Sunderland V Liverpool 15th September KO 5:30pm (ESPN)

Luckycharms_74

TEAM NEWS

Sunderland have a doubt over Adam Johnson, who missed England's World Cup qualifiers with a thigh injury.
Full-back Danny Rose could make his Black Cats debut, while midfielder David Vaughan may figure after playing 45 minutes for Wales against Serbia.
Left-back Jose Enrique is Liverpool's main concern and will have his knee injury assessed ahead of the game.
But midfielder Joe Allen has recovered from the illness which disrupted his international involvement this week.
MATCH PREVIEW

After an incredibly emotional week for Liverpool as a city and a football club, Brendan Rodgers says he feels even greater pride at being their manager.
Rodgers is vying to record a first league victory at the fourth attempt. He goes head-to-head with fellow Irishman Martin O'Neill, who will be equally desperate for three points in Sunderland's first home game of the Premier League season, having last tasted victory back in March.
Only three games into the campaign, Rodgers has already had to deal with frustrations on and off the pitch. Whilst he has witnessed costly individual errors from players and the well-documented issues of the transfer window, one of his bigger tests is to manage expectation.
His challenge of re-shaping the club is a massive one. Liverpool have finished seventh, sixth and eighth in the last three seasons and were 17 points adrift of Champions League qualification last season - the furthest they have ever been away. It won't be a quick fix, but a first win on Saturday would be very timely with Manchester United visiting Anfield next weekend.

Like Liverpool last season, Sunderland have had to contend with the hindrance of a lack of goals, a theme that has existed ever since they sold Darren Bent. You could therefore fully understand the smile on Martin O'Neill's face when Steven Fletcher scored twice on his debut in the draw at Swansea.
The arrival of the striker from Wolves, and Adam Johnson from Manchester City, were badly needed and have raised hopes again on Wearside for a team that has scored just five goals in their last nine league matches.
The Stadium of Light will be looking forward to their home league debuts for a fixture Liverpool have struggled with in recent years, including a 1-0 reverse in March. But as the focus falls back on football, an away win would feel particularly poignant.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head
Liverpool have won four of their last six visits to the Stadium of Light - but have lost two of their last three.
The losing team has failed to score a goal in the last six fixtures between the two sides at the Stadium of Light.
Sunderland
The Black Cats are without a win in their last 10 Premier League games - their worst run since November 2009-February 2010 when they were winless for 14 matches.
Sunderland have not won their first home game of the season in any of the previous four years.
Steven Fletcher goes into the game on a run of four goals from his last four Premier League matches.
Liverpool
Liverpool have made their worst start to a season in 50 years. In 1962-63, Bill Shankly's newly-promoted team won their fourth game of the campaign 4-1 against Manchester City and went on to finish eighth.
If they lose against Sunderland it will be their worst start to a season since 1903-04 when they lost all four of their opening games. That season they finished 17th in the old Division One and were relegated.
The Reds have not failed to win one of their first four league games of a campaign since 1911-12.


Kick-off: 17.30 BST
TV: Live ESPN, Highlights, BBC1 Match of the Day.


Referee: Martin Atkinson (Matches 3, R0 Y13).

Betting: Home 11-5, Away 5-4, Draw 23-10.

Sunderland (Confirmed, 4-4-2): SAFC: Mignolet, Rose, Cattermole ©, Larsson, Gardner, Colback, O'Shea, McClean, Cuellar, Fletcher, Sessegnon.

Subs: Campbell, Kilgallon, Ji, Meyler, Bramble, Westwood, Saha

Liverpool (Confirmed, 4-3-3): Reina; Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Kelly; Allen, Shelvey, Gerrard; Borini, Suarez, Sterling.
Subs: Jones, Enrique, Sahin, Assaidi, Henderson, Downing, Carragher

Melion

I know it's a cliché but there's no way Liverpool will lose today, not after all that happened this week.

Gonna go for 4-2 victory for Liverpool, Borini and Sterling to get off the mark. Fletcher to get a few at the other end, Gerrard to be motm

LuckyLloyd

No lose. Expecting quite the show and a comfortable win by a couple of goals.

Turtyturd

2-0 to Sunderland.

Reina with a howler and Fletcher with the other one, to spark loads of we should have signed him posts.

jenno86

If we dont win today, these threads have to stop! Luckycharm me arse!

Morzadec

2-1 Sunderland. I think they'll edge us with home advantage. Here's hoping I'm wrong.

By the way didn't someone post the team in the main thread based on the bibs they were wearing? Suggests it will be Kelly rather than Enrique (so Johnson at LB) and Shelvey in for Sahin.

Washington Irving

If Liverpool don't win today it will be the first time in 101 years that they've failed to win one of their first four league games

noodler

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

No lose. Expecting quite the show and a comfortable win by a couple of goals.

