The Italians have a saying which goes ‘squadra vincente non si cambia’, or never change a winning team. Yet this may not always be a wise choice and one must always consider that Chelsea and Man City are two very different propositions which might need to be handled differently!
Many friends on this blog have called for Kenny to maintain the same line up and game-plan which saw us snatch all three points at Stamford Bridge. However, one must consider that Chelsea are factually sustaining an evident dip in form at the moment with 4 defeats out of 5 games, and their high defensive line system is certainly not helping! Man City are a completely different animal! They have shipped in only 11 goals (on a par with the Reds and Newcastle) but have scored 42, almost three times as much as us! Mancini, in pure Italian fashion, gives his defensive package primary importance, and then there is a multitude of offensive options and talent that can ‘invent’ a winning moment when you least expect it.
The Reds look much more of a cohesive unit that the Sky Blues, and this should be our winning card. I have proposed a 4-2-3-1 formation which can morph into a 4-5-1 or a 4-4-2 according to the run of play. I ‘m quite convinced of my selection but given his performance at Stamford Bridge and the sharpness he seems to have carried on from last season, I would not mind having Maxi in place of Kuyt to act as a second striker! It’s a matter of opinion I presume isn’t it? I just hope that Kenny does not base his selection and game-plan with thoughts of next Tuesday’s League Cup fixture in the back of his mind. One game at a time Kenny: let’s take on City and then think about Chelsea Monday morning!
Will the Reds give Man City their first defeat? Will the Reds make a statement by means of another positive result? Will Man City capitulate at Anfield? I guess we will just have to wait and see…….!
First and foremost, my apologies for having got Pepe’s surname wrong! :-(
Pleaseeee, don’t put Downing, he only has 1 leg, doen’t know how to use the right leg
I agree, I’d put Maxi in. In his first start of the season he scored a goal and played really well. Also, he was really good last year scoring a few hat-tricks and I think he deserves a start over Downing who hasn’t really proven why we should have paid for even half of what we did.
A 4 5 1 formation would be the best to take on Man City.
I would still go for Maxi instead of Kuyt.
In fact as explained moving the wingers back a few metres and retreating the central attacking midfielder by the same measure would morph the 4-2-3-1 into a more defensive 4-5-1 in an instant.
I think that maxi should be in the team instead of downing he’s done fuck all and doesn’t dersevie to be in the team I would but hendo in the team be4 downing but as I said I rather have maxi them both of them
I spoke to maxi in the adidas shop in l1 the other day (fair to say i was buzzin) he had 8 giant bags an 3 staff trying to stuff clothes in haha it was only him his wife and his daughter in the shop so i said great goal and asked if he thinks he will start v chelsea and he said “win ees more important” haha! Hes a class act an would love him to be in that starting 11
i agree.. maxi has brains, downing has pace
Aaagh! I’m sort of dreading it, but looking forward to it at the same time. Running into a bit of form, fairly much the same cohesive attacking lineup as the tail end of last year, bar Meireles. Unfortunately they’ve not played together a lot this season, whereas City have come together as a team, their new players have bedded in, ours are yet to look competent with any consistency. If ’twasn’t for the Anfield factor, I’d fear for the worst. Let’s be having them!
There is a lot of pressure on downing. Sure he is taking time to settle a bit like others but had he not hit the wood work twice and Suarez, Carroll and kuyt converted numerous chances he provided in the games earlier in the season. We would be looking at stats of something like two goals and six assists. Would he be getting the slaying then??
I feel the formation we played in chelsea in Feb might be the joker 3-6-1.
sktel-seb/carra-agger
Johnson Jose
Lucas Adam
Kuyt Suarez Bellamy
Models what Napoli beat them with. They really didnt know how to overcome that formation in italy so conceded stupid goals. It choked out yaya, silver, balo and dzeko.
Abraham, Chelsea were a much different proposition back in Feb and the choice to go 5-3-2 was dictated by the fact that we simply did not want to loose the game especially due to the Torres drama that had just occured. Today Chelsea are much more fragile defensively in fact they have shipped in 7 goals more than us in 12 matches. Napoli play 5-3-2 week in week out but out game-plan and training is generally centred around a classic 4-4-2.
I think you could be right
Carra Agger Sktel
Johnson Jose
Lucas Adam
Kuyt Suarez
Andy C
Will be a bit hard on Maxi and Bellamy but the back seven would be difficult to break down and those two or others could come on to replace Kuyt & Carroll when we need fresh legs
I think Man. City will win this games.
if they do I just dont hope for a Man U kind of win with lost of goals conceded our way…
pretty much agree with your 4-2-3-1 formation. however, personally, i want to see adam to play a little bit forward, so the formation would be 4-1-4-1. the incessant problem we have is the midfielders don’t put enough pressure to the opponent’s. imho, we shouldn’t let them to turn around and face our goal. it may ease them to make some movement and through-passes. it happened with the sturridge’s goal as our midfield fail to put pressure on malouda’s drive. we surely don’t want to see that happen with silva. (sorry for my english)
Pepe
Kelly skrtel agger Jose
Johnson Lucas Adam maxi
Suarez Bellamy
Subs: kuyt Carroll cara hendo downing aurelio doni