Pre Match - Crystal Palace v Liverpool. Sun 23rd Nov ko 1.30pm.

Need a win, something to hang on to.
Don't care about the performance, I'm good winning dog dirty.
Somehow we need to try and find a way to score goals, with strikers that haven't yet hit a barn door.
I plain don't know what that way is at the moment.
BR, rabbit, hat ...

Why not just play this team?:


Mignolet
Toure
Skrtel
Manquillo
Moreno
Can
Lucas
Allen
Lallana
Markovic
Borini

After all Brendan thought they'd be good enough to do a job away to the reigning European Champions - why not an absolute sh*t team like Palace? 

Still think that is the best we've looked as a team since the Spurs game Mouse?

I know you don't think Brendan will pick this side and I get the point you're making but I wouldn't mind if he selecetd this team for the weekend.

I'd give Lambert and Borini a chance together. We're struggling to score goals all season and Palace aren't world beaters so give them a chance.

Mignolet
Manquillo - Toure - Skrtel - Moreno
Can - Lucas
Sterling  -  Gerrard  -  Coutinho
Borini

I was disappointed when Toure didn't start after the game he has versus Real. He should get the nod. Lallana & Balo come on late and spark it up. Let Stevie G work up front a little and see if he can create something.

A clean sheet would be a start .

Very difficult game to predict, I haven't even entered a score in the prediction league yet. A win of any sort will do, I just do not know where the goals will come from, so unlike last season.

Mignolet
Manquillo - Skrtel - Toure - Moreno
Lucas - Can
Sterling - Coutinho - Lallana
Balotelli

Gerrard for one of the attacking midfielders after 60 mins to play behind the striker..

This, except I'd play Borini up front with Balo instead of Sterling. Think the young lad needs a slightly prolonged rest and Balo is pointless on his  own.

I know you don't think Brendan will pick this side and I get the point you're making but I wouldn't mind if he selecetd this team for the weekend.

Neither would I Si - you've known me long enough to know I don't hold an affinity for any player above what's best for the team; that I don't care who plays where as long as we win. If what it takes for us to win is to play that team then so be it.

However, which ever team Brendan picks, the only definite change, I would be looking at, would be to drop Balotelli, have Lambert on the bench and start Borini who, although not the greatest striker ever, fits the style of play which delivered last season [movement/interchange], better than the other two.

It would do no harm to, at least, try.   

With Gerrard given the instructions to give us as much as he can give at full pelt for 60 minutes   


                   Mignolet
               Skrtel   Toure
  Manquillo                   Moreno
                Lucas    Can
      Lallana                   Coutinho
                  Gerrard
                            Sterling

If BR continue to play Balo as a lone striker, I'd think he still doesn't know what's wrong with his tactics or he's too stubborn to admit he has it wrong  when most if not all posters here could easily see that.

A clean sheet would be a start .

you should do stand up mate. What odds on us getting a clean sheet 7/5 apparently. Not sure if they have been watching us this season

you should do stand up mate. What odds on us getting a clean sheet 7/5 apparently. Not sure if they have been watching us this season

We will go up 2-1, they'll score in the 85th, and it'll end in a draw .

Lets hope that doesn't happen but like you said have they been watching us this season?

We will go up 2-1, they'll score in the 85th, and it'll end in a draw .

Lets hope that doesn't happen but like you said have they been watching us this season?

what you mean is we will go 3 up and end up 3-3 sounds familiar doesn't it

they will score... thats just a reality at the moment

I hope Gerarrd gets to go forward for an hour... then we may have a chance to get few!!

Borini to start.... Lambert to come on late on... Balotelli kept on the bench for the full 90

Time to be pragmatic I reckon with Sturridge not available and no other goal threat in our forward ranks.
 A good defensive shield is needed for our shaky back 4. And the most impressive we have been in terms of midfield control has been with Lucas and Can at the base of the midfield and importantly both are capable of playing accurate balls up to our attacking mids.
Let's be difficult to beat first and try and nick a goal. Palace is the ideal place to try this approach.

what you mean is we will go 3 up and end up 3-3 sounds familiar doesn't it

No because I do not think we will score 3 goals .

Time to be pragmatic I reckon with Sturridge not available and no other goal threat in our forward ranks.
 A good defensive shield is needed for our shaky back 4. And the most impressive we have been in terms of midfield control has been with Lucas and Can at the base of the midfield and importantly both are capable of playing accurate balls up to our attacking mids.
Let's be difficult to beat first and try and nick a goal. Palace is the ideal place to try this approach.

Agreed .

Apparently the Palace fans are calling that 3-3 comeback vs us last season "Crystanbul." Pretty clever, but that should be more than enough motivation for us.

Isn't this the problem in a nutshell what the f**k is our best team because nobody including the manager knows.
You could draw names out of a hat and still get an average team

Trust me, I know our best team..

1. Select your best 10 players
2. And Suarez

Oops!

On a serious note, there is no way Lovren, Gerrard, Allen, Markovic, Lambert or Balotelli deserve to be picked after their woeful performances this season.

you should do stand up mate. What odds on us getting a clean sheet 7/5 apparently. Not sure if they have been watching us this season

Thats the reality of hope and desire in the present predicament  Walton.

I can see Balo keeping his place and getting on the score sheet, Lambert coming on and also scoring, and us losing 3 - 2 !
Hope to christ we win, but seeing as BR isn't showing any signs of changing the starting 11, or learning from his recent mistakes, I don't realistically see any other outcome.
Things may have improved somewhat with Sturridge returning, but without him, I think it will be more of the same old.
Sorry to piss you all off lads, but I'm getting more and more depressed with the lack of progress, when everyone but BR seems to be aware of our weaknesses and failings.

You've got to believe that Brendan has the guts to do what's right for the team and make the brave decisions required to put an end to this miserable run and if he doesn't have cahoonas to do that he's clearly in the wrong job.

Apparently the Palace fans are calling that 3-3 comeback vs us last season "Crystanbul." Pretty clever, but that should be more than enough motivation for us.

It is pretty clever.. but just what do you mean by enough motivation for us?   Unfortunately i dont see our attacking prowess improving and for some reason i dont think we can keep a clean sheet.

Our lads couldnt get up for the home game vs real madrid... not sure which liverpool team will show tbh.

However i am hoping / praying that balo starts lighting it up... he really is our only true hope with sturridgr injured yet again

As far as I am concerned anything less than 3 points will be a total failure. We have to win this one and get back on track .