Venue: Anfield
Date: 21/04/13
Kick-Off: 16:00
RAFA Benitez is set to receive a warm welcome from Liverpool fans as he visits Anfield for the first time as an opposition manager, but the Spaniard has insisted that whatever emotions he may feel, his focus will be on securing a win for Chelsea.
The Blues went into the weekend in third place, but with Arsenal and Tottenham not far behind Benitez knows that he can’t afford to drop points if he is to secure Champions League football for Chelsea next season.
When Chelsea last visited Anfield in May 2012, they had just beaten Liverpool in the FA Cup final and were less than two weeks away from meeting Bayern Munich in the Champions League Final. The Reds won 4-1 in one of their best performances of the season, a result which ended Chelsea’s hopes of a top-four finish. In fact, Liverpool’s recent record against Chelsea is so strong, they have not lost against the Blues in their last five league meetings, winning four of them and drawing one.
With five Premier League games remaining this season, Liverpool go into the weekend looking set for a seventh place finish. The Reds are six points behind sixth-placed Chelsea and six points above eighth-placed West Brom, and following two goalless draws against West Ham and Reading, Brendan Rodgers has challenged his side to win all five of their remaining games to secure maximum points and the strongest finish possible. Despite their recent woes in front of goal, the Reds have one of the best defensive records in the league – only Manchester City have kept more clean sheets this season.
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Liverpool have no fresh injury worries ahead of Sunday’s game, with Joe Allen, Fabio Borini, Martin Kelly and Raheem Sterling the only absentees. Chelsea are without Oriel Romeu, but Ashley Cole and Gary Cahill may return from hamstring and knee problems respectively.
Much has been made of Benitez’s decision to rotate his players, in particular John Terry and Frank Lampard, and after the pair could miss out on Sunday after featuring in Wednesday’s 3-0 win over Fulham.
One Chelsea player who is likely to feature is former Red Fernando Torres, who remains unpopular on Merseyside for submitting a transfer request prior to his £50m move away from Liverpool.
Torres is having his best season yet at Chelsea and has scored 20 goals in all competitions, but it be of great satisfaction to Liverpool fans that Luis Suarez featured on the PFA Player of the Year shortlist and Torres did not. Suarez remains two goals away from becoming the first Liverpool player to score 30 goals in a season since Torres in 2007-08.
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though torress fenando is fetured first for his former heat club but we need Dema baa first we dont excpect him to do much wonders cz is nolonger in his best form
jowan mater should also learn from his recent mistak of making off turget and should improve otherwise he did badly;victor moses should equli sow his potensulity of his erly drivlin of their time now days is lazi wy?even he can not makre up
The problem with us reds is that the manager wants to play a certain style of football and is building his squad to do that, our last couple of games clearly demonstrate the need to have
“square pegs” in the squad as well, a few players that play a different style that can be brought on to change things when we cant find the net, instead of similar players to the one coming off.
2 draws and the SACK ROGERS brigade are out. Shallow fickle stupid fans. The beginning if the end for this club I see. Not because of the manager or the owners or the players. But a section of negative short sighted impatient immature fans. Whose negativity WILL be the end of the club.
Try actually listening to the words of YNWA when you sing it, not just sing like a hymn you idiots.
“Walk on, through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and blown
Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart”
If you think it’s stormy times, walk on with hope and be brave. Don’t be a wining moaning little girl. Be a soldier. A crowd of soldiers behind the team WILL overcome the odds eventually and make that success so much sweeter.
Do you think Man City players or fans felt anything near the same LFC fans would feel if we won the prem league, NO! Cos they bought that success. Do you think Chelsea felt anything like we felt at Istanbul, No! Cos they didn’t overcome adversity.
Be soldiers or leave. Better to have a few thousands MEN then a million wimps who are just a weight in the clubs back.
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Reds need to show possession with intent, during reunion
Date: 21st April 2013 at 2:45 am Written by: Abhijan Barua | Comments (8)
THERE’S not much point speculating what’s going to happen this Sunday at home against Chelsea, with two major homecomings – Rafael Benitez and Fernando Torres.
The striker hasn’t been himself – the way he was in his heyday – but he has been playing well of late and now may be as good a time as any for him to get that goal on return to Anfield.
Benitez on the other hand, while he probably won’t be shopping about to immediately impress FSG to return to his old hunting ground, it may light a fire hot enough under Brendan Rodgers to want a win this week, more than ever.
