Rafa perfects the shoegaze
Being that it’s mid-November, we’ve officially reached “Must Win” territory in the EPL, though not just for the newly-promoted visitors. Liverpool, in the midst of perhaps the worst run in recent memory blah blah blah you’ve already read this paragraph a thousand times over. It’s quite simple. One game at a time. Build momentum. Hope that all the injured players come back fit and healthy from yet another interlull, ready to fight on once more.
Rafa hinted that Gerrard and Torres might feature tonight, such is the depth of Liverpool’s malaise, but it’s all smoke and mirrors. The hunt for goals rests on David N’Gog’s slight shoulders.
Can Liverpool spark a win, or will a gritty, determined Brum side nick more points off the big boys? I’m reckoning a 2-1 win for Liverpool, though not without its fair share of heart-in-the-mouth, edge-of-your-seat moments more commonly found in Hitchcock movies.
Lineups after the jump, along with a Fanzone video reminding us of last season’s better times. Toss your despair/schadenfreude/jokes/derision in the comments.
Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Insua, Mascherano, Lucas, Kuyt, Benayoun, Riera, Ngog.
Subs: Cavalieri, Aquilani, Gerrard, Kyrgiakos, Babel, Spearing, Darby.
Birmingham: Hart, Carr, Roger Johnson, Dann, Ridgewell, Larsson, Bowyer, Tainio, McFadden, Benitez, Jerome.
Subs: Maik Taylor, Phillips, Espinoza, McSheffrey, Queudrue, Carsley, Vignal.
is that Georger on the right?
Why the f**k isn’t Aquilani starting? So much for not slipping farther in the fantasy league.
That just might be the greatest video of all time.
Whoa Penistown United have fired SAF’s son? AWESOME!
Simon Pegg is a United fan?
Also, this is a huge f**k you to Babel after scoring against Lyon. So much for a turning point in his career, bye bye Ryan.
ha… Pegg was on Twitter recently noting how he follows the English national soccer team, but doesn’t have the time/inclination/connection to a club team and therefore doesn’t pay any attention.
Sounds like a poofter to me, which is a clear violation of Rule Six.
Caroline Cheese questioning whether Kuyt should be the captain. Fromunda Cheese has more societal value than her.
What in the hell is going on with Ngog’s socks?
Awesome, gamecast is going to update once every 5 minutes.
bit better than gamecast
Way better, but I have to manually reload the Guardian page, so it’s less desirable.
There’s an auto update option right above the picture of Frowny McGoatee. Unless you’re on a phone, then, you’re f**ked.
I know of such button.. but my work network seems to defeat the Guardian but hasn’t figured out how to outsmart the dumbs**ts in Bristol.
WOOOOOOOOOOO
Voronin would have shanked that over the crossbar.
Well done sire.
not sire, just sir.
Let’s hope Rafa gives this French kid a chance to develop properly!
Teemu Selanne is gonna be PISSED someone else has name.
I did not see that coming. Well done, though.
what? what? who scored? what’s going on?
A Frenchman, believe it or not!
In other words, your mom.
The Guardian is way, way better than ESPN: “Lucas tries a reverse pass which just beats Ngog. The young Frenchman has looked really good tonight so far. Full of running as they say. Whatever that means.”
Right… but I actually have two computers at my work station, so I can put one up on the ‘game’ and work on the other. Key to this is something that auto-updates. For whatever reason, the Guardian MBM doesn’t on this network. ESPN usually does. Ergo I am stuck using the crappier product.
I just thought it was a funny quote.
I really look forward to the “Benitez sinks Benitez” headlines. Another goal from a set piece. Shocking.
Set piece disaster strikes again
I wasn’t trying to rub your s**tty work network in your face.
cover it live of the game. That work?
No worries anonster. Plenty of other s**tty things about my job are way more deserving of being rubbed in my face. I should be thankful that I’ve got a way to follow games at all. Usually.
You should be thankful you have a job, and aren’t in law school. :P
Joe Hart looks like a tremendous douchebag.
PR, have you every used the live text matches on yahoo eurosport? They autoupdate, and some of the texters are hilarious.
Wait? Ngog scored, but then Benitez equalized for Bongo?
Phil: I have not, but I will soon be trying it.
@NYK: I think so. Equalizer off the set piece.
Liverpool just had three great chances. Ugh. Have to capitalize.
If I could trademark the phrase “Silly foul by Lucas”, I’d be a millionaire.
You’d probably deserve your riches more than Lucas does.
“Christian Benitez has scored his first goal in English football to increase the focus on his namesake, Rafa.”
Soccernet on the ball already. God I hate lazy headline writers.
Commentator informs that “ESPNsoccernet.com devotes an entire section to the upcoming World Cup”
Well, how utterly groundbreaking of them.
it’s really innovative that Soccernet would discuss the World Cup. Where do they get their ideas?
No it is NOT worth an effort from 30 yards when the people taking those shots have scored one goal in their career.
