Sunderland (H)

[peterhague]

Good opportunity to rest some key players before the 4th place shootout against Spurs this weekend.

Mignolet

Johnson
Skrtel
Sakho
Cissokho

Lucas
Allen

Coutinho
Sterling
Moses

Aspas

 

[Mystic]

Good opportunity to rest some key players before the 4th place shootout against Spurs this weekend.

Mignolet

Johnson
Skrtel
Sakho
Cissokho

Lucas
Allen

Coutinho
Sterling
Moses

Aspas

Are you interested in winning the league at all?

 

[peterhague]

We can afford a draw and still win the title IMO. The main thing is to have our best players fresh for the 4th place shootout with Spurs this weekend.

 

[Brizzle]

he's arguably better than Agger with it

 

[Modo]

Jesus Christ...

 

[ILD]

Yep, I'm with Peter here. Aspas deserves a run. Suarez deserves a break.

Bring Brad Jones in too?

 

[Brizzle]

Right lads, are we agreed that when @gkmacca we all need to pretend that there is nothing untoward going on in here?

 

[Brizzle]

Peter is hiding his real intentions anyway. He is still "hurting" from Suarez's actions in the summer and clearly wants to get revenge...

 

[Buddha]

Has anyone said (in this thread) that Sakho is bad with the ball? And why are they "pointless meanders"? And is it a case of once a game?

The truth is that the whole "Agger is rated because every now and again he dribbles past a player or two" is one of those 6CM bandwagons that people like to jump on because it makes them feel a little bit superior to others.

I suppose that next time Skrtel brings the ball out of the defence, which he does tend to do "once a game", we'll have to label it a pointless meander too.

I mentioned Sakho's prowess in possession in response to this Keni...

Agger keeps his place because he's good in possession (though I wouldn't particularly care if Sakho came in for him).

...to negate your reasoning for potentially keeping Agger in there. if Sakho's at least as good in possession (I think he is) then I think Agger's defensive woes on Saturday are reason enough to welcome Sakho back into the side - quite apart from the thinking that he'll be better suited to deal with the lump Altidore.

 

[hamstrung_pigeon]

I kinda wished Gerrard would have got a one match ban against these so he's ok for the run-in.

Actually does it work that way? If he'd collected 2 yellows against Cardiff, he'd have picked up a one-match ban, but that suspension should be independent from the one for accumulated cards over a season, I'd think? In other words, shouldn't he then have had to serve three matches - one for the double yellow in a game, and two for the ten cards collected before the second Sunday of April?

 

[Silver Sean]

Agger fills me with more fear than Kolo or Skittles these days. The way Campbell made him look a chump for their second goal...Brrrrr!

And describing our game with Spuds as a fourth place showdown?
Nurse, the screens!

 

[Modo]

Press conference:
http://press.lfc.vn/rodgers-pre-sunderland-presser-s14-w32/

 

[Mystic]

Cheers @Modo.

 

[Hansern]

Ming
Johnson Skrtel Sakho Flanno
Henderson Gerrard Coutinho
Sterling Sturridge Suarez

 

[Modo]

In hindsight it was a pretty stupid move by Gerrard to take his shirt off when he celebrated his penalty goal against Fulham.

 

[Modo]

Ming
Johnson Skrtel Sakho Flanno
Henderson Gerrard Coutinho
Sterling Sturridge Suarez

Sunderland will flood the midfield, can't have that line up.

 

[Hansern]

Sunderland will flood the midfield, can't have that line up.

They play a 4-1-4-1. The line up is how we played against Everton and Arsenal.

 

[red_maradona]

Ming, Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Flannagan, Henderson, Gerrard, Coutinho, Sterling, Suarez, Sturridge

I've gone for all out attack.

.

I like it.

Maybe I am getting too excited about Sterling, but I think he could do a very decent job in the middle instead of Allen. So far this season he has shown remarkable versatility and maturity in playing different positions. He would add energy, pace and some lovely passing.

 

[Modo]

They play a 4-1-4-1. The line up is how we played against Everton and Arsenal.

Yes two ball playing teams who aren't afraid to attack. Sunderland will be in defence mode.
I think Lucas will play, Gerrard might be rested for this one.

 

[Hansern]

Yes two teams ball playing teams who aren't afraid to attack. Sunderland will be in defence mode.
I think Lucas will play, Gerrard might be rested for this one.

Yeah, I was wondering about including him. Hopefully we're a few up and can sub Lucas on after 60 mins.
We certainly shouldnt change to much from saturdays game. That will just disrupt the balance.

Our players can certainly play saturday - Wednesday - sunday with ease.

 

[Mersey86]

I can see Sakho for Agger, maybe even Lucas for Allen. Any other changes would very much surprise me. Stevie will play. He'll just tell the ref he's England captain and would not appreciate being booked. That should do it.

 

[Dreambeliever]

Resting players? With 8 games to go when we can win the fucking title?

Are you guys on crack??

There is no reason any player in our squad should be tired.

They had a r&r break before Utd ffs.

Rest at the end of the season.

I don't want to lose the title by resting players in games we should win without them.
That's what cost Rafa time and time again

 

[Ryan]

Resting players? With 8 games to go when we can win the fucking title?

Are you guys on crack??

There is no reason any player in our squad should be tired.

They had a r&r break before Utd ffs.

Rest at the end of the season.

I don't want to lose the title by resting players in games we should win without them.
That's what cost Rafa time and time again

Alex Ferguson didn't play the same side in the league for 3 seasons running at one stage. And won the league in everyone of those seasons.

 

[Fabio]

Alex Ferguson didn't play the same side in the league for 3 seasons running at one stage. And won the league in everyone of those seasons.

How would you line up against Sunderland?

Assuming everyone trained like they do every week, and removing other non-observable (for us) variables.

I'd keep the same line up as last week myself, and bring raheem on against tired legs.

 

[Ryan]

How would you line up against Sunderland?

Assuming everyone trained like they do every week, and removing other non-observable (for us) variables.

I'd keep the same line up as last week myself, and bring raheem on against tired legs.

I'd swop Agger for Sakho, and maybe Lucas for Gerrard.

I'd keep Sterling on the bench cos Sunderland defend deep and I'd prefer Coutinho buzzing around in front of the back four.

Spurs play the highest defensive line in the league so save Raheem for that one and bench Coutinho then.

 

[Fabio]

Sakho coming is something I'd try

Maybe

 

[Hansern]

He'll probably make 2 changes I reckon. Sakho being one of them.

 

[Buddha]

Sakho coming is something I'd try

Maybe

Isn't there a different forum for this sort of curious shit?

 

[FoxForceFive]

Alex Ferguson didn't play the same side in the league for 3 seasons running at one stage. And won the league in everyone of those seasons.

But rotating players is a bad thing that only foreign managers do, the press & pundits say it all the time, & scoff knowingly whilst doing it, so it must be true.

 

[etchy]

I'd swop Agger for Sakho, and maybe Lucas for Gerrard.

I'd keep Sterling on the bench cos Sunderland defend deep and I'd prefer Coutinho buzzing around in front of the back four.

Spurs play the highest defensive line in the league so save Raheem for that one and bench Coutinho then.

This!