POSSIBLE TEAM V STOKE CITY AT ANFIELD

Having had a great win at the Etihad Stadium against Manchester City in the Carling Cup on Wednesday night, expect to see Kenny re-introduce the likes of Jose Enriqué, Maxi Rodriguez as well as the combination of returning Captain Steven Gerrard to play alongside Charlie Adam in midfield in the absence of young Jay Spearing who did his hamstring on Wednesday.

Stoke City, under Tony Pulis are going well, 8th in the League and into the last 16 of the Europa League, we face a difficult game.
With former Red, Peter Crouch up-front alongside free-scoring Ireland International Jonathon Walters and tough-tackling Glenn Whelan in midfield plus Ryan Shawcross and Woodgate in defence, expect a very tough afternoon against the Potteries at three o’ clock.

2-1 to Liverpool, I hope.

Liverpool v Stoke 01.14.12

10am ET, live in the US on Fox Soccer PlusLast four head-to-head:2-1 Liverpool (a; Carling Cup) 10.26.110-1 Stoke (a) 09.10.112-0 Liverpool (h) 02.02.110-2 Stoke (a) 11.13.10Last three matches:Liverpool: 1-0 City (a); 5-1 Oldham (h); 0-3 City (a)Stoke:…

Anfield Welcomes Stoke

Gerrard signed a new deal this week…

Liverpool face Stoke at Anfield on Saturday in the Premier League. After a winning performance at the Etihad in the League Cup, the Reds are brimming with confidence. Interestingly, the last time visitors Stoke…

What’s The Formation, Kenneth? (Again)

I’ve seen some hand-wringing and questions as to how Liverpool were lined up yesterday, especially in the second half.I tried to explain the set-up and the reasons for it in yesterday’s match review, but pictures always make things easier. Not a 1000 w…

Gerrard Penalty Gives Liverpool Win

Captain Fantastic…

Liverpool were victorious in the first leg of the Carling Cup Semi Final with Manchester City last night courtesy of a Steven Gerrard penalty. Manager Kenny Dalglish used tactics to his advantage as Liverpool began to park the b…

LIVERPOOL’S DEFENSIVE EFFORT EARNS A WIN AT CITY

Liverpool will take a 1-0 advantage back to Anfield after defeating Manchester City in their Carling Cup semi-final on Wednesday.

The loss was City’s second at home in four days following the defeat to local rivals Manchester City on Sunday, while the visitors found more cup success after their 5-1 win over Oldham last Friday.


City would have been confident heading into the match having defeated Liverpool 3-0 at the same ground just a week ago.
Roberto Mancini’s side had a different look for this match though, with Yaya and Kolo Toure away on African Cup of Nations duties with the Ivory Coast and Vincent Kompany suspended.
Liverpool pressed from the off and Carroll was handed a great chance to open the scoring after the striker was sent through on goal by Downing.
Carroll shrugged off a challenge from Savic, but could not beat the oncoming Joe Hart with a low right-foot shot.
City hard barely attacked in the Reds’ third when Gerrard fired a stinging shot at Hart which dipped at the far corner, but the goalkeeper reacted quickly enough to palm the Liverpool skipper’s effort out for a corner.
From the set-piece, a rehearsed move between Gerrard and Downing had the latter testing Hart for the third time for the match.

Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City

Goals:Gerrard 13′ (pen)The same template we saw when Liverpool traveled to Stamford Bridge, and more than a hint of Benitez-era Champions League matches. Get the goal, kill the game. So, will one goal be enough in two weeks time?If not for Joe Hart, Li…

PROBABLE TEAM LINE UP V MAN CITY

With Liverpool given a boost following the refusal of the FA hearing committee to reduce or resind Vincent Kompany’s four game ban, plus the the loss of Yaya & kolo Toure’s participation at The African Nation’s Cup. Kenny Dalglish’s team have a great opportunity to progress to the Carling Cup final.
We still have to be at our best to beat these guys as the likes of  Nasri and Balotteli lie waiting in the wings.
Ever optimistic, I am hoping for a 1-0 win at The Eitihad Stadium.

Well I got most of the team and the result right.

