Pre Match: The 219th Merseyside Derby

Premier League

Sun 28th October 2012 - 1:30pm UK



It's time to take on those title-challengers from across Stanley Park.

Big question is, by how many goals will we give them a through beating?   

Good man JD pipped me to the post!

Funny Id normally be wary of this game but the fact that they are going well and we have not really got going I cant see anything other then us doing them.

We've managed to put together a small run of games and hopefully that can continue on Sunday. Everton will be without 2 key players in Fellaini and Pienaar and we should be able to dominate the midfield against them.

A few players will have given Rodgers a selection headache over the last few games notably Assaidi,Jones and Shelvey. This is a massive game for us bigger so than in the last few years as Everton are actually being predicted to make a stronger top 4 push than ourselves so a first derby win for Rodgers would be brilliant.

-----------Reina-------------------

Wisdom---Skrtel---Agger----Johnson

----------Allen-----Sahin--------------

--------------Gerrard------------------

Sterling------Suarez----------Assaidi

I think Reina if fit pips it over Jones.As good as Jones has been he has a tendency to hoof the ball a la Carra a bit to often and doesn't look particularly comfortable on the ball. Assaidi really looks like he could come up with that game changing moment and i think it's a bout time he got a start in the premiership.The hardest decision will be who to leave out in midfield. Jonjo Shelvey has been unbelievable this season and i think playing Gerrard on the right hand side doesn't look like an option for some reason.

Hopefully we can keep up the run and Suarez has his shooting boots on.I'm going for 2-0 to us and another clean sheet to keep the momentum going.

I think we'll see the same starting lineup as the Reading game. I also think that Hibbert or Coleman will have a tough time with Sterling.

Reina

Wisdom
Skittles
Agger
Johnson

Allen
Sahin
Gerrard

Suso
Suarez
Sterling

Reina

Wisdom
Skittles
Agger
Johnson

Allen
Sahin
Gerrard

Suso
Suarez
Sterling

I can see that being the line-up and it would be my preferred choice, although I would feel for Assaidi after the way he played last night.

Really nervous (already) about this game, we all know form goes out the window on derby day, just hope our boys are up for this, and would be great if Sterling gets his first (Iam sure of many) in a derby game.
Going for a nice 2-0, and thats what my betting slip says too

First 11 picks itself for me:

Reina; Wisdom, Skrtel, Agger, Johnson; Allen, Sahin, Stevie; Suso, Suarez, Sterling
Jones; Coates, Enrique; Henderson, Shelvey; Assaidi; Yesil

                                                                      JONES

WISDOM                              SKRTEL                                AGGER                JOHNSON



                            GERRARD                    ALLEN              SUSO



STERLING                                                   SUAREZ                                 ASSAIDI

Subs: Reina, Enrique, Coates, Shelvey, Sahin, Downing, Yesil                       

We've managed to put together a small run of games and hopefully that can continue on Sunday. Everton will be without 2 key players in Fellaini and Pienaar and we should be able to dominate the midfield against them.

A few players will have given Rodgers a selection headache over the last few games notably Assaidi,Jones and Shelvey. This is a massive game for us bigger so than in the last few years as Everton are actually being predicted to make a stronger top 4 push than ourselves so a first derby win for Rodgers would be brilliant.

-----------Reina-------------------

Wisdom---Skrtel---Agger----Johnson

----------Allen-----Sahin--------------

--------------Gerrard------------------

Sterling------Suarez----------Assaidi

I think Reina if fit pips it over Jones.As good as Jones has been he has a tendency to hoof the ball a la Carra a bit to often and doesn't look particularly comfortable on the ball. Assaidi really looks like he could come up with that game changing moment and i think it's a bout time he got a start in the premiership.The hardest decision will be who to leave out in midfield. Jonjo Shelvey has been unbelievable this season and i think playing Gerrard on the right hand side doesn't look like an option for some reason.

Hopefully we can keep up the run and Suarez has his shooting boots on.I'm going for 2-0 to us and another clean sheet to keep the momentum going.

That's the team for me..

Another marker for Brenda.

C'Mon you Reds.

Hoping it's more like Dalglish's first one back at Goodison than Hodgson's.

Vital we continue getting results.  Even if we win our league record will still look poor - but the league table doesn't bear thinking about if we get beat.

Assaidi deserves a go with Sterling on the other side.

Gerrard deserves to be dropped to the bench.  Derby or no derby.  I'd use him as a sub - then he can do his superhero act more efficiently if required.

Allen, Sahin and Shelvey in the middle for me.

Whatever the the team I hope to see Raheem play wide right out on Baines. Baines for me is Evertons main man and if we can keeo him busy going the other way were in for 3 points

They need to be put back in their place and more importantly we need to keep our recent decent run going!

Allen in for Sahin as I think the game my be to fast for him and he wont get time on the ball.

Mark Lawrenson ahead of the derby:

"Everton fans can look at their team at the moment and say 'I wouldn't take many Liverpool players in our side', which is always an interesting thing to do when you look at these games. Liverpool fans would take more Everton players at the moment."

Is that right Lawro? What a F***ing pr**k he's become.

I would take a few of their players

Jagelkia
Baines
Miralles
Fellani
Jelavic
Maybe even Pinnear

They have a pretty decent team

I would have taken a Jelavic last January.

They did.

That was the finishing difference scuse the pun.

Howard

Coleman
Jagielka
Distin/Heitinga
Baines

Mirallas
Osman
Neville
Pienaar

Fellaini
Jelavic

So lawrenson doesn't think they'd take Reina, Suarez, Gerrard, Sterling, Agger......FUUUUUUCK OOOOOOFF !!

anyway, after the bitters go behind, any bets on which one of them is gonna get a red card first ?

Should be a good test for our young players, one I think they will pass, but still think it will be a draw. No doubt we will dominate, but maybe struggle to score as usual.

Hoping for a big win, expecting a 1-1 draw. 

Mark Lawrenson ahead of the derby:

"Everton fans can look at their team at the moment and say 'I wouldn't take many Liverpool players in our side', which is always an interesting thing to do when you look at these games. Liverpool fans would take more Everton players at the moment."

Is that right Lawro? What a F***ing pr**k he's become.

He really is a tw*t these days, i'm sure they'd take at least the following straight into their starting 11:

Pepe, Glen, Skrtel/Agger, Gerrard, Suarez
Minimum, not even considering Sahin, and our talented youngsters.

I stopped paying attention to anything Mark Lawrenson said a long time. Too many headers me thinks.

As for Sunday, I'd go with:

Reina (if fit); Wisdom, Skrtel, Agger, Johnson; Allen, Sahin, Gerrard; Sterling, Suarez, Assaidi.

Starting both Sterling and Assaidi because I think their outside backs can get skinned by Raheem and Oussama. That includes Baines, who is a good player.

It's not 12 hours till KO is it?