Liverpool v Swansea

It's a big, big game. They're three points ahead of us, we pretty much have to win.

I'm not sure whether to be happy that we have an extra day to recover from Boxing Day or sad that we're missing out on all the action on Sunday when every other team but us and Swansea play. Monday night games are a bit anti-climaxy.

We played bad against Burnley just moments ago, let's get that out of the way. Scraped our way through to a 1 - 0 win, but it wasn't pretty. As far as I'm concerned, the 3-4-3 got found out there. They targeted our weakest spot, our CM pair of Gerrard and Lucas, and we didn't get much anything done unless we somehow got the ball quickly to Coutinho or Lallana.

The good news are that Swansea don't have the work rate of Burnley, especially on the road. It could be like the Arsenal game at Anfield that we are going to dominate possession and it's up to the forwards to take advantage of that.

Swansea are coming to this came from back-to-back 1 - 0 wins, but we should be the better team against them at Anfield.

difficult game but we should give everything to get three points !!!

ffs Art let me create the next thread. You have terrible record this season.

How can you say that after we just won

But sure, you have the Leicester one. Just be sure to kick the new year off in style.

They are just an average team like us, We have to give it our all to get the three points considering they are above us in the table and most of the top10 face each other this GW. No excuses, 3 points.

Montero limped out injured so that's good news.

I suppose Rodgers will persist with 343, but at least he should get the personnel right. Like a lot of you are saying (I have been for some time too), Henderson & Markovic at wing-back is wasted and Gerrard-Lucas mid-field doesn't work.

-------------Mignolet--------------
-------Toure-Skrtel-Sakho---------
Markovic-Gerrard-Henderson-Moreno
---------Lallana-Coutinho----------
-------------Raheem--------------

It's at home, so I guess we'll try play attacking football.

Excited to keep our good run of form going. A tough away game where Burnley has already gotten some pretty decent results this season (beating Southampton, drawing teams like United, etc.). Just seemed content to be trying to play a 'typical' away game, but as soon as that moment of brilliance from Coutinho and Sterling took place we looked more comfortable and started taking over the game more. Really though aside from a couple horrid plays by Skrtel and Mignolet I didn't think Burnley really threatened that much. The 3-4-3 is fine and I can't say that a game which we won has it 'found out'.

I would like to see Balotelli start with Lallana moved to the right midfield with maybe Moreno on the left. Also give Sterling a rest.

Can - Toure - Sakho
Lallana - Henderson - Lucas - Moreno
Coutinho - Markovic
Balotelli

Three suggestions:

#1. If we are going to 'waste' an attacking player on wing-back role, let it be Markovic.
#2. I would like to rest Henderson as well and would slot Emre besides Lucas.
#3. Skrtel to take the other spot in back-three

If we're sticking with the 3-4-3 I'd play:

Art Morte wrote:If we're sticking with the 3-4-3 I'd play:

Mignolet
Toure - Skrtel - Sakho
Markovic - Henderson - Can - Moreno
Coutinho - Balotelli
Sterling

I would like this set-up too. But may be Lucas instead of Henderson (who can do with a break). Also, I would start with Lallana (who is doing quiet well) and bring Balotelli as substitute.

Seriously half a *bleep* season gone and we are still on negative goal differential

We better pummel these Swans. We haven't had a big win all season.

Looking at the table this match is definitely a must win. Regardless of how much you hate that phrase you can't deny the importance of a win in this game.

3 points behind Swansea. 6 behind West Ham and Spurs. 8 behind Arsenal and Soton. 11 behind United.

Cannot possibly afford even a draw.

Win this and we are in a fairly good position going into the next matchday which the fixtures look unbelievably favorable to us.

And then STURRIDGE IS BACK  We could be 5 or less points away from 4th with Dan back if we take care of out business in two unbelievably winnable matches at Anfield.

I agree, we must win this.

Something POSITIVE

Liverpool are unbeaten in their last five meetings with Swansea in all competitions (W3, D2).

The Swans have never won a league match at Anfield (D3, L10).

The Reds have won the last two league meetings at home - scoring nine times in the process.

Liverpool have already beaten Swansea at Anfield this season - claiming a 2-1 League Cup fourth-round win in October featuring Mario Balotelli's last goal for the Reds.

aaaaaand, those things usual

Liverpool have the fewest home wins (three) among teams in the top half prior to the latest round of fixtures. They have only taken 13 points from their first nine home games - last season they had 24.

Their last three home games in all competitions have been draws.

They have won one of their last five home games in all competitions (D3, L1).

lulz

get in u beauts

Jefferson Montero is injured, dont know him so well but his stats seem to be really good.
so get the f*** in there and win this you red B****'*

Montero has got pace, dribbling and agility, but their other wingers Routledge and Dyer are dangerous, too, and arguably more a goal threat than Montero who is a beat-your-man-and-cross type of a winger. Also in Sigurdsson and Bony they have a lot of goal threat through the middle.

But the thing is that Swansea aren't much of an away team. They have averaged precisely 1 point per away game and 2 points per home game. With most teams the difference isn't that large. All these quite dangerous attacking players they have, they tend to disappear in away games as the whole team looks too happy to accept their away team role and give the initiative to the home team.

This could be like the Arsenal game, that we will dominate possession and create more shooting opportunities, just need to take them and not concede two goals from three shots on target (like Against Arsenal).

Very big game. We can win this.


Do it.

very aptly put by Art
@El Cujo, if that is really our Team today, Rodgers

Later in the game, I would replace Lucas with Markovic and bring Coutinho in the midfield 3, in case we need to go attacking to score a goal or two. Also I really hope it is Christmas tree Formation, rather than your typical 4-3-3

@HEIL, you mean like having both Coutinho and Lallana playing centrally behind Sterling as opposed to being out wide? Not sure I agree unless you also have Henderson and Lucas playing wide in midfield providing width. Otherwise I think it's just too much ground for Manquillo and Moreno to effectively cover (I always prefer Coutinho centrally FWIW). I do like the looks of that line-up, but then again I doubt Rodgers moves away from the 3-4-3 right now since we've been playing quite well in it. I would be really impressed if he did move to the 4-3-3 with the line-up posted above though.

2 AM Bangladesh Time . Will give the feeling of CL games though .

El Cujo wrote:Very big game. We can win this.

Based on bib theory:

Manquillo - Skrtel - Sakho - Moreno
Henderson - Can - Lucas
Lallana - Sterling - Coutinho

Do it.

Cujo, I think Moreno & Manquillo will provide the width and Lallana & Coutinho will drift wide time-to-time as well.

Hm.

The way that it's listed on the Liverpool site it seems like the line-up will be the 3-4-3 (or 3-4-2-1 if you prefer) still like this:


I don't mind it either, but I think the 4-3-3 with these personnel would have looked nice too.