Your line up away to Stoke..

[Rosco]

You've heard of form and past performances right? Lovren is a good defender. But he didnt finish the season that strongly and he hasnt impressed so far in pre season. So he shouldnt be starting.

Skrtel - Sakho should be the prefered pairing when the season kicks off and then its up to Lovren to get back to old form and challenge them.

I have heard of form, I'm well aware the only time his form seemed decent in his entire career was the year before we signed him. Every other season he's been shit.

He shouldn't start cos he's shit. And that's why it's insane.

 

[Hansern]

I have heard of form, I'm well aware the only time his form seemed decent in his entire career was the year before we signed him. Every other season he's been shit.

He shouldn't start cos he's shit. And that's why it's insane.

Good to know. Also good to know that you've watched Lyon, Dinamo Zagreb and Croatia reguarly to label all his other seasons shit.

 

[Ryan]

I didn't see the Swindown game but I presume Moreno was shite, so yeah the same side as everyone else has mostly posted with Gomez in at left back, and Lallana as one of the front 3.

 

[peterhague]

Echo now confirming that Benteke likely to start at Stoke.

 

[Woland]

Course he is. He's fucking brilliant

 

[Brizzle]

Lets turn this around. How do we think Stoke will line up against us? Nzonzi and Begovic are big losses. Will be interesting to see how Affelay fits in.


2014/15 Squad:

Stoke City

25 squad players (*=Home grown)
Adam, Charles Graham
Arnautovic, Marko
Assaidi, Oussama
*Bardsley, Phillip Anthony
*Begovic, Asmir
Cameron, Geoff Scott
*Crouch, Peter James
Diouf, Mame Biram
Do Nascimento Teixeira, Dionatan
*Huth, Robert
*Ireland, Stephen James
Krkic Perez, Bojan
*Moses, Victor
Muniesa Martinez, Marc
Nzonzi, Steven Nkemboanza Mike Christopher
Palacios Suazo, Wilson Roberto
Pieters, Erik
*Shawcross, Ryan James
Shea, Dane Brekken
*Sidwell, Steven James
Sorensen, Thomas
*Walters, Jonathan Ronald
*Whelan, Glenn David
*Wilkinson, Andrew Gordon
*Wilson, Marc David

And Transfers on that squad:

In
Jakob Haugaard (Midtylland) Undisclosed Full story
Philipp Wollscheid (Bayer Leverkusen) Undisclosed Full story
Joselu (Hannover 96) EUR8million Full story
Marco van Ginkel (Chelsea) Loan Full story
Shay Given (Aston Villa) Free Full story
Glen Johnson (Liverpool) Free Full storyIbrahim Afellay (Barcelona) Free Full story

Out
Thomas Sorensen (Released)
Wilson Palacios (Released)
Andy Wilkinson (Released)
Steven Nzonzi (Sevilla) Undisclosed
Asmir Begovic (Chelsea) Undisclosed Full story

 

[Squiggles]

---------------------------Mig------------------------------
------Clyne-----Skrtel-------Sakho-------Gomez---
----------------Milner----------Henderson--------------
-------Lallana-------Coutinho-------Firminho----------
----------------------Bentekkers---------------------------

 

[Mystic]

---------------------------Mig------------------------------
------Clyne-----Skrtel-------Sakho-------Gomez---
----------------Milner----------Henderson--------------
-------Lallana-------Coutinho-------Firminho----------
----------------------Bentekkers---------------------------

I'd squee like a little girl if that was our line up, I know we'd be fragile at the back, but fuck that's a sexy attacking line up.

 

[hamstrung_pigeon]

Lets turn this around. How do we think Stoke will line up against us? Nzonzi and Begovic are big losses. Will be interesting to see how Affelay fits in.

This is their current squad:
http://www.transfermarkt.com/stoke-city/startseite/verein/512

Someone said that Arnautovic was hurt in pre-season. I think we'll see this, assuming Krkic is still out:

Butland
Johnson Shawcross Muniesa Pieters
Adam Whelan
van Ginkel
Walters Diouf Afellay

Subs: Given, Wilson, Bardsley, Sidwell, Ireland, Joselu, Crouch

We lose a Brazilian for a month to one of Charlie Adam's reckless tackles.

 

[Mors]

I think we'll see:

...................Migs
Clyne...Skrtel..Lovren...Gomez
.......Milner.......Henderson
Ibe...........Coutinho.........Lallana
...............Benteke

Myself I'd swap Lovren for Sakho, and swap Firmino in for Ibe if Firmino is fit.

