Text here to move the logos across. please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Hello and welcome to the official match thread for Thursday’s Europa League third qualifying round second leg between Liverpool & FC Gomel. The game is scheduled to be played at Anfield on Thursday the 9th of August 2012 at 8.05PM. The game is scheduled to be shown on ESPN (Sky channel 417) and links to the game are posted before & during the game. Preview. Liverpool welcome FC Gomel to Anfield tomorrow in what will be Brendan Rodgers first competitive game at Anfield since taking over from Kenny Dalglish. The game is the second leg of the Europa League third qualifying round and the winner of this two-legged tie will be entered into the play-off round, the final game before the group stages begin. Liverpool go into the game with a one goal lead after defeating FC Gomel 0-1 at the Central Stadion in Belarus. The game was tight with Liverpool not up to full match fitness and FC Gomel halfway through their season meaning they had the advantage on the fitness front. FC Gomel produced the chances but it was Stewart Downing who got the only goal of the game after cutting in from the right and rifling the ball into the bet. This gives Liverpool the advantage going into the game and will give the players the chance to impress Rodgers and secure qualification before the opening game of the Barclays Premier League season against West Bromwich Albion. After putting out a strong side in his first competitive game in charge of Liverpool, Rodgers is expected to again put out a strong side to help the players gain match fitness and understand in more detail the way Rodgers wants them to play. All of the players are now back in training and it gives Rodgers a selection dilemma. There were run outs for various players in the behind closed-doors friendly with Rochdale during this week with Pepe Reina, Daniel Agger, Lucas Leiva & Andy Carroll getting game time before the game was abandoned in the 55th minute due to an injury to the Rochdale striker Reece Gray. Reina can be expected to get game time in the place of Brad Jones whilst the fitness of Daniel Agger will be of concern to Rodgers. He missed the first leg to stay back at Melwood to build up his fitness and could be involved after getting some game time against Rochdale. Lucas Leiva would be expected to again start on the bench and get some game time in the latter stages of the game. If he is to play, it will be his first game at Anfield since the ACL knee injury which he sustained against Chelsea in November 2011. Andy Carroll could also play some part after missing the first leg with a minor groin injury. The Liverpool & England striker has been persistently rumoured with a move away from Anfield in this window but Rodgers spoke positively about the number 9 in his pre-match press conference and he could get some match action from the bench. Apart from the four already mentioned, Fabio Borini will be expected to make his home debut and the Uruguayan duo of Luis Suarez & Sebastian Coates have come back from the Olympics and have been training since Monday and could play a part. For FC Gomel, we can expect the same 4-5-1 formation as they adopted in the first leg and look to play on the counter. The Russian striker Aleksandr Alumona will probably again lead the line with the 5 in midfield looking to stop Liverpool from passing the ball around and provide support to Alumona. Vadim Demidovich has 3 goals in 5 games so far and could be a threat after getting 6 minutes off the bench in the first leg. So, an intriguing second leg in prospect for both fans. Brendan Rodgers will be looking for a win in his first game at Anfield and therefore securing progress to the play-off round. However, at 1-0, the tie certainly isn’t over and FC Gomel have a chance to spring a surprise! Injury News. Liverpool Joe Cole- Hamstring Injury. FC Gomel Injury news currently unavailable. Liverpool 3 - 0 FC Gomel Goalscorers: Liverpool... Fabio Borini: 20th minute. Liverpool... Steven Gerrard: 40th minute. Liverpool... Glen Johnson: 71st minute. Liverpool: Reina - Johnson Carragher Agger Enrique - Gerrard Spearing Adam - Downing Borini Suarez SUBS: Jones Kelly Skrtel Lucas Henderson Shelvey Carroll - Liverpool Substitution: Jonjo Shelvey coming off to be replaced by Charlie Adam. (76th minute) Liverpool Substitution: Martin Skrtel coming off to be replaced by Jamie Carragher. (77th minute) Liverpool Substitution: Lucas Leiva coming off to be replaced by Jay Spearing. (86th minute) - FC Gomel: Bushma - Yevseyenko Kuzmenok Voronkov Matveichik - Kashevsky Krilchik Lipatkin Platonov - Alumona Alexsiyevich SUBS: Sakovich Kozeka Kilmovich Palomeque Yakhno Nowak Sheryakov - FC Gomel Substitution: Tomas Nowak coming off to be replaced by Nikolai Lipatkin. (62nd minute) FC Gomel Substitution: Sergei Kozeka coming off to be replaced by Pavel Krilchik. (75th minute) FC Gomel Substitution: Dmitri Kilmovich coming off to be replaced by Pavel Yevseynko. (86th minute) - YNWA.
Right, a couple of articles to get the pre-match chat going! - First of all, Brendan Rodgers on the honour he will feel when he leads the team out at Anfield for the first time. (Link here) And now Lucas Leiva on the possibilty of himself playing at Anfield for the first time since the injury he sustained against Chelsea in November. (Link here)
I think his team choice will be interesting. Suarez should be fit, maybe not fully fit for the season and hot off his new contract. Be interesting if Carroll and/or Agger play, I think it is likely Daniel may be fit enough. Lucas should feature at some point and I don't see a reason why Reina wouldn't start. My team would be: ----------------------Reina Johnson------Skrtel---------Agger--------Enrique --------------------Henderson -------------Gerrard---------Shelvey Suarez---------------Borini--------------Downing Thoughts on what the actual team will be: --------------------Jones Johnson--------Skrtel-----Carra--------Enrique -------------------Spearing -------------Gerrard-------Henderson Downing------------Borini------------Cole
I am away with work for a few days; don’t know if my hotel will have the game. So you guys might be my only hope for info tonight! In other words I’m screwed!!!
Regardless of if he goes or stays I wouldn't play Agger, if he does end up staying (fingers crossed) then he really doesn't need to be playing in these types of games, with his injury record he should be rested when possible. Carra will suffice. I´d probably have Charlie Adam next to spearing with Gerrard further forward, Adam should be at his level against Gomel & would mean being in the shop window. Dont want to turn this into a transfer thread but although most probably bulls**t I read there was potential for a swap deal using Adam for Dempsey, a good game certainly wouldn't harm the chances of this happening. I´d like to see Sterling get a run out and obviously a late return for Lucas.
Not gonna lie, I had hoped that Cole would come good, but already getting injured and missing out, just seems a liability. Of course he was fine in France but back in England and now the injuries have started. Also.... Bump!
I will take a guess at: Reina Johnson Skrtel Carra Enrique Henderson Spearing Gerrard Suarez Carroll Borini Don't think he will risk Lucas starting
Would like to see Coates get some game time, Would like to see pacheco get some game time also.....But dont expect it to happen.... Imagine we will put out the same old same old and it will be a low scoring affair.......Carra to start....No connection between defence and midfield, no bodies getting forward and us holding onto a 1-0 lead towards the end....... Afterwards it will will be claimed that this was a disciplined performance against a difficult side....... Negativity?...Who me?
"When your at home you have to make sure of a positive result and I think the 0-0 game was proof of that"
Unfortunately, I will miss the first half of the game as I have to see my shrink.....Positivity just round the corner!! All this money on improving my mental health could be saved if we could just start winning and stop signing turds...
I meant playing for Lille he was a OK the whole season, the second he gets back to England ( to play for Liverpool) he is injured......again.
