Blackburn v Liverpool

And so we enter the last chance saloon to make this season a successful one.

CL group stage, EL last-32, League Cup semi-final and a 5-to-7 place finish in the Premier League. That would be over-achieving for Everton, but it's not good enough for us. Not what we can be satisfied with. However, should that list end with "FA Cup trophy", now that would, in my eyes anyway, tip the overall performance scale to success.

I'm not sure what to say about expectations on this game, we should be clearly better than Blackburn. Obviously they did earn a draw at Anfield to take us to a replay, but we should be winning 6 times, drawing 3 times and losing just once in 10. In other words, we are the clear favorites and really should not falter here. Facing a mid-table Championship side in the FA Cup quarter-final is pretty much the best you can hope for.

That said, there are some questions about our defense and attack. Skrtel was badly missed against Arsenal, with Toure all over the place. Emre's mindless red card against Arsenal means he's, too, suspended for this one. So, if Lovren is just fit and we stick with a three-man back line, it will probably be Lovren - Toure - Sakho. Could also be Johnson instead of Lovren or Toure. In any case it will be far from perfect.

Moreno has been just shambolic lately and if Enrique has just any match fitness, I'd be tempted to start him. Or Johnson. Or Manquillo. But Moreno needs to be dropped. He seems a likeable guy, but you just can't keep playing someone who is in such an awful form.

In attack we need to find something else than just dribbling against two or three defenders or passing the ball around the box without a clue how to create a scoring opportunity. But I'm sure we won't go two games against Blackburn goalless. More worried about individual mistakes in defense.

What I'd play if they're all fit enough:


Aston Villa are waiting in the semi-final at Wembley. The road to the final is rarely this easy. Gotta take this opportunity ffs!!

Kolo Toure has to be binned, Ive had enough of him.

Only top 4 can make this a successful season, this is a consolation prize which we won't even win because arsenal will beat us.

Nishy wrote:Kolo Toure has to be binned, Ive had enough of him.

Same here, but we have no CBs who aren't suspended. It's either Toure or Johnson at CB, if we're playing with three, and neither can really be trusted. Johnson would offer more ball-possession wise, though.

mr-r34 wrote:Only top 4 can make this a successful season, this is a consolation prize which we won't even win because arsenal will beat us.

I kinda agree, but the FA cup final would be the last game of the season, so winning it would leave a good finishing taste in the mouth, it would be a dream send-off for Stevie and a major trophy. I'd have taken a top-4 finish rather, but winning the FA Cup would be so great, too, that I'd be willing to call this season a success based solely on it.

That huge dude has a tight hamstring so he wont play against us.

Gestede’s replacement Chris Brown was also forced off at Elland Road and Rovers now have 10 players carrying injuries going into the tie with Brendan Rodgers' side.
​
​Bowyer, who had already lost goalkeeper Simon Eastwood and midfielder Chris Taylor after they were hurt in training before the Leeds game, revealed that Gestede and Brown had both complained of “tightness” in their hamstrings.
​
​Their list of casualties now includes Eastwood, Chris Taylor, Gestede, Brown, Craig Conway, Grant Hanley, Josh King, David Dunn and long-term victims Shane Duffy and Jason Lowe.

​​Former Liverpool midfielder Jay Spearing scored his first goal for Blackburn in the win over Leeds but he’s cup tied for the clash with his former club. Paul Taylor, David Raya and John O’Sullivan are also ineligible.

Rodgers brah

brah pls

If we don't win this game

we just look depleted after the ManUtd defeat and way short of energy and confidence. I think playing Lucas, Allen and Henderson was such a disaster against Arsenal. We need to win this one so that we get on track again to give a decent finish to the season

I think it's time for a change in formation. Lucas looked woeful against Arsenal, as did Toure and Sterling. I'm not really sure what to do up top since all year we've been a bit anemic in terms of actually converting our goalscoring chances, but at least in terms of structure we need a bit more stability.

Formation shouldn't be the crucial thing against Blackburn, we should have enough quality against them in any formation. I don't care which formation we play in this match, it's more about having the right attitude, playing the players in correct roles (ffs not Henderson on the wing ever again just to accommodate Lucas & Allen ) and avoiding mistakes.

I don't mind if we change formation in the rest of the PL games, though.

El Cujo wrote:I think it's time for a change in formation. Lucas looked woeful against Arsenal, as did Toure and Sterling. I'm not really sure what to do up top since all year we've been a bit anemic in terms of actually converting our goalscoring chances, but at least in terms of structure we need a bit more stability.

Johnson - Lovren - Sakho - Moreno
Rossiter/Williams
Henderson - Allen
Coutinho
Sturridge - Sterling

I would also like to see a change in tactics.

Just win, that's all.

Agreed. At this point there's no reason why we shouldn't make the final.

until we make it .... ....

I wouldn't buy too much into the Arsenal result.

Remember last season we beat them 5-1 and a week later they beat us 2-1 in the FA Cup.

Let's hope for a repeat of last season where they beat us badly and we take revenge in the cup.

Why isnt this tonight ffs

Don't call me James wrote:
Remember last season we beat them 5-1 and a week later they beat us 2-1 in the FA Cup.

Let's hope for a repeat of last season where they beat us badly and we take revenge in the cup.

thinking on very similar lines we need to get on track before it is too late !!

Game Night

We got this. Nothing but confidence from the lads!

Liverpool XI vs Blackburn: Mignolet, Johnson, Lovren, Sakho, Lucas, Allen, Henderson, Moreno, Sterling, Coutinho, Sturridge

try the 4-3-3 ffs

Could be 4-3-3. Could be the same 3-4-2-1

Don't call me James wrote:Could be 4-3-3. Could be the same 3-4-2-1

Henderson as WB ? Please no. Why not


Moreno should have been dropped, IMO

I hope Lucas plays a lot better today.

Also as has been said before the formation for this game really shouldn't matter. We need to win regardless, and given the difference in quality of the squads we really should win.

Ffs if Henderson doesn't play CM...

And our defense looks scary - to us. Hopefully we'll be able to keep the ball and the defense won't be tested too much.

Goddam Sturridge is so bad. What the hell has happened to him?

Kalamity Kolo on. Oh boy, say goodbye to the semis.