Liverpool v Arsenal

Both teams were expected to do better this season, although Arsenal aren't doing too bad, sitting in 6th place with 26 points. We are 11th with 21 points.

I still want us to fight for a top-4 finish, absolutely. The fact that this Manchester United side that is very much a work in process is somewhat comfortably in 3rd place tells all you need to know about what's been the quality of the league below Chelsea and City this season. A top-4 finish really is up for grabs - and we do have unexpected clubs like West Ham and Southampton in the mix fighting for that top-4 finish.

A defeat is not an option here. That would put an 8 point gap between us and the Gunners while giving the 10 teams currently above us the chance to further pull away. A defeat is not an option.

It's a good time to play Arsenal, too, since they're missing the likes of Özil, Walcott, Ramsey, Wilshere, Koscielny... Diaby, too.

The bad news for us is - apart from still missing Sturridge - that we have some players playing all the time. I do worry that Henderson and Sterling will just run out of fuel at some point.

It's been difficult or even impossible to guess our recent line-ups and formations, but we've now played two matches with the 3-4-3 with Sterling, Coutinho and Lallana in the front three and I'm guessing Rodgers will stick with that. I don't know if that's going to give Arsenal too much space in the middle, but we'll see what it'll be.

Let's go make it a merry Christmas.

In all likelihood Rodgers is going to use 343. But I have serious reservation about it. It leaves too much space on the sides which stretches our already mediocre CB and it infuriates me to see the likes of Henderson & Markovic wasted on the wing-back.

I guess Rodgers might try 343 with some different players:

------------Mignolet-------------
-------Skrtel-Toure-Lovern-------
Johnson-Gerrard-Henderson-Moreno
Coutinho-----Raheem-----Markovic

Is it a 3-4-3 or a 3-4-1-2

Anyways it working, We've played our best football and made the most about of chances with this formation. So lets continue until we get destroyed. Arsenal love running into spaces, They might enjoy this formation of ours.

Anyways i dont care, Play the same formation. We get a win, we got hope for top4. We draw, meh. Lose and we need that 14 game continuous wins run again.

NO JONES BR PLEASE


Jones is terrible, Arguably responsible for 3 for the 4 goals we have conceded in the past two games.

If BR starts Jones, I dont know what to say, I will sack him for starting Jones against Arsenal.

Everyone knows that BR was trying to make Players comfortable in that Formation so I am sure BR will Play almost same side and he was experimenting it yday against a lower side. The only Player who might drop is Markovic and for him Moreno may come in, yday was a disaster waiting to happen whenever they got behind Markovic.

Ifti, I think you know that Glenho is injured and also I would start Sakho again.
@EL, If Wenger loses against us with our shit Formation, he should be fired if you see our ydays game, we were unbelievably shit when we defended !!!

Ifti, I think you know that Glenho is injured and also I would start Sakho again.

Totally forgot about Glen. I would start Sakho too, but would BR ???

Mignolet
Sakho Skrtel Toure
Markovic Lucas Gerrrard Henderson
Lallana Sterling Coutinho

Please, don't shove (and waste) Henderson on wings . Try Moreno for Lucas.

Assuming we're playing the 3-4-3, this would be my line-up:


Hendo as wing-back only because we haven't got good options for that position (I don't think Manquillo can play wing-back, too limited on the ball).

One of Gerrard or Lucas to start, but not both.

The rest are pretty self-explanatory.

And, yeah, the front three in what we're talking about now as the 3-4-3 may not be "flat", but those three players up front in some formation. And if Balotelli is fit enough to feature, I'd play him behind or besides Sterling, but not as the lone focal point of our attack.

I would Keep Balo on the bench, he just cant Play in that Formation...he is not a type of a Player suited for that Formation imo

I think Balo can play that if it's just narrower, like the Christmas tree front three.


I'd definitely play Mario as something else than the lone forward, though.

Hendo as wing-back only because we haven't got good options for that position (I don't think Manquillo can play wing-back, too limited on the ball).

Then let's play Markovic there and Henderson takes Emre's spot .

Wenger confirms Wilshere, Ozil, Ramsey, Arteta, Rosicky and Koscielny are all out of the LFC game.

Not that it matters, They are still miles better than us.

Nishy wrote:Wenger confirms Wilshere, Ozil, Ramsey, Arteta, Rosicky and Koscielny are all out of the LFC game.

Not that it matters, They are still miles better than us.

Their midfield is there for the taking. Oxlade, Cazorla, Flamini. That has arguably only one central midfield player in it.

Honestly I think the players have been growing into the 3-4-3 already and we've seen more chances created in the last 2 games than maybe the last 10 combined (possibly an exaggeration, but not a guarantee). If I'm making the teamsheet:


Balotelli can be a bit more free this way and drop back with Sterling and Markovic making penetrating runs. I don't even consider it Henderson playing wing back it's just a wide midfield box to box role because he has a bit more defensive responsibility and area to cover on the right side behind the midfield. He was great there last match though obviously it will be a tougher task against Arsenal.

We all know Gerrard will most likely play though so we'll see I guess. If that's the case I'd probably go:


I could even live with:

Just hoping Sakho, Can and Markovic play. Don't care about anything else.

Art Morte wrote:I think Balo can play that if it's just narrower, like the Christmas tree front three.

Mario - Philippe
Raheem

I'd definitely play Mario as something else than the lone forward, though.

he will slow down things imo, I wouldnt Play him from the start !!

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2csw7i_build-up_tech?start=2

watch that goal, I know it is from last game but I thought I would post it here, started the build up at 16:48 and goal happened at 19:16...although the goal came though lot of patience, I doubt they will get so much time against Arsenal

Spoiler:

Arsenal fans

Balotelli is banned

With Balotelli out:


Do eet.

Don't call me James wrote:Balotelli is banned

What a completely ridiculous organization. One of the guys closest to the racial issue posts a joke and gets banned and fined for it.

At least it's just one game for Balotelli and he missed the Bournemouth trip due to that groin injury, so he probably wasn't fit to start anyway.

Not sure why people are calling this 3-4-2-1 "Awful formation"


Do you want us going back to the infamous 4-2-3-1 in which we created a total of 3 clear cut goal-scoring opportunities in about 10 games, averaged 1 point/game in the league, Still made defensive mistakes and conceded easy goals (Made Basel score a Bayern-esque goal vs. us at Anfield ) and got dumped out of Champions League playing it ??

At least when we lose with this 3-4-2-1, it's fun. Unlike those disgusting games with 4-2-3-1 in the month prior

4-2-3-1 was awful doesnt mean we go to another formation which is defensively even more susceptible

Most of us seem to like the 3-4-3 right now (or 3-4-2-1 if you want to write more numbers). I'm not saying I believe it's going to be ideal or necessarily long-lasting, but at least it's showing more promise than the 4-3-3 or indeed the 4-2-3-1.

I actually enjoyed the last 2 matches a lot with the new formation. Even though it was hard to take the loss against United, we created like 10 chances that should have been goals. The Bournemouth match was also enjoyable.

So yeah if we're shit, it's better if at least we're enjoyable.