Our Killer Schedule Until 4 March

by Art Morte Sat Jan 24, 2015 8:38 pm

27 Jan: Chelsea (away, cup) L
31 Jan: West Ham (h) W
4 Feb: Bolton (away, cup) W
7 Feb: Everton (a) D
10 Feb: Tottenham (h) W
14-15 Feb: Crystal Palace (away, cup) W
19 Feb: Besiktas (h)
22 Feb: Southampton (a)
26 Feb: Besiktas (a)
1 March: Man City (h)
4 March: Burnley (h)
7 March: FA Cup 6th round

That's an absolutely crazy run, and we have already played 3 games in the last 8 days.

FA Cup's 6th round is on the 7th of March, by the way, and could in theory even extend that run by one more game. And the first leg of the last-16 of the EL is on 12 March.

A real make-or-break period with games against our closest rivals in the PL and elimination games in cups.

Rodgers has to manage the squad wisely. What an exciting period this is going to be, here's hoping it will be glorious as well!

by Art Morte Sat Jan 24, 2015 8:42 pm

If you could choose just two things out of the following four, which would you pick?

In the top-4 or just a couple of points adrift after that run.
In the League Cup final.
In the last-16 of the Europa League.
In first the 5th and then 6th round of the FA cup?

by McAgger Sat Jan 24, 2015 8:43 pm

Man an addition or two would really help the cause. Hopefully everyone stays fit. We really need the squad to pull through here.

by Fahim89 Sat Jan 24, 2015 10:03 pm

Well i would really prefer the Europa win!!! Takes care of two birds with one stone!! cheers

by Art Morte Sat Jan 24, 2015 10:24 pm

Fahim89 wrote:Well i would really prefer the Europa win!!! Takes care of two birds with one stone!!

It is enticing, the fact that EL's winner gets into CL. But it's only the place in the last-16 at stake during this run of games, whereas in the less prestigious and less lucrative League Cup we could be in the final hmm

EL final >>>>>>> League cup final
but
EL round-of-16 >>> League cup final?

I don't know about that.

by iftikhar Sun Jan 25, 2015 3:46 am

It is enticing, the fact that EL's winner gets into CL. But it's only the place in the last-16 at stake during this run of games,

I think what Fahim meant is winning the R16 will us on our way to win the EL Chaka

.

by iftikhar Sun Jan 25, 2015 5:24 am

-------------Mignolet-------------
---------------Jones---------------
--------Emre-Skrtel-Sakho--------
-------Johnson-Toure-Lovern-------
Markovic-Henderson-Lucas-Moreno
Manquillo---Allen-----Rossitier---Enrique
--------Coutinho-Raheem---------
----Gerrard/Lallana/Balotelli/Ibe-----
-------------Sturridge-------------
-----------Lambert/Borini-----------

Beyond the first-team we have just Lallana who can assure that quality. Some might put Gerrard and Ibe in that category as well, but that's about it. My biggest concern is the back-up for Henderson-Lucas, where we lack any quality whatsoever.

Rodgers will not only have to rotate, quiet frequently, but will also have to coax the likes of Johnson, Lovern, Allen, Balotelli & Borini to improve their performances by another notch.

by Fahim89 Sun Jan 25, 2015 7:14 am

Art Morte wrote:
EL round-of-16 >>> League cup final?

I don't know about that.

Well definitely not but as Ifti bhai said i am looking beyond this as i would like to see us further in EL and also most importantly achieve Top 4/CL qualification Very Happy

by Art Morte Sun Jan 25, 2015 8:41 am

Yeah, it's just still a long way to go from last-16 to actually winning it. Realistically speaking right now we're more likely to win the League Cup than the EL.

Personally, if I could choose two things out of my list, I'd say I'd like to be in the top-4 and in the League Cup final. If we go out of the FA cup and the Europa League during these last-32 or last-16 stages, it doesn't hurt as much as losing a semi-final or missing out on a very important chance to finish in the top-4. Going out in the round of 32 or 16 feels like "oh well, we wouldn't have been close to winning it yet, anyway, so many teams left in the competition".

by iftikhar Sun Jan 25, 2015 9:20 am

In the top-4 or just a couple of points adrift after that run.
In the League Cup final.

by Helmer Sun Jan 25, 2015 11:59 am

These two:
In the top-4 or just a couple of points adrift after that run.

In the last-16 of the Europa League.

All my eyes on CL :coffee:

Well, being 1 or 2 points away from top 4 means a lot but it can still mean nothing in the end. That is the same with Europa League, overcoming Besiktas just increases our chaces of CL in the next season but it may come out to be nothing in the end. But I think we need to keep pushing for CL in the next season. That is a massive advantage on the outlook of the club in general and which will hopefully help us to sign better players.

I am not really bothered by League cup win or something, what I want to see is whether BR can mastermind some cup win in this season and our position in the table, so that I can give my verdit on him at the end of the season.

by iftikhar Sun Jan 25, 2015 4:18 pm

Which area do you suppose we are most vulnerable? Though our attack have drawn mostly blanks with Raheem, Lambert, Borini & Balotelli; I think our midfield is the thinnest.

by Helmer Sun Jan 25, 2015 4:26 pm

more than depth, I guess it is the quality that is going to decide our success in this part of the season. By Quality, I mean that experience and mentality to take the game one by one and keep producing results.

by iftikhar Sun Jan 25, 2015 4:30 pm

HEIL MEIN REDS wrote:more than depth, I guess it is the quality that is going to decide our success in this part of the season. By Quality, I mean that experience and mentality to take the game one by one and keep producing results.

