Scouting Report for Liverpool

[perseus]

F.A. Cup 5th Round
Sunday 19 February 2012 4:30 pm
Liverpool v Brighton & Hove Albion
Anfield

v

Scouting Report

Liverpool v Brighton FA Cup 5th Rd. Kop Forum ​

I expect a near 100% will expect Liverpool to win and it is about 50/50 whether their fans think that Liverpool should field a below full strength side.

PS: I thought we would lose the home match by a larger margin (1-4). This time with our players fit and Liverpool looking competetent rather than really dangerous, I would go for a 2-2 draw. I think complacency might set in, despite knowing the dangers, Liverpool will not be able to help it.​

Liverpool First XI


-------------------------------Reina----------------------------
-----------Johnson--------Skrtel---------Agger------Enrique---
-----------------------------Spearing---------------------------
---------------Kuyt-----------Gerrard---------Bellamy-------
-------------------------Suarez---------Carroll-----------------​

Kelly is favoured over Johnson by some.

Carragher is still popular.

Maxi is sometimes preferred to Kuyt.

Adam gets lots of games.

Downing has not been playing well.

Doni is the reserve keeper.

Henderson is a right footed midfielder with a lot of energy.

Lucas would be an obvious starter but he is out for the season.


Possible surprise packages:

Raheem Sterling



In the League Cup game, both sides played makeshift defences, the Liverpool back four was the their reserve team. And I am not sure how to describe the Albion back four on the day, that played OK after the nervousness at the beginning of the game (which lasted most of the first half).

 

[liverpoolfan]

I have to say that is pretty well researched. You have got nearly everything spot on. The team you put up is what is most likely to feature with maybe the only surprises being Adam starting with Gerrard playing on the right.

In terms of Raheem Sterling he is a very talented youngster but I cannot see him featuring as we have pretty much got a fully fit squad (with the exception of Lucas) and he didn't even feature in the earlier rounds of both cup competitions. Also Kelly is a very good young RB and is better at defending than Johnson however I still expect Johnson to start.

Anyway it should be a good match and really looking forward to it!

 

[severnside gull]

our key weaknesses will, as ever, be at full back. Even with Barnes playing in front of elAbd to give some protection he will be vulnerable to pace while Calderon's susceptibility to being caught too far forward presents its own risks. For that reason expect Bellamy to be their key player with Johnson pushing forward from fullback also causing us some problems.

Dunk and Greer were off the boil last night but expect them to cope well enough with Carroll's height and physical presence although Suarez' positional awareness will test them.

Perfect game for CMS to utilise his pace off the shoulder of the last defender if he starts with Noone injecting some pace of pass and delivery through midfield.

Closer game than many expect - I'm predicting 1-1 or 2-1 depending on the rub of the green

 

[perseus]

I have to say that is pretty well researched. You have got nearly everything spot on. The team you put up is what is most likely to feature with maybe the only surprises being Adam starting with Gerrard playing on the right.

In terms of Raheem Sterling he is a very talented youngster but I cannot see him featuring as we have pretty much got a fully fit squad (with the exception of Lucas) and he didn't even feature in the earlier rounds of both cup competitions. Also Kelly is a very good young RB and is better at defending than Johnson however I still expect Johnson to start.

Anyway it should be a good match and really looking forward to it!

Not what I think Kenny will play but what I deduced the Liverpool fans were thinking. I don't know if Kuyt is any good at defending: I have my doubts. I think Kenny will play Adam and Henderson at the start. Kelly saved a certain goal in the first match, but I still think Craig Mackall-Smith should have scored!

Team V Liverpool

 

[liverpoolfan]

Kuyt is not necessarily a good defender but he works very hard and tracks back + he provides a bit of extra cover for Johnson.

 

[perseus]

Kuyt is not necessarily a good defender but he works very hard and tracks back + he provides a bit of extra cover for Johnson.

Because we were chasing game at home, the combination threat of Kuyt and Bellamy posed a continual problem. This would not quite so much if we defend deep as usual (too deep most fans would say). Then the skill or subtlety of a fit Gerrard or the more workmanlike play of Henderson (who is really an unknown to me). And then there is Maxi?

 

[liverpoolfan]

I think you will find you will be better defending deep against us at Anfield. The main problem we have had this season is that we have been unable to break down teams that have sat come to Anfield only to sit deep and try to hold on for a draw. That's why even though we are undefeated at home this season we have had more draws than wins (and all of them being either 0-0 or 1-1). Although now that we have Gerrard back to full fitness and Bellamy featuring more often hopefully that won't be so much of a problem. Neverthless I think it will be a close game and if we do win I think it will be only by a 1 goal difference.

Henderson is a decent player. I do think that we paid over the odds for him (cost us around 16m) but you can definitely see that he has a lot of potential. Unfortunately we played him on the right during the early matches where he struggled but he has been playing better when playing in a more central role. In terms of Maxi a lot of us feel he should be starting more often than he has been lately. Certainly I think he can offer us more than what Downing has done in the recent months and his link up play is fantastic at times. He was fantastic in the 2nd half of last season and was one of the key reasons why we had such a good finish to 2010/11 despite a horrendous start under Hodgson.

