Pre-Match: Liverpool FC v Manchester City: 13/04/04: Time: 13:37

They've got the blueshite over there saying they would rather sacrifice a CL place, if it meant seeing us not win the title. Bitter.

Doesn't matter what the bitter fans say, the players will want CL and that's all that matters.

He's under threat until the 2nd Sunday in April, which is the Man City game.

I'm not so worried after that. Want him for the city game. Although he's such a professional he will probably hold back until then. YNWA

Arguably our biggest game since Athens '07 and certainly our biggest league game, probably since the beginning of the premier league. Very questionable about what team we are going to go for with this, either all out attack with Sterling + Coutinho starting or a more 'conservative' approach with either Lucas or Allen starting.

Personally I would go with Gerrard-Henderson-Lucas in midfield, Coutinho-Suarez-Sturridge forward (not in that order like). Their midfield is very strong and we need to cope with Toure making powerful runs and hopefully keep their defence isolated, then if we're chasing a goal later on bring Sterling on against their tired legs.

Either way Im sure Rodgers has probably been watching City for most, if not all of the season and will know the ins and outs of their team and style and Im confident he will put our strongest XI in terms of getting a result.

This brings us on to the results, a win either way doesnt guarantee the league, but a win for us would be huge, not only in terms of distancing ourselves by a further 3 points, but would also give us HUGE psychological power going into the following 4 fixtures. A loss would be very damaging and we would then have to hope for Everton and others to do us a favour against City. A draw may be ok, but still we would need them to drop points elsewhere. Chelsea also play Swansea away that day and if results go our way we could have a 4/5 point lead at the top.

Personally I cannot see us losing, but if we can take our chances then I am confident we will win, head says 2-2, heart says 3-1. One things for sure our 12th man will literally be the 12th man, I liken to the Shankly quote in saying that the Kop will almost be sucking a goal into the net. BELIEVE

They've got the blueshite over there saying they would rather sacrifice a CL place, if it meant seeing us not win the title. Bitter.

a lot of Liverpool fans were happy to see Everton beat Arsenal as they are certainly going to push for a CL place now.  Everton fans will want champions league football despite a minority of haters. Roberto Martinez and his team will want to do the best they can. You'd be better placing that in the Everton or premier league thread though.  As for Gerrard, hope he doesn't get a yellow against city as it would be 2 games?  We need him against Chelsea too.

OK....whose the ref?

Poll added.

I think it's fair to say that if City beat us at Anfield then it would be hard to begrudge them winning the league.  Unless of course we get done over by the ref.

Clattenburg ((

Crappenburger*

Gave us 3 pens against United, sure he probably got told off for one of them

Poll added.

I think it's fair to say that if City beat us at Anfield then it would be hard to begrudge them winning the league.  Unless of course we get done over by the ref.

We've already been done over by the refs against City/Chelsea earlier this season!!  If things balance themselves out and we get the rub of the green in these games then we should win as they are both at Fortress Anfield!!  I'll be on edge all week waiting for this one   

ClattenBurg to ref the game then not to bad is it considering we hammered manure when he ref'd it

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2598940/Clattenburg-referee-potential-title-decider-Liverpool-Manchester-City.html

clattenburg > webb....

imagine this god awful scenario had webb been appointed ref

we have a 9 game winning streak currently

with webb, we have a 7 game losing streak  http://basstunedtored.com/2014/02/17/howard-webb-and-liverpool-an-inconvenient-truth/

one streak would probably be broken that day and webb is the one calling the shots


happy we dodged that bullet

Deep Breath .........

They've got the blueshite over there saying they would rather sacrifice a CL place, if it meant seeing us not win the title. Bitter.

Bollocks.
They want the CL ... they want the money ... and can do us a favour making us Kings in their own run in.
That would stick in their throat .
 

with webb, we have a 7 game losing streak  http://basstunedtored.com/2014/02/17/howard-webb-and-liverpool-an-inconvenient-truth/

How many times is this misleading crap going to be reposted? Check your facts ffs: http://lfcstats.co.uk/howardwebb.html

It doesn't really work that way with Aguero in my opinion. Last time he came back from injury he played like a beast and there were no signs of lack of match fitness whatsoever.

Wrong. He was sh*t against Barcelona.

We're due a win here , Rodgers has been unlucky in the past 3 meetings and he won't make the same mistake again .

Wrong. He was sh*t against Barcelona.

Agree with this. Aguero is a brilliant player (City's best player by far in my opinion) but in the Barca game he was off the pace and shouldn't have been playing. I'd rather him play against us than a fully fit Dzeko who could cause our defence problems.

