Match Day Thread West Brom v Liverpool

we have to win games. there is more than a month to go.

Put it this way. IMO in 2007 rafa rested so many players before CL final that we ended up looking rusty and out of form in the final.

We have to just play through and what will be will be. If we have 2 weke break between last league game and final (if we are that lucky) then why talk of rest.

 

I agree.
My opinion is that if you want to save players from burn-out you rotate 1 or 2 at a time over a large part of the season, not drop key players wholesale near the end because the game is deemed less important. Maintaining game fitness is as important as preventing players from overdoing it. Balance is the thing, and some players seem to be able to go on forever anyway, whereas others start to flag.

 

Yeah, deffo i think we saw this in athens. I felt even kuyt looked leggy that day. we just looked undercooked.

 

We must play a strong team, Chelsea are getting close.

 

...of relegation fodder?

 

People hoping for Chelsea not to win last night

 

This. Would prefer to get top 4 secured before we play Chelsea, and there's no reason why we shouldn't as well as beating Roma

Last year's win against these guys was particularly sweet because we scored from a set piece as well as keeping a clean sheet. Hopefully the lads have been practising set pieces again this week.

 

I think that rep has dropped off a wee bit.

it will be interesting to see what they do.

the reality is they are 9 points off safety with 4 to play and swansea have 5 to play.

that means even a draw and they will be down by end of weekend.

if they wanna play that game and go down in the same manner thats put them in the situation fair enough but imo they have to attack us and get goal or two to try win the game.

ergo... we won't see 10 men behind ball effort hoping for set piece on 65-75mins.

if they do that they deserve what they get.

that said a lot of side would be tempted to do it.

southampton for example are 4 points off safety. being in game with 10mins left to them might be more attractive but for west brom that time is passed. its all or nothing now.

12 points to play for and all 12 needed

 

Close to what?

If you mean top four, that was over weeks ago. I called it when they were still third and people on here were debating whether they'd prefer a Man Utd or Spurs win!

 

Lawro is calling it a draw:

West Brom v Liverpool (Premier League, 12:30 BST)
I don't think anyone saw West Brom's win over Manchester United coming, but it means caretaker manager Darren Moore has taken four points from his two games in charge.
Is there such a thing as player power? Absolutely. And it would appear that some of the Baggies players were not playing for former manager Alan Pardew.
Whatever the truth is behind that situation, it does not reflect well on the Baggies players that they waited so long before putting in a couple of big performances.
It seriously worries me and, if I were a Baggies fan, I would be asking where this improvement has come from and why we have not seen it before.

Man Utd 0-1 West Brom: Darren Moore delighted for Baggies players
Liverpool play Roma in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final on Tuesday but I don't think Jurgen Klopp will make too many changes with that game in mind.
This is a much tougher match for the Reds than it might have been a few weeks ago, because I can imagine West Brom thinking they will have a real go at them - and they have got nothing to lose.
Lawro's prediction: 1-1
Noreen's prediction: West Brom beat us at Anfield in the FA Cup and we only drew with them in the league earlier in the season which was another really disappointing result. I am hoping for a very different outcome this time now that we are on a real roll. 0-3

 

Ultimately those who said results which consolidated our top 4 position were more favourable than those which brought 2nd closer were right. Lesson: in such situations we want the club below us and the club in 5th to lose

 

**** we are bound to lose if the more ardent wum bar astro says it'll be a draw.

I think he's a bit premature about west brom beating utd and utd were pish and they got a lucky goal.

 

This. Lawro is completely unreliable as far as our result projection is concerned. He is so scared of ever prediction a loss for us in case we accuse him of being disloyal. The mancs were the classical unpredictable team. They can beat City at the Etihad (the best premiership team) yet lose to the worst at home. That last result is a one off and there is no way they will present any resistance to us. An easy win.

 

Sometime Lawro likes to sit on the fence, most of the times it does not work. Whatever Darren Moore does on Saturday they are going down, maybe it
would have been a different story if he was there instead Alan Pardew.

 

Does he read us?

In the good old days on here when we had a Predictioo League I always predicted a win for us. Obviously I wasn't expecting us to win every game throughout the season, but individually every game is winnable therefore I wasn't going to predict any other way.
Of course it's different with Lawro, as he's supposed to be a professional pundit, but it does rather hinge on whether or not you give a toss about what he thinks.

 

Yeah, because Spurs really fell away

 

in the Woy days though?

 

Might have tested my resolve a little......

 

They have to win so have to take risk.

Our first 11 would rip them apart on current form if they do come at us. Problem is, how many of our first 11 will start? We are a forward or midfield player injury away from an unbalanced team. Difficult one to figure out. I'd certainly play Clyne, Klavan but juggling the team anywhere else becomes difficult to do and keep effectiveness.

Can and Lallana are big misses in midfield, while we have no adequate cover up top.