SOTON Position: 11th with 5 points.

Southhampton previous 5 games:
EPL Southampton - West Ham 0 - 0
EPL Norwich City - Southampton 1 - 0
CCUP Barnsley - Southampton 1 - 5
EPL Southampton - Sunderland 1 - 1
EPL West Brom - Southampton 0 - 1

After a frustrating 2-2 draw vs Swansea, LFC returns to Anfield in facing a very potent attacking threat from SOTON. Coutinho is injured for above a month, Johnson for an indefinite period of time(?) while Daniel Sturridge's fitness is below-par along with his incurred fatigue. Suarez does not return until Manchester United away (COC) and that about covers our lists of doubt.

SOTON under MP are quite an attacking side who focus on a Galician style of play, resulting in wide attacking midfielders focusing around one central reference point. Their defence presses high while fullbacks tend to cut inside rather than provide width.

Pablo Osvaldo is likely their best threat as he turns up vs the best sides and can present a challenge for our rear flank.

Desired Line-up XI: (4-2-3-1)


Kelly is obvious given Glenno's injury. I wouldn't mind if Kolo starts ahead of Agger given the former's superior form over the latter. Gerrard-Lucas provides to be a defensively frail partnership, especially considering Lucas has been below par in the past 2 games.

Aaspas on the RAM to cut inside providing his creativity while Henderson moves back into a natural central position, support Sturridge. Would prefer Aaspas and Hendo to consistently interchange given their versatility on each side and the elements they provide in one position or another.

Sterling to provide the pace on the left, overlapping with an excellent Enrique.

Hopefully we stay deep vs SOTON yet press on the wide areas and not invite needless pressure as we usually do on the 2nd half.

Want YNWA, Arty and Messia's thoughts and critique on the formation in particular.

Is Agger back for this one?

I think there's a good chance we'll get overrun in the middle if we play a 433/4231 with Aspas as the CAM.

I'd personally go with:


assuming Aggers out.

I honestly wouldn't be surprised if experiment with a 352 formation this week as we are clearly missing creativity with Suarez, Johnson and Coutinho all out. The only problem is for a 352 is Henderson will need to play the RWB role; and we definitely need his run in the centre. Luis Alberto will have to play in the middle as I don't want Aspas no where near the midfield.* We bought Alberto for a decent fee, he needs to play this one. His confidence will definitely be up after scoring a hattrick for the under 21s.  

Southampton's squad is very good, but they're not being managed properly imo. Pochettino or however you spell his name is a very average coach in my eyes but he knows how to get results against the 'top' sides after victories against us, City, and Chelsea (or was it Arsenal?) last season so we need to be careful.


*Aspas has shown time and time again he can't play that role. Early days or not, he just can't do it. The tempo of the league is too quick for him to operate in, and he doesn't help Lucas or Gerrard out at all. Soton have one of the best midfields in the league, and they're all young and full of energy.

Aspas. It's Aspas, dude.

Well, about the formation, I suppose Wisdom is at the moment preferred to Kelly at right-back, perhaps understandably as Kelly hasn't played for a while. CB pairing will be interesting to see, based on the Swansea game Sakho needs to train with our team before playing. Toure might start at RB, too, but I'd prefer Wisdom (or Kelly) because they've probably got better stamina for full-back nowadays.

If Moses is deemed fit enough - he looked tired early on against Swansea - then he'll start, but I'd prefer Sterling on the opposite flank with him rather than Aspas. Henderson as CAM sounds good as long as Gerrard & Lucas can hold their own further down the pitch... I think we might end up with the 4-3-3 rather than that 4-2-3-1, so that we can have Hendo at the same level with Stevie and Lucas in midfield.


Also, Southampton haven't scored from open play yet this season, so I don't know if they're that much of an attacking threat at the moment. I'd certainly expect us to limit them to few chances but we might find chances hard to come by for ourselves as well. Then again, these things often don't go as they look on paper.

I'd be very disappointed if we don't keep a clean sheet.

These lot have scored 4 goals in their last 9 games, and no goals from open play in their first 4 games of the season.

A routine 2-0 win that keeps us top for another week will make me happy

I'm not seeing Moses in any of the posts so far?

ExtremistEnigma wrote:I'm not seeing Moses in any of the posts so far?

Try reading more carefully

We should win but Wanyama and Schneiderlin are a good midfield pairing. Worry against them against Gerrard and Lucas.

