Well, we all know what this game’s about don’t we?
Steven Gerrard going back to his home club etc etc.
Sky have already annoyed me in calling us “Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa” and his association with Liverpool will no doubt be all that gets mentioned. I find it all quite annoying.
Still, I expect the manager to be fully professional about it and while he’ll no doubt acknowledge the appreciation he’ll get from the Liverpool fans, his priority will be to win the game.
Can he possibly do that?
Well, we do have a surprisingly fair record against Pool and the last time I went to Anfield was when we took a 2-0 lead and went on to draw 2-2, so you never know.
But anyone beating Liverpool on their own turf is a big ask.
I want to get straight to squad news and imagine my surprise when the manager said that sicknote Sanson had felt a bit ill. I literally laughed out loud when I read that. Is the bloke made of glass or something? Surely there’s something not right about him and I’ve never known anything like it. It is just utterly laughable how a man at what should be the peak of fitness is constantly either ill or injured.
Perhaps he’s just the unluckiest bloke ever although I doubt it.
The good news is he was apparently okay and ready to train yesterday. There’s still plenty of time for him to get ill before the match though. Matt Targett is also available.
Danny Ings is back in training and he’ll no doubt be getting game time over the festive period, given how many games we’ve got in a short space of time. Will he make it today for a few minutes against his old club? It depends how sentimental Gerrard is feeling, I’d say.
Traore and Bailey are still a long way off, but Trezeguet is training and should also hopefully be available during christmas.
As for Liverpool, Roberto Firmino, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott are all out.
Our biggest problem is going to be not conceding, I’d say. Liverpool score for fun, having averaged almost three goals a game this season and can rip teams apart while our defence has been liable to concede really soft goals at times.
Can we score against them?
I don’t see why not. I had it in my head that Pool were pretty poor in defence, but they’ve actually only had 12 goals scored against them. Perhaps I’d better revise that statement. It’s going to be more difficult than I was thinking.
As for who plays, I really don’t see much changing. We’ve done well and it makes sense to play exactly as we have done since Gerrard arrived, reasonably attacking, but tucking in if we score. If it’s worked before, it makes sense to stick with it.
I definitely don’t think we’ll be allowed to get away with another game of two halves today, as Pool will press us to death. Likewise, I don’t think we can afford to give them too much respect. Gerrard referenced this point saying we sat back too much against Man City and Leicester, hence I expect us to at least try and go all out from the off.
The scousers are going supremely well and have only lost once this season.
I think a win is going to be beyond us, although, again, you never know.
But I do think we’re capable of a draw and 1-1 looks like it has a chance.
It’s all about not conceding.
UTV!
I’d love us to get the points here.
Badger- let’s be optimistic. Liverpool have to drop points at some stage, why not today? We know we can score and maybe just maybe the have a scare we can pick after last year’s 7-2. But I think we need to score 2 to draw.
Let’s see what we can muster.
oh jacky baby. have you gone for an early bath lad?
Looks like Gerrard might have given up on Buendia.
Ramsey comes in for him and Trez is on the bench;
Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett; McGinn, Nakamba, Douglas Luiz; J.Ramsey, Young; Watkins.
Steer, Tuanzebe, Hause, Sanson, Chukwuemeka, Buendia, El Ghazi, Trezeguet, Ings.
This is another Man City for me. We must be given zero chance by pundits and fans a like so no real shock if we get beat. I just hope the lads have a go and turn up from the off not just at half time when there’s not much to play for! Get stuck in, win their battles, throw men forward when we can and defend with all our strength and determination in between. If I see that and we lose well fair enough, we lost to probably the best or 2nd best team in the world right now so no need to feel downbeat about that. If we go out on a wimper then I’ll be royally pissed off. Gerrard should have the lads properly up for this. Looking forward to watching how we do.
Badger, forgive me for bringing this up on Villa site but I’m fuming over he state of refereeing. I’m watching a match and as I’ve said a few days ago there are 3 refs that live up north and always get Man games along with clubs from the North. John Moss is one of them I’ve mentioned. Today he’s robbed a Midland club giving penalty and a sending off . Both are seen to be highly questionable., how can we play games with refs that are poor on refereeing. I fear for us playing clubs from up north. I see we have Targett back young in attack, and Luiz in midfield. Today it’s on Bein sports English 1.
It’s a very conservative line up. Who has the ability to supply Watkins in the final third? It’s clearly a team set up to not concede but the worry is we probably will and then be forced to make substitutions to get back in the game. After the first half performances against Man Citeh and Leicester, I would have hoped for a more positive front line. Perhaps Gerrard has a cunning plan but I fear the worst. 3-0 to Pool!
We’re ok today the Ref from Nuneaton ..
We’re pushing Pool out wide and seem happy. It’s a dangerous game though, as Cash is being spanked and looks like he’s running through treacle.
Not very good to watch, but it’s worked up to now. I don’t see us maintaining it though, we’re working too hard.
Luiz poor and Ramsey not doing enough as per, to my mind.
Oh and some of our footballing choices are just shocking.
Typical first half then Badger – stand back for second half fireworks 🙂
Not watching as have been driving down to Kent for a few days R&R
Agree. It looks like a ‘nick one late’ line up. If (when) Liverpool score we will be cooked. Allison ricks our best route?
Agree Badger, Luiz has been poor. We bypass the midfield far too much. when we turn over the ball, the midfield should be finding space and asking for it we seem to just be content with long ball to Ollie every time, needs to change 2nd half.
Half time. 0-0 . And its a blood bath Virgil who has been booked just floors Young with his elbow, boots are flying in from all direction and Klop moaning his his fxxking head off at the second ref, we’ll be lucky to have a football team at the end.
What a save by Martinez.
Again.
We’re living a charmed life here.
Sanson warming up and Marv coming off.
Let’s hope he can last the half hour without being ill or injured.
Given up with that sub. Nakamba not booked or apparently injured, would you put Sanson on in his place?
Is naka only one off a suspension?
I think he is.
Mings gives away a pen, although it looks harsh to me.
Supposedly for hitting the calf, but it looks more like his arm across him and I’ve seen a lot worse not penalised.
Salah scores, 0-1
I can’t see us coming back from this.
Buendia for Young, fresh legs but no likely improvement
Agree. He won’t offer anything when we’re bypassing the midfield.
Ings now for Ramsey – some hope?
Ings on for Ramsey.
I don’t get that. You need to get the ball in their half to get a striker into the game.
I’d rather have seen Chucky.
We’ve gone 4 4 2 ,one out of defence means trouble , sodding hell we’re on the attack.
Bloody hell, Villa giving them a bit of their own medicine in playing keep ball in their box. Comes to nothing and they counter.
It should have been a higher score, but we did well to keep it to 1-0.
Edge of the seat stuff, but not in a good way.
Klopp will know they’ve had a tough game and I think we did well overall.
Agreed. We never gave up but just lacked that real quality and composure whenever we got around their box. Hopefully Gerrard has some plans for that come Jan and the summer. We also rode our luck quite a bit but I think you have to, to get anything against Liverpoil and the likes. Need to beat Norwich now to put things right and keep us looking up.
When I saw the starting line up I knew what kind of game it would be. Once Pool scored we made the predicted substitutions and we actually posed a threat for the last 15 minutes. Trouble was every time they broke our press it was like the Alamo. Thankfully though they were wasteful for once and in the end we weren’t embarrassed. Another chance against Norwich to get more points on the board but a certain DS will have other ideas.