 

[Craig4004]

Random question, is Vokes cup tied?

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Jordan Henderson is a quality midfielder, deffinitely not worth the money paid for him, but he is class and will be a 50 cap England International in a few years time.

 

[perseus]

Scouting on Liverpool

Random question, is Vokes cup tied?

Team V Liverpool

I thought Vokes played for us. No he isn't but Keogh for Millwall is, who despite missing when Vokes scored against Millwall was higher in the pecking order at Wolves.

The Liverpool central defence is arguable who they play. I expect we are hoping that Carragher is there to repeat the rash challenge on Vicente. A surprise move could be to play Kelly at central defence. Coates might present Craig Noone with a chance when his shot hit the bar (the nearest Noone has got with his long shots). Then they may decide to play Flanagan and then Kazenga is a must. I think the nearest he got to our left winger was a foul. Enrique looked to position himself very well at left back against Manchester United in the last match I though Liverpool played poorly. Enrique might very well be a difficult proposition for Will Buckley. Robinson did well enough. But then Albion may very well play mostly down the left instead.

 

[shaolinpunk]

I hope Carragher plays, and Buckley gets a chance to run at him

 

[perseus]

Q: what formation do Liverpool play ? these fluctuate during the game so it is hard to define.

With Lucas it can be a 4-3-3 classic style. 4-1-3-2 is ridiculously attacking. I don't think Liverpool even played that against Oldham 5-1.

That's why I expect the Liverpool team to be

---------------------------Reina----------------------------
-----------Johnson--------Skrtel---------Agger------Enrique---
-------------------Henderson-----Adam--------Spearing-----------
---------------------------------Bellamy-------
-------------------------Suarez---------Carroll-----------------

Or swap Gerrard for one of the midfielders. Or Liverpool may play an out an out winger like Downing or Kuyt or Maxi?


Subs: Doni, Kelly, Maxi, Gerrard, Downing, Kuyt, Carragher.

Forecasting the Liverpool team, forecasting the Albion team is a different matter.

 

[terryberry1]

Random question, is Vokes cup tied?

no.

 

[perseus]

Left Back v Buckley

Fabio Aurelio will reportedly leave Liverpool this summer once his current contract expires. Team mate of Vicente under Rafa at Valencia. Suffered injury problems ever since.

He has been restricted to just two appearances this season due to the arrival of Jose Enrique in addition to the emergence of the promising Jack Robinson and the versatility of Glen Johnson in deputising at left-back.

Liverpool FC defender set to quit Anfield at end of the season

Some Liverpool fans have included him in the side at left back. Others have included Left-back Jack Robinson who played the full 90 minutes for Liverpool reserves as he continues to build up his fitness after a foot injury.

 

[perseus]

Weather Report

Liverpool Weather Forecast:

Liverpool, England - Â*10 day Weather forecast | MSN Weather UK

Head to Head
Brighton and Hove Albion Head-to-Head - statto.com

Liverpool
24 games
Everton
11 games
Tranmere
38 games
Southport
12 times
Manchester United
16 times
Chelsea
8 times (never beaten them)

 

[perseus]

Link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHL7WIcpo-I&feature=player_embedded

 

[Bigbelly]

Link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHL7WIcpo-I&feature=player_embedded

Just seen that on their site http://www.redandwhitekop.com/forum/index.php?topic=286620.160

They are looking forward to our visit.

 

[perseus]

Anfield

Not a small pitch, just five yards shorter than the Amex and the same width.

​

Martin Kelly seems the most likely reserve to play. But which Albion winger will be up against him? He saved what should have been a Macca goal in the first game.

Kelly: My FA Cup dream - Liverpool FC

This highly predictable drivel. It is better to read the comments on the Liverpool forum: Liverpool v Brighton FA Cup 5th Rd. Kop Forum

 

[perseus]

Liverpool v BHA - FA Cup 5th Round Score Predictor


Lawro Predictions:

BBC Sport - Mark Lawrensons FA Cup predictions

Liverpool v Brighton (1630 GMT)

I am at this game on Sunday and I was also part of the Liverpool team that was beaten in the FA Cup two seasons running by Brighton in the early 1980s.
Albion won 2-1 at Anfield on their way to the final in 1983, and then enjoyed a 2-0 victory at their old Goldstone Ground the following year.
I'm not expecting to see Gus Poyet wear white shoes like Brighton boss Jimmy Melia did at Wembley when his side lost to Manchester United in a replay, and he certainly hasn't got the same hairstyle that Melia did, but I still think Brighton will give a good account of themselves at Anfield. (Extract)

 

[perseus]

Liverpool had their mediocre performance last week against Manchester United. Still, Agger, Enrique and Johnson all looked good to me.

Jan Molby: Brighton will pose a threat to Liverpools FA Cup hopes - Liverpool FC News - Liverpool FC - Liverpool Echo

In the first half there was a gap where Scholes was in the diagram which Johnson exploited. Scholes pushed too far forward and could not get back and Giggs did not help out.

TACTICAL REVIEW: Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool FC | Scholes & Carrick dictate the action while Rooney provides the missing link - The Busby Babe