Text here to move the logo across. please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Hello and welcome to the official match thread for Saturday’s Barclays Premier League encounter between Norwich City & Liverpool. The game is to be played on Saturday 29th of September 2012 with a 3PM kick-off. The game won’t be shown on English T.V but streams are normally posted during the game. Absolute Radio have the radio rights to this game. Preview. Norwich City welcome Liverpool to Carrow Road later today in which both sides looking to record their first league win of the 2012/2013 season. Both sides sit in the bottom half of the table with Norwich City in 17th place with Liverpool currently one position below in 18th. The home side, Norwich, have had a mixed start to the season. Under the guidance of Chris Hughton, they started the season in the worst possible fashion. A 5-0 away defeat at Fulham wasn’t the start Hughton was looking for and was a bad day at the office for the Canaries. They needed a response and Norwich delivered. It was vital that Norwich didn’t lose another game after the hammering they got at Fulham. Three draws followed with an excellent point gained at White Hart Lane in the Canaries’ third game of the season. If you took a close look at the games Norwich have played in the league, you would come to the conclusion that a lack of goals is the main problem for Norwich so far this season. Norwich have scored just 2 goals in their 5 Premier League games so far and this record will need to improve if they are to progress up the table. Simeon Jackson & Robert Snodgrass are Norwich’s scorers in the Premier League and last season’s top scorer, Grant Holt, has yet to get off the mark. Players such as Holt, Snodgrass & Anthony Pilkington will have to show their quality, which is well known, is Norwich are to perform well and get the result. I feel that the Norwich team that plays tomorrow will be set up in a similar fashion to the previous games. However, there is likely to be a change or two as is common with many Premier League teams going from game to game. In goal, John Ruddy has the number 1 position his own and will continue in goal. The ‘keeper had an outstanding game in the game at Anfield last season as the game finished in a 1-1 draw. In defence, I would Russell Martin to continue at right-back. With Sebastian Bassong rated as doubtful, one of Michael Turner or Ryan Bennett will probably fill in alongside Leon Barnett who has played a fair chunk of the season so far. Ex-Manchester City left-back David Garrido will continue at left-back. In midfield, the ex-Leeds United pair of Jonny Howson & Bradley Johnson will be central midfielders with Robert Snodgrass on the right side of midfield. If Hughton wants to push the Liverpool full-backs towards their goal, the width and pace of Anthony Pilkington could be a valuable asset. In the forward positions, Hughton could go two up top or one up front with someone playing just in behind the striker. Wes Hollahan can play the role of second striker well and could play behind one of Grant Holt, Steve Morison or Simeon Jackson. If the Canaries want to go with top up top, those three could be played together. Grant Holt caused Liverpool problems last season and could be given an opportunity to showcase his quality. The away side, Liverpool, have also had a mixed start to the season. 2 points from their opening 5 games mean that Liverpool currently sit in the relegation zone. Liverpool have had a difficult start to the season with Manchester City, Manchester United & Arsenal amongst the first five games of the season. Add to this away games at West Brom & Sunderland, who both had good home records last season, and Brendan Rodgers had his work cut out. Liverpool have produced good performances in some of those games (Manchester United & City) but weren’t able to pick up the points that, arguably, their performances deserved. In other games, notably West Brom & Arsenal, Liverpool weren’t at the races and didn’t really deserve to collect anything from those games. Liverpool’s main problem is goalscoring... The same problem as Norwich! This has meant that despite dominating significant portions of games, they haven’t taken the chances they create and later in the game, they have been punished. This wasn’t addressed in the transfer window and leaves Liverpool short in proven attacking options. However, this has given younger players a chance in the first-team and a opportunity to stake a claim for regular first-team football. The most notable player to do this is 17-year old Raheem Sterling. The winger started the game against Manchester City and has kept his place since with a series of impressive performances. Now, injuries and suspensions mean that the Liverpool team which will face Norwich will be different to the team that faced Manchester United in the previous league fixture. In goal, Pepe Reina will keep his place as the Liverpool number 1. In defence, injuries take an effect. Martin Kelly ruptured his ACL ligament in the game against Manchester United and is likely to miss most of the season. This means that a re-shuffle in the full-back