Thing is though, Suarez more than makes up for it should a misplaced pass or overdone flick not work because we know he will end up scoring. Someone like Allen (or any defender) however doesn't have as positive effect on the game so individual errors are scrutinised much more. Suarez can have a stinker all game but can get us 3 points in one moment. Kolo for e.g. can be perfect (lol) all game but potentially lose us 2 or even 3 points with one moment. Players like Allen who already have their detractors and have been made out as scape goats, can ill afford to make further errors because it will be deemed unforgivable. I'm not saying it is fair or right, it's just how it is.
as far as i am concerned all i've said is be careful in the transition phase, that's all. be sloppy = concede goals. we've been sloppy at times all season from different people so if that meas you think i'm having a go at allen par se rather than just pointing out the latest example fair enough but that's not how its intended. there are good areas to play it and not good areas. If suarez wants to flick it wide blind.. ok he does it alot. why? cos he's expecting the full back to be legging it up there. grand. but if you take it on the right side and flick it infield rather than towards the sideline cos its easier for you you are taking a big risk playing the ball across the centre of the pitch. Just little things. Flick it from say right of centre out to the wing the worst is you put it out for a throw or some guy gets a run down the wing but you can have everyone else turn round and cover. Stick it in the middle and oops yous CBs scrambling to get back together and gaps everywhere... its just a case of be creative but be sensible, especially when you are facing your own goal and can't see whats what. For me we can defend, we can leak a bit off set piece but in the main our issues are not us leaving massive gaps when attacking its peoepl turning our own tactics against us in terms of pressing.
Nothing wrong with Suarez' flicks, imo. You expect your attackers to come up with something inventive- they have to in order to bamboozle the opposition. When enough of them come off then it's worthwhile. You don't want the same attempt at creativity from your defenders, obviously- and there are times when even the most skilful just need to launch it to get rid. There's a chance it will come straight back at you, but it gives you time to regroup. Dangerous blind passes, especially across your own box, are just asking for it.
I agree it that creativity out of Suarez is good but it's just a point of note around that transition from defence to attack
I think Coutinho will drop to the bench tomorrow and he'll start with the same team, but with Sterling in instead. Have to win to keep the pressure on the other teams, but honestly, there's no pressure on our team right now. We've hit our target for the season of top 4 (yes yes, I know we shouldn't aim for 4th, but that was our realistic target) and now whatever we go on to do is added bonus. We can just go out, play with freedom and try pick up as many points as we can - see where we end up. I think these last few games will see us fare well. No one expected us to be here, so we're not fighting expectation or pressure. That's huge. Chelsea and City both have pressure on them to win their games.
Anfield will be rocking tonight. Massive opportunity in these next two games to clinch at least third spot and automatic CL qualification. Still keep getting this feeling that we are going to have one of those nights of previous seasons where we batter the opposition and can't score. I know we haven't seen that this season, just hope we don't now.
Would love Suarez to get past the 30 goal mark in the premier league tonight and Sturridge the 20 mark.
Sunderland always perform better against the bigger teams, however they also leave themselves open when they attack. I imagine Sterling will play for this reason. I think 3-0 would be likely. Maybe 3-1.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/liverpool-news-liverpool-would-mid-table-3284632 Why do managers come out with this stuff surely its only going to rile us up. There has been talk of them wanting to keep Borini seems a strange way of going about it.
let me rub my ball.... the crystal one not the left one. hmmm... i see... some strange gloves that are quite large in mingolet's near future that help?
Luis Suarez There can be no other place to start than with the in-form Uruguayan, surely now amongst the best forwards in the world. Suarez has now scored 79 goals in 125 appearances for Liverpool since joining from Ajax in 2011. Having began his career in his homeland with Nacional, he joined Groningen in Holland before moving to Amsterdam where he bagged 111 goals in 159 outings before moving to Liverpool. The 27-year-old – who has been capped by his national team on 77 occasions, scoring 38 times - was part of the Uruguay side which won the Copa America in 2011. The strikers record against Sunderland is formidable with seven goals in his last six games against the Black Cats and four in his last two. Suarez needs just two goals to become the first Liverpool striker to notch 30 league goals in a season since Ian Rush in 1986-87. The Uruguayan has also either scored or assisted 39 goals this season with only Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry and Andy Cole ever being involved in more goals during a single campaign. Steven Gerrard One of English football's all-time greats, Steven Gerrard is still in fine form, with ten league goals this season. The England captain has made an incredible 661 appearances for the Reds since making his debut in 1998, scoring 169 goals in all competitions. Gerrard was an integral part of the 2005 UEFA Champions League-winning squad whilst he has also won two FA Cups, three League Cups, the UEFA Cup and two UEFA Super Cups during his time at Anfield. Capped 109 times by England, Gerrard was officially given the captaincy ahead of Euro 2012 and is set to lead Roy Hodgson’s men to Brazil for the FIFA World Cup this summer. Liverpool’s captain is a rare commodity in the modern game having only ever appeared for one club in his sixteen years as a professional. Gerrard has been on the winning side eleven times in his eighteen games against Sunderland. Daniel Sturridge Daniel Sturridge’s goalscoring form, alongside his partnership with Luis Suarez, has been one of the brightest points of the 2013-14 Barclays Premier League season. The Birmingham-born striker progressed through the youth ranks with Aston Villa and Coventry City before joining Manchester City and then moving to Chelsea. Though he managed 96 appearances for the Blues, they were often from the bench – Sunderland fans may remember a cheeky back-heeled finish at the Stadium of Light in 2011 when Sturridge was handed a rare start – and in January 2013 he decided to join Liverpool. The striker has scored 33 goals in 42 appearances for the Reds, including 19 in this season’s Barclays Premier League campaign. Sturridge has scored ten goals in ten league appearances at Anfield this season, including six in his last four. In fact, in his 30 games for both club and country this season, Sturridge has failed to score on only nine occasions. In the corresponding fixture at the Stadium of Light this season Sturridge opened the scoring for Liverpool. The Reds went on to win 3-1 and Sturridge assisted both of Suarez’s goals that afternoon. His partnership with Luis Suarez, nicknamed SAS, has already amassed 47 goals this season. Only Andy Cole & Peter Beardsley (55 for Newcastle in 1993-94) and Alan Shearer & Chris Sutton (49 for Blackburn in 1994-95) have managed more in a season, though with eight games left it seems very possible that the record could be broken.
Think BR will be tempted to play Sterling from the start rather than Allen. Suarez - Sturridge - Sterling ---------Coutinho -----Gerrard---Henderson Might leave us too open... would rather play Sterling and bring Cou on second half.
Journos again. Poyet makes an, admittedly ill-advised, throwaway line saying that Suarez is so good that he's the main reason for our current position. The journo and sub-editor make it sound like he's trying to provoke us.
