Next up for NCFC, Liverpool

And having lost 3-1 at the weekend, and so early in the season, the Anfield natives are getting restless:

http://metro.co.uk/2015/09/14/liver...ation-needed-to-sack-brendan-rodgers-5390374/

Dare I say what a magnificent time to be playing them, especially if Bordeaux turn them over in the (pretty worthless / meaningless) Europa League on Thursday

 

I was thinking it was a great time to play them, but then I also thought it was the perfect time to be playing Southampton and that went badly. So I am not counting our chickens!

If we play as well as we did on Saturday, we should get a draw at least. Tighten up the defending from set pieces (which will no doubt be heavily targeted by Liverpool given Benteke's prowess) and we might even have a shot at three points, but frankly I think that this is one of those games where even a defeat with a good performance is fine and any more a bonus because it was a write-off in my thoughts when the fixture list was first set out. No more 5-0s please!

 

...and Suarez won't be playing

 

Annoyingly I really expect Benteke to have a stormer. It just feels primed for it. He usually pulls off some goal out of nothing when he played us with Villa.

 

I'm hoping his totally pointless (for the result) but brilliant volley against Man U ticks that box for the next couple of weeks. He certainly has that habit!

 

It was some goal. If it had of been in a victory it would have topped Rooney's by some distance. On technical ability alone it is one of the nicest over head goals I've seen.

 

Yeah, on a par with Jerome's

 

If I were a Liverpool fan (which I most certainly am not ), I would want to take the Europa League seriously now that the winners get a place in next year's Champion's League.

Now just supposing we were to win the Capital One Cup and enter next season's Europa League, would you want us to take it seriously ? I know I would and with the luck of the draw you never know how far we might progress in the competition, and if the unthinkable happened ................................................. ??

 

A la Fulham a few years back under Hodgson

 

In terms of line-up vs Liverpool, there are a few decisions to be made:

• Wisdom or Whittaker? - Whitts will be back after suspension. The defence looked decent against Bournemouth, but if any of the back four looked shaky at times, it was Wisdom. I'm not 100% sure whether Wisdom can play against his contracted club can he?
• Olsson? - if he has recovered enough fitness, does he get his LB spot back? Personally I'd be tempted to stick with Brady at LB and Jarvis at LM after their excellent performance and understanding against Bournemouth.
• Howson or Dorrans (or Mulumbu?)? - I don't think any of us can criticise the midfield's performance against Bournemouth in any way. However, is there a case for more of a 'steady' presence alongside Tettey in the midfield? Can Dorrans provide that better than Howson? Is Mulumbu nearing full fitness?

 

I asked Paddy Davitt the same thing over the weekend, JK.

Paddy Davitt
@paddyjdavitt
AN told meFriday 4 to 6 weeks the timescale to be back on the pitch

 

I don't think young Norman can play against his parent club so it will be Whits @ RB.

I too would be tempted to stick with Brady/Jarvis in the knowledge the MO could come on for either

Howson would be one of my first names on the team sheet. No way would I drop him for Dorrans in his current form.

 

Good questions:
(1) I understand that Wisdom is barred from playing against Liverpool in the PL (but, depending on his contract, might be able to play against them in Cup competitions). So I should think Whittaker is guaranteed a start. I thought Wisdom was solid - his delivery is very good, but obviously doesn't get forward enough. The only thing is you could argue he was guilty for their goal as I think (will need to look again) that he lost his man.
(2) I don't see how you could realistically drop any of Howson, Brady or Jarvis after their respective performances, but then AN is quite tactical so doesn't always go for the "don't change a winning team mantra"!

 

Is that 4 to 6 weeks from now Cromer ? Or from when he was originally injured ?

 

That was exactly what I was thinking. I'm not saying Howson deserves to be 'dropped' at all. I'm merely questioning whether against a team like Liverpool (arguably our biggest test yet), away from home, is there a case for taking a more 'tactical' approach?
I wouldn't want to leave Wes out, so Howson would be the one to make way if AN was thinking of changing things.

 

I read it as 4-6 weeks from the Friday press-conference, when the question was asked.
So, when / if Tettey gets a yellow card on Sunday, he'll serve out his one match ban against West Brom in the Milk/CocaCola/LDV vans/choose your own sponsor from an eternally long list/ cup match the following weekend

 

Yes, sorry - I was agreeing with you

 

Don't want to put too much of a downer on the positivity, but the other thing that concerns me is that Coutinho is returning and he is, IMO, brilliant. He worries more against our defence than Benteke

 

Is he not banned for 3 games? It was a straight red, no?

EDIT: oops. Just realised I was mistaken. Not a straight red.

 

Let's hope they don't sack him before we play them.... like United did with Moyes!!!