Liverpool at Manchester City 01.11.12

2:45pm ET, live in the US on Fox Soccer Plus

Last four head-to-head:
0-3 City (a) 01.03.12
1-1 (h) 11.27.11
3-0 Liverpool (h) 04.11.11
0-3 City (a) 08.23.10

Previous rounds:
Liverpool: 2-0 Chelsea (a); 2-1 Stoke (a); 2-1 Brighton (a); 3-1 Exeter (a)
City: 1-0 Arsenal (a); 5-2 Wolves (a); 2-0 Brum (h)

Last three matches:
Liverpool: 5-1 Oldham (h); 0-3 City (a); 3-1 Newcastle (h)
City: 2-3 United (h); 3-0 Liverpool (h); 0-1 Sunderland (a)

Goalscorers (Carling Cup):
Liverpool: Suarez 3; Maxi 2; Bellamy, Carroll, Kelly, Kuyt 1
City: Dzeko 2; Agüero, Balotelli, Johnson, Hargreaves, Nasri 1

Referee: Lee Mason

Guess at a line-up:
Reina
Johnson Skrtel Agger Enrique
Spearing Adam
Bellamy Gerrard Downing
Carroll

Yes, it’s the Carling Cup. It’s also the semi-finals. Liverpool will almost assuredly play the strongest lineup possible. This ‘Mickey Mouse’ cup will take precedence over Saturday’s home match against Stoke, and then there’s a week until the next fixture. Liverpool haven’t a had a week between matches since mid-December.

Most of the starting spots seem guaranteed. Reina plays every match ever. Liverpool’s best back four should return after being rested on Friday. To the delight of all, Adam is also likely to return after missing the FA Cup match. Gerrard will start if at all possible. Carroll seemingly has to play up top.

Which leaves two or three questions. Who’ll be the third in midfield: Spearing, Shelvey, or Henderson? Will Bellamy’s knees allow him to start consecutive matches? And will we see Downing after this weekend’s alleged events?

If both Gerrard and Adam play, Spearing seems the most natural third; an out-and-out defensive midfielder in contrast to Shelvey usually attacking between the lines or Henderson’s roaming hustle and bustle. However, Gerrard has played deeper than we’re used to more often than not, and could well be a replacement for Liverpool’s polarizing Scot, joined by Spearing and Shelvey or Henderson.

As for Bellamy or Maxi, Bellamy rightfully won the club’s player of the month award this week and was clear man of the match last time out. Maxi’s almost always at his best when Suarez plays, with the two combining almost involuntarily, and starts far less frequently when Carroll starts. Downing’s alleged shenanigans may force Liverpool’s hand, playing both Bellamy and Maxi or one with Kuyt on the right, but my first guess is Liverpool’s two best crossers – Bellamy and Downing – feeding Carroll. If Bellamy’s knees allow it.

No matter injuries, suspensions, or the African Cup of Nations. No matter three losses from the last four, including a third-round exit at the hands of their noisier, nosier neighbors. Manchester City will still be Manchester City, the team which beat Liverpool 0-3 on this ground a week ago.

Kompany’s suspension, with his red card against United upheld today, should make Liverpool’s life easier, especially with Kolo Toure also absent. Savic is inexperienced and Lescott is accident-prone, but both are still very good defenders. They’re just not Vincent Kompany. Or Kolo Toure, for that matter. A back four of Richards-Savic-Lescott-Clichy (or, less likely, Zabaleta-Richards-Lescott-Clichy) is still better than the first-choice defense for the majority of the Premiership.

Gareth Barry will return from a one-match ban, but in addition to the missing Toures, Balotelli, Dzeko, and Silva are injury doubts; the first two missed City’s FA Cup tie against United. It’s hilarious to see Mancini cry about squad depth after spending approximately £60 trillion over the last couple of seasons, but City had to include youngsters Abdul Razak and Denis Suarez to fill out the bench against United.

Despite missing key players and despite being unfairly down to ten after 12 minutes, City were excellent against United, fighting throughout and unlucky not to overhaul a three-goal deficit with United reeling for the entire second half. Ideally, those exertions – just three days prior to this match – will have depleted City’s already-depleted reserve, but the adage about a wounded animal being the most dangerous feels applicable.

That the first leg is away – with the climax at Anfield in two weeks – and comes so soon after City faced United, will benefit Liverpool. Nonetheless, Liverpool are still underdogs, with City odds-on favorites to lift the Cup next month. Which is probably exactly how Liverpool prefers it.

