Matchday: Liverpool v. West Brom

By: Ed | April 2nd, 2011

hawthorns

Kickoff from the Hawthorns at 1500 GMT, 10:00am EST.

Ways to Watch:

Match live on Fox Soccer Plus in the US.

MyP2P.eu
Atdhenet.tv
From Sport

Liverpool:

Reina
Carragher Skrtel Agger Johnson
Lucas Spearing
Kuyt Meireles
Carroll Suarez

Bench: Gulacsi, Cole, Kyrgiakos, Maxi, Wilson, Ngog, Poulsen

As expected, Steven Gerrard misses out, and Kenny Dalglish selects the same side that faced Sunderland two weeks ago. Hopefully we see a bit more from Raul Meireles, who was relatively anonymous last time out; he didn’t play poorly, but it’s clear that he’s much more comfortable and influential when he’s able to get through the middle more often. Excited to see Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez in the side again, as well as Daniel Agger, and I’m thinking this is far and away the best eleven given who’s available. More than anything, though, it’s great to see Liverpool back in action.

West Brom:

Carson
Reid Meite Olsson Shorey
Mulumbu Scharner
Brunt Cox Thomas
Odemwingie

Bench: Myhill, Cech, Ibanez, Vela, Zuiverloon, Fortuné, Jara.

In the run-up:

Hey, it’s just like old times, spending the run-up reading cringeworthy things that Roy Hodgson’s been saying. Does it qualify as nostalgia if the only thing it makes you want to do is strangle yourself?

“The fans want him to have the job. He has the backing of the fans, and the fans are very, very important in football. If they don’t give him the job now, it will be very difficult for the next man who gets it, because the fans want him to have it.

“I knew it from the day I walked into the club, because Kenny had made it clear he wanted the job. The job was there, I was offered it, I knew the risk, the potential problems that could arise, and I don’t harbour any regrets or any resentment. It is difficult to compete with icons. I went to the right club, but perhaps I didn’t arrive at the right time. Kenny made it clear he wanted the job, but the people who were making the decisions at that time decided to go for me.

“It left Kenny in a difficult position because he wanted the job, and when things didn’t go well, having him in the background wasn’t easy. It wouldn’t have been easy for any coach.”

Okay, so maybe not that cringeworthy, probably just something to strangle yourself to get high over. And to his credit, he can at least acknowledge in some roundabout way that Kenny Dalglish is deserving of the post, or at least deserving of the fans’ respect. So it’s them who want Dalglish in the manager’s role permanently, and not Roy, but he’s not resentful, just aware that Dalglish stalked him like wild game. And actually, it was quite big of Roy to accept the manager’s post at Liverpool under such difficult circumstances, and he did very admirably given the…..ohmygoditshappeningagain

Some Related Liverpool Posts:

Category: Matchday Posts, Miscellaneous, Premier League, Team News

« Match Preview: Liverpool v. West Bromwich Albion, 04.02.11 | Home | West Brom 2, Liverpool 1: From Malmö to West Brom »

JG

Normally this sort of horrible, tragically ironic atrocity would only happen to Arsenal. You have my deepest sympathies.
Josh

think I will be tossing and turning in my bed tonight after that performance
Rosco

Well, that's certainly shut us up.

Investment please.
Red2death

FUUUUUUCCCKKKKK......
Tom Foolery

How about that performance from Andy today....reminded me of a sulking Torres
I guess the less said, the better.
I feel bad for Pepe. He deserves so much more. Not just in defense, not just in quality players, but in the effort put out by the men in front of him. Absolutely lackluster.

We made Roy Hodgson look good.
Bah!
ChrisLFC

Sick....for.....rest of weekend.
Adam

Remember when Hodg said that Kyrgiakos would be his 3rd choice captain?

He is having one of the worst games I have ever seen from a Red. If Reina stays the summer after this debacle, I will be amazed.

Pass the heroin.
Tom Foolery

Normally its "Please, pass the heroin". But you're forgiven in this case.
paul

A wet-dream for the media today. Liverpool were ghastly, WBA diving for the 2nd pen. Woy Wins!
Noel

Atkinson bookending the match with a pair of borderline decisions in the box against Liverpool.

Then there's the whole Kyrgiakos being a horrible liability thing, too. But at least Joe Cole is on to weave some magic.
Yann

Thank Joe Cole for giving the ball away with his first touch. I feel ill.
Noel

He's having a competition with Kyrgiakos over who should be shot into the sun first.
Ed

Jesus. This isn't happening.
alcatrazzledazzle

We have less ball control today than Jonjo Shelvey
ynwakingkenny

Only one team is trying to win this, and they're not wearing red! How depressing!
Al0n

On a positive note, Dani Pacheco has had a very good game today.
Zach

yeah? how'd he do? grab an assist?
Justin

Four CBs and we still can't defend. Bloody hell. ><
Yann

When's our asthmatic Messi coming on to save us?
cheekyfellow

Woke up late. Glad to see Agger's 1-game-a-month got used up on Denmark
Ed

Nice work by the Greek to gift West Brom a penalty. This back line needs to be exploded.
ChrisLFC

Well that wasn't fun at all.
alcatrazzledazzle

I don't think Soto knows that his purpose is to be a defender of opponent goals
Noel

That's right, West Brom, let the doubts creep in. You have Hodgson now, and things always end badly with Hodgson.
Noel

Or not. Guess Roy hasn't been with them long enough.
alcatrazzledazzle

Now Spearing and Meireles need to score to make it a bald hat trick
paul

Gooaaall!
ChrisLFC

Wish I had a stream I could've seen that on....
Ed

Working but grainy

http://www.super-sportz.net/Ch...
paul

http://www.fromsportcom.com/v-...
paul

Greek fucks it up giving them a pen.
Ed

And it's Skrtel!
Justin

Skrtel's having a career day. Soto's giving away more pens.
Yann

At least Reina will get plenty of opportunities in this match to advertise his acrobatic wares for all his potential CL suitors for next season. it's the least his team mates can do to help him out.
alcatrazzledazzle

I think West Brom could stab Carroll in the leg with a fondue fork and the ref would give Andy a stern warning about it
Sue

You can't blame the ref for our poor play. We can't pass, and midfield hasn't turned up. Just count the number of shots we've had. If you're looking for infringements to give advantage, you're in the Hodgson level of expectation.
alcatrazzledazzle

I wasn't blaming the ref for the first half, Sue, but the second half is an entirely different Kafka-esque story
Ed

Not sure that's blaming the ref for Liverpool's play--they've been shit on their own, but Carroll was battered during the first half.
alcatrazzledazzle

Violence with Swiss cutlery aside, I do think the ref is annoyed with Carroll complaining about every bit of contact and he's judging him more harshly accordingly. Not that Carroll's wrong, of course. Maybe Kenny can light some scented candles in the locker room, sing a little Enya, just calm everyone down
Tom Foolery

Well said, it seems like lots of the decisions are back-ass-ward.
...Think I might go out for some fondue now, instead of watching the next half.
Ed

Finding Andy Carroll in the air is a good strategy, but trying to do it from just outside the Liverpool penalty area is fucking terrible.
Red2death

Our boys need the hairdryer treatment at half time.

Passing is half-hearted, there's no running, Carroll's just waiting for his second yellow, Reina's just about ready to hand in his transfer request.
Yann

Route One is the road to nowwhere. I don't think i can watch much more of this.
Noel

Is Jens Lehmann available to play fullback on an emergency loan?
Tom Foolery

Speaking of emergency loans...how about recalling Stephen Derby, or Insua for fuck's sake. Don't know the official rules, but both players belong to us, and if anything could be described as an emergency, well this backline has to be the epitome.
Tom Foolery

I'd take about anything over the crop we've got out there now.

Can't believe Dalglish's Liverpool just got passed off the pitch by Hodgson's West Brom.

Ever feel like the world's turned upside down?
paul

Where's our midfield today? Are the Baggie's pies so good they've porked out on them?
ChrisLFC

This has to be some sort of joke, right?
Yann

Oh dear. The words "pear" and "shaped' spring to mind.
Ed

And Daniel Agger's off injured. Now I will be strangling myself for reasons other than to get high.
Noel

Zero healthy fullbacks. Awesome.
Tom Foolery

That's what I was thinking, then I was thinking it couldn't get worse, then Agger gets injured.
Is the back line put together with tape? Not even duct tape...something weaker, like scotch tape.
Noel

At least Jamie Carragher's still out there to hoof it to Carroll... until he gets sent off.
Ed

Perfect, a defender injured. Glen Johnson comes off with a hamstring injury.
Tom Foolery

What's that, 3 Carrahoofs in 5 minutes?
His stats are staggering.
Ed

You'd think a man with so much experience wouldn't look so goddamned nervous in possession, but here we are.
Tom Foolery

Expect lots of chin-rubbing
LFC4LIFE

can anyone tell me how much fergie paid the ref at half time?i need a number for the lottery
Hadi365

"he’s not resentful, just aware that Dalglish stalked him like wild game."

Probably the best line out'a the whole blog! What a gem!
ukred

I tried to get foxsportsPLUS but its part of some sort of huge package thing that will leave me broke for the next 4 years, my team is in the final four and I'm having sport panic attacks because last night I dreamt they won. I just want to find a stream!
ynwakingkenny

Hope we thump em and relegate the c**t so we don't have to hear or see him next season. He makes me sick.
Kk

liverpool will show hodgson how the game is meant to be played today. so so glad hes gone. he had no chance at liverpool as soon as it became known hes big mates with fergie.
bro

imagen roy beat us god the shame. am hoping not for a win but for a smashing of 4 -0
LFC4LIFE

the job is the job.it has nothing to do with the pitch. utter Hogshit.