Pre Match: Real Madrid v Liverpool. Champions League Tuesday 4th Nov 7.45pm ko.

There's got to be a turning point in our fortunes some time,  this could be the day. A draw would be fantastic.
Come on Reds!   

We waited five years for getting back to CL. Now we are not even looking forward to this match !

I was thinking similar Saint although with a slight twist on the 3 5 2 as far as personnel goes.

Mignolet

Skrtel  Gerrard  Lovren

Manquillo  Can  Henderson  Moreno

Lallana  Coutinho

Balotelli

Gerrard just to sit in between the CB and use his passing to try and dicate the game with Can and Hendo as the lags in midfield.

Isnt that the regular 4-3-3 we play with Stevie dropping back between the 2 CBs and the full backs pushing high up.

3-4-2-1 could quite work with Brendan revealing he is about to rest Stevie. That would mean we rely purely on counter attack and that means Mario should not start. I would go with

Mignolet
Toure-Skrtel-Lovren
Manquillo-Hendo-Can-Moreno
Coutinho-Lallana
Sterling

Bench - Jones, Johnson, Lucas, Gerrard, Borini, Mario, Lambert

Very odd the talk of us fielding a "weaker" side.

If Stevie doesn't play then I see that as a good thing.  He's been poor for quite some time now.  All the experience in the world can't compensate for being slow, poorly suited to DM, and not on form.

Would much rather see someone like Can at DM.  At least he's mobile and, you know, can actually play DM.

Mobile?? I bet im quicker cant hack the pace and if you would watch closer you will see that

Very odd the talk of us fielding a "weaker" side.

If Stevie doesn't play then I see that as a good thing.  He's been poor for quite some time now.  All the experience in the world can't compensate for being slow, poorly suited to DM, and not on form.

Would much rather see someone like Can at DM.  At least he's mobile and, you know, can actually play DM.

Mobile?? I bet im quicker cant hack the pace and if you would watch closer you will see that

Don't be silly he is a big powerful unit and difficult to knock over once he gets going.
Don't confuse him coming back from injury and being a bit under cooked as his normal self.

So BR said he may rest Gerrard.

Both way he is going to get criticized if we get thumped. Either for resting a key player in such an important game or for running Gerrard into ground.

He should have done that way before this moment. At least for New castle game. Such a poor management from the gaffer.

Some of the reaction about how Brendan responded to being asked about Ronaldo and his "hopefully he won't score too many tomorrow night" after first praising him up, is embarrassing. What would have been better, "I don't want to talk about the oppositions players", "yes he's the best player in the world but we'll try and stop him tomorrow night", "He's a great player but he's not their only danger", "we have a plan to stop him and we're certain it'll work", "he's sh!t and we don't rate him".

Does it really matter FFS? Really? This forum is losing it's appeal because of this "don't like his teeth/shoes/jacket/smile/pictures/video/words" sh!t.   

Gerrad not starting is a bonus IMO, hopefully Johnson is on the bench as well, don't care about experience they are both too slow to deal with the Madrid threat.

Very odd the talk of us fielding a "weaker" side.

If Stevie doesn't play then I see that as a good thing.  He's been poor for quite some time now.  All the experience in the world can't compensate for being slow, poorly suited to DM, and not on form.

Would much rather see someone like Can at DM.  At least he's mobile and, you know, can actually play DM.

Exactly mate. Our best footi game thsi season apart from Spuds away was last week in carling cup without Gerrard. He cant play every game now, and I think this game is too much for him, a wee half hr cameo playing the no.10 role tonight is what I see him doing.

Gerrad not starting is a bonus IMO, hopefully Johnson is on the bench as well, don't care about experience they are both too slow to deal with the Madrid threat.

This pretty much sums it up.

We're better without both of them in the side.

This pretty much sums it up.

We're better without both of them in the side.

It's sad but we all have to accept it, and the experience the younger fella's will get playing tonight will be invaluable in the coming years when Gerrard is not around.