League Cup Semi Final Take One

Andy Carroll’s goal against Oldham has hopefully given him some confidence…

Liverpool are off to the Etihad once again as they prepare to face Manchester City in the first leg of the Carling Cup Semi Final on Wednesday night. The most recent clash…

KOMPANY LOOSES RED-CARD APPEAL, OUT OF LIVERPOOL GAMES

Man City’s Vincent Kompany has lost his appeal against a four match ban for his sending off against Man Utd on Sunday in the FA Cup.

The influential defender will now miss the Carling Cup game against Liverpool on Wednesday evening as well as two Premier League games and the 2nd leg at Anfield.

With the Toure brothers away at the African Nation’s Cup, Liverpool have been handed an advantage going into the Cup semi-final.

Lets hope we make the most of it.

Downing arrested for Assault

As if Liverpool haven’t been in the news enough for recent events, the Daily Mail has reported that Liverpool winger Stewart Downing has been arrested on suspicion of assault following an incident in a Middlesborough nightclub.

KOMPANY OUT OF CARLING CUP TIE WITH LIVERPOOL

Man City’s Vincent Kompany is out of the Carling Cup Semi-Final with Liverpool this week.
The impressive defender was harshly sent-off in the FA Cup game v Man Utd yesterday.

Doesn’t matter, we will take it.
We couldn’t get past him the other week when we lost 3-0 to the Sky-blues, he stopped everything we threw at Man City.

It will still be a tough game at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night.
By the way, wasn’t it very convenient for Manchester City to be given an ultra-modern, brand new stadium after the Commonwealth games a few years ago?

Liverpool could have done with a new stadium being built by the Government at Stanley Park instead.

Anyhow, with Kompany’s ban we stand a slightly better chance of getting to the Carling Cup Final, lets hope we do it.

Expect Kenny Dalglish to field a strong team on Wednesday against Mancini’s City with Steven Gerrard, Charlie Adam, Glen Johnson and Jordan Henderson all returning to the side.

Shame we drew Man Utd in the FA Cup, 4th round, I knew it would happen, lets get at Scholes, Carrick and their ageing defence.

Games Suarez Will Miss: 

Want to place some football bets?

A look ahead to Man City v Liverpool

On Wednesday Liverpool have a chance to put another dent in Manchester City’s silverware ambitions. Today they have just been beaten by a Manchester United team that didn’t seem to be on top form at times.

POLICE APPREHEND THE RACIST CULPRIT THANKS TO LIVERPOOL FC

Merseyside Police have arrested a 20-year-old man on suspicion of racially abusing Oldham’s Tom Adeyemi during the FA Cup game at Liverpool.


Some good news about the alleged Racial abuse of Oldham’s Tom Adeyemi at Anfield in the FA Cup on Friday night.


Merseyide police have arrested an Aintree man following the incident, where someone in the Anfield crowd aimed racist abuse at the 20-year-old Oldham player during Friday’s FA Cup tie.


Kenny Dalglish’s men won the game 5-1 but the game was marred by the incident which saw Adeyemi, who is on loan from Norwich City, burst into tears.


A statement on Liverpool’s official website said that they had allowed the police every resource they could offer in the search for the miscreant.
“We take this matter extremely seriously and have today provided the police with the evidence we currently have available to us.
“This includes CCTV coverage and still photography of what we believe to be the relevant part of the stadium, statements from matchday stewards in that area and full access to all the footage captured by the cameras filming the match for our in-house tv operation.
“In addition, we have examined records of the tickets purchased in that part of the ground to see if they provide any additional information and have passed that on to the police.
“Finally, we would also urge any of our supporters who witnessed this incident or saw the individual involved and who have not already done so, to contact either the Club or the police.”
Lets hope the matter is brought to a swift conclusion and the furore over racism at Liverpool FC is finally brought to an end, without further punishment by the FA.

Reds Beat Oldham 5-1

Gerrard kisses the ball after netting his peno…

Liverpool put five goals past an Oldham side that took the lead at Anfield on Friday night. A very different starting line up for Liverpool allowed Dalglish to try something new and for once Liverpoo…

OH NO, NEW RACISM CONTROVERSY AT ANFIELD

The spectre of racism and the Luis Suarez T-shirts once more overshadowed Liverpool as a fan sporting the top worn to support the banned striker confronted Oldham’s young defender Tom Adeyemi and reduced him to tears.

The supporter approached Adeyemi during the game and the player is believed to have given a statement to police that he was called “a black c***”.
This is a PR disaster for Liverpool FC, there will be a police investigation and another FA investigation and this time Liverpool FC will pay where it really hurts.
A points deduction is now likely, along with a hefty fine and a lifetime ban for the idiot who uttered those words.
Our Season is over thanks to a moron who should have kept his mouth firmly shut, thanks mate for putting us in the shit!

