Would be funny if Falcao gave us a Forlan as his parting gift.
FA Premier League
Liverpool 1:2 Manchester United
Anfield
- Kick-off
- Sun, 22 March 2015 @ 1:30pm GMT
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Discussion Live Updates 70 Your Lineup Prediction
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Looks like I may well be right looking at who was wearing bibs.
He won't get 1 minute on Sunday.
Judging by that the players with bibs are the starters: Rooney, Smalling, Fellaini, and Mata. Di Maria without a bib.
Could that be the case?2 things I think could sway the direction this game goes.
Hopefully LVG has the sense to go with the same midfield trio of Carrick, Herrera and the Afro (IMO if fit they should start every game for the rest of the season) and isolate Allen and Henderson from Coutinhio and the rest of their attackers as much as possible. If Rooney is played as a lone striker in a 433 he can also lend a hand to this cause. Also I like Herrera dropping a little deeper than Afro to help Carrick establish possession. Don't like him further up.
The first phase of the game Liverpool will come out all guns blazing and crank up the pressure. Crucial to keep our composure and not concede during the first 20 minutes or so, even if that means hoofing a ball or two up the field.
On the other hand if we show up on Sunday out of sorts with the deer in the headlights mentality that has plagued us a number of times this season all the tactical talk goes out the window.
My 11 for Sunday:
Dea Gea
Valencia-Smalling-Jones-Rojo
Herrera Carrick
Afro
Young Di Maria
RooneySo it's a bit odd, but I think you start Falcao on Sunday, and tell him that this is it. His last chance, that he has a rare opportunity to undo an entire season of mediocrity in one match. Because United fans genuinely will look past a lot of the dross he's served up to date if he puts in a truly epic performance against Liverpool. He won't ever get that opportunity again with United, and let's be honest, this might be his last chance at a truly top club.
If he wants to show the world that he isn't finished, that he can cut it still and that he is worth investing in (for any club) here you go Radamel. 90 minutes of the world watching. Prove them wrong.
This x100. Liverpool are utterly awesome for the first 25 mins or so of a match. Then, because they're still human, they settle down and are vulnerable. The whole success of last season was based on blowing teams away early.
I'd play the first 25 minutes like the last 25 minutes of a match we were winning 1-0. Keep the ball, don't take any risks, be dull as all hell. Suck the atmosphere out of Anfield. Let Henderson run himself to the ground. Don't try anything, hell don't even both wondering into the final third.
I never understood why more teams didn't do that last season.
Who do you leave out? Rooney is starting 100% and it would be absolutely daft to break up the midfield trio when it's finally starting to click.
Looks like it'll be the same lineup as last game, then.
Balls to that. He has done/shown nothing to justify starting ahead of Rooney in our biggest game this season.
I get your reason but I wouldnt trust him to put his hair in a ponytail, let alone score at Anfield.
Ye, it looks like that will be the case. Same team vs Spurs, which I'm happy about.
That'll mean in the last three games, Smalling and Jones will have lined up against Welbeck, Kane and most likely Sturridge if he starts on Sunday.
Same here, I much prefer bringing Di Maria on later as we will need his speed late in the game when Liverpool are tired. Di Maria often looks out of energy by the 70th mark if played from start. Good decision by Van Gaal.
Again, not one of those defenders that played that day will play on Sunday.
I definitely would not say we've been "utterly awesome for the first 25 mins" this season.Think this is the tightest Manchester United vs. Liverpool game in quite some time.
Who will play?
Yep. Both sides desperately need to get something out of a game. Would you take a point?
Sakho, Skrtel and Can will play unless there has been a knock in training that hasn't been publicised.
Definitely. A draw would be a pretty useless result for Liverpool, whereas it'd be okay for us.
I don't think it'd be disastrous for us to get a point. I wouldn't take one now, but I wouldn't be furious if that was what we got. I'm wanting 4 from 6 from the United and Arsenal games.
Yeah, think we'd all be pretty content with a draw to be honest. Once we keep the gap as is I'd be happy.Such a massive game. A win would set us on course to finish season strongly. We play at home against Villa and City next. If can beat Liverpool and it is 2nd of 4 wins in a row, everyone be excited by the time we play Chelsea away. If that 4 wins in a row happens AND we beat Chelsea, what then?
