West Brom v Liverpool, 25/4 3PM, Setanta Sports 1

paulie21

Team News


West Brom midfielder Youssouf Mulumbu completes a three-game ