Avoid the bite by the old dog

It is our second time facing Hodgson's team after he left, and he seemed to always win around Halloween, so we need to be very careful.  With a tough game at Stoke in midweek King Kenny will make some changes.  And we need to start improving our scoring accuracy now.

My Team Predictions:
Reina
Johnson
Carragher
Agger
Enrique
Lucas
Adam
Kuyt
Gerrard
BellamyCarroll

Result 2:0

Match Report 111026 at Stoke City: Great spirit drive us victory

2-1 and this is the first time we came home with a victory at Britannia Stadium.  What's more, it is also the first time Suarez scored 2 goals for us in a game, and the first time we won came from behind under King Kenny's second spell.  The fighting spirit of the team was high and at the end we fully deserved to qualify for the next round.

Players Rating:
Reina: 7 Solid in defending.
Kelly: 7 Did well in the game.
Carragher: 6 A bit poor in his standard.
Agger: 7 Had a solid game.
Coates: 6.5 Apart from a mistake that lead to the goal he was solid in general.
Henderson: 7 Great ball that lead to the winning goal.
Lucas: 7 Solid defending.
Spearing: 7.5 Had a very good game.
Maxi: 7 Good game in runnning down the frank.
Suarez: 8 Two great goals that win us the game.
Carroll: 6.5 Gradually picking up his form.

Substitutions:
Skrtel: 7 Solid defending when called upon.
Bellamy: 7 Provided us some more attacking options.
Kuyt: 7 Good support to both attacks and defendings when came on.

King Kenny: 7 Would be very delighted about how the team responded from trailing a goal.

Stoke City: 6.5 Still very tough to beat at home, and we made it.

Man of the Match: Suarez.  But need to improve his shooting.

Tough game ahead

We will face Stoke again in the League Cup.  They are still unbeaten at home this season and it will be a physical and tough game for us.  We would need to be very tough in order to beat them and qualify for next round. 

My Team Prediction:
Reina
Kelly
Coates
Agger
Enrique
Henderson

Lucas
Spearing
BellamySuarez
Carroll

Result 2:0

Match Report 111022 vs Norwich City: Home form let us down

1-1 and once again we cannot kill off a newly promoted team at home.  With more than 20 shots we should have wrapped up the game early on, but once again our finishing had let us down, and we just could not score the second goal that virtually put the game to and end, and we let Norwich to fight back.  It was again another 2 points loss, and if we play like this, 4th place will be very difficult.

Players Rating:
Reina: 6 Poor timing and let to the goal conceded.
Johnson: 7 Did well in his first start of the season.
Carragher: 7 Solid defending.
Skrtel: 7 Had a great chance in the opening minutes but hit the bar.
Enrique: 7 Very lively.
Downing: 6 Did very poor on the right.
Gerrard: 6.5 Forced to sit back but it was not his more useful position.
Adam: 6 A poor performance.
Bellamy: 7.5 Scored a great goal.
Suarez: 7.5 Very lively but his finishing let him down.
Kuyt: 6.5 Tried hard but couldn't score the winner.

Substitutions:
Henderson: 6 Ineffective.
Carroll: 7 Missed a glorious header in injury time.
Agger: 6 A mystery why he was on when we need to score a winner.

King Kenny: 6 His tactics, especially the substitutions, are a bit strange.  And something need to be done to improve the goals per shots.

Norwich City: 7 Credits to them of fighting back in the second half, they deserved the point.

Man of the Match: Suarez.  But he needs to take his chances.

Be more deadly

After a somewhat disappointing draw we will entertain the new coming Norwich City at Anfield.  With the way we played we should be scoring more goals, but we have wasted many chances and surely we need to improve in this area.  Norwich will be excited to visit Anfield, and Lucas is suspended, but the team should have enough fire power to beat them.

My Team Prediction:
Reina
Johnson
Carragher
Agger
Enrique
Kuyt
Gerrard
Adam
Downing
Suarez
Carroll

Result 2:0

Match Report 111015 vs Manchester United: 2 points loss

1-1 and it really feel like two points loss.  It was not the best game but we have enough chances to win the game.  Unfortunately it is the same old problem that we created many chances but did not take them well.  Anyway this game also proved we are getting closer and closer to top 4, but we need to take our chances.

Players Rating:
Reina: 7 Did not have a single saved made.
Kelly: 7 Solid defending.
Carragher: 7 Did well as usual.
Skrtel: 7 Loss his man and conceded the goal, but in general he did well.
Enrique: 7 Linked up with the forwards well.
Adam: 7 Nice set pieces as usual.
Lucas: 7 Felt a bit tired after the travellings.
Kuyt: 7 Have a glorious chance saved.
Gerrard: 7.5 A lucky free kick for his 50th Anfield league goal.
Downing: 7 Still not playing to his potential.
Suarez: 7 Did well and could won us the game.

Substitution:
Henderson: 7.5 Very lively and have a few great chances.

King Kenny: 7 Would be delighted about the performance in general, but need to work out how to take our chances and tighten up the defense.

Manchester United: 7 Still the team to beat, but they shown us lots of respects in a 4-5-1 formation.

Man of the Match: Gerrard.  Good to see the captain back with a goal.

One year on

A year ago FSG came to our rescue and we have new owners.  After a year we have made a lot of improvements, but we are still some way behind.  Today we will meet our biggest rival.  Although a win does not mean we will win the title, but it will mean we are getting closer and closer.  King Kenny has a full squad to choose from, but whoever starts will need to make sure they are fully committed.


My Team Prediction:
Reina
Johnson
Carragher
Agger
Enrique
Kuyt
Gerrard
Lucas
Downing
Suarez
Carroll

Result 2:0

Match Report 111001 at Everton: An important victory

2:0 and every derby win is very important.  The match was quite even in the first 20 minutes, but after Rodwell was sent off there should only be 1 winner.  We played patiently and at the end two find fine goals by Carroll and Suarez and we became the clear winner of the game.

Players Rating:
Reina: 7.5 Did well to keep another cleansheet.
Kelly: 7 Solid defending.
Carragher: 7 Good display in the middle.
Skrtel: 7 Not really challenged.
Enrique: 8 Solid defending and good runs upfront with a well deserved assist.
Kuyt: 7.5 A nice assist despite having a good penalty saved.
Adam: 7 Unlucky to hit the bar.
Lucas: 7.5 Another solid performance.
Downing: 6.5 Not very effective.
Suarez: 8 His never say die spirit won us a one man advantage, a penalty, a goal and a victory.
Carroll: 7.5 Scored his first league goal of the season in an important game.

Substitutions:
Gerrard: 7 Another good run after injury.
Bellamy: 7.5 Give us more options in attack.
Henderson: 6.5 Not enough time to impress.

King Kenny: 7 Would be delighted about the team's spirit.

Everton: 6.5 Couldn't match with ten men.

Men of the Match: Enrique/Suarez.  Superb performances on both ends of the pitch.