Bring on the Chavs

And so we are entering another European Cup semi-final and another against the Chavs. Everyone and their dog seems to have written the reds of, but they do so at their peril.

While the Chavs have the better of us in league meetings, and even these are evening out, we have the better of them in cup meetings. Since the special needs one took over its 2 wins for them, 3 for us and 3 draws - with 2 draws at the bridge. Even then their one win in Europe wasn’t enough for them to get through to the final.

No doubts they will try and drum up a big atmosphere tomorrow, putting out little plastic flags for the fans, probably displaying words for songs somewhere, and generally trying to get a false atmosphere but that won’t make a difference as the away fans will make the noise. For some reason I feel very relaxed about this game. It doesn’t worry me. Rafa, Stevie G, Kuyt, Carra and the others all have the experience of not just playing in semis but winning them. The Chavs have been in the semi three times but have not won yet. This will no doubt be on their minds.

Team wise, Rafa will play his best team and by that I mean:

Reina
Arbeloa - Carra - Skrtel - Riise
Alonso - Mascherano
Gerrard
Kuyt - Torres - Babel

He may just surprise us and play Crouch up front, stick Stevie G in the middle with Monster leaving Alonso out but this formation has served us well. We also played very well at the bridge this year in the league and should have won. If Torres has his shooting boots on then we will be in the final.

The Chavs seem to be in a small bit of disarray at the moment. The result on Saturday didn’t really hide the fact they were lucky. The fighting showed there is no harmony but they are a dangerous team. If the real Drogba turns up it could be tough and all the experts are pointing to how he played once against us at Anfield when he ran Hyypia ragged. Of course they forget Sami was ill the day before and dragged himself from his sick bed to play. They also forget he has done nothing in 5 semi final matches against us.

I can see a real determination in Liverpool in the last two weeks. I’ve seen Stevie say that we haven’t played with Torres at the bridge before and this may lead people to think this is more pressure on the young lad but I don’t think so. He is class and the cream rises. This is his stage. This is why he joined us. This is why he will score tomorrow.

My prediction? I think it could be 1-1 but I wouldn’t be surprised if we won.

Sit down Maureen-io

I was reading a very disturbing item on Saturday on the BBC gossip website. It stated that Jose Mourinho was saying DIC had approached him to be the new manager of Liverpool if they took over. Straight away I told the wife, as I said before, that this was like Funguson taking over and that should it happen to take away my Liverpool gear and burn it.

She also made a very good statement that any rational mind would find hard to argue against - whats wrong with Benitez? A good point indeed.

Over the last few years this mild-mannered Spaniard has taken the team to heights we haven’t really seen for a long time. He has some excellent young players coming through. We have won the reserve league for the first time in ages with a team of really young, promising players. He has 2 Champions League finals (Funguson has 1 in 20 odd years of managing) and 1 win on his CV. An FA Cup with us. Our highest points total since 1990 when we last won the league. For the previous 2 seasons we have finished above Arsenal who apparently are the up and coming young team (even though there is only 1 year difference between their average age and ours - and less when Hyypia is removed).

I really dont get all the Rafa bashing that goes on. The media constantly harp about his rotation and it is precisely the lack of rotation that has cost Arsenal this season. You can say rotation cost Liverpool in the cups but thats not true. An almost full-strength Chav side knocked us out of the Carling Cup but only just. A deflected goal (as usual) from a fat Fwank shot started it and even then it was Crouch’s sending off that really turned the tide. If we had had our shooting boots on against Barnsley at Anfield then it would have been game over before they equalised. It was luck on their side and not rotation that cost us.

In the league again its poor finishing that has cost us. We have lost less games that Manure this season but its the draws that are killing us and again rotation cannot be to blame. Away to Man City we battered them but couldnt get the all important goal. Home to Villa and Wigan again we battered them but in both games we couldnt get the necessary second goal which would have won both games. Taking just those 3 games into account and the 6 points more we should have had would put us ahead of the Arse going into their game tonight against Derby.

But for me the one big thing that we need to do next season to win the league is to beat Manure at least once. Rafa has beat the rest and can get results at the library and also at Chavland. If we had taken the 6 points mentioned above and also beat Utd once this season in the league, we would be ahead of them now but 1 point. That’s some swing. All this crap being thrown around at Rafa means nothing to me. If we do the same next season and beat Manure once, turn 3 draws into wins then we will be challenging. Thats how close we are and not the million miles Andy Gray and that tool Redknapp are on about.

I just hope he is with us next season as he will win the title with us. But if Maureen is in charge then its time to look for a new team. He’s a gimp.

Away (to) the cottagers

 Welcome to the weekend and a lovely away trip to London against Fulham before the first game against the Chavs. Just listening to Soccer AM now and they are saying that Gerrard wasn’t on the coach but that doesn’t surprise me at all. Rafa did say that he was not sure to play and that looks the case.

I can see the boss resting most of the big guns for Tuesday’s game but I really hope that we have enough to get a win today. He might be tempted to play Mascheranoseeing as he hasn’t played since the Arse and then throw Lucas in with him. To summarise here is the team I think he might play:

Reina
Finnan, Carragher, Skrtel, Riise
Pennant, Lucas, Mascherano, Benayoun
Voronin, Crouch.

I can’t see him dropping Reina who for me is the best keeper in the Prem bar none. Finnan should be in with Pennant in front and then play a good midfield partnership. Up front, Rafa seems to like Voronin who did score last week, even if it was put on a plate for him, but still he should have enough for the Fulham defenders. It’s either Crouch or Kuyt but maybe the dutchman needs a well deserved rest. Rafa could surprise us all and play Babel but I think it could be a game for Benayoun. His trickery and ability to open a defense, like last week, could be the difference today.

Over the last few years, the Fulham games seem to all have a poinincey in Rafas reign. In his first season, Rafa got his first league away win of the season at Fulhamcoming from 2-down at half time to win 4-2 - with the legend that was Biscan scoring a cracker. The next season we lost at Fulhambut then went on the marvellous unbeaten run. Later that season, God scored his first goal back with us against the same opposition.

Last season a 4-0 home win kicked us into a bit of form and the game later in the season, the 1-0 defeat, was somewhat controversial. But only in that pillock Neil Warnock’s mind (I was delighted to see Rafa point out yesterday that had Sheff Utd won their last game of the season the Fulham game wouldn’t have mattered). If he had watched the game he would have seen us do everything but score. It was also Insua’s first game - I really like this lad - and he could be challenging for the left-back spot next season (as could Plessis who is tops - like a young Hammann, gets the ball, plays simply and wins the ball back by staying on his feet).

I don’t really know what to think about the game today to be honest. I think that if we win, 4th spot is guarenteed but with 3rd still up for grabs its all to play for. I would love to finish 3rd - and shut the “experts” up - but the Arse are playing Reading today at home and I don’t expect them to lose there. 

Beat Fulham and it’s all to play for in the last three games. If we turn up in the first 10 minutes then I think we will win. Over the last few months we have been taking our chances and that has seen us be much better. If we do the same today we will win but we cannot afford to give away stupid frees around the box like recently. McBride is a real danger from set plays and crosses which is why I think Finnan and Riise will be on to prevent crosses. Bullard from frees is dangerous and thats another reason for no stupid frees.

Overall I think we will win today. We have to win as there is still something to play for. I don’t think Rafa will want more idiots giving out about giving other teams an advantage and the chance of finishing above the Arse (again) is still there. I’m going for a close 2-1 win for us and another victory to set us on the way for Tuesdays monster game.