Liverpool vs Aston Villa Sat 7th April KO 15:00 Pre-Match thread.

May be a bit early, but we need a distraction, Don't we? 

Vs

Huge game this, (No sh*t, Sherlock!)
Last time Villa played at Anfield was way back in 2010, we won! 3-0, one of the owls last games.

The team back then was

Reina
Johnson, Kyrgiakos, Skrtel, Konchesky
Kuyt, Meireles, Lucas, Maxi,
Babel, Ngog.

Subs: Jones, Aurelio, Cole, Jovanovic, Poulsen, Shelvey, Kelly.

5 of that starting line up have moved on as have 3 from the bench. 2 will also be missing, Reina and Lucas 

No Gerrard, nor Carragher.

The game this season at Villa Park, we won! again! 

The team,

25 Reina
02 Johnson, 03 Jose Enrique, 05 Agger, 37 Skrtel
14 Henderson, 19 Downing, 26 Adam, 33 Shelvey
07 Suarez, 39 Bellamy

Subs: 32 Doni, 16 Coates, 23 Carragher, 34 Kelly, 11 Maxi, 09 Carroll, 18 Kuyt

Again, No Gerrard, and Carragher came on in the 83rd min when the game was all but won.

Interesting? or coincidence.

Percentage of points won when a player played 45 minutes or more of a PL game

Gerrard 23.33% P10 W1 D4 L5

http://www.lfcreds.com/reds/index.php/topic,42657.0.html

Just saying  but food for thought, No?

The bookies have us down as odds on winners, bet they did against Wigan too!

So what do we think, should Gerrard be dropped!? 

Another MUST WIN GAME, or just another knock about for the boys?

So what will the team be, should Gerrard  be dropped, and if so who gets the Captains arm band, Renia is banned, should Carragher be dropped to the bench.

One thing is 100% certain Doni will get his first games of the season, or will it be Jones, for his 1st game of the season, or should the unbeaten Jose Enrique keep the gloves?

An old Cherokee Indian Proverb says
"Don't let yesterday use up too much of today, Live in the present"

I think this is the game in which we must try and start turning things around, usually have a good record against Villa. They will be desperate for the points, try and open them up a bit, put the ball in the back of the net ( easier said than done I know ). Here's hoping 2 1 win for the Reds.

Clean sheet would be a start. Also like to see Carroll start, Henderson in middle with Jay, Downing on left, put Stevie on Right and Sterling on bench for 20min cameo if we are 2-0 up

I'll be really glad to finally see what Doni's got! Maybe the attitude of some of our players on Sunday with show Kenny exactly who cares about the club.

I'm hoping Johson and Agger are back from injury and that Sterling may get a chance from the start.

Based on recent results i'd make a few changes to the side:

32. Doni

2. Johnson
37. Skrtel
5. Agger
3. Jose Enrique

31. Sterling
8. Gerrard (c)
20. Spearing
19. Downing

7. Suarez
39. Bellamy

Subs;

1. Jones
38. Flanagan
16. Coates
33. Shelvey
11. Maxi
18. Kuyt
39. Eccleston

I'm not gonna guess a score as you never quiet know with us at the moment! But let's all get behind the lads and start building their confidence up!

YNWA!

Im really worried about Doni, he was letting in 3 goals a game if I remember right from pre season and that was against what you would describe as weaker opposition. The rest of the team really need to pull the finger out, anyone who doesnt give 100% even if we are 5 goals up id drop from the team no matter who they are.

I F***ing hate Alex McLeish. Hope we tw*t the fuckers.

Would give Aurellio a start in place of Enrique whos form has dropped off, Shelvey deserves another start, Id play Stevie from the right and have Eccleston and Sterling on the bench.

Just fooking win Reds!

I f**king hate Alex McLeish. Hope we tw*t the fuckers.

Dude resigned from Birmingham via email!!!!!


I'm not sure about a lineup yet. Should this be Carroll's last chance? By that I mean, see how he responds to being booed by his old home fans? Or did that ship sail and it's time for Kuyt or Bellers up top? I'm not sure yet.

32. Doni

2. Johnson
37. Skrtel
5. Agger
3. Jose Enrique

31. Sterling
8. Gerrard (c)
20. Spearing
19. Downing

7. Suarez
39. Bellamy

Would be happy with that team but with Maxi instead of Sterling, who i very much doubt will get a start this season.