I see what you're doing!

Agreed! Easy win!

klose

I like kelly as a cb not a full back hes too big and gangly for it. Dont like the thoughts of mcclean running at him down the wing. Hopefully a liverpool win anyways

witnessrenegade

Im hoping to god for a win, would a settle for a simple Cuellar own goal and for us to keep a clean sheet

The_Kew_Tour

Have the beach ball ready!

Gbear

I think Liverpool will miss loads of chances and the odd goal will settle it.

Kinda hard to predict what Liverpool will do beyond that.

Turtyturd

SaulGoode9 wrote: »

If Liverpool don't win today it will be the first time in 101 years that they've failed to win one of their first four league games

Good job a manager is judged on how he addresses the media after games and not on results.:pac:

LuckyLloyd

noodler wrote: »

I see what you're doing!

Agreed! Easy win!

I'm not doing anything. Genuinely think we could be playing Barca in the Nou Camp and we'd win given the week that's in it.

wonderfullife

Melion wrote: »

I know it's a cliché but there's no way Liverpool will lose today, not after all that happened this week.

Gonna go for 4-2 victory for Liverpool, Borini and Sterling to get off the mark. Fletcher to get a few at the other end, Gerrard to be motm

Seem to remember the week of the 50th anniversary of Munich that United played pretty poorly and Ferguson said the occasion got to them. Was it a draw with City at home or something like that.

I think Rodgers will try find the balance between emotion and keeping the heads but it's only human for every LFC player to try harder today and sometimes you can try too hard. Sunderland are no mugs either.

The_Kew_Tour

wonderfullife wrote: »

Seem to remember the week of the 50th anniversary of Munich that United played pretty poorly and Ferguson said the occasion got to them. Was it a draw with City at home or something like that.

I think Rodgers will try find the balance between emotion and keeping the heads but it's only human for every LFC player to try harder today and sometimes you can try too hard. Sunderland are no mugs either.

Ya lost 2-1 in end.

This destiny thing is fail win or lose.

noodler

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

I'm not doing anything. Genuinely think we could be playing Barca in the Nou Camp and we'd win given the week that's in it.

Ah, wasn't thinking about that.

Hopefully it doesn't act as a weight on their minds.

IRISHSPORTSGUY

Sunderland messageboard rife with rumours Johnson will be sitting this one out.

It will probably be Danny Rose LB, Larsson RW and Colback CM

IRISHSPORTSGUY

Possibility too of O'Neill keeping Colback at LB and starting Meyler in CM, who he has been bigging up a lot recently.

djPSB

Im going for reverse psychology here.

Sunderland 4 - 0 Liverpool

Fletcher with two, Reina own goal, Skrtel own goal.

Surely they can't happen now.

LuckyLloyd

Seriously, Sunderland will be smashed into itty bitty pieces.

IRISHSPORTSGUY

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Seriously, Sunderland will be smashed into itty bitty pieces.

McClean will score today after his social media outbursts, written in the stars. The commentator will be delighted to shout straight the cliche after the goal: "he has been involved in a lot of controversy this week, but now he has done his talking on the pitch....." :pac:

Morzadec

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

I'm not doing anything. Genuinely think we could be playing Barca in the Nou Camp and we'd win given the week that's in it.

For someone who is known as a fairly logical and rational thinker (I know you play poker) I don't understand this argument at all.

How is the release of the document suddenly going to make us a better football team? Sure the fans will be in full voice (although we're away so the effect of this won't be quite as great) and the layers will feel an added responsibility to win and will be fired-up, but that's not really the problem.

As Rodgers stated, we need to improve technically and the release of a document isn't going to suddenly improve our passing or make Suarez finish his chances.

Our main failings this year have been bloopers at the back, lack of penetration in the final third and poor finishing up front. How is a document going to remedy these problems?

We might well win today by the way, I think it's close to call. But the Hillsborough document won't give us some magic superpowers, some element that we were missing before. We're still the same team.

And we would most definitely be beaten comfortably if we were to travel to Camp Nou this weekend.

Turtyturd

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Seriously, Sunderland will be smashed into itty bitty pieces.

I fear this might be the most quoted post in the thread by 'neutrals' today.;)

Paully D

First home league game of the season, should be a cracking atmosphere, home debuts for new signings, Liverpool struggling. Everything is set up for us to do well today, which in true Sunderland style means Liverpool won't lose this. If Johnson is out that's a huge blow.

1-2 Liverpool.

The_Kew_Tour

Paully D wrote: »

First home league game of the season, should be a cracking atmosphere, home debuts for new signings, Liverpool struggling. Everything is set up for us to do well today, which in true Sunderland style means Liverpool won't lose this. If Johnson is out that's a huge blow.

1-2 Liverpool.

What did you make of MON comments during the week on McClean/Twitter?

Thought he was spot on.

Luckycharms_74

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

Have the beach ball ready!

I hope its on holidays

LuckyLloyd

Morzadec, morale and a sense of purpose are very powerful things.

Paully D

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

What did you make of MON comments during the week on McClean/Twitter?

Thought he was spot on.

Yeah I thought he was spot on too. I'm glad McClean has O'Neill to mentor him, probably one of the best he could have in terms of getting him to cut the shit.

Morzadec

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Morzadec, morale and a sense of purpose are very powerful things.

These guys are pros they should have a sense of purpose anyway.

Perhaps it'll gee them up a bit, sure, but it can't have any effect on the technical ability of the team.

I hope you're right anyway

mike65

Morzadec wrote: »

For someone who is known as a fairly logical and rational thinker (I know you play poker) I don't understand this argument at all.

LL hasn't been very logical for some months now. He runs on pure emotion.

Subject to the line ups being confirmed I'll go for a hideous draw.

Leiva

Score draw at best.

El Inho

just have to see LFC lifting at some stage...

today is a great chance..against a team who have potential to become a bogey team...

line is drawn in the sand...cliché's galore...

LFC to win...

but i wouldnt put it in an accumulator.

The Radiator

3-0 Sunderland. Bollockless performance from Liverpool

whatawaster

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Seriously, Sunderland will be smashed into itty bitty pieces.

Clever

Setting yourself up to downplay any victory and rip a defeat to shreds.

As I said - clever.

Playing in front of an Anfield crowd today would be an almost guaranteed 3 points. Away from home is a different story

The Radiator

whatawaster wrote: »

Clever

Setting yourself up to downplay any victory and rip a defeat to shreds.

As I said - clever.

Playing in front of an Anfield crowd today would be an almost guaranteed 3 points. Away from home is a different story

I don't think Lloyd is either clever enough or sad enough to be thinking like that

Super-Rush

Liverpool to miss bucket loads of chances.

Sunderland to win.

Serious calls for both manager and owners to be removed of their positions.

Gonna be a great day for neutrals and wums.

Liverpool have to win to kickstart the season.

Rodgers needs a win to avoid very uncomfortable pressure early on in his career.

LuckyLloyd

whatawaster wrote: »

Clever

Setting yourself up to downplay any victory and rip a defeat to shreds.

As I said - clever.

Playing in front of an Anfield crowd today would be an almost guaranteed 3 points. Away from home is a different story

:rolleyes:

I genuinely believe we'll roll today. Just because it's today. I still think we have major, major issues but today we will put the opposition (and it could be any opposition) to the sword.

Luckycharms_74

jenno86 wrote: »

If we dont win today, these threads have to stop! Luckycharm me arse!

the threads will stop

El Inho

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

:rolleyes:

I genuinely believe we'll roll today. Just because it's today. I still think we have major, major issues but today we will put the opposition (and it could be any opposition) to the sword.

No-one could ever underestimate the importance and emotion involved with this week.

But it doesn't automatically give us a divine right to win today.

This is still going to be a very nervous 90mins.

Yakult

A win would be nice today but I wont hold my breath.

The Radiator

Yakult wrote: »

A win would be nice today but I wont hold my breath.

Who ever holds their breath (apart from swimmers)? It's bad for your heart

Nuri Sahin

Liverpool vs Sunderland: Reina, Kelly, Skrtel, Agger, Johnson; Allen, Gerrard, Shelvey; Borini, Suarez, Sterling. #LFC

The Radiator

-Ade- wrote: »

Liverpool vs Sunderland: Reina, Kelly, Skrtel, Agger, Johnson; Allen, Gerrard, Shelvey; Borini, Suarez, Sterling. #LFC

Class

witnessrenegade

-Ade- wrote: »

Liverpool vs Sunderland: Reina, Kelly, Skrtel, Agger, Johnson; Allen, Gerrard, Shelvey; Borini, Suarez, Sterling. #LFC

I nearly more excited to see the subs, come on Suso!!

Kess73

-Ade- wrote: »

Liverpool vs Sunderland: Reina, Kelly, Skrtel, Agger, Johnson; Allen, Gerrard, Shelvey; Borini, Suarez, Sterling. #LFC

The green bib brigade.

Pyjamarama

No Sahin... still it's a nice enough side out there.

Any chance Borini can actually be played in the centre today Brandan?

Luckycharms_74

Liverpool FC ‏@LFC
Confirmed #LFC team: Reina, Kelly, Agger, Skrtel, Johnson, Shelvey, Gerrard, Allen, Sterling, Borini, Suarez.

Subs: Jones, Enrique, Sahin, Assaidi, Henderson, Downing, Carragher

Yakult

Hope to see Assaidi today