Sunderland

[Brizzle]

So.. On to the next one.

What do we all think?

I was impressed with Shelvey and think he should make the starting line up ahead of Sahin who I think would benefit from a few sub appearances whilst he gels with the team.

I would personally like to see Borini play as a striker and not as a wide forward/winger as I think he is wasted out there and as our only real option of a genuine goal threat he should be given a chance to do so. Suarez has had his chance to play down the middle/ as the focal point of our attack and hasn't taken it. He can go out wide where he will still cause trouble and give Fabio a chance to impress.

For me it should be:

------------------Reina------------------
Johnson---Skrtel--Agger---Enrique
-------------------Allen-------------------
------------Gerrard---Shelvey---------
Suarez---------------------------Sterling
-----------------Borini---------------------

I don't think Reina can really be dropped, maybe give Jones a chance in EL and if he looks solid we can consider him if Reina "Pepe's" again. If Gerrard looks ineffective again then i'd probably be in favour of Sahin in his place. And most likely for this game seeing him come on for Stevie and giving Shelvey the whole game as he looks really lively at the moment.

3 strikers on the bench for this one I reckon 🙂

 

[dmishra]

What's with Assaidi btw? Any news on why he was left out for Arsenal?

 

[FoxForceFive]

What's with Assaidi btw? Any news on why he was left out for Arsenal?

He didn't have a pre season & so is ridiculously unfit, apparently playing for the under 21s to help get fit, dunno if that's true, but that's what I heard.

 

[mark1975]

---------------Reina---------------
Kelly--Skrtel---Agger-Johnson
--------Hendo--Allen------------
-----------Shelvey---------------
--Gerrard--Suarez--Sterling-

 

[Dirkus_Circus]

------------------Reina------------------
Johnson---Skrtel--Agger---Enrique
-------------------Allen-------------------
------------Shelvey---Sahin------------
Suarez---------------------------Sterling
-----------------Borini---------------------

 

[StevieM]

He didn't have a pre season & so is ridiculously unfit, apparently playing for the under 21s to help get fit, dunno if that's true, but that's what I heard.

Not sure about that - he seems to have played in Heerenveen's opening league game of the season.

 

[dmishra]

He didn't have a pre season & so is ridiculously unfit, apparently playing for the under 21s to help get fit, dunno if that's true, but that's what I heard.

In his first interview, he said that the doc told him that he was in 'peak' physical condition, so dunno how much that is true. Why wouldn't he have had a pre-season with Heerenveen anyway?

Binny?

 

[keniget]

What's with Assaidi btw? Any news on why he was left out for Arsenal?

I'm beginning to think he doesn't actually exist.

------------------------ Reina
------------ Skrtel --- Coates --- Agger
Johnson ------------------------------------ Enrique
----------- Allen --- Shelvey -- Sahin
---------------- Suarez -- Gerrard

 

[Cerberus]

I'll be pleasantly surprised if we win.

 

[StevieM]

I'm beginning to think he doesn't actually exist.

Buried next to Doni????

 

[mark1975]

I'm beginning to think he doesn't actually exist.

------------------------ Reina
------------ Skrtel --- Coates --- Agger
Johnson ------------------------------------ Enrique
----------- Allen --- Shelvey -- Sahin
---------------- Suarez -- Gerrard

Like that keni

 

[moron]

I'm beginning to think he doesn't actually exist.

------------------------ Reina
------------ Skrtel --- Coates --- Agger
Johnson ------------------------------------ Enrique
----------- Allen --- Shelvey -- Sahin
---------------- Suarez -- Gerrard

Keni - I like that too. The above is good becuase:

1) Gerrard fucking up a good pass up front may not cost the team a goal.
2) Lots of defenders on the pitch means less chance of any on the bench and therefore BR will have to bring along a youngster striker.
3) It is balanced but I don't think its going to happen - but I would do that becuase we are shit at defending and we need to build an entire wall in front of Reina - man does he need it.

Seriously though - what is up with this Assaidi chap ? - we know he exists because he did that interview but the question is - was he an actor or the real player ?- no one from the club have made a comment on him. I would have also thought he had a pre-season with his old club, and as dmishra points out - the doctor during his medical said he was amazed at his conditioning and and all. So why have we not let him play ?- do you any of you think BR took a look at him in training and thought "Oh - shit now I know why he only cost 3M !!!! - if he was worth £3M then the other club would have said £6M" - in other words BR thinks he is not good enough.

 

[Oncy]

Reina
Enrique
Agger
Skrtel
Johnson

Sahin
Allen
Shelvey

Gerrard
Suarez
Assaidi

 

[rurikbird]

All good suggestions. I like Brizzle's and keni's lineups. I think at this point we might benefit from moving Allen into a more attacking role. Therefore the midfield could look like this:

----Henderson
Allen-----Shelvey

Sahin can come on as a sub for Shelvey. As for Stevie, after that performance against Arsenal I would be reluctant to play him in midfield unless he really buys into the new system and changes his game accordingly.

Agree with everybody else who calls for Borini to play as a center-forward instead of Suarez. I've said it many times, in my opinion the best position for Suarez is on the wing. That's where he always played for Ajax. All the games so far ought to have demonstrated to Rodgers that playing Suarez as a number 9 simply will not work.

 

[Scotino]

I'm beginning to think he doesn't actually exist.

------------------------ Reina
------------ Skrtel --- Coates --- Agger
Johnson ------------------------------------ Enrique
----------- Allen --- Shelvey -- Sahin
---------------- Suarez -- Gerrard

I get this feeling that flexibility's not a characteristic we'll see with Rodgers, so I doubt we'll play anything apart from one of his two preferred variants of 4-3-3 (4-1-2-3 or 4-2-1-3). That's just the feeling I've got, can't say exactly why.

