Today week the Reds will host arch-rivals and PL leaders Man Utd at Anfield. There are still seven days for water to go under the bridge but I have attempted to predict the starting eleven that will march out on the Anfield turf for what is destined to be another epic battle.
It’s entirely useless for me to come up with 4-5-1, 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 concepts because we know that our play revolves mainly on a 4-4-2 set-up and I do not see that trend changing for this important fixture. With Suarez claiming that we are virtually out of the title race and Carra seemingly in disagreement, for us common Red-blooded mortals, what’s most important at this stage of proceedings is to simply win the game (simply not wanting to sound like simple).
So let’s go through the starting eleven! With Agger still a bit away from being fully fit, the only dilemma to the back four seems to be the right back position (which is strangely becoming our Achilles Heel). With Kelly being withdrawn from the U-21 (where he played CB) with a tight groin as a precaution, and Johnson fighting his way back to full fitness offering his candidature for a return this coming Saturday, this could well be a last-minute call from Kenny & Co. Kuyt, Lucas, Gerrard an Downing across the midfield line seem the most probably of scenarios, and for those of you who will probably say that Gerrard will start on the bench, my view is ‘why not have him start the game and see how far he can get?’ Suarez and Carroll will spearhead our attack. So apart from the right-back suspense and ‘will Gerrard start or will he be on the bench’, there seems to be no other major headaches to contend with.
Now, what are the predicaments here? In the eventuality that we get it right, we go to just three points from the current leaders and that might give the pessimists added that a very positive and frontline season is still possible and within our capabilities. Man Utd arrive at this fixture with some very unconvincing performances; drawing away at Stoke, drawing at home to Basel and a very unconvincing victory against Norwich, again at home. I saw all three matches, and believe me, they were quite lucky to get anything out of these matches. It’s not that the Reds are the epitome of consistency at the moment, but we can give the Mancs a run for their money. The Red Devils will be weary of Liverpool especially taking into account the performances we have managed to muster against them in recent times.
I think we can edge it, 2-1 to Liverpool! If this is the case, the Reds would have passed their first mid-term exam with flying colours.