We waited five years for getting back to CL. Now we are not even looking forward to this match !

So BR said he may rest Gerrard.

Both way he is going to get criticized if we get thumped. Either for resting a key player in such an important game or for running Gerrard into ground.

He should have done that way before this moment. At least for New castle game. Such a poor management from the gaffer.

I think they rest players based upon the science data that says he needs a rest. Also when you think about it, we need to get something against Chelsea, I agree we could do with his experience but the game is not as important as Saturday.
Either way as you say he is going to get slammed probably not as much as the 11 on the pitch though.

A new day a new dawn reputations will be shaken, ego's splintered it will be a red day after the sun sets over the Berneabeu.

Oh the irony if Lambert does indeed play.  Over the summer when we were in for him and a lot of us had our doubts, the superfans told us he wasn't going to be playing in any big games, he wasn't here to replace Suarez, etc etc.  And yet in the summer, had we known we'd have Real Madrid in the CL, I'm pretty sure most would say that us against them would qualify as a "big game."  And now, here we are, with Rickie Lambert getting ready to play for us against them. 

"It wouldn't happen," they said. 

We waited five years for getting back to CL. Now we are not even looking forward to this match !

Oh the irony if Lambert does indeed play.  Over the summer when we were in for him and a lot of us had our doubts, the superfans told us he wasn't going to be playing in any big games, he wasn't here to replace Suarez, etc etc.  And yet in the summer, had we known we'd have Real Madrid in the CL, I'm pretty sure most would say that us against them would qualify as a "big game."  And now, here we are, with Rickie Lambert getting ready to play for us against them. 

"It wouldn't happen," they said. 

Hindsights a great thing eh. Who would have thought Danny would be out for so long.

there are opportunities for players to make  names for themselves but there is also this horrible gut feeling that will not go away.

Weakened side ?

Can I cast everyone's mind back to the infamous January 2013 Oldham FA Cup game.

Brendan blamed the young players for not rising to the occasion and taking their chance for the big occasion .
In  his own words ....  he was let down by them.
He picked the team.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2269269/Brendan-Rodgers-blamed-young-players-losing-Oldham-FA-Cup.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21221838

Weakened side ?

Can I cast everyone's mind back to the infamous January 2013 Oldham FA Cup game.

Brendan blamed the young players for not rising to the occasion and taking their chance for the big occasion .
In  his own words ....  he was let down by them.
He picked the team.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2269269/Brendan-Rodgers-blamed-young-players-losing-Oldham-FA-Cup.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21221838

And the players did not perform so whats your point?

And the players did not perform so whats your point?

Wait till the post match press conference.

Nothing to lose, written off by own fans and everyone else... this team has a point to prove and a shock could be on the cards.

Drag 'em down to our level and then beat them.... it's worked many times against us in the past.

Having been entirely spoilt last season and our current form/style of play it's hard to go into this match with my usual optimism.

I'm going to try and build myself up throughout the day but I think the main problem I have is my faith in Brendans first choice team, I know the fella is trying to find the golden system to get us momentum but when you've got so much inconsistency in the team it must be a bloody nightmare.

We need that elusive win to provide us with the momentum we need but for me it's got to come in the next two matches against top opposition, we aren't going to get it by beating a hull or a stoke.

Stick or twist Brendan?

Making Gerrard sit this one out smacks me of bad idea.

Personally, I would play Stevie for 60 odd minutes but as an offensive midfielder not a DM. He IS an offensive midfielder and by playing as DM we are losing lots of his qualities that makes him what SG is. He perhaps could by playing ahead in midfield make out that one pass just to get us a goal. We saw Balotelli come alive in a PL game (can't remember which one) where SG moved forward for about 15 minutes near the end of the game.

I would NOT play Balotelli - period. He is unfortunately, worse than useless.

Reading some of the posts, it sounds like the blame lies at SG's feet rather than the team. At the moment, BR is coming up will all sorts of excuses already - playing a weak team, RM best team in the world, etc. This is first time I am disappointed with BR - he should just shut up.