Sahin
Downing Pacheco Assaidi
Yesil

Two great passers in the middle, three players that are suppose to be great at taking on their man and a goalscorer.

Apart from the questionable defence I don't think it's that bad a line up.

Rumoured..

Jones
Wisdom Carragher Wilson Robinson
Henderson Sahin
Downing Pacheco Assaidi
Yesil

Two great passers in the middle, three players that are suppose to be great at taking on their man and a goalscorer.

Apart from the questionable defence I don't think it's that bad a line up.

Hmmmm if that's the team we will struggle imo! Decent team these and strong at home!

If we put a scratch team out and get beat I will be livid!!

Some shocking team selections on this page.

We need wins and we need confidence. Can somebody please explain to me the point of playing a weakened side tomorrow and getting beat??

Well dont want anymore injuries to 1st team regulars plus Id have faith in our young lads plus I dont think WBA be at full strenght either

Rumoured..

Jones
Wisdom Carragher Wilson Robinson
Henderson Sahin
Downing Pacheco Assaidi
Yesil

Two great passers in the middle, three players that are suppose to be great at taking on their man and a goalscorer.

Apart from the questionable defence I don't think it's that bad a line up.

Similar enough to the team I picked

Well dont want anymore injuries to 1st team regulars plus Id have faith in our young lads plus I dont think WBA be at full strenght either


Similar enough to the team I picked

Brian I take your point but we have to win games mate. You can't go into every game worrying about a player getting injured.

We won this cup last year and I want to do well in it again. And as I said previously...we owe these.

We play a scratch team tomorrow....we get beat but our best players are fit for saturday...would you be happy with that? I know I wouldn't be!

To be honest Don Id rather keep the lads fresh and beat Norwich to get our 1st league win under our belt. And if our kids beat them it would give them a further boost.

Remember beating Spurs with a very young team in the league cup bck in 04 under Rafa, it was a great night think Henchoz was the only senior player that night and Dudek

I don't get it - people who said last season they would take a cup trophy over a top 4 finish, are now saying we should play a weakened side?

Well, we have little chance of a top 4 finish this season, so are you going to risk one of our biggest chance of getting silverware this season in the very first round?

It's not as if we were playing some League Two crap team, but in fact a side that has already beaten us this season...

I would be alright with some minor changes but I sure as hell wouldn't play a B-side for that one.

EVER HEAR OF A DOUBLE STANDARD?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

To be honest Don Id rather keep the lads fresh and beat Norwich to get our 1st league win under our belt. And if our kids beat them it would give them a further boost.

Remember beating Spurs with a very young team in the league cup bck in 04 under Rafa, it was a great night think Henchoz was the only senior player that night and Dudek

I do mate. Then the kids got beat in the next round I think.

I would rather us take a strong team..get a win and take that into saturday. Give me that over playing a scratch team, get beat and go into saturday on the back of another defeat.

Its like some are saying they are not arsed if we go into the new year out of europe and the league cup and are say 10th in the league. I want to be looking forward to these competitions after christmas. It keeps the season rolling.

This is not just a chance of winning silverware , but a chance of staying in Europe if we win it.

This is not just a chance of winning silverware , but a chance of staying in Europe if we win it.

This!

First away of the season for me.

Expect a young team and revenge for the opening day defeat!

I'd love to know what this So called weakened team would be made of. Surely we wouldn't be thinking youth, because as far as i'm concerned they're the ones carrying the can at the mo.

EVER HEAR OF A DOUBLE STANDARD?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

I know, I know...

"I prefer winning the League Cup than worrying about our league finish" - but now let's play a team full of kids in the League Cup against the side that beat us 3-0 only a few weeks ago.

"Transfer fees don't matter" - but I cry every time Chelsea and Man City spend huge money on players who are not worth it.

With West Brom sitting 4th in the league why the hell would they care about this cup?

With West Brom sitting 4th in the league why the hell would they care about this cup?

Apparently Steve Clarke said he will prioritise the Cups this season mate so they're expecting him to field a full stregth squad.

Apparently Steve Clarke said he will prioritise the Cups this season mate so they're expecting him to field a full stregth squad.

He's looking at the bigger picture Debs, he learnt well from Kenny and knows that it's a ticket into Europe . that would be massive to WBA.

He's looking at the bigger picture Debs, he learnt well from Kenny and knows that it's a ticket into Europe . that would be massive to WBA.

Absolutely mate.

Apparently Steve Clarke said he will prioritise the Cups this season mate so they're expecting him to field a full stregth squad.

All the more reason for us to put our big guns out there at the start imo!

Might see a bit of a mixed lineup I think. Just a super early guess:

Reina
Carra        Coates
Wisdom                           Downing
Allen
Hendo    Sahin
Suso                       Assaidi
Suarez

Bench: Jones; Skrtel, Johnson; Gerrard; Sterling, Yesil, Pacheco


I think Enrique mentioned on Twitter he was having a knee scan (in reply to Martin Kelly) so I'm gonna say he's knee is acting up and he can't play.

Meh, I'm sticking with my team selection above. Switch Enrique for Downing if Enrique is fit.