LIVERPOOL 5-1 OLDHAM, KENNY’S BIGGEST WIN THIS SEASON

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard put more than two months of frustration behind him to score on his first start since October as his side beat Oldham 5-1 in the third round of the FA Cup.


After three substitute appearances following recovery from an ankle infection the 31-year-old finally reclaimed his place in the team and expertly dispatched the penalty which put his side into a lead they did not surrender despite a valiant effort from their League One opponents.


Gerrard did the same thing back in October when, on his first start after six months out after a groin operation, he scored against Manchester United.
On that occasion he played only one more match before succumbing to the ankle problem which sidelined him until St Stephen’s Day.


The England international will be hoping recent history does not repeat itself as Liverpool have an important few months ahead of them, starting with a two-legged Carling Cup semi-final against Manchester City next week.


Almost exactly a year ago manager Kenny Dalglish marked the start of his second spell in charge at the club with a third-round exit at Manchester United 24 hours after replacing Roy Hodgson.


There was no recurrence against a side 52 places below them in the league – although for a fleeting moment the visitors threatened a shock with a brilliantly-taken goal from Robbie Simpson which would not have looked out of place had it been scored at Wembley itself.


If the Latics had held on for longer than two minutes they may have stood a chance but a freakish deflected equaliser via Craig Bellamy and Gerrard’s penalty put the Reds in control and Jonjo Shelvey’s first goal for the club and late efforts from substitutes Andy Carroll and Stewart Downing wrapped things up.

With Gary Ablett’s family watching from the stand there was a minute’s applause for the former Liverpool defender who died on New Year’s Day aged 46 after losing a 16-month battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

The Reds may be unbeaten at home this season but they have often struggled at Anfield and they were fortunate not to go behind after just 10 minutes.


Experienced striker Shefki Kuqi outmuscled Sebastian Coates and wrong-footed Jamie Carragher but wastefully shot into the side-netting with only Jose Reina to beat.


Right-back Tom Adeyemi had an equally good chance from Simpson’s 14th-minute corner but planted his free header just over while Chris Taylor also fired wide.
Oldham deservedly took the lead in spectacular style in the 28th minute when, after receiving Dean Furman’s pass, Simpson took one touch before unleashing a left-footed half-volley which flew past Reina.


The goal had the Oldham contingent in the directors’ box – and the 6,132 visiting fans – on their feet but they were soon pegged back by a huge stroke of luck.
Shelvey cut in from the right and speculatively aimed for the far post only for the shot to take a huge deflection off Bellamy’s chest and leave Alex Cisak helpless.
Gerrard put his side ahead just before the interval when, after Maxi Rodriguez was pushed by Adeyemi, he expertly converted only the second of six penalties the Reds have been awarded this season.
Bellamy, Dirk Kuyt and Martin Kelly all had chances early in the second half – the latter brilliantly denied by Cisak – before Shelvey smashed home from Bellamy’s 68th-minute cross, his first goal this season.
Late in the second half Adeyemi appeared to take offence to something shouted from the Kop and despite reassurance from his team-mates, Kuyt and Gerrard, the 20-year-old right-back, on loan from Bradford, seemed visibly upset, lets hope we don’t land in trouble with the FA again.


In the 89th minute, sub Andy Carroll smashed in a low shot from outside the area barely two minutes after coming on before Downing, also coming off the bench, wrapped things up with his 1st Liverpool goal four minutes into injury-time.

So a good win in the end with some lethal finishing in the second-half, nice to see Stuart Downing get his debut-goal at last.

Man of the Match: Craig Bellamy

Liverpool 5-1 Oldham

Goals:Simpson 28′Bellamy 30′Gerrard 45′ (pen)Shelvey 68′Carroll 89′Downing 90+4′It should be illegal to complain when Liverpool score five, including firsts for Shelvey and Downing and a cameo from Carroll off the bench, no matter the opposition or mer…

Oldham Make Short Trip To Merseyside

Oldham have recently updated their badge, what do you think? Wise decision? Hahaha… Owl? Wise?… Ohh nevermind!…

Ahh, the magic of the FA Cup. 6 years now since the last time we got our hands on it, feels longer doesn’t it? Well Liverpool have …