^ Wanyama is another Tiote. Decent without the ball, absolutely abysmal with the ball. We should target pressing him when he is on the ball.

He's twice as good as Tiote. Watch the games against Barca and at home to Juve. Brilliant in all 3. Will be a brilliant DM.

whatever but to disrupt their game we need Hendo near Schneiderlin and Wanayama.

ExtremistEnigma wrote:

Mignolet
Kelly/Wisdom - Sakho/Toure - Skrtel - Enrique
Gerrard - Lucas - Alberto
Hendo - Sturridge - Moses

OR I think we can start hendo in the center and Alberto can keep drifting inside. I hope BR plays frracking creative Alberto, because it seems he is the most creative in the available lot now.

El Jefe wrote:He's twice as good as Tiote. Watch the games against Barca and at home to Juve. Brilliant in all 3. Will be a brilliant DM.

I watched him against Sunderland and West Ham this year and he was god awful in both games.

I just wish Henderson will play in a central position rather than on the wings. He is at his best in a central position and Lucas & Gerrard can do with his energy.

I don't think Rodgers will change his formation. So subject to fitness, we can expect the following:

------------Mignolet------------
Wisdom-Skrtel-Shako-Enrique
------Lucas-------Gerrard------
Henderson----Aspas-----Moses
------------Sturridge------------

If fit, we may see Kelly (Wisdom), Agger (Shako) & Rahim (Moses).

HEIL MEIN REDS wrote:

ExtremistEnigma wrote:

Mignolet
Kelly/Wisdom - Sakho/Toure - Skrtel - Enrique
Gerrard - Lucas - Alberto
Hendo - Sturridge - Moses

OR I think we can start hendo in the center and Alberto can keep drifting inside. I hope BR plays frracking creative Alberto, because it seems he is the most creative in the available lot now.

Oh *bleep* I completely forgot about Hendo. He'll replace Alberto..

You already have Hendo on the right wing, mate.

yeah because I think that is where BR will start him.
poor Hendo

Natalie Portman wrote:

El Jefe wrote:He's twice as good as Tiote. Watch the games against Barca and at home to Juve. Brilliant in all 3. Will be a brilliant DM.

I watched him against Sunderland and West Ham this year and he was god awful in both games.

Like I said, that Pochettino is an average coach.

They have potentially the best midfield in the league. But they're not a "top 6" side so they hardly ever get talked about. Southampton would definitely be better off if they kept Nigel Adkins imo. He was one of the few British managers that was actually not THAT bad.

something-red wrote:You already have Hendo on the right wing, mate.

That wasn't my lineup.

Great preview Arq I'll comment more on the formations tomorrow as school and work are destroying me

I did drop by to say that I think Alberto will feature this game. He scored a hattrick against Sunderland in the U21s and looked head and shoulders above the rest on the pitch. Brendan was present in the stands so hopefully he has a selection headache for this match.

Also really hoping Wisdom doesn't feature at RB. Would love Kelly, just like you have it Arq, but if he's not match ready then I would consider Ilori. Looked a beast in the U21s match.

a very good preview by Arq...mostly i will miss the game
going to Oktober fest in Münich, so just pray for me that I can drink lot of Beer in a happy mood  

HEIL MEIN REDS wrote:a very good preview by Arq...mostly i will miss the game
going to Oktober fest in Münich, :drinking:so just pray for me that I can drink lot of Beer in a happy mood  

Oktober fest!!!!!! Me wanna go!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alberto was average in that match, Hattrick was a smokescreen. His first half was absolutely atrocious. He wont start today that's for sure.

I think we'll be seeing a

Moses----Hendo---Sterling

behind Sturridge, But knowing BR i wont be surprised to see

Moses----Allen---Hendo.

Also if Aspas does start, This is one of the best games for him to make an impact on the fans.

Nishank wrote:Alberto was average in that match, Hattrick was a smokescreen. His first half was absolutely atrocious. He wont start today that's for sure.

I think we'll be seeing a

Moses----Hendo---Sterling

behind Sturridge, But knowing BR i wont be surprised to see

Moses----Allen---Hendo.

Also if Aspas does start, This is one of the best games for him to make an impact on the fans.

Knowing Rodgers, don't be surprised to see:

Henderson-Aspas-Whoever

I fancy one of the Spanish new boys to score their first today... whoever starts/gets game time.

Got a nasty feeling that we may falter in this game... Lacking confidence in our midfield and ability to control the game, but hopefully the lads will show how silly of me that is / was.