 

[Buddha]

I think we'll see:

...................Migs
Clyne...Skrtel..Lovren...Gomez
.......Milner.......Henderson
Ibe...........Coutinho.........Lallana
...............Benteke

Myself I'd swap Lovren for Sakho, and swap Firmino in for Ibe if Firmino is fit.

I reckon that'll be it with Firmino starting instead of Lallana

 

[Skullflower]

If lovren starts dough

 

[gene hughes]

I expect Rodgers to do something really stupid and inspirational leadershippy like pick the players who lost 6-1 so they can have closure or some shite like that.

Brace yourselves.

 

[Hansern]

Anthony Taylor appointed referee. He was the ref in the 1-6 game and 5-3 win.
3 times in a row. How odd...

 

[Aidan O' Neill]

--------ming---------
Clyne---skrtel----sahko----gomez

-----Henderson----Lucas-----milner

----coutinho----benteke-----firmino

Or Ibe in for Lucas and go more attacking.

 

[Mystic]

Echo reporting that Gomez will start, that's Gomez and Benteke so far, now hopefully they'll come out and say the same about Sakho...

 

[mr_moo]

Ming

Clyne, Skrtel, Lovern (fuck know why he's ahead of sakho), Gomez

Milner, Henderson,

Ibe, Lallana (should be firmino), couts ( did have origi hear originally)

Benteke

Don't agree with that line up one bit, but that's what rogers wil go with I reckon

 

[Best Believe It]

Has anyone come up with a plausible reason that Rodgers is favouring Lovren over Sakho?

 

[Rosco]

Has anyone come up with a plausible reason that Rodgers is favouring Lovren over Sakho?

Rodgers agrees with Hansern when he says Lovren is a good defender?

 

[JohnnyRocket]

Ming

Clyne Skrtel Sakho Gomez

Henderson Milner Lucas Ibe
Coutinho
Benteke

 

[Silver Sean]

I'll go 4-4-2:

better GK

better RB---better CB---better CB---better LB

better RM---better CM---better CM---better LM

better striker---Firminho

 

[Piedro]

Course he is. He's fucking brilliant

Told you this months ago. He's fucking great.

I'm driving the Benteke Bus. Dudes mine.

 

[dmishra]

4-4-2 diamond - the sooner we play it the better.

---------------Mignolet
Clyne---Skrtel---Sakho---Gomez
----------------Lucas
------Henderson-----Milner
--------------Coutinho
--------Firmino-----Benteke

 

[peterhague]

Has anyone come up with a plausible reason that Rodgers is favouring Lovren over Sakho?

Rodgers bought Lovren and not Sakho. That's it.

 

[cloggypop]

He bought Borini as well.

 

[Mystic]

Has anyone come up with a plausible reason that Rodgers is favouring Lovren over Sakho?

Probably because he's like those idiots out there who think because he looks a little awkward on the ball, that he's not very good on it, despite being tens times better on it than the "composed" looking Lovren.

 

[FoxForceFive]

Told you this months ago. He's fucking great.

I'm driving the Benteke Bus. Dudes mine.

Love the 'Benteke Bus'.

The club should so sponsor an arriva bus with a massive Benteke head plastered all over it.

 

[Best Believe It]

Probably because he's like those idiots out there who think because he looks a little awkward on the ball, that he's not very good on it, despite being tens times better on it than the "composed" looking Lovren.

I'm trying to establish an understanding as to what Rodgers is trying to achieve with that partnership that he can't with a Sakho/Skrtel partnership, even if I don't agree with it, and the best I can do is assume that Rodgers sees Skrtel and Sakho as too similar. I think he'd like a Hansen/Lawrenson style centre back pairing in terms of one player who does the last ditch sliding into tackle stuff and one who can carry the ball out of defence. I know none of our centre backs are up to the same standard of either Hansen or Lawrenson, but maybe Brendan feels that Lovren can bring the ball out of defence better than Sakho can.

Dunno. I think if he wants that sort of partnership then he should be telling Sakho and Ilori to work on a partnership within the reserves.

 

[cloggypop]

Lovren is better at staying fit.

This may not be a positive thing however.

 

[Rosco]

Lovren is better at staying fit.

This may not be a positive thing however.

He also looks the part.

You could believe he's good if you'd never seen him play