Bolton is a must win

[R A Softlad]

There's potential with the Chavs playing away at draw-meisters Villa and the Mancs away to the barcodes for us to make up 3 points and leapfrog Bolton in the process. Anyone reckon we should start with Bellamy - Kuyt - Crouch up front and just go out to batter them?

[Ombudsam]

shame Momo will be out

[Dominus Maximus]

I like the strategy, Gung Ho offense and let em have it...

[Stevie H]

reckon bellamy will be fit?

 

cripple that c*** anelka at the start by the way. and assassinate diouf.

[Rimbeux]

  sammya said:

shame Momo will be out

 

 

Their big caning this season came at home against a midfield of Ronaldo, Scholes, Carrick and Giggs. There is something to be said for getting their ageing central midfield chasing the ball rather than trying to match them in a ruck.

[DarthVader]

I would not want to risk Bellamy if he isn't 100 % although it's a must win against Bolton.

[Guest spk]

it's going to be a really physical game. i figure rafa will go with a 4-4-2 and and try to get bellamy round the back of the bolton defence. i could see it being something like this:

 

reina

finnan - carra - hyppia - agger

garcia - alonso - gerrard - fabio

bellamy - kuyt

Edited December 30, 2006 by spk

[Ombudsam]

  Rimbeux said:

Their big caning this season came at home against a midfield of Ronaldo, Scholes, Carrick and Giggs. There is something to be said for getting their ageing central midfield chasing the ball rather than trying to match them in a ruck.

 

our midfield can't play like theirs.

Edited December 30, 2006 by sammya

[Rimbeux]

  sammya said:

our midfield can't play like theirs.

 

 

That's a bit defeatist, I think we can actually outplay them (Man U) centrally, but the key is getting decent movement from the widemen and the forwards, someone like Garcia distracting Campo, pulling him out of position, one of Gonzalez or Pennant providing width. We dont need world beating individual performances from the widemen, just good movement and good touch. I dont think getting sucked into a direct-physical game is the way to go, we have the players to give them the run around, we just have to be brave enough.

Edited December 30, 2006 by Rimbeux

[Stevie H]

bolton's midfield are excellent at stifling opposing midfields and are handy from set pieces as well. we'll need to be clever on monday. can see the captain having a big influence on that one. take the game to them and try to keep their midfield on the back foot.

[Sion]

Every game is a must win to me. I'm sure Rafa feels the same.

[Guest spk]

we're in a battle for a champions league place with both bolton and arsenal this season, both of whom beat us with convincing scorelines when we visited. bolton are a tough, physical team - we're not. we'll need to move the ball about and not lose posession cheaply, two thing's we've struggled with most of the season. and regardless of the constant s*** he gets on this board, in allardyce they have a very good premiership manager.

 

it'll be an interesting few days

[Nebraska Red]

At this stage of the season, and given our bonus win today, it's more of a must not lose game.

 

a draw against Bolton will still leave us 2 points behind them , and we can make up those at a later date. if the unthinkable happened, and we lost to them, the gap is 5 points.

 

i don't see rafa going "gung ho" as he will not want to see us concede on the break and possibly struggle to get back into the game.

[Armin_Tamzarian]

Their fullbacks are their weakness. Hunt will get caught out of position and Ben Haim is a very good player but not at his best on the left. Attack on the flanks, Jaskellainen may be the best shotstopper in the country but he flaps at crosses.

[stressederic]

  Steve H said:

cripple that c*** anelka at the start by the way. and assassinate diouf.

 

I'll be happy to perform both of those tasks.

[Ombudsam]

  Armin_Tamzarian said:

Their fullbacks are their weakness. Hunt will get caught out of position and Ben Haim is a very good player but not at his best on the left. Attack on the flanks, Jaskellainen may be the best shotstopper in the country but he flaps at crosses.

 

With who though Armin? Our wide players aren't going to become good by Monday.

[Cam]

We're at home - it's about playing the better football and getting beyond their limited capabilities with interplay they can't cope with. We don't want to get dragged into a physical contest with the cloggers but when it get's tough we need to front up to the feckers.

[CarraLegend]

Great! We get to watch timewasting straight from the kick off, Jaskelinnan is awful for it aswell. Dread to think what it'll be like if they somehow fluke the first goal.

 

Hopefully we t*** the manky c****

[Elisha_Scott]

We'll beat Bolton, I think we will turn in a good performance on Monday, 3-1.

[DazzlaJ]

  Elisha_Scott said:

We'll beat Bolton, I think we will turn in a good performance on Monday, 3-1.

