Wigan vs Liverpool : midweek game

• longchiambutz

  28 Jan 09, 13:34

  Tonite (early Thurs morning) @ 3.45am Away at JJB Stadium *********************** Not the easiest of teams to meet (who is when they meet us!). We only managed a narrow win at Anfield earlier! The boys have really gotta bucked up if they are dead serious abt winning the title! *********************** Team news: ========== Robbie Keane will return to the Liverpool squad when the Barclays Premier League title chasers travel to face Wigan. The Irish striker was omitted from boss Rafael Benitez's 18 players who took on Everton in the FA Cup at the weekend, prompting transfer speculation. But Benitez has confirmed he had no injury worries and that Keane had trained well for the past two days and would be included at the JJB Stadium. Wigan's new loan signing Mido will make his debut in the starting line-up alongside compatriot Amr Zaki. The Egypt international was brought in from Middlesbrough last week to replace Emile Heskey, who moved to Aston Villa, with the club having previously lost midfielder Wilson Palacios to Tottenham. Wigan are still awaiting receipt of international clearance from Mexican club Necaxa for new £4.5million striker Hugo Rodallega but he could be on the bench if it arrives in time. Former Crystal Palace midfielder Ben Watson, however, will not be considered as he has been out since the beginning of December with a calf injury. Winger Antonio Valencia is a doubt with a hamstring injury, goalkeeper Chris Kirkland is nursing a back problem and central defender Titus Bramble is suspended. Teams Wigan (from): Kirkland, Melchiot, Scharner, Figueroa, Valencia, Cattermole, Taylor, Camara, Kapo, De Ridder, Zaki, Mido, Kingson, Pollitt, Edman, Brown, Boyce, Rodallega. Liverpool (from): Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher, Skrtel, Aurelio, Dossena, Hyypia, Agger, Babel, Benayoun, Gerrard, Mascherano, Alonso, Kuyt, Torres, Keane, Riera, Lucas, Ngog, Cavalieri.
• www

  29 Jan 09, 05:29

  conceding at 80+ mins again.

  what a great decision to fark around with lucas as a walking time bomb who give away the penalty.

• www

  29 Jan 09, 05:51

  why the tinkering. why the farking tinkering.

  at least rafa is right about one thing: the reds can win the title this season if other teams mess up, which it didnt happen especially when u farking mess it up yourself!

  all the shuffling might give u players with good fitness. but what good fark does it make if u dont know how to play.

  keane/agger has all the energy now but u dont play him. but u chose to play off form players like babel/lucas.

  unlike the solid 11 in the beginning of the season which possess the kinda of determination, the current musical chair lineup provides little attack option and doesnt know how to defend even if the opponent has only 1 shot on goal through the game!

  with aston villa catching up, one more screw up and they will share the same fate as arsenal.

• the Bear

  29 Jan 09, 08:21

  LFC is screwed..

   

• tweety74

  29 Jan 09, 10:25

  Lucas must have 'slept' with Rafa in order to earn a spot in the Liverpool XL every now and then..He is one of the worst player in recent years ever to put on a Liverpool shirt. I have been closely monitoring his games for couple of months but he seems to make more mistakes than making any meaningful contributions. Rafa seems to run out of ideas on how to deal with teams who are bent on getting a draw. Lucas and Kuyt seems to be his untouchables unlike Agger or Keane. Keane may not have justified the 20 million tag but surely he can't be much worse than Lucas or Kuyt. Rafa is too negative for EPL. Maybe he can get away in one-off knockout competition like Champions League but I don't think his style of play is suited for EPL. Sorry to say this but I won't lose any sleep if he leaves the team at the end of the season even if he manages to deliver a cup for us. For goodness sake, please don't sign the contract extension or we will have to bear with you for another 3 to 4 years with all the kind of negative play that you are capable of dishing up.
• Poolman

  29 Jan 09, 10:46

  Originally posted by www:

  conceding at 80+ mins again.

  what a great decision to fark around with lucas as a walking time bomb who give away the penalty.

  
  Well said , true , once again he fuck up the whole show .

• Poolman

  29 Jan 09, 10:49

  For once , and final , i can say , Rafa only interested in UCL !!

  For again , he rested Alonso ahead of the fuck-up Lucas .

  And rested Keane and moved Gerrard forward , pairing with Torres .

  Playing 4-5-1 not for Liverpool style leh i think ...

  Rafa should stick to 4-4-2 .....

  With Alonso and Mascherano guarding our back four .

  with Gerrrard marshalling the attack , along with 2 forward with just one winger of Babel .The problem with Rafa , he always like attacking from the wings .

   

• preservedorange

  29 Jan 09, 10:50

  haha why is rafa always taking off his best players with only 1 goal leads. AND replacing them with players like lucas hahaha hard luck pool fans

• Poolman

  29 Jan 09, 11:08

  I think Rafa think too much on the match against Real Madrid on the 9th of Feb 2009 .

  Realistically , Liverpool need $$$ , so progressing into the next phase of the UCL is so much more important this season .

  But if we miss out next season UCL , we lose more .

  What is Rafa thinking ?

  He playing politic , is it , like in Valencia ?

• preservedorange

  29 Jan 09, 11:13

  hard to miss out on CL la, somemore with arsenal playing like a midtable team these days, unless liverpool really implode

• stellazio

  29 Jan 09, 20:07

  lucas brings shame to the word brazilian..