What do you think of those 3 defenders compared to our 3 defenders everyone loves to hate - Evans, Smalling and Jones?
Don't rate Evans, rate Smalling highly, think Jones is somewhere in between the two.
1. Sakho/Smalling
2. Skrtel
3. Jones
4. Evans
5. Can
Think Can will end up being a much better footballer than any of the above though.
Think I will compare the 6 of them (and throw Rojo into the mix) this season for tackling, interceptions, clearances, blocks, headers, passing and possession. Glancing at Skrtel's stats I think he will be highest rated of your defenders for all all round defending
That would be hilarious indeed.Time for a stat attack
Minutes per tackle won/interception/clearance/block/header won
4.9 Skrtel
5.1 Smalling
5.2 Rojo
5.5 Jones
7.0 Sakho
7.0 Evans
7.8 Can
Minutes per tackle won
34.0 Rojo
34.4 Can
34.7 Evans
42.3 Jones
44.2 Sakho
53.0 Smalling
78.0 Skrtel
Minutes per interception
23.3 Jones
31.1 Rojo
35.3 Smalling
41.6 Evans
46.7 Can
49.8 Skrtel
63.8 Sakho
Minutes per clearance
8.80 Skrtel
11.3 Smalling
11.9 Rojo
12.4 Jones
14.7 Sakho
16.5 Evans
23.8 Can
Minutes per block
44.8 Smalling
54.4 Skrtel
76.9 Can
83.1 Rojo
96.7 Jones
104.1 Evans
104.4 Sakho
Minutes per header won (and % won)
24.9 Skrtel 70.7%
25.3 Smalling 66.7%
28.8 Rojo 55.3%
35.9 Sakho 53.3%
43.7 Jones 66.0%
45.1 Can 60.4%
49.6 Evans 63.6%
Minutes per dribbled by opponent
390.0 Skrtel
388.7 Smalling
287.0 Sakho
173.5 Evans
166.1 Rojo
145.2 Can
112.8 Jones
Minutes per accurate long pass (and % accurate)
15.0 Rojo 54.9%
15.8 Smalling 64.3%
16.7 Jones 59.1%
17.1 Evans 46.9%
27.2 Can 48.5%
33.8 Sakho 63.0%
43.3 Skrtel 45.0%
Short passing accuracy
95.2 Skrtel
92.8 Smalling
92.4 Evans
92.3 Rojo
91.0 Sakho
90.9 Jones
88.5 Can
Minutes per loss of possession through bad control or being dispossessed
225.7 Jones
212.7 Skrtel
208.2 Evans
194.3 Smalling
166.1 Rojo
76.5 Sakho
62.2 Can
Ratio of (total accurate passes) to (total inaccurate passes and loss of possession)
9.0 Skrtel
7.2 Smalling
6.8 Sakho
5.8 Rojo
5.7 Jones
5.5 Evans
4.3 Can
The opinion of the stats is that Smalling is our best all round defender and Skrtel is Liverpool's best all round defender. Let the arguing begin.
Not only does Smalling defend well, he isn't awful on the ball, which is a claim haters like to make. Majority of our players have improved on the ball under LVG, Smalling included.
Note: When I saw Skrtel on 390 minutes per being dribbled this season, I checked how he done since 2009 to compare with Smalling. 304.4 since 2009 for Skrtel and 436.0 for Smalling. Smalling needs to buck his ideas up because 3 times is 3 too many this season, needs to maintain the high standard he set and improve even.I feel Mata has to start over Di Maria. Why drop someone from our best team performance in years. Di Maria is lacking confidence and form, this may not be the game to try and bring that back. This game is too huge. Having Di Maria start in a game where we historically don't play well as a team could further hinder his confidence. By that same token, having him on the bench could too effect his confidence. But a situation may arise where Di Maria has a chance to play the role of hero against tired Liverpool legs. One thing I will say is that LVG is unlikely to deploy him if you're in a winning position. He'll surely look to shore up the defensive lines and bolster the men in there to try and stop Coutinho, Sterling and even Markovic or Lallana finding pockets of space.Di Maria should come on after 55-60 minutes to replace whichever player might be having a poor game. Or to replace one of our best players when we are 4-0 upHard to argue with starting the same team that played so fantastically well against Tottenham.
