Reds draw Stoke in semi-final

Everton v Man City
Stoke v Liverpool

1st leg at the Britannia week of 4th January
2nd leg at Anfield 3 weeks later.

Suppose it's a more straightforward tie with Stoke, but the way we work now, I wouldn't be too bothered if we had got City or the blues.

Debuts for Reus, Gundogan and Hummels then

Debuts for Reus, Gundogan and Hummels then

won't get in the team mate

Got a sneaky feeling it's going to be Mersey side Derby final.

Suppose it's a more straightforward tie with Stoke, but the way we work now, I wouldn't be too bothered if we had got City or the blues.

I genuinely wasn't bothered who we got and whether we got them home or away first.

We can beat anybody. Of that I'm sure.

Got a sneaky feeling it's going to be Mersey side Derby final.

That would be ideal. I'm hoping for that too.

Easiest draw of the 3 for me. Huge favourites to make the final.

Perfect draw, approach it the right way and we are looking at a final in Jurgens first season!!

I wish I had the money to do something as crazy as I did in 2012 because I'm fairly sure we'll be going to Wembley in February!

Got a sneaky feeling it's going to be Mersey side Derby final.

I hope so to be honest. 1) Because it will be good to have both teams from Merseyside and 2) Because it will make it even sweeter when we are taking the piss out of them because we have destroyed them in the final.

won't get in the team mate

They might make the under 21's .

Blueshite in the final it is then.

Love a Merseyside derby final.  What a great day that would be for the city of Liverpool.  Win for us, consolation for the Blues; peace and harmony all round (well we can only hope).

Stoke must be shitting themselves knowing their league cup will come to an end. As regards the final it will not matter if it is City or Everton we know we will beat them,

Payback time Mr Hughes.

Payback gonna be a bi*ch!

All teams left are tough but we have such a good chance to make a final.

Starting the new year with a trophy would be brilliant.

Absolutely buzzing for this....cannot wait 

I can't see the Ev getting past City if I'm being honest, not that it matters for an atmosphere point of view but they won't go to The Emptyhad and get anything.

More than confident we can turn Stoke over and get to the final.

If anybody wants a decent laugh, check out the Stoke forum. They think they'll turn us over comfortably and win the thing "cause we are Stoke" (in their words).

Some comments:

desman2:
Im astounded that some comments seem to believe we are incapable of getting anything from this. The only team from the four who are really consistant are citeh. Both Liverpool and Everton are certainly not made up of better players than weve got. There performance at Southampton was about the same as ours.

1-0 is the same as 6-1 with half a first team 

davejohnno1:
This is an eminently winnable tie for us. Our record against them at home is good and in our two visits under Hughes stewardship, we've been very unlucky to come away with 1-0 defeats.

Liverpool was the easiest of the ties available to us if you ask me!

We're the easiest tie? Really?

robo51:
You can bank on us getting a bad ref. The powers that be will,want a showpiece final!

Everton are playing well to be honest and I would rather play City in the final simply because they will want to beat us far more than any other team and that is a dangerous final for us.
However lets remember Stoke are playing well and we will need to play well AT HOME which is a problem for us at the moment

Everton are playing well to be honest and I would rather play City in the final simply because they will want to beat us far more than any other team and that is a dangerous final for us.
However lets remember Stoke are playing well and we will need to play well AT HOME which is a problem for us at the moment

The key thing is we are still picking up a draw at the least at home though (Palace aside). If we get can get a win at the Britannia then Stoke will have to attack us at Anfield in the second leg and that will open them up to our countering. I think that would be a massive difference to a regular league game where teams come not to lose.

Would have rather played away second!

Would have rather played away second!

Should have a nice 5 goal cushion to defend.

But I know what you're saying.

I hope we avoid the sh*te. Two games a season is enough for my ticker and arse.

If anybody wants a decent laugh, check out the Stoke forum. They think they'll turn us over comfortably and win the thing "cause we are Stoke" (in their words).

Some comments:

desman2:
Im astounded that some comments seem to believe we are incapable of getting anything from this. The only team from the four who are really consistant are citeh. Both Liverpool and Everton are certainly not made up of better players than weve got. There performance at Southampton was about the same as ours.

1-0 is the same as 6-1 with half a first team 

davejohnno1:
This is an eminently winnable tie for us. Our record against them at home is good and in our two visits under Hughes stewardship, we've been very unlucky to come away with 1-0 defeats.

Liverpool was the easiest of the ties available to us if you ask me!

We're the easiest tie? Really?

robo51:
You can bank on us getting a bad ref. The powers that be will,want a showpiece final!

Those lots have a forum!!?

Those lots have a forum!!?

Never mind having a forum, I'm shocked they know how to read and write!

No easy games anymore!  Two stale mates, with Stoke parking the bus both legs, and hardly venturing outside their own half. Us going through on Pens.     Odds of that happening anyone ?

Guess I better start making plans to get to London on our honeymoon

I hope we avoid the Sh*te. Two games a season is enough for my ticker and arse.

me too the very thought of them beating us in a final is just too frightening to even consider. I cant see them doing City over two legs maybe in a one game tie but not home and away

It is one of those very rare moments as a Liverpool fan when you can say

I dont care who we play, we will win

It's a should win tie over two games but anything can happen depending in the bounce of the ball. It might he a new look Stoke, but we need to defend set plays well and be willing to battle to win the tie. In the end our quality should shine through but we need to stay humble and do our work properly or we could have another repeat of last year's FA Cup Semi.

It is one of those very rare moments as a Liverpool fan when you can say

I dont care who we play, we will win

Wasn't that rare in the past Tadders.

Those times are returning.

Considering our record with Stoke and them being 2-0 up against City, this is going to be a lot harder than Southampton.. especially in a cup game.

a nice reminder for us that we need to compete against Stoke City for everything but that's really not a problem with this team.

Exactly what I was saying. We need to stay humble, work hard and we can get through the tie. Take them for granted and we'll be home for finals day

a nice reminder for us that we need to compete against Stoke City for everything but that's really not a problem with this team.

6-2 to Stoke on our two visits there in 2015.  I'm sure the club and it's players will be well aware of them.  Man City, when they've got a couple of players out, go to bits.

6-2 to Stoke on our two visits there in 2015.  I'm sure the club and it's players will be well aware of them.  Man City, when they've got a couple of players out, go to bits.

No complacency after their result today .

I genuinely wasn't bothered who we got and whether we got them home or away first.

We can beat anybody. Of that I'm sure.

I'm sure we are capable of beating anyone, but on the day, or days as it is, still a massive occasion for the players. Nervous as F**k, more worried about making a silly mistake that cost your side a place in a final.
First 15 - 20 mins of these fixtures are usually run on adrenalin. 

I'm sure we are capable of beating anyone, but on the day, or days as it is, still a massive occasion for the players. Nervous as F**k, more worried about making a silly mistake that cost your side a place in a final.
First 15 - 20 mins of these fixtures are usually run on adrenalin. 

Over two legs, though, it all evens out. We're the far better team over 180 minutes.

Take us all day long in a two-legged affair...