6 games in 18 days ahead

[Rory Fitzgerald]

Thurs Anzhi Home

Sund Everton Away

Wed Swansea Home - League Cup

Sun Newcastle Home

Thurs Anzhi Away

Sund Chelsea Away

 

Anzhi away is the game that sticks out for the stand-by players like Downing, Cole, Assaidi, Yesil, Pacheco, Coates, Carra, Robinson, Henderson etc.

 

Other than that, I think we need our full team for the rest of the games. Swansea in the League Cup is a great chance to get into the QF's and hope for a good draw which could give us 2 games in a Semi Final in January.

[CarraLegend]

Rotten run of aways, Spurs away is soon aswell. Urgh.

 

I'd just rest Gerrard and Sterling for Anzhi, play the rest, if we f*** up this game we are going out.

[Cobs]

it's all about the League - strongest XIs in each of those - sort the rest out with the squad

[schmuckdonald]

f*** off League Cup and play kids and extras against Anzhi (both times).

[Cobs]

lots of the kids are now first teamers and elder/more experienced pros are currently 2nd stringers so we should be able to cope with this

[Gunga Din]

Rotten run of aways, Spurs away is soon aswell. Urgh.

 

I'd just rest Gerrard and Sterling for Anzhi, play the rest, if we f*** up this game we are going out.

 

dont think going out would be such a bad thing. I'd rather we played a second string against Anzi and then beat the bitters on sunday. we dont have the squad to be playing in Europe this season

[Falconhoof]

We've got the squad into a position now where you look at a few of the young players who would normally be guaranteed starters for the cup games, but now you want to see them protected for the league games. God only knows where we would be without the young uns this season.

[épieur]

f*** off League Cup and play kids and extras against Anzhi (both times).

 

No way, we need the kids for our league campaign.

 

We can play the seniors struggling to get a game in the cups. Carragher, Cole, Downing, Enrique, Pacheco could use the run-out anyway.

[Clay Davis]

Player the even kiddier kids (Yesil, Morgan, Robinson, McLaughlin, Sinclair) in the League Cup - and play the senior ones who can't get a game (Cole, Downing, Pacheco, Enrique, Carragher, Henderson, Assaidi) in the Anzhi games.

 

Or a mixture of the two.

 

Whatever works.

Edited October 20, 2012 by Clay Davis

[DJS]

Yep, i'm keen to see Yesil play, i think he could exceed expectations and provide a genuine option for us.

[growler]

Win them all. With the exception of agger Suarez Gerrard and sterling, we should play to win the games. We need a run of wins and a backbone. We won't get that with downing in the team. Anzhi away should be the only exception given the travel. The others are all domestic or at home.

[DJS]

Win them all. With the exception of agger Suarez Gerrard and sterling, we should play to win the games. We need a run of wins and a backbone. We won't get that with downing in the team. Anzhi away should be the only exception given the travel. The others are all domestic or at home.

 

So are all league games. 38 wins out of 38 and nothing less then!

[growler]

So are all league games. 38 wins out of 38 and nothing less then!

 

Ha ha. Meant the travel is a reason for resting players but we don't have a lot of that in those games.

 

And yes we should be going out to win all 38! :-)

[DJS]

Ha ha. Meant the travel is a reason for resting players but we don't have a lot of that in those games.

 

And yes we should be going out to win all 38! :-)

 

 

It's a valid point in fairness.

 

I noticed a short while ago that we had a run of something like 6 games, 5 of which were actually in Liverpool (at home and one away at Everton). Good opportunity to grow some confidence and build some momentum.

 

Although i do honestly think we're better equipped for away games, what with our inability to break down 10-man defences and the fact that most teams adopt that strategy when they come to Anfield.

[The Hitman]

6 games from greatness

[Case]

Chelsea look very good at the moment. But Terry won't be able to handle big Andy!

 

 

 

Oh.

[Metro]

Rotten run of aways, Spurs away is soon aswell. Urgh.

 

I'd just rest Gerrard and Sterling for Anzhi, play the rest, if we f*** up this game we are going out.

 

 

Well, if we're out of the Europa and League Cups, we won't have any fixture congestion, will we?

[Mike]

Well, if we're out of the Europa and League Cups, we won't have any fixture congestion, will we?

 

Especially now that Suso won't sign a contract and is leaving us short, eh.

[David Hodgson]

Rotten run of aways, Spurs away is soon aswell. Urgh.

 

I'd just rest Gerrard and Sterling for Anzhi, play the rest, if we f*** up this game we are going out.

 

Yeah, but this is the crux of the debate we had last season over balancing league and cups. If I were BR I'd be on the phone to Boston and ask them to be very precise on what his brief is. Is it :

 

a) get as many points in the league as possible, because you will be judged only on how near you get us to the CL.

 

b) balancing act between league and cups because a good UEFA Cup run is likelier than a proper crack at 4th.

 

The message sent out in sacking kenny was that the CL Is everything. If that's the case then BR cannot countenance risking injury or tiredness to our first 11 ahead of the derby. If we lose to Anzhi as a consequence, so be it.

[Rory Fitzgerald]

I dont understand the attitude to the League Cup. In prior years I had an anaemic attitude to it but not this season.

 

We are going to have a tough time as fans in the league, it is going to be very frustrating with erratic results. The League Cup is a competition that can give us a boost in exchange for very few games.

 

If we can beat Swansea at home we go into the QF, if we can get through that game then we have 2 games in January to get to Wembley again to defend our trophy.

 

I think we should be doing our best to get past Swansea because I really enjoyed the League Cup run last season.

[David Hodgson]

I dont understand the attitude to the League Cup. In prior years I had an anaemic attitude to it but not this season.

 

We are going to have a tough time as fans in the league, it is going to be very frustrating with erratic results. The League Cup is a competition that can give us a boost in exchange for very few games.

 

If we can beat Swansea at home we go into the QF, if we can get through that game then we have 2 games in January to get to Wembley again to defend our trophy.

 

I think we should be doing our best to get past Swansea because I really enjoyed the League Cup run last season.

 

Too right. However, I think we can take the risk, at home, of playing the second 11, and keep a couple of big players on the bench for insurance. The conflict (between picking a weak or strong team) may come in the next round, if we get through.

[Owen1978]

The message sent out in sacking kenny was that the CL Is everything. If that's the case then BR cannot countenance risking injury or tiredness to our first 11 ahead of the derby. If we lose to Anzhi as a consequence, so be it.

 

The message I got from that was if you spend 50m+ then CL is a everything

Edited October 21, 2012 by Owen1978

[David Hodgson]

The message I got from that was if you spend 50m+ then CL is a everything

 

Well. we spent over £30m this summer, so where does that leave us ? We failed in the league last season but succeeded (hugely) in the cups. One clearly did not mitigate the other. The message is that this club is all about CL qualification. I don't think A bit of a run in any cup will help Rodgers if we go further backwards in the league.

[yellow jumper]

league's clearly the big priority, but there's nothing weird about that really. but think rodgers will get some grace, clearly an element of their man in that, and a young man too, plus the sense that mistakes needed to be corrected. whether you agree with that or not.

Edited October 21, 2012 by yellow jumper

[David Hodgson]

league's clearly the big priority, but there's nothing weird about that really. but think rodgers will get some grace, clearly an element of their man in that, and a young man too, plus the sense that mistakes needed to be corrected. whether you agree with that or not.

 

I think that's all correct. I'm actually on board with the idea that it's all about the CL now. I'd risk defeat against Anzi just to make sure our first 11 are as fresh as can be V Everton.