Manchester United v Liverpool

Woot's this guys? It's barely 24 hours until one of the biggest matches of the season and we haven't even got a thread about it yet? Me sad.


Then again, maybe it's because words aren't needed when it comes to this game.

I hope Enrique is fit for this... I also hope Bellamy starts again.

Nishank :vagi:

Sorry guys, Im in bed-rest, Lung infection. Have to deel with all kinds of needles and tests. .

As for the match, Enrique is available. And i don't see us winning this one.

RedOranje wrote:I hope Enrique is fit for this... I also hope Bellamy starts again.

Oh yeah,

Suarez-Gerrard-Bellamy
----------Carroll----------

Man Utd-Liverpool AGAIN???

I see a penalty for United in this one. Calling it.

I think it will be a draw. 1 -1..will cancel out each other..

#LFC team v United: Reina, Enrique, Johnson, Agger, Skrtel, Spearing, Gerrard, Henderson, Downing, Kuyt, Suarez.

No Carroll or Adam.

Wow, are they on the bench?

Yes, they are. As is Bellamy.

I'm ok with Adam on the bench for Henderson, as I think Henderson's energy will work well for us in the midfield battle. Can't understand the through process behind dropping Carroll though... he's finally found some form and he really bullied United last time out.

My guess seeing the line up is that we will sit back for 60 odd min with a 5 man midfield and then will want to unleash Bellamy and Carroll on the tired United defence which is vulnerable.

We have to remember that even though we won at anfield in FA United were dominating possession and put us under lot of pressure until Scholes left.SO kenny may have decided to go with 5 man midfield.Probably Kuty to neutralize the valencia factor who looked very dangerous in the FA cup game.Jus tmy guess though.

Time to throw in Bellamy & Carroll, eh!!!

Game was pathetic..

I'm sorry, but I was severely disappointed with the way Suarez handled the entire situation today. I understand that he feels aggrieved, and I honestly believe that he was simply being genuine and wearing his emotions on his sleeve as he has done throughout his career. Usually, I find this to be admirable, and it is one of the reasons he is so beloved at this club. However, sometimes the situation calls for you to manage your emotions and your reactions in order to serve the greater good of the team. Today was one of those situations, and Suarez completely failed to do that. I do think he damaged not only his reputation, but LFC's reputation today.

In this match he had the opportunity to take the "moral high ground" by shaking Evra's hand and attempting to put this entire situation behind him. It would have been more intelligent to shake Evra's hand and be overly cordial. At worst, the situation is defused on the pitch. At best, he infuriates Evra and and lures him into doing something stupid in retaliation. By doing the opposite he not only failed to manage the already volatile situation, but once again painted himself as the villain in the English media's eyes. I was so encouraged by his statement earlier in the week, claiming that he wanted to put it all behind him and let the jeers of the United fans fuel his performance. Apparently, he was unable to do that, got caught up in the moment, and his career will forever be marred by his poor management of the entire incident. He will not be seen as standing up for his principles. He will be seen as the racist the FA have "not dis-proven him to be." (I refuse to acknowledge that they have proved anything beyond his solitary use of a colloquial term in his native language. Just ask Alvarro Pereira.)

Do I think Suarez was driven by racist tendencies? If you've read this post, you know that I do not. I think he was motivated by precisely those qualities that have endeared him to LFC supporters: his stubbornness, his confidence in himself, and his emotions driving everything he does. Unfortunately, those qualities let him down today. I believe it was Warren barton on the Fox Soccer Network that said he thought Luis Suarez had tarnished his career today. Sadly, I have to agree. Luis, you are a better man than that. Sometimes you have to swallow your pride in order to do what's best in the long run for yourself and your organization.

+1 Treddie

It was frustrating to see Suarez refuse the hand shake.
Okay, the refusal signals that "I feel I've been done wrong by Evra and therefore don't want to shake his hand", which is fine by me, but the problem is that to vast majority of the football-following world the message that the hand shake refusal sends is that Suarez doesn't want to put the issue behind him and there continues to be more bad blood between these two clubs than what is necessary. And that's not good, both Suarez and Liverpool FC could do without this issue dragging on in our image and reputation.

Terrible performance by us and the better team won.

To be fair, we played with 10 men for 60 minutes ...but I hate it when Suarez plays up front as lone striker. It just doesn't work

@Art:
I can imagine exactly what he was thinking, and it's precisely as you described it. I'm certain that Suarez felt wronged by Evra's accusations and embellishments. He didn't want to shake the hand of someone he views as a venomous, lying fake. I just wish he had seen that the actions could only be viewed as more racist bigotry from anyone who doesn't trust the word of him and Kenny Daglish (this would seem be the large majority of the footballing world, unfortunately). It was a very strange experience to watch the game yesterday. On the one hand, it was my club, and I obviously enjoy watching them at every opportunity. On the other hand, it was difficult to sit there and listen to the commentary of the pundits slamming "yet another example of Suarez's racist tendencies."

@Sepi:
I agree. I don't think Suarez as a lone striker is an optimal use of his talents. He is best playing off of other attackers, running at the defense and creating chances for others. The 4-1-4-1 that we adopt against the "bigger" sides really plays to Carroll's strengths more that Suarez. Hold-up play, flick-ons and receiving the ball with your back to goal are all critical aspects of this kind of formation. Carroll had actually shown a great deal of improvement in this type of role. Honestly, I was a little disappointed he wasn't included in the starting lineup against United. I think we missed his contribution as a target man.

For a large part of the game Suarez was playing the lone-strike and Gerrard was playing too deep into his own half, the result was no connection between the our two (perhaps only two) potent attackers.