KopTalk.com Forums Football Liverpool FC Forum Trabzonspor Vs Liverpool - 2nd Leg

We were cr*p the other night so for me this game has suddenly a bit more meaning. I think we need three good performances between now and the next Manc game to kick start our season.

Its not going to be an easy game in their backyard and they are on a high after beating Fenerbahce 3-2 at the weekend and would love knock a team like Liverpool out in their own backyard, so make no mistake this will be tough.

Question is do we field our strongest side with the possibility of extra time just 3 days after the city game and with a must win PL game three days later or take a risk and field a weaker side to keep the big players for Sunday?

Personally I think we should go strong, at this stage of the season our players should be able to handle it and it was obivious from the City game that the boys need game time together, though I would not put out our very best.

So my team would be:

------------Reina
Johnson Carra Skertel Fabio
-------Poulsen Gerrard (Maybe play shelvey or Lucas)
Babel-------Cole-----Pach
------------Torres

This side is as solid as we can get at the back at the moment. Granted once we have a new LB skertel will make way for Agger and Fab for new LB.

Up front would be considered not to be our strongest but I think it would do damage.

And no not a Rafa fan with the 4-5-1 formation, just think its our strongest with the players we presently have. Tho 4-3-3 could work, drop say shelvey in the middle with Gerrard and Poulsen and play pach, cole and torres as the top three.

Dunk reported that Torres, Gerrard, Agger and Jovanovic are not included.

therefore, I would assume that we will play with Ngog and Cole upfront.

Reina

Johnson
Carragher
Skrtel
Kelly (our better defensive option, but could be Aurelio too)

Maxi Rodriguez
Poulsen (if eligible)
Lucas
Pacheco

Cole
Babel

I bet that Babel will be used to a greater effect in a counter-attacking team.

Riena
Johnson Carra Kyri Aurelio
poulsen shelvey
maxi cole babel
ngog

can see something along those lines and if its not working roy could change it to 442 with cole on the wing and babel ngog up top. need to see shelvey play. the guys top draw and im suprised he hasnt been included in any of roys squads as of late. you could say he's only 18 but with a player of his ability i dont think this particularly matters.

If Torres, Gerrard, Agger and Jovanovic are not included, then pitty realy - the should heve immediete ocassion to bounce back after City defeat. But If they not gona play - we have good cover:

------------Reina-------------
Kelly----Carra--Skertel--Fabio
------Poulsen---Lucas---------
Maxi---------Cole--------Babel
------------N'gog-------------

I think Torres defo needs to play, his way short of match fitness and we need to get him fit and scoring again.

Reina

Kelly
Carragher
Ayala
Aurelio

Paulsen
Lucas

Babel
Pacheco
Cole

Ngog

Star duo miss Trabzon trip

Liverpool will be without star duo Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres for their Europa League trip to Trabzonspor, Roy Hodgson today confirmed.

Gerrard has a back problem while the club has decided not to risk Torres playing a third successive game following his injury troubles.

Both are expected to be fit for Sunday's clash with West Bromwich Albion.

Hodgson will also be without Daniel Agger (concussion) and Maxi Rodriguez (illness) for the jaunt to Turkey.

The boss told Liverpoolfc.tv: "Steven Gerrard unfortunately has had a recurrence of the back problem which he gets from time to time. Hopefully it won't stop him playing on Sunday.

"The same applies to Agger for Sunday. He played in the game on Monday which was to some extent against medical advice. He wanted to play but felt a bit sick after the game. That's mainly due to the concussion he suffered, so it would be foolish for us to risk him on Thursday.

"Maxi is sick. He's in bed at the moment with a bit of gastroenteritis, so he's out of the question."

Hodgson added: "With Fernando Torres we've made the decision that we don't wish to risk him three games in a row at this stage of the season with him having done so well to get back this quickly."

Meanwhile, Hodgson admits his side faces a tough challenge against Trabzonspor after failing to kill off the tie at Anfield last week.

The game finished 1-0 - but the gaffer knows the Turks will be a different proposition in their own backyard.

"We missed a golden opportunity to kill the game off at Anfield and now we've got it all to do," he said. "It's going to be a very tough ask for the players in a difficult place.

"They are one of the two or three best teams in Turkey at the moment and Turkish football is of a very high standard.

"Everyone who's been to Trabzon tells me it's a remarkably difficult place to play. They're a hostile and fanatic crowd and it's a difficult pitch.

"But if we come through it we'll come through it stronger."

The length of the journey east means Hodgson will have little time to prepare his side for Sunday's clash with West Brom.

He added: "It's hard - there's no question about that. This Europa League is in some ways harder on a squad than the Champions League because you get more teams from the far eastern part of Europe.

"Then you are playing Sunday-Thursday-Sunday, so you need a very big squad.

"The best way for this not to impact upon our league form is to win the game."

Liverpool squad v Trabzonspor: Reina, Gulacsi, Hansen, Johnson, Kelly, Skrtel, Carragher, Krygiakos, Aurelio, Cole, Spearing, Poulsen, Lucas, Pacheco, Shelvey, Babel, Kuyt, Ngog, Eccleston.

Dont be surprised if Gerrard and Torrres dont travel to Turkey.

Erm I think Roy just said, see post above yours

I'm in work

Surely getting into the group stages is more important than playing a championshipe on the weekend.

Each game we play my confidence in Hodgson to succeed at Liverpool gets lower.