Birmingham - Most popular for September 2007
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Some football fans constantly have their heads in the clouds. Dreaming of European glory and
talking up the team when all else can quite clearly see, their side are distinctly average. We all
know 'em, but some sides are more guilty than others. Now, for pub ammo and abuse, we have some
proof! Littlewoods Football Pools (www.footballpools.com) has just produced the new ‘Football
Fan-tasy' report which reveals which football fans live in the biggest world of fantasy.
Reina
Arbeloa Carragher Hyypia Riise
Pennant Gerrard Mascherano Babel
Kuyt Voronin
I'm speechless. That was just awful.
Draws away at Portsmouth and Porto are one thing, and the suggestion of problems seemed almost
laughable. But this was insipid. Dropping 2 points to Birmingham at Anfield, where the team had
scored 10 goals in the past two games, is just inexcusable.
- Birmingham boss Steve Bruce has singled out Jermaine Pennant as the player his side is worried
most about come Saturday. Pennant though, who played two seasons for the Blues, isn't sure he'll
even get to play after being sent off in the Porto match. I'm not sure he'll start, but would be a
bit surprised if he didn't get to play at all. Rafa may save him for our Carling Cup match at
Reading next week.
Liverpool vs. Birmingham Premier League 3pm (10am EST) Saturday, September 22 The Lowdown: After
two consecutive draws and the unfortunate news of Agger and Alonso's injuries (yet another reason
to hate international friendlies), Liverpool look to get back on track against the lowly Blues at
Anfield. Birmingham currently sit 12th, having most recently edged out bottom-dwelling Bolton 1-0
at home.
Arsenal 5-0 Derby Emmanuel Adebayor scored a hat-trick and Cesc Fabregas stole the
show as the Gunners hit top gear. Fulham 3-3 Manchester City Danny Murphy's late
goal secured a point for Fulham in this pulsating encounter. Liverpool 0-0 Birmingham
City The Rafalution seems to have stalled a little as the Blues held the Red to a goalless
draw.
I love the muppets out there who are so proud of themselves by proclaiming that since we won last
night, they were right by chastising Rafa for not playing Torres last Saturday. Of course, in
actuality they are dead wrong. Again. Rafa played Torres as part of ten other changes to the side,
which means all that bitching and moaning about Benitez' tinkering was all for naught.
- Both Danny Agger and Xabi Alonso will be out up to six weeks with foot injuries. With Riise
declared fit for our upcoming Birmingham match at Anfield on Saturday, we should be fine, but once
again after seemingly getting out of depth issues concerning our backline, we're nearly right back
where we started from. Aurelio coming back is a huge boost as Arbeloa will no longer be needed to
share duty on the left.
Well, it looks like our old haunt of not being able to finish has returned. Kuyt couldn't kick the
ball into the stands if he wanted to. All his tireless effort seem to just get him tired and I hate
dogging on the kid, but gees, I feel like I'm watching Toronto FC out there at times.
This is the third straight match that I've disagreed with Rafa's selection.
Not. Good. Enough. Simple as that. Liverpool were not good enough today. And, as of right now,
they are not good enough to win the title. After two scoreless draws in the league, dropping four
points that not only should have been, but have to be ours, I'm incredibly unhappy with Rafa's
team. This crowd deserves much much [...]
How many times have you seen it when a coach decides "right, I've got a big squad now, I am going
to keep everyone rested" only to see the performances of the team turn stale and the results
suffer? Liverpool showed just that against Birmingham City today
in a boring game. Last week Benitez rotated players and also drew 0-0 against
Portsmouth.
After viewing this match for the second time, with much less emotion involved since I knew the
outcome, I have to say that the reason Liverpool did not get the three points is because most of
the team, particularly up front, were mentally unprepared for this match while Birmingham seemed
quite the opposite.
Kuyt was appalling and Voronin wasn't much better.
10am EST, live in the US on Setanta Sports.
Last 4 head-to-head:
1-0 Liverpool (a; Carling Cup) 11.08.06
7-0 Liverpool (a; FA Cup) 03.21.06
1-1 (h) 02.01.06
2-2 (a) 09.24.05
Last 3 matches:
Liverpool: 1-1 Porto (a); 0-0 Portsmouth (a); 6-0 Derby (h)
Brum: 1-0 Bolton (h); 0-2 Boro (a); 2-1 Hereford (h)
Goalscorers (league):
Liverpool: Torres 3; Alonso, Voronin 2; Babel, Gerrard, Sissoko 1
Brum: Jerome, Kapo 2; Forssell, O'Connor 1
Referee: Lee Mason
Guess at a squad:
Reina
Finnan Carragher Hyypia Riise
Benayoun Gerrard Mascherano Babel
Torres Kuyt
The news that both Alonso and Agger are out for the next six weeks with broken metatarsals is not
good.
The Premiership table aside, the three worst teams in the
Premiership so far this season are Derby County, Bolton
Wanderers and Birmingham City.
Far and away the worst has been Derby. They are a decent side but don't seem up to
the pace and pressure of the Premiership.
Well, we went from arguably the easiest match to predict so far this season, to quite possibly the
hardest league fixture so far. Wait until our Cup ties start, then it gets next to impossible to
guess what Rafa the Mad Tinkerer will come up with.
There are a lot of outside factors to consider this week, especially at right midfield. It's Yom
Kippur so that may rule out Benayoun.
Here it be:
Reina
Riise
Carra
Hyypia
Arbeloa
Babel
Mascherano
Gerrard
Pennant
Voronin
Kuyt
Subs:
Itandje
Finnan
Crouch
Torres
Sissoko
Interesting having Mascherano in there. I thought for sure he'd be given the day off to think about
his performance against Porto.
- Marseille's Samir Nasri is set to miss his side's Champions League match next week with us due to
meningitis-type flu. The 20-year-old attacking midfielder was hospitalized last weekend and has yet
to be released. He is expected to require at least a two week convalescence period.
- Jamie Carragher is set to make his 476th appearance for Liverpool tonight against Reading.