A more logical reason as to why we shouldn't/won't go with that formation/system is because Sunderland are likely to play with one striker. Playing a back 3 against one man up front leaves one of our centre backs redundant, except one of them's given the instruction to move up into midfield often & when necessary we'll be under utilising our on pitch resources.

 

[Frogfish]

So.. On to the next one.

What do we all think?

I was impressed with Shelvey and think he should make the starting line up ahead of Sahin who I think would benefit from a few sub appearances whilst he gels with the team.

I would personally like to see Borini play as a striker and not as a wide forward/winger as I think he is wasted out there and as our only real option of a genuine goal threat he should be given a chance to do so. Suarez has had his chance to play down the middle/ as the focal point of our attack and hasn't taken it. He can go out wide where he will still cause trouble and give Fabio a chance to impress.

For me it should be:

------------------Reina------------------
Johnson---Skrtel--Agger---Enrique
-------------------Allen-------------------
------------Gerrard---Shelvey---------
Suarez---------------------------Sterling
-----------------Borini---------------------

I don't think Reina can really be dropped, maybe give Jones a chance in EL and if he looks solid we can consider him if Reina "Pepe's" again. If Gerrard looks ineffective again then i'd probably be in favour of Sahin in his place. And most likely for this game seeing him come on for Stevie and giving Shelvey the whole game as he looks really lively at the moment.

3 strikers on the bench for this one I reckon 🙂

I like that team. I am not a Shelvey fan (but I'm sloooowly turning - if he can cut out those stupid lunge tackles, one of which will surely see him sent off) but he has done very well of late and deserves to start. Sahin didn't look fit.

 

[rampage]

------------------Reina------------------
Johnson---Skrtel--Agger---Enrique
-------------------Allen-------------------
------------Shelvey---Sahin------------
Downing---------------------------Sterling
-----------------Borini---------------------

Bench time for Gerrard and Suarez.

 

[Jack D Rips]

Assaidi has a groin strain which kept him out of the U21 game. Should return to training today.

 

[nealmac]

------------------Reina------------------
Johnson---Skrtel--Agger---Enrique
-------------------Allen-------------------
------------Shelvey---Sahin------------
Downing---------------------------Sterling
-----------------Borini---------------------

Bench time for Gerrard and Suarez.

Swap Downing for Suarez and you're sorted. It would be ridiculous to drop our biggest threat in a must win game. But Suarez on the right would be a welcome change.

 

[keniget]

Thoughts behind my the line-up I posted:

Someone said we had a Lucas size shaped hole in our midfield against Arsenal and I'm inclined to agree. The balance between defence and attack and ultimately the midfield wasn't quite right. The fullbacks are asked to push up high and provide width and both Allen and Sahin's natural instincts I think are to push forward in attack. This left us short at the back too often. Allen was trying to address that at times by dropping very deep both often to get the ball off the centre-backs and to cover (but getting caught on his heels having moved up to join the attack). I don't think that really makes the best use of him and as someone else said he should be playing a little further forward more often.

So three at the back would hopefully compensate for the lack of a defensive midfielder and allow the fullbacks to push up as Rodgers wants them to do. When we're in possession one of them could push up a little bit and feed the ball to the midfield and this, if it works, would negate the midfield having to come deep to get the ball, which would in turn get the whole team playing further forward.

Shelvey would give us more energy in midfield and Gerrard always looks at his best in the attacking third and linking up with Suarez, which would really help us out right about now.

 

[rampage]

Swap Downing for Suarez and you're sorted. It would be ridiculous to drop our biggest threat in a must win game. But Suarez on the right would be a welcome change.

Suarez looks like in need of some rest on the bench, not sure if it's a case of burnt out. I'd rather play him as an impact sub just for this game.

 

[Jack D Rips]

I think he has two internationals next week too. When will he even get back?

 

[Fox]

they have a good team and made some good signings, I think we have more chance against UTD than against this lot.

sorry, I expect a defeat or draw

 

[Cerberus]

------------------------Reina
Johnson-----Skrtel------Coates-----Enrique
-----------------------Agger
----------------Allen--------Sahin
Gerrard---------------------------Suarez
-----------------------Borini

 

[FoxForceFive]

they have a good team and made some good signings, I think we have more chance against UTD than against this lot.

sorry, I expect a defeat or draw

You think we have more chance against utd than Sunderland? Really?

 

[mark1975]

I'd have said that before they signed RVP, tbf.

 

[Fox]

You think we have more chance against utd than Sunderland? Really?

UTD is at home and we have done well against them lately.

Sunderland away is a pants fixture for us.

We will see

 

[Glen C]

----------------------------reina------------------------------
johnson---------skrtel----------agger------------emrique
---------------------------allen---------------------------------
----------------shelvey-------sahin--------------------------
------gerrard------------------------------------sterling----
---------------------------suarez----------------------------

Doubt gerrard will be moved to the front 3, but i think he'd be more effective there at the moment. We definitely miss lucas.

 

[ibromurph]

------------------------Reina
Johnson-----Skrtel------Agger-----Enrique
------------ Henderson (Gerrard)
----------------Allen--------Sahin
Gerrard (Suarez)--------------------Sterling
-----------------------Borini

 

[mark1975]

I think Rodgers needs to realise that we need to be comfortable as a team first, before becoming expansive. It's cost us against WBA and Arsenal, being so open. It worked against City, but then we played that high line against them last season too and it worked then, it doesn't work in every game. We need to be controlling and compact, once we get players upto speed and aware of their team mates, THEN we can start to open up a bit more when we're comfortable in the setup and the lineup.