Like most here I'm cautiously optimistic about tonight. This season has come back and kicked us in the balls too many times after a win for any over confidence.
Mignolet is in the form of his life for them so we're going to need more than Suarez threatening him. Much like us they rely heavily on one man for their goals, Fletcher. He got the opener against us at The Stadium of Light, which if memory serves me right was a sloppy goal to concede.
We should dominate at home. I can see them relying on the counter attack and packing the mid field. I think seeing as we'll be missing Enrique whoever comes in for him will be a target and I expect them to put Adam Johnson against Wisdom/Downing/Robinson and look to set up Fletcher.
They're starting XI against Spurs was; Mignolet, Gardner, O'Shea, Cuellar, Kilgallon, Johnson, Larson, Colback, McClean, Sessegnon, Fletcher
We should be well able to beat that team. The Defence is slow and a bit of a patch job, Suarez should give them nightmares. If he gets runners in support we should easily carve them open and create spaces for chances. They look like they'll pack the midfield but if our midfield performs as well as they did against QPR we should keep their supply short. McClean and Johnson look like the biggest threat for supplying Fletcher, so our wingers need to track back and support the full backs. No nonsense defending is needed from Skrtel and Agger to keep Fletcher quiet. He's not a flair player like Luis who'll create chances from nothing, but he is a grafter and will run all day to get a chance, if the ball id in the area clear it, no bollocking around.
I'd start with;
Basically the same as QPR except Wisdom and Suso come in. I'd pick Wisdom at RB instead of Downing at LB because as I say I think their supply will come from out wide and Wisdom is a defender first and foremost even though he adds to our attack, whereas Downing for me is there to add to the attack more so than the defence.
Suso starts over Downing as well because I think his creativity can open up space for Suarez. But he needs to be more adventurous and get into the box, just take a chance and he might get that first league goal, he just needs to get into the positions.
I'm going with the same midfield because I think they played very well against QPR but as well as that they are good at pressing and winning the ball back. Henderson has the legs to run all day, we need to utilise that to our advantage.
As I said I'm cautiously optimistic about this. The last time we played them at Anfield was the first game of last season, we bossed the game and should have run away with it. We drew 1-1 and that was the first of what is now an all to familiar outcome. Tonight we right the wrongs and get this year off to a flier. We tw*t these and work to strong second half of the season.
I'll say 2-0, Suarez brace. But I'd like to see Sterling or Suso chip in.
