Liverpool v Aston Villa - Pre Match Thread

I get the feeling the game will be open,we shall have to watch their pace but with Mascha playing in front of defense we should limit them to few chances.One guy they'll fear is El Nino so lets hope he has his telescopic sights on.

P.S.I seem to see a bounce in Raffa over the last few days is he privy to something going on behind the scenes I wonder !.

Interesting analogy there bartman. Just might be.

Masch will play a vey important role on Monday. They have the pace and skill to cause damage and with Martin at the helm you know they will be tough. Carra and Sami are in for a tough night and need to be at their best. The LB will be a really important figure along with Arbeloa on the right. They will have to contend with the raw pace Villa have on the wings and need to cut them off at first chance.

I'll go for 1-0 to us. Gerrard to score.

Some Quick Facts And Statistics

Big Match Facts

Two sides locked together on 39 points vying for a top four Champions League spot meet at Anfield.

Liverpool are unbeaten in five Premier League matches and have drawn their last three; Aston Villa are undefeated in six league games, and have won the last three.

Villa have won one more league match than Liverpool, but still trail them on goal difference. The Midlanders' away record is identical to Liverpool's at home; won four, drawn five, lost one and scored 21 goals.

Liverpool are unbeaten in 13 league and cup matches against Aston Villa. The Reds have won more matches (17) and claimed more points (57) against Aston Villa than any other club in the Premier League.

Key Player Notes

Fernando TORRES is Liverpool's top scorer with 17 goals, and their leading marksman in the Premier League with 11.

Goalkeeper Jose REINA is the only remaining player to have been on the field for every minute of every one of Liverpool's Premier League matches this season.

REINA goes into the weekend jointly leading the race for the Barclays Golden Glove with David JAMES of Portsmouth. They have both kept 10 clean sheets.

If selected:-

Peter CROUCH will be playing against a former club. The 26 year old England international spent 18 months with Villa from March 2002, recording 43 appearances (37 in the Premier League) and scoring six League goals.

Mohamed SISSOKO will be playing on the eve of his 23rd birthday, and David MARTIN on the eve of his 22nd.

Head To Head

Liverpool have won eight and drawn four of the last 12 Premier League matches against Aston Villa; and also knocked the Villans out of the League Cup in 2002 during that sequence.

Villa head for Anfield in search of a first point in five visits, and a first victory there since the 1-3 triumph on 8 September 2001 when Dion Dublin, Lee Hendrie and Darius Vassell were all on the scoresheet.

The Reds are on course to complete their fourth Premier League double over Villa, and first since 2005-06.

Home and away
League (inc PL): Liverpool 78 wins, Villa 51, Draws 36
Prem: Liverpool 17 wins, Villa 8, Draws 6

at Liverpool only
League (inc PL): Liverpool 52 wins, Villa 14, Draws 16
Prem: Liverpool 10 wins, Villa 3, Draws 2

Last Season's Corresponding Game

Liverpool 3-1 Aston Villa
28 October 2006 - Ref: Steve Bennett
Liverpool scorers: Kuyt 31, Crouch 38, Luis Garcia 44
Villa scorers: Agbonlahor 56

This Season's Reverse Fixture

Aston Villa 1-2 Liverpool
11 August 2007 - Ref: Mike Riley
Villa scorer: Barry 85 pen
Liverpool scorers: Laursen 31 og, Gerrard 87

Not too sure if all the other sides winning increases or decreases the pressure for Mondays game against Villa.

Usually if we are shown a glimpse of light when one of them drops points we usually blow our chance.

play this:

              Reina
Arbeloa    Carra     Skrtel (Agger if fit)  Aurelio
Benayoun     Stevie   Xabi     Babel
         Crouch     Torres

Don't think Sami can cope with villa's pace in attack hence going for Skrtel but prefer Agger
Babel to drift in and less crosses from the left from him because we all know his left foot is a bit weak.
Javier would do nice to break up play but Xabi for me because of creativity.
Crouch and Torres to do their job up front (not like Dirk who would be dragging play back)   

2-0 would do nicely

I would prefer pennant play in the right side if want to put crouch.....he has a good long ball for crouch ....

 :  ummmmmmmmmmmmmm     anyway


must win game for the boys...I'm going for 2-1 to the Reds...look forward to hearing a very noisy crowd, singing their lungs out. Feel that Masch has to play especially to protect Sami. We know he's slow but his positional play will hold him in good stead. 

We have to be very careful at their corners, especially as that Laursen bloke seems to score headers every time he goes up for one. Hope Rafa plays Torres and Babel up front. I feel there pace would really trouble Villas back 4. We can do this, as Bpatels post showed, we have a pretty good record against them. Looking forward to doing the double over them again and moving 3 points clear of them on the table.

Mind Games???

O'NEILL TIPS REDS FOR TITLE TILT

Martin O’Neill is confident Liverpool can still mount a serious challenge for the title this season.

The Villa boss, whose side travel to Anfield for what promises to be an intriguing encounter on Monday night, tipped the Reds to push the top three all the way for the Premier League crown at the start of the season.
 
And while he believes Rafa Benitez's side must put together a winning streak to get back amongst the pacesetters he does not see any reason why they won't be there or thereabouts come May.
 
"After strengthening their team at the start of the season, I thought Liverpool would be genuine contenders and I still wouldn't write them off," he said.
 
"They would probably have to win eight or nine consecutive games. They are capable of doing that."
 
Meanwhile Villa defender Martin Laursen has hailed Fernando Torres as a world-class striker - but insists he is not 'Superman.'
 
The veteran Swede, who committed his future to the Villains last week, claims he is not concerned about facing Liverpool's 17-goal striker and will treat him just like any other forward he has marked.
 
"Let's not make Torres into Superman," he said.
 
"He's just a player like everyone else. He's a good player but not better than very many of the other strikers in this country.
 
"Torres is a world-class striker but, like I said, he's not Superman."

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N158504080120-1003.htm

Meanwhile Villa defender Martin Laursen has hailed Fernando Torres as a world-class striker - but insists he is not 'Superman.'
 
The veteran Swede, who committed his future to the Villains last week, claims he is not concerned about facing Liverpool's 17-goal striker and will treat him just like any other forward he has marked.

They could've at least got his nationality right, he's Danish.

If it's mind games, it's not time to relax with Villa
Thanks to O'Neill for believing in Liverpool
I prefer to  listening to the words of people who say Liverpool are still in competion, even those words are mind games!

Don't you know the news?




The match Liverpool vs Aston Villa was yesterday in Belarus! :







by many Belarus TV programm! 

there can be only one outcome

a liverpool victory
 

If it's mind games, it's not time to relax with Villa
Thanks to O'Neill for believing in Liverpool
I prefer to  listening to the words of people who say Liverpool are still in competion, even those words are mind games!

Don't you know the news?




The match Liverpool vs Aston Villa was yesterday in Belarus! :







by many Belarus TV programing! 

That's some well advance programming you have over there Alessio!!

Make sure you don't forget to take your banners and your voices.  Let's give those clowns the biggest two fingered gesture ever.  I'm sure they will hear us from all the way in their big houses in America.

And enjoy the Reds getting back in to form.

I am ever so confused, been looking for a result and just haven't found one! Haha. Howcome the game is Monday night, anybody know? Also, is it on Sky? I might watch it if it is!!

I wondered how the f*ck Everscum were in 4th place!!

I hope we get at them from the outset , villa have improved under o neil , there main threat will be from set -pieces , with mellberg & laursen attacking the ball with menace of which we have to be aware of, but villa have a woeful record here , and will go for a 3-0 victory .

gerrard 2
torres

 

I'd take a 3-0 victory.

I'd take a 3-0 victory.

I'd take a victory.

Be there tonight, chewing my knuckles as usual.

These are the betting odds for Jamie Carragher to score a hat trick in this game as previously discussed.



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I think every liverpool supporter would take a victory but I'd just like to see us play good, convincing football.

gerrard to breakthrough around 27 mins
1-0 half/time
torres 64 min
gerrard 82 min

i hope !

so do i, so do i

would like to see this line -up 2nite

                                               reina
   arbeloa                          carra            hyypia                               riise

pennant                       masch              gerrard                             kewell

                                    torres             babel

                                              reina
   arbeloa                        hypia            carra                              riise

pennant                       gerrard            masch                             kewell

                                                         babel
                                     torres     


I know its the same players, but I'd just have Gerrard on the right, torres slightly further forward, and Carra covering for Riise