Last season we probably played the same team for 12-15 consecutive games and got results until the Chelsea debacle. This season there are some new faces (not meaning inexperienced) but the core of that resilient team remains. I'm optimistic that we can do it.

by Art Morte Sun Jan 25, 2015 6:50 pm

I worry for Henderson (even though we all know what an engine he has), he's our most important CM and a little bit irreplaceable, because Gerrard doesn't have the legs, Allen doesn't have the quality and Lucas is just a very different sort of player. There's Emre, but we don't even know his best position. I don't think any player can play all these games during this run and be at 100% throughout the period, but at the same time I worry how our midfield is going to do if Henderson isn't playing.

by iftikhar Mon Jan 26, 2015 7:18 am

Art Morte wrote:I worry for Henderson (even though we all know what an engine he has), he's our most important CM and a little bit irreplaceable, because Gerrard doesn't have the legs, Allen doesn't have the quality and Lucas is just a very different sort of player. There's Emre, but we don't even know his best position. I don't think any player can play all these games during this run and be at 100% throughout the period, but at the same time I worry how our midfield is going to do if Henderson isn't playing.

I guess Emre can do his job (if though not that efficiently) but that would weaken the back-three.

by iftikhar Tue Jan 27, 2015 5:14 pm

10 Feb: Tottenham (h)
14-15 Feb: FA Cup 5th round???
19 Feb: Besiktas (h)

Isn't there a international break between 10-19???

by Curtinho Tue Jan 27, 2015 5:35 pm

Art Morte wrote:If you could choose just two things out of the following four, which would you pick?

In the top-4 or just a couple of points adrift after that run.
In the League Cup final.
In the last-16 of the Europa League.
In first the 5th and then 6th round of the FA cup?

Damn.

I would say if I could only choose two of those it would be LC final and last 16 of Europa, but it sure would be nice to have all of those things.

by Art Morte Tue Jan 27, 2015 5:35 pm

iftikhar wrote:
10 Feb: Tottenham (h)
14-15 Feb: FA Cup 5th round???
19 Feb: Besiktas (h)
Isn't there a international break between 10-19???

Umm, no?

by Sri Tue Jan 27, 2015 5:40 pm

Next intl break is 23-31 March

http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/calendar/events.html

by Red Alert Wed Jan 28, 2015 6:41 am

Art Morte wrote:If you could choose just two things out of the following four, which would you pick?

In the top-4 or just a couple of points adrift after that run.
In the League Cup final.
In the last-16 of the Europa League.
In first the 5th and then 6th round of the FA cup?

The only thing I see realistically on your list is a 5th/6th round FA cup. And that's not even winning the bloody thing. :facepalm:

by iftikhar Wed Jan 28, 2015 7:17 am

27 Jan: Chelsea (away, cup)
31 Jan: West Ham (h)
4 Feb: Bolton (away, cup)
7 Feb: Everton (a)
10 Feb: Tottenham (h)
14-15 Feb: FA Cup 5th round???
19 Feb: Besiktas (h)
22 Feb: Southampton (a)
26 Feb: Besiktas (a)
1 March: Man City (h)
4 March: Burnley (h)

Fixed

by iftikhar Wed Feb 04, 2015 9:57 pm

27 Jan: Chelsea (away, cup)
31 Jan: West Ham (h)
4 Feb: Bolton (away, cup)
7 Feb: Everton (a)
10 Feb: Tottenham (h)
14 Feb: Crystal Palace (away, cup)
19 Feb: Besiktas (h)
22 Feb: Southampton (a)
26 Feb: Besiktas (a)
1 March: Man City (h)
4 March: Burnley (h)

Updated

by Art Morte Wed Feb 04, 2015 10:04 pm

Everton and Tottenham next... Cannot afford to lose against the Spurs and really really don't want to lose against Everton, either. Man, it would be so awesome to beat them both, especially after progressing in the FA cup!

by iftikhar Fri Feb 06, 2015 4:34 pm

7 Feb: Everton (a)
10 Feb: Tottenham (h)
14 Feb: Crystal Palace (away, cup)
19 Feb: Besiktas (h)
22 Feb: Southampton (a)
26 Feb: Besiktas (a)
1 March: Man City (h)
4 March: Burnley (h)

I hope the key players get some rest somewhere. There isn't any game aside the Palace & Burnley ones to rotate.

by Sponsored content

Our Killer Schedule Until 4 March

Our Killer Schedule Until 4 March

Re: Our Killer Schedule Until 4 March

Re: Our Killer Schedule Until 4 March

Re: Our Killer Schedule Until 4 March

Re: Our Killer Schedule Until 4 March

Re: Our Killer Schedule Until 4 March

Re: Our Killer Schedule Until 4 March

Re: Our Killer Schedule Until 4 March

Re: Our Killer Schedule Until 4 March

Re: Our Killer Schedule Until 4 March

Re: Our Killer Schedule Until 4 March

Re: Our Killer Schedule Until 4 March

Re: Our Killer Schedule Until 4 March

Re: Our Killer Schedule Until 4 March

Re: Our Killer Schedule Until 4 March

Re: Our Killer Schedule Until 4 March

Re: Our Killer Schedule Until 4 March

Re: Our Killer Schedule Until 4 March

Re: Our Killer Schedule Until 4 March

Re: Our Killer Schedule Until 4 March

Re: Our Killer Schedule Until 4 March

Re: Our Killer Schedule Until 4 March

Re: Our Killer Schedule Until 4 March

Re: Our Killer Schedule Until 4 March

Re: Our Killer Schedule Until 4 March

Re: Our Killer Schedule Until 4 March