 

4-2

[Herbie von Smalls]

5-3

[liverbird04]

decent article in the sunday times entitled

 

  Quote

Neighbours from hell

Jonathan Northcroft

 

The recent history of animosity between Bolton and Liverpool is liable to resurface when the local rivals clash tomorrow

 

 

In ?The Wanderer? online fanzine there is a spoof photo-story called ?Evil Sam Allardyce? in which the big man is blamed for events in history from the crucifixion to shooting King Harold in the eye at Hastings. At the Reebok stadium the fans have a song: ?He drinks, he dives, he spits in people?s eyes, El Hadji Diouf.? If Bolton supporters really do revel in their club?s notoriety their feelings towards Rafael Benitez must have been love at first slight. Boltonians are fond of the Liverpool manager in as much as they adore beating him. To them, Benitez is up there with Arsène Wenger in the ranks of the pious who must be slain. Arsenal and, to a greater extent, Liverpool have become fixtures with an edge. Football is always remaking itself. A needle match can be suddenly forged.

Liverpool against Bolton carries enmity because of the culture clash between Benitez and Anfield?s Spaniards and the muck and brass of Big Sam. It was Bolton who gave Benitez his ?welcome to the Premiership? happy slapping in 2004. He had begun his first English league programme away to Tottenham followed by a home game versus Manchester City. At Bolton, Benitez gawped as Luis Garcia and Xabi Alonso were marginalised, his other new Spaniard, Josemi, was terrorised, Liverpool were outplayed and outmuscled and beaten domestically for the first time in his charge. Kevin Davies, Bolton?s scorer, had broken Sami Hyypia?s nose and left his vision blurred just 14 minutes into the game.

 

 

 

?The main thing is to realise referees in England are different when it comes to challenges. The physical stuff is allowed here,? said Benitez post-match, having marched down the tunnel without shaking Allardyce?s hand. If the first cells of bad blood had been spawned, they multiplied with Benitez?s subsequent comments. ?I have learnt that sometimes in England you need to play basketball,? he reflected later that first season. He also said:

 

 

?I remembered watching Wimbledon on television during the 1980s so I can?t say I was surprised. I knew there would be a lot of long balls in England.?

 

Bolton were left unnamed when he made both remarks but taken to be a reference point. Allardyce and his club?s supporters are of the Frankie Howerd view: ?Infamy, infamy, they?ve all got it infamy,? as Howerd liked to say. For Boltonians, Benitez had joined the ranks of the sore losers, those who when defeated by the Wanderers? use their opponents? negative image as a fig leaf to hide shortcomings.

 

In last season?s corresponding fixture, Bolton v Liverpool truly kicked off. On January 2, 2006, Liverpool had to fight back from behind to draw 2-2. Allardyce was incandescent that neither Steven Gerrard nor Momo Sissoko were sent off for seeming stamps on his players. Gerrard had landed, studs first, on Kevin Nolan?s chest, although replays suggested a possible accident. Gerrard certainly offered that explanation and Nolan, a friend and fellow Scouser, was happy to accept. But their managers were implacable.

 

?Serious foul play,? stormed Allardyce. ?The referee should protect the players who want to play football. Bolton were diving all the time,? Benitez groused. Allardyce and Benitez should not feel like such opposites. For all their backgrounds differ, much of their method and philosphy is similar. Benitez may aspire to a smoother type of football but, like Allardyce, he is a pragmatist above all else, willing to use scientific analysis to identify ?the right areas? into which Liverpool should make their runs and play their passes. Allardyce, with his flotilla of technical and fitness consultants, is just as methodical as Benitez. Perhaps it comes down to personalities. Allardyce is a stalwart of football lunches and charity dinners. For Benitez, socialising means quiet time at home on the Wirral with his family.

 

The draw at the Reebok last January prevented Liverpool from achieving a club record 11th consecutive league win and Bolton will be out, tomorrow, to end another streak. Liverpool have not conceded at Anfield since October nor lost there since March. Bolton last had a league win at the stadium in 1954 but have recent form on their side. Liverpool were well beaten in September, but the comfort of Bolton?s 2-0 victory did not mean the game was without thorns. Benitez claimed Abdoulaye Faye should have been sent off and was furious when Jose Reina was wrongly judged to have handled outside his area, giving Bolton a free kick from which they scored. Nicolas Anelka returns to Anfield five years to the day since he made his home debut for Liverpool ? against Bolton. Also caught in the middle is Nolan, a Kopite, who followed his team to the Champions League final. ?They (Liverpool) see us in a different way to how we see ourselves,? the Bolton captain said. ?We?re supposed to be this long ball team but I can tell you we have looked at the stats and we don?t play as many long balls as some teams. Liverpool are the highest

Edited December 31, 2006 by liverbird04

[Clay Davis]

allardyce is a c***.

6-4

[anny road]

i was worried what Alyson R told us yesterday, she said that after the game Rafa was going on about Bolotn and how he wants to have a word with the ref before the game about there antics......

 

worries me that........

[Benzo-13]

  anny road said:

i was worried what Alyson R told us yesterday, she said that after the game Rafa was going on about Bolotn and how he wants to have a word with the ref before the game about there antics......

 

worries me that........

 

Why, they're obviously a side that get under Rafa's skin. I think he takes it a bit personally when we get beaten by them too. What I will say is that we'll be majorly psyched out for this one and I do expect us outta the blocks flying to get the first goal.