That’s not to say he hasn’t wanted to win other games but this Sunday Liverpool need their players to step up bigger than seen in a while. Not a few here and there (such as Gerrard and Suarez, or maybe even Philippe Coutinho) but all 11 need to perform. Certain players stepped up against Arsenal at the Emirates, same thing happened at the Etihad only for an error here and a lapse in concentration there to nullify everything.
As usual, it wouldn’t be a surprise if a number of people start calling for Rodgers’ head once again. The old “he’s a small timer” and “he has a mid-table mentality” arguments seem to be flowing back and forth. It needs to be pointed out though that teams like Manchester United in the past and Tottenham right now haven’t gotten stronger by just flipping one manager after another. They’ve done it showing faith in the right players, as well as make the odd mistake by rooting for someone who turns out a damp squib.
A number of examples come to mind such as Juan Sebastian Veron at Man Utd and Mauricio Taricco at Spurs. Gareth Bale on the other hand, benefited from confidence shown in him consistently despite not many impressive performances initially. Against Chelsea this weekend, it’s a simple task although it’s more than likely that the arguments and responses here will agree otherwise. Possession, and not just that but possession with intent. Sounds more like a legal terminology of a criminal charge but in this case it may work as a sports metaphor as well.
It’s not enough to have the ball if Liverpool aren’t showing any intent to attack the goal. At the same time, someone like Lucas Leiva or Joe Allen needs to remain withdrawn in a more covering role. Having Daniel Agger or Martin Skrtel always going up for corners may not be an absolute necessity if the midfielders and forwards attack in enough numbers.
Depending the which side of the flank the attack comes from, the other side should deploy all but one man in and around the penalty box. The extra one left behind, to try and retain possession if a cross or a pass happens to get past attackers and defenders. If Gerrard happens to be crossing in from the left, then apart from Stewart Downing on the left flank, perhaps the likes of Suarez, Coutinho, Henderson and maybe even Sturridge should all be in and around the area – waiting for a chance, or maybe even create one with their movement.
Defenders need to be confused and given something else to worry about. This isn’t expert advice, but it hasn’t happened in the games which haven’t seen Liverpool get all 3 points from a game. Live4Liverpool is recruiting columnists. For further info contact the site editor at live4liverpool@snack-media.com
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8 thoughts on “Reds need to show possession with intent, during reunion”
Cou 6 hours ago
Hmmmm. Joe Allen is injured and Martin Skrtel clearly will not be playing in this game. Where ya been mate?
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Raymond 4 hours ago
2-0 for liverpool.ynwa
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fitsum 3 hours ago
i hope u lern this kind of tactics from rafa.br he never lisn to u and he never lern from his mistec.i hope we all see who is the best manager from today game.
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GAZ 5 mins ago
Rodgers will never be even in the same class as Rafa
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sbaphiwe 2 hours ago
rogers all the way
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Real 1 hour ago
Where do you get those tactics from a Xmas cracker?… Jeez more deluded fans. As if some 2 bit fan will know more than an experienced coach.
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Real 35 mins ago
2 draws and the SACK ROGERS brigade are out. Shallow fickle stupid fans. The beginning if the end for this club I see. Not because of the manager or the owners or the players. But a section of negative short sighted impatient immature fans. Whose negativity WILL be the end of the club. Try actually listening to the words of YNWA when you sing it, not just sing like a hymn you idiots.
“Walk on, through the rain Though your dreams be tossed and blown Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart”
If you think it’s stormy times, walk on with hope and be brave. Don’t be a wining moaning little girl. Be a soldier. A crowd of soldiers behind the team WILL overcome the odds eventually and make that success so much sweeter.
Do you think Man City players or fans felt anything near the same LFC fans would feel if we won the prem league, NO! Cos they bought that success. Do you think Chelsea felt anything like we felt at Istanbul, No! Cos they didn’t overcome adversity.
Be soldiers or leave. Better to have a few thousands MEN then a million wimps who are just a weight in the clubs back.
Report
GAZ 1 min ago
Blah blah blah Same nonsense…from the same deluded fool..who always tells everyone to support someone else
Bog off and support a local team u armchair fan
You must be a Chelsea fan because the only fans wanting us to keep a loser like Rodgers are Mancs or Chelsea fans
Are u a Chelsea fan ? Or just delusionsal
We will not ssupport a rubbish manager who is dragging us backwards
When Rodgers is sacked ..go with him back to championship
Anyone who isn’t happy with Rodgers is ……. stupid?
Anyone happy with Rodgers is…….a man utd fan