Di Maria can't complain to start on the bench after one of the maddest minutes in recent memory v Arsenal.
And then he scores the winner, the players carry him off on their shoulders while the Fans chant Rudy, Rudy... I mean Radamel, Radamel, Radamel. And the credits roll.
that'd take some explaining to Mata, presumably the fall guy.
Well, Juan, I know you were excellent last game, but Falcao despite being sluggish and underwhelming all season, well I've a hunch, I'm giving him an Eminem 8 mile chance.... you get me?
Mata ... ah yes I see, good call boss.
And to Rooney? you've been excellent up front on your own, so I'm changing it!We won't lose. That's my prediction.
In fact, I think we'll beat the bastards. I feel it in my bones. The momentum is...gathering, or whatever it is a momentum of this sort (it's not an ordinary momentum, bear that in mind) might be doing.
I say an ugly 1-0. To us, that is. 0-1, whatever. We'll beat 'em anyway. Probably after a terrible performance. In fact, I hope we'll beat them after a terrible performance.I'm quietly confident for this game. Liverpool did create a lot of chances earlier on in the season when we played them, but I think that was mainly down to playing 3 at the back. You could tell our centre backs weren't used to it. Too many times Liverpool's front three, especially Sterling, got into the channels with ease.
I think on Sunday, where we'll most likely see four at the back, we'll look a lot more solid. Like Spurs, when we haven't got the ball, we'll set up in a 4141 and make ourselves compact. This will be important as it'll mean we'll stop the likes of Lallana, Sterling and Coutinho - the front three I expect Rodgers to play, to find pockets of space and create danger. I think if we can do that, which Swansea did so well on Monday night, we can nullify their threat and win the game.
I think on paper, we've got a lot more threats and game winners then Liverpool. We've also got different ways of playing and one way that I personally don't think any team can train for, and that is dealing with Fellaini.
Going for United to win 1-2.It looks like we are underdogs across the board, Ive not seen anyone back us.Win this and we are in top four.Really hope we keep the same line up but i doubt it.- Status
Player Ratings
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Highest Rated Player
Lowest Rated Player
Compiled from 878 ratings.
Score Predictions
366,127,187
- Man Utd win
- Liverpool win
- Draw
Detailed Results
- 20% Liverpool 1:2 Man Utd
- 18% Liverpool 1:1 Man Utd
- 9% Liverpool 0:2 Man Utd
- 8% Liverpool 1:3 Man Utd
- 8% Liverpool 2:2 Man Utd
- 7% Liverpool 2:1 Man Utd
- 7% Liverpool 0:1 Man Utd
- 4% Liverpool 2:0 Man Utd
- 3% Liverpool 3:1 Man Utd
- 3% Liverpool 2:3 Man Utd
- 3% Liverpool 0:3 Man Utd
- 2% Liverpool 0:5 Man Utd
- 2% Liverpool 0:0 Man Utd
- 2% Liverpool 3:0 Man Utd
- 1% Liverpool 1:0 Man Utd
- 1% Liverpool 5:0 Man Utd
- 1% Liverpool 2:4 Man Utd
- 1% Liverpool 1:4 Man Utd
- 0% Liverpool 0:4 Man Utd
- 0% Liverpool 4:0 Man Utd
- 0% Liverpool 4:1 Man Utd
- 0% Liverpool 4:5 Man Utd
- 0% Liverpool 1:5 Man Utd
Match Stats
- Liverpool
- Man Utd
- Possession
- 42% 58%
- Shots
- 7 6
- Shots on Target
- 1 4
- Corners
- 2 3
- Fouls
- 14 17
Referee
Martin Atkinson
Man Utd Lineup
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replaced by Marcos Rojo
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replaced by Angel Di Maria
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replaced by Radamel Falcao
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