Well that is complacency from the fans and or pundits. I get your point, you're just concerned that the players might fall into a similar trap. Hopefully not, it's the job of the manager here to make sure they don't and to get them motivated.
A few negative thoughts creeping in on here. Let’s have a few stats about West Brom to perhaps give some indication of how we may do. Their top scorer (Berahino) has just eight goals to his name, next in line? Brunt with just 2. The player with the most number of assists is Brunt with a mere 5. Their home form is hardly a shining example of an unbeatable fortress, won 3, drawn 4 and lost 4 scoring 13 but conceding 13 too. They have won one game in their last 10 and that was against Newcastle a month ago. The game against Villa showed the world that their defence is like a bucket with no bottom. If Villa can put 4 past them, how many do you reckon the SAS could slot away? Lose? Nope. Draw? Nope. Win? An absolute thrashing for West Brom. I am not a betting man but I could be tempted (depending on the odds) to put a cheeky £10 on Liverpool scoring at least 4.
Suarez should have some inside knowledge on Lugano. He has looked awful in highlights and hopefully SAS take full advantage of that. Will we line up with the same 4-3-3?
West Bromwich Albion centre-back Diego Lugano believes his Uruguay team-mate Luis Suarez receives "fierce" treatment in the Premier League. Lugano comes up against his compatriot on Sunday as the Baggies host fourth-placed Liverpool at The Hawthorns. Suarez's time in the English top flight has not been without controversy and Lugano does not understand why the striker receives a hostile reception wherever he goes. However, despite Suarez being handed bans for alleged racial abuse and biting an opponent, Lugano believes it is the Liverpool forward who is harshly treated. Luis Suarez' disciplinary record has been under scrutiny "Luis is fiercely tackled in every game but that's because he is the best Premier League player," he claimed in an interview with The Sun. "They tackle Luis also because he is a tough guy and he will be up on his feet after being tackled and facing defenders again. "Luis is the best player in the league and even my team-mates at West Brom have asked me to a shirt signed by him." Culture Lugano insists Suarez' character cannot be judged by his previous actions and reiterated his support for his fellow countryman. "There are people that still doubt whether Luis is a good person or not," he added. "I always say exactly the same - he is not a bad person for having had troubles with some opponents. "That says nothing about him as a person. In my team, I would like to have a player like him, who fights and troubles his opponents but is like a lion when he has to defend his team-mates. "Luis gets hard tackles all the time and nobody here in England says something about it. But if you insult an opponent inside the pitch, as it happened with Luis, then you will be punished. "That's part of the English culture and you, as a player, have to adapt to it." Suarez is not the only man to be embroiled in controversy however. Lugano's West Brom team-mate Nicolas Anelka has recently been charged by the FA for celebrating his goal with a 'quenelle salute', deemed to be an anti-Semitic gesture. Despite admitting he did not understand the celebration initially, Lugano believes both Anelka and Suarez are picked out because they are the best players in the league. "Luis gets hard tackles all the time and nobody here in England says something about it. But if you insult an opponent inside the pitch, as it happened with Luis, then you will be punished." "I'm surprised as well that Anelka has been punished for a gesture," he said. "I must confess that I didn't know what it meant. "I asked him and he told me it was a gesture for a friend of his - a French comedian. "But you know English people; they are really strict over here. Just look at the case of Suarez. I think that they punish people like Anelka or Suarez because they are world class players." Away from the ongoing furore off the field, Lugano has been impressed by Anelka's strength and determination in training. "I was surprised by Anelka," he admitted. "He's a really tough forward. Our training sessions are tough. "I have tackled him many times and he has never said anything to me. "He doesn't even look at me. He just gets up and keeps playing. That's amazing. I've told him I was truly surprised by him as a player." http://www1.skysports.com/football/...d-nicolas-anelka-are-battling-english-culture
Agreed with Lugano right up to the part about Anelka being world-class. Perhaps -- maybe -- at his peak, but he's nowhere near now. Still a good player but not in same bracket as Suarez, though not many are!
If the players need any extra motivation, it's utd losing and spurs drawing. Time to pull away lads!!
With West Ham and Cardiff winning today, West Brom will be up for a fight. They need a result. Many many reasons for us to be on top of our game!
If WBA beat us tomorrow (perish the thought ) they can jump from 17th to 11th in the table.And were in February Incredible season this.
I hope Rodgers and Gerrard prove us wrong re his suitability at DM. In fact, when you think about it, suppose you're a Martian or know nothing about football, whence would you want your battle-weary talisman lead the troops? From the holding position is the natural answer...
Gerrard went a good way to proving his ability in the DM position in the derby, so WBS, theoretically, shouldn't be too much of a stretch TBH. I think he'll struggle against teams with good attackers and strong middfielders -- the chelseas, Citys and Arsenals of the league -- but against WBA he should have the necessary quality to prevail, and his reduced fitness shouldn't be a telling factor.
I don't know about gerrard. I think there are a lot of aspects to it. for example my thinking is about how others play with him, how the opposition play and how the manager sets out the formation. We played everton correctly in my view, was well pleased to see rodgers not go for 4-4-2. everton also had an issue at the back that played into our hands... coutinho and henderson played correctly to support. contrast to villa. In my view we set out a 4-4-2 almost there and we tried to get coutinho back into a three when the horse had bolted. he failed to do it and got hauled off... but a few days later played it perfectly. It is going to not be gerrard but gerrard, henderosn and coutinho that determine how it works. It will be the full backs too that determine success... if players don't bother getting back it stretches everything... which i feel seeing johnson out will help. fitte rplayer plays can get back. we'll see... every side should be pressing hard on gerrard now. we'll see what happens
Originally Posted by Livtor I hope Rodgers and Gerrard prove us wrong re his suitability at DM. In fact, when you think about it, suppose you're a Martian or know nothing about football, whence would you want your battle-weary talisman lead the troops? From the holding position is the natural answer... Whilst I, I'd be quite concerned about it no matter who we play, especially if the game is away. He may actually raise his levels when playing the big games by digging into his pride as he did in the derby. It is the 'other' games, especially the away ones, that will make or break our quest for top four.
I agree, and Sterling & SAS must track back too like they did against Everton. IMO Gerrard needs support so that he can lead even better.
Liverpool have won three of the last four games (D1) in the Premier League. The Merseysiders have scored in their last 13 games, netting a total of 40 in that spell. Steven Gerrard has scored in his last three league games, his best scoring run since four in a row in December 2012. Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge have played a combined 33 Premier League games this season and scored 36 goals. Only Manchester City (18) have scored the first goal on more occasions than Liverpool (17).
Rodgers speech tomorrow should be in two parts.. 1 - The League table, what we can achieve if we win. 2 - The fact that if we don't compete, then, like Hull, we won't win! Earn the right to play!
