What would your strategy be for Anfield (or "Unfilled" as the Mancs call it)?

For me, the big problem would be that no formation or team selection that's available to us would make me confident of a draw (we don't do draws) and the forwards bailing the defence out won't work at Anfield with their defence so you'd have to look at damage limitation with the hope of a goal from a setpiece. Or would you? Any thoughts?

-- Anonymous, March 04, 2002

Answers

First and foremost, I would not play with 10 men - and frankly playing Robert plus any of Shola, Lx3 and CC at Anfield amounts to playing with 9 + (2 x 0.5) = 10. CC just isn't fit enough.

I'd play two banks of four with Robert and AS up front, removing any defensive responsibility from LR and telling him to link with AS and help him to keep their defenders occupied. I'd also tell Solano to play a little wider than of late with the objective of getting forward and getting in some crosses, and occupying Riise when they have the ball.

-- Anonymous, March 04, 2002

Well I don't know but we can be sure of nil points if we play the same lot/formation we did against Arsenal. Dead cert. Time for tactical innovation is now.

-- Anonymous, March 04, 2002

Can we play 11 outfielders and two goalies?

-- Anonymous, March 04, 2002

I am glad it wasn't only me that thought shola seemed so disinterested by the whole events on the field on satda that he couldn't be arsed..........literally. Alright so he had a good first five minutes but for the rest of the game he was non existant. I was also surprised to see Robert not being able to pick his game up being as there were several other frenchies out there.

Gotta agree with clarky on the playing Robert up front with AS. If he is not going to defend then he should be hasseling defenders to release the ball quicker. I think the key is to score first, this was apparent on satda since our best game is when teams are chasing us not the other way round. For me there were not enough crosses into the box on satda, just keep pumping it in there and make 'em defend.

-- Anonymous, March 04, 2002

Apologies for repeating what I said before the Arsenal game. We have had success because the speed of our attacks enabled us to get in behind the defenders. I wanted to replicate that style by using the nearest we had to Bellamy -- Robert. On Saturday we were completely static -- Our two strikers allowed the Arsenal defence to mass and the midfield was perpetually clogged. Only Jenas was able to make the occasional thrust through the stonewall. I am afraid that Bobbie will go for Cort and Shearer and it will at best be only marginally better than Shola/Shearer.

-- Anonymous, March 04, 2002

Robert with Shearer. However Bobby won't do this as he will play Cort - I'm sure of it. No doubt Liverpool will go tight on the wingers therefore no decent crosses coming in, no balls for Cort/Al to get on end of, therefore no goals - probably.

Unless Jenas metamorphisises into Dyer and can make lots of runs from MF off the ball, I fully expect the forwards to be starved of service on Wednesday. JJ will have enough to do doing his and Speed's job and battling with Hamman/Gerrard.

Basically I'm saying that I don't think we can win! All the media were spot on in their assessment of Saturday's game - without the forward runs of Bellamy and Dyer NUFC are pedestrian and predictable.

I hope I'm wrong about Wednesday but I'm not hopeful..........

-- Anonymous, March 04, 2002

Well, I think we can forget about Bernard playing. He played the full game tonight at KP (thanks for the info .COM!). On the same basis, Quinn and McClen played 90 mins as well so are unlikely to figure on Weds. So, m/f is likely to be the same as against @rse, tho there's a slight chance that Lua x2 could play, either m/f or up front. Please God, no. More chance Clarence I guess.

-- Anonymous, March 04, 2002

Defend deep and do not let Owen in behind us. Liverpool play like an away team at home as well. Watched them struggle to break sides down at home of late, Leicester, Southampton, Everton, Galatasary and others. Crowd soon get irritated. A defensive side needs to be put out. We need a performance like we had away to Arsenal with Robert and Lua2 coming on late and winning the game. Hold, hold, hold, score, 0-1 to the toon. The pressure and weight of expectation is on them as home team remember.

Given Hughs Dabs Obrien Disdin Nobby Jenas Speed Acuna Shearer Bernard (he can play twice in 3 days) Subs Robert, Lua2, McClen, Cort, Harper

-- Anonymous, March 04, 2002

hack the crap out of owen

-- Anonymous, March 05, 2002

....even if we were to get balls into the middle for Shearer and Cort or Ameobi or Robert, they would be chicken-feed for Hyppia (sp?) and Henchoz :-(

-- Anonymous, March 05, 2002

Hyypiä.

-- Anonymous, March 05, 2002

This is all great stuff but I've got to say, I'm stil hoping for some uncharacteristic good luck - like a Robert-range freekick.

-- Anonymous, March 05, 2002

confidence!

we just need to get stuck into them and probably long rangers will do it. Why play to their strengths and lob balls into their defenders? But somebody should tell Speedy to give up shooting from 79 yards! It doesn't work. I'd play Robert up front and drop Clazzer into midfield and release Nobs into a roamers role!

-- Anonymous, March 05, 2002