UF Editors, please add this to the main article.
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Football/Pix/pictures/2009/11/9/1257798899034/Carson-Yeung-001.jpg
Words. Fail.
It’s lear ful.
Even Sulu thinks that’s gay.
Gerrard coming on. This is f**king BALLSY.
WHAT A F**KING GOAL!
FOR BONGO …. F**K!
So you presumably have a fit player you ponied up 20M for, yet you bring on a guy at 50% fitness instead?
I would guess Nando comes on in the interval?
WHOO BOY.
welcome to bizarro world.
*inhales*
*quietly repeats “Serenity Now”*
Torres isn’t in the squad.
Rafa:Liverpool::Weis:Notre Dame
Discuss.
“It’s a tale of two Benitezes. Has Christian helped send Rafa to the Lions?”
I feel like I’m watching an episode of Rocky & Bullwinkle.
oh dear god.
Amazing strike by Jerome, entirely representative of Liverpool’s season of hell so far.
Rafa has won something, so no.
LE: No, Rocky & Bullwinkle is actually funny.
Georger… it was more about their impending employment status than record.
Roy, that still seems unfair to Benitez, but if Birmingham actually holds on…then we’ll talk.
From the Guardian: “45 minutes for Rafa to save his job? I’m not sure it is, but let’s say it anyway. It makes it more exciting.”
Well neither employer wants to pay the buyout to fire them, so sure.
Danny Murphy looks like a character from “This is England.”
Actually, ND alumni are in line waiting to pony up the dough to oust Whaley McCoach.
@Signal to Noise: Nice Pintsize avatar. Read QC much? I know the artist.
On a differnt note, F**kity, f**k, F**K. What is this, seriously? This has got to be all a cruel joke.
@ PR: I’d actually go Lovie Smith:Bears:Rafa:Liverpool
Both have achieved certain successes, but seem unable to adapt their gameplans beyond those by which they achieved those successes. Both seem unable to organize their squads to survive injuries to stars. And both have excessive buyout clauses that serve as the sole impediment to their probably deserved terminations.
NOW, Real Madrid… now you can swoop in for a Spainard.
Make it happen.
Playing sloppy now. This is my nightmare, all that’s missing are clowns.
This from the Gardian: 47 min: It seems Gerrard spent the interval warming up on the pitch rather than in the dressing room looking at Benitez’s drawings. That’s a shame. Rafa had done a lovely one of a house with the sun and trees and everything
That 7-0 win was nearly four years ago, in Rafa’s second year, I’m pretty sure that isn’t “recently.”
Subtle difference, Phil. Virginia McCaskey is cheap. The Tweedles Dee and Dum are just broke.
Aren’t those supplied by your Avatar, Georger?
True, PR.
“Liverpool coming forward in waves of red fury, kind of like Spain only not as good.”
I laffed.
Yeah, it’s all about facing your fear, but they’re lacking on the field. If one shows up in the stand, the end is nigh.
All our shots are coming from distance when we were working well in the box earlier. Brilliant strategy.
You have to bring off Lucas for Aqualani soon. How the f**k do you expect him to get match fitness without playing?
That won’t happen until it’s too late Georger. It’s always too late.
I’m guessing Aquilani’s gaining fitness just happens to coincide with his turn to sit in Rafa’s rotation.
I prefer to call it the “carousel of ineptitude.”
Are there ponies and carny music?
Not starting Aqualani was the right move, I mean he’s only played like twenty five minutes for us, but you can’t just give him ten minutes and say hey, be our savior.
In the Georger-nightmare version, there are clowns and they sing “Glory, glory, Man United” while the Liverpool fans ride a their burning dreams of silverware into some level of hell.
Anonsters:
Jes.
/Special1′d
PENNO
bongo have put the bus in park. oh wait, it’s been there all along, methinks.
Hahahahahaha what a dive.
And it’s a dive straight out of the Stevie G handbook
If you’re going to play Gerrard for 45 and change, you might as well start Aquilani, no? Play them each about a half?
Merde! A dive!
Jesus F**king Christ! Is it too much to ask for LFC to just f**king beat somebody without there being any drama. Also, why doesn’t the manager f**king play 20MM pound signing when he’s on the bench? And, what the f**k happened to the Liverpool defense? It used to be so good.
I will now go and cry in the corner.
So Ngog should get suspended for that, then the suspension lifted for no reason. Then we will get a string of offsides and handballs goals called in our favor. Right Arsenal fans?
Maybe Ngog is the new Henry, not Babel.
Justice not served. The ball does lie.
“And, what the f**k happened to the Liverpool defense? It used to be so good.”
Well, one of the worst defenders that ever suited up for us is in charge of running the defense now. Not sure why nobody has questioned that.
must we rely on a player only at 50% to get anything from this game? honestly, rafa what the f**k have you been doing for five f**king years?
Georger: It’s not just to Arsenal that such calls happen. All good teams get them.