positions. Glen Johnson could convert back to his natural position of right-back with Jose Enrique or Jack Robinson starting at left-back. However, the recent good performances of Andre Wisdom at right-back could see the youngster start at right-back with one of Johnson/Enrique/Robinson at left-back. In central defence, Daniel Agger could recover from injury to feature. However, with his injury record in recent seasons, he won’t be risked if he isn’t 100% fit. If he doesn’t make it, it seems likely that Sebastian Coates would come in alongside Martin Skrtel. In midfield, there are selection dilemmas for Rodgers. One midfielder who won’t play is Jonjo Shelvey after his sending off against Manchester United. He is serving the second of his three match ban and is unavailable. It would seem likely that Steven Gerrard & Joe Allen would return to take two of the three midfield slots. That leaves one slot and three players battling for it. Nuri Sahin, Jordan Henderson and Suso have all impressed recently (The League Cup tie with West Brom & the Europa League game with Young Boys) and are fighting for a midfield slot. Sahin was especially impressive in the Capital One Cup game with West Brom and got both goals in the 2-1 victory. I would suspect that Sahin would come into the side after an impressive goalscoring performance against the Baggies. In the forward positions, the lack of numbers makes things slightly easier to predict. In the middle, Luis Suarez seems likely to start with 17 year-old Raheem Sterling continuing on one wing. On the other side, Oussama Assaidi was another player to impress against West Brom and could replace Fabio Borini who is rated 50/50 to be fit for the tie at Carrow Road. So, another interesting game in prospect! With both sides lacking goals, it points towards a tight affair with just the one goal in it if there is to be a winner. You’ll find out on the this match thread on Not606! I would also like to point you towards the Norwich board where CanariesSoccer has produced an outstanding American style thread for the game today. Here is the link (http://www.not606.com/showthread.php/171560-CanariesSoccer-Match-Center-for-RedSox-Canaries) and I would advise you to pop over to that thread and put your views on the game across! Injury News. Norwich City. Anthony Pilkington: Back Injury. Harry Kane: Metatarsal Fracture. Sebastian Bassong: Hamstring Injury. Simon Lappin: Ankle/Foot Injury. Steven Whittaker: Ankle/Foot Injury. Liverpool. Fabio Borini: Ankle/Foot Injury. Lucas Leiva: Hip/Thigh Injury. Martin Kelly: ACL Knee Injury. Joe Cole: Hamstring Injury. Norwich City 2 - 5 Liverpool Goalscorers: Liverpool... Luis Suarez: 2nd minute. Liverpool... Luis Suarez: 38th minute. Liverpool... Nuri Sahin: 47th minute. Liverpool... Luis Suarez: 57th minute. Norwich City... Steve Morison: 61st minute. Liverpool... Steven Gerrard: 68th minute. Norwich City... Grant Holt: 87th minute. Norwich City: Ruddy - Martin Turner Barnett Garrido - Hoolahan Johnson Tettey Howson Snodgrass - Holt SUBS: Bunn Tierney R Bennett E Bennett Surman Morison Jackson - Norwich City Substitution: Simeon Jackson comes off to be replaced by Grant Holt: 45th minute. Norwich City Substitution: Andrew Surman comes off to be replaced by Wes Hoolahan: 55th minute. Norwich City Substitution: Steve Morison comes off to be replaced by Alexander Tettey: 79th minute. - Liverpool: Reina - Wisdom Skrtel Carragher Agger - Henderson Allen Gerrard - Assaidi Suarez Sterling SUBS: Jones Johnson Coates Sahin Downing Suso Borini - Liverpool Substitution: Suso comes off to be replaced by Oussama Assaidi: 59th minute. Liverpool Substitution: Nuri Sahin comes off to be replaced by Jordan Henderson: 66th minute. Liverpool Substitution: Glen Johnson comes off to be replaced by Jamie Carragher: 77th minute. - YNWA.
Got to agree that Sahin will be the player who comes in to the midfield. He looked sharp in the COCup match at The Hawthorns. Up top and at the back is harder to call.if Agger is out I think he'll go with Kwatez and Enricky will come in at left back despite his shocking run of form. Up top it could be either Downing starting on the right or Assaidi and Sterling either side of Suarez. If we want anything from this game we absolutely have to cut out our defensive howlers.
Surely Downing has no chance. I would be surprised if he is on the bench. Suso is unlucky if he doesn't make the team. please log in to view this image
Hi chaps, thats one hell of a thread you've got here, very detailed and an excellent read! My prediction is a 1-1 draw. Think it'll be the best bore-draw you'll ever watch though, as we've both been playing some top stuff!
The only bad news is that todays referee is Mike Jones, and in 5 times he's officiated a Liverpool game, we've picked up only one 1 point.
So I will be missing the game as I have coaching this morning BUT, normally last year if I missed a game we won, so here is to that superstition!
Liverpool FC ‏@LFC Confirmed #LFC team: Reina, Johnson, Wisdom, Skrtel, Agger, Sahin, Allen, Gerrard, Sterling, Suso, Suarez. Liverpool FC ‏@LFC Subs: Jones, Carragher, Henderson, Downing, Assaidi, Coates, Borini.