Huge game. Bigger than Istanbul...? Considering that winning the league this season would be a bigger feat than 2005 CL victory, and this is probably the most important game on the run in, then you'd say yes. But then every game on the run in is huge and you'd expect each to be tough for a different reason.

Interesting to see if Brendan will continue to start Coutinho or bring in Lucas to help the physicality of the midfield. I suppose it would be more attacking and adventurous to play Coutinho, but more sensible and conservative to play Lucas - but being sensible and conservative is not how we've ended up where we are. Either way, we have both available and if Brendan chooses one and it isn't working out he can change it straight away.

I'm not worried about us getting it tactically wrong. I'm not worried about us being nervous. I'm not worried about them outplaying us. I guess I just have a feeling that it's a big game and you never know what could go wrong, and anything but a win could just deflate us a bit. 

Can't wait for the game now. We owe ourselves a victory against them, and everything is going right at the right time leading up to this one.

We're gona look back at this game as the game we showed everybody that we are the best team in the country. This is it.

I for one am pleased it's Clattenburg. I had real fear it would be Webb and we all know how much of a Manc he is. Let's hope Clattenburg is on top form.  No dodgy decisions this time from the ref. YNWA

Huge game. Bigger than Istanbul...? Considering that winning the league this season would be a bigger feat than 2005 CL victory, and this is probably the most important game on the run in, then you'd say yes. But then every game on the run in is huge and you'd expect each to be tough for a different reason.

Interesting point Ally, bigger than Istanbul not for me but I get exactly where you're coming from. If this was the last game of the season and they'd won their games in hand then I'd say yes but while there are still more games to play I can't quite agree with you.

Win this and Chelsea still have the chance to come here and grab the title off us, so while I think if we do win this game the title is firmly in our grasp it still wont be job done completely. I also believe though that should we not get a result that it is not title over either.

Without a doubt the biggest league match at Anfield since we last won the title in 1990. Has all the makings of a classic with both sides so keen to play football in the right manner. Winning the midfield battle is absolutely key is we're going to win this one and I'm really interested to see what Brendan does.

For me it has to be 4-3-3, save the diamond for another day or if required later in the game. They have got a terrific old school winger in Navas so I would be nervous if we play narrow and ask young Flanno to look after this guy on his own.

Next big question is who plays middle of the park. Stevie and Henderson are a give but does the gaffer sacrifice Coutinho for the more combative Joe Allen (i witnessed a fantastic Joe Allenn performance agaisnt City at home to this lot last season) or do we go as we did against Spurs in our last home game? Big Yaya is capable of completely dominating that area of the pitch so it will be interesting to see how we play it.

I'm not gonna vote in the poll because I really don't know what is gonna happen. I have a feeling it wont finish as a draw though.

We probably need to win the game BUT a draw here and winning the rest of our games might just be enough yanno.

but being sensible and conservative is not how we've ended up where we are

this for me is the key. we don't have to go out all guns blazing, but no need to shackle ourselves with nerves and thoughts of how big this game is. the reason why we gave city such a good game earlier...and the reason why we've trounced spurs, arse, scum and bitters so comprehensively, is because we went out and played fearlessly. we attacked and pressed from the very start, so i really don't see the need for the defensive mind.

city are dangerous with some world class players...but so what. no reason why we can't play couts and sterling. hendo can get on yaya's case al game and stevie can do what he does best nowdays.

as for their attacking wingers in silva and navas, think flanno and johnson can handle them. no fear, go out and play as if it's the first game of the season.

Its about time we beat these again. Over the last couple of seasons we have been the better team but not had the luck to go with our good displays. Taken the lead but thrown it away cheaply, most notable ones that come to mind are Skrtel's pass back and what ever the hell it was Migs was playing at.

The last time we played them when there was a trophy on the line was when we knocked them out the Carling Cup semi final. Now it's potentially for the Premier League title. Anything less than a win and it becomes very uncomfortable and will no long be in our hands. We beat City and the confidence within the team will grow even more and will stand us in excellent stead for the Chelsea game. We should have beaten these on their turf and probably would have done not for that shocking offside call, so let's make our chances count this time, have no pathetically poor costly errors and beat these chumps.

I don't care if we play them off the park or if we hang onto a 1 goal lead by the skin of our teeth so long as we get the win like we should have earlier in the season!!

Biggest game of the season so far, we've stuffed Arsenal, Spurs and Everton at Anfield, it's time to add City to that list.