Well we are not losing yet, that's a good sign. Our youth beat RM youth 3-2 earlier today, could be an omen....3 x 2 = 6 so thats how many they could beat us by!
Not sure we can really lose tonight in a sense. No one is expecting any kind of result other than a hammering given our form so far this season and there's certainly no pressure on us to get a result. If we win or draw, great. If we barely lose or get hammered, it's expected. I do wonder (although I'm a dreamer) if we'll get something out of this game though. Liverpool always seem to do well in Europe, we always step it up against bigger teams, last season showed we perform well when under estimated by the majority and I imagine Real Madrid won't be too worried and might well slip up. I'm certainly not expecting us to get smashed, but I'd fancy a draw from this game - with Sterling getting the goal, obviously, since Mario won't.
I don't mind getting beaten by RM if it is a good game and not a massacre, I just hope that if we do get out of our group we don't end up being drawn against Man Utd in one of the later rounds.........oops, silly me I forgot, I mean Man City.
Liverpool: Mignolet, Johnson, Moreno, Skrtel, Lovren, Gerrard, Henderson, Allen, Coutinho, Sterling, Balotelli. Substitutes: Jones, Toure, Manquillo, Can, Lallana, Markovic, Lambert.
Not sure on Allen starting again so soon. Is he fit? Is he sharp enough? Also not sure on Lallana being dropped despite his good form of late. I get why Allen's playing, but not sure if he's too early. Guess we'll find out. Happy with Sterling up top, he should flourish with Coutinho in behind him...against a poor defense, which Real doesn't have.
Happy with that line up - basically what I'd have gone with but maybe with coutinho on the bench rather than Lallana but he was great when he came on Sunday
It's pretty sad that we supposedly strengthened our depth in the summer yet everyone can still pick the exact team BR ends up with. Very predictable. No Borini, yet Balotelli deserves to start? Makes perfect sense.
The fact most of us can pick it means we're happy with it doesn't it? Stop moaning about nothing and enjoy!
Depth yes, better than existing first team? Lots of young guys that maybe one day. And Borini not starting makes sense since he's not wanted...feck sake why would the manager pick the guy he believes has failed over the one he states will click. You may disagree with him but it still makes sense as a pick by the manager.
He's surely a better option than Balo though. Even if BR no longer see's him as "the most exciting player of the window", he still runs all game long and opens things up in a way Balotelli could never do.