It's weird because we can no longer get 4th yet there is a lot of pressure to win this game and break the streak. Be surprised if Carroll starts after his antics and definitely think Raheem should get 20mins, Jonjo should also be starting in midfield.

One last point, good luck Doni on your debut!

Im really worried about Doni, he was letting in 3 goals a game if I remember right from pre season and that was against what you would describe as weaker opposition. The rest of the team really need to pull the finger out, anyone who doesnt give 100% even if we are 5 goals up id drop from the team no matter who they are.

Reina's only made 3 saves in the last 3 games and gave up 7 goals, Doni can't do all that much worse than Reina's recent form.

Doni

Flanagan  Skrtel  Coates  Aurelio

Shelvey  Spearing

Sterling       Gerrard     Downing

Suarez

Bench: Jones, Carra, Enrique, Henderson, Suso, Kuyt, Eccleston

Give Carroll a rest for this one, some time to think over anything that may or may not have ocurred. Let Enrique have a rest, he's tired and it's been showing, Coates deserves a start, Sterling to inject some much needed pace and liveliness in the side, Gerrard as a solely attacking central midfielder as I'm tired of seeing him dropping back into the back four, Shelvey deserves another start, Eccleston and Suso on the bench.

If Johnson or Kelly are fit again start them over Flanno and if Agger is fit, start him over Coates or Skrtel if he needs a rest.

Must win game, loose this and we the manager really will be feeling the heat from the board. His fault or not, that's usually whose head roles.

No to dropping Gerrard, how would we have beaten Everton if we had done that?

Think will be an easy win for us to be honest, im nervous with the wigans and wolves of this world that ya Villas etc.

Pressure will still be on though with the points being as close as they are.

I'll be going for this one ..

                                         Doni

Kelly/Flanagan      Skrtel            Coates               Enrique

                          Shelvey          Spearing

Maxi                              Gerrard                         Bellamy

                                     Suarez               

Clean sheet would be a start. Also like to see Carroll start, Henderson in middle with Jay, Downing on left, put Stevie on Right and Sterling on bench for 20min cameo if we are 2-0 up

Your joking Carrol should be left on the sidelines till he knuckles down as for Henderson he needs to learn how to put a tackle in once in a game, struts around like a prima donna. Time for big changes regarding the sh*t that was signed in the summer

We will win this.

Anyone know if either Kelly, Glen or Dagger will be fit for this?

We will win this.

Hope U are right & wish I have the confidence as you as well. 

Must win.... Simple as that..

Think Kenny will go back to 4-4-2 even if id like to see us use a 4-2-3-1, so therefore on using 4-4-2,

                   Doni
Johnson* Skrtel Coates Aurelio

Gerrard Shelvey Henderson Downing

            Bellamy  Suarez

Jones
Flanagan*/Kelly*
Carra
Spearing
Kuyt
Maxi
Sterling

* If Johnson is fit.

Time to be positive, let Henderson do the moping up behind Shelvey, Stevie wide right, no Carra, Coates is the future as is Shelvey and Henderson so lets see how they do, get us moving forward again. Jose needs a rest. Get Bellers and Suarez up top, their pace will cause Collins and Dunne all sorts of issues. No Carroll.

Come on redmen...

If I see effort, pride, discipline and heart from every single player aswell as a massive improvement with our distribution of the ball I could take a lot of positives out of a nil niller.

From a tactical point of view I want us defending higher and I want us working our bollocks off as a team when we haven't got the ball.

Lets get the defending and the simple things right first then the rest should follow.

We need to win this and get a little confidence back before the semifinal. Hopefully Doni will be a lot better than I fear and as good as I hope. I think Agger may be fit for this (possibly off the bench) fingers crossed.

Maybe Downing can show Villa what they lost and finally show us what we gained by signing him.

I think we will win this comfortably 3-1

 

This is as easy a match as your going to get in the premiership.

Id be shocked if we dont win and we need a confidence boost before the semi final.

Wrong thread i know but there are tickets on sale this morning for the villa game if anyone wants on let me know ,ASAP.

Had quite a shock to see how many tickets were on sale this morning ,looks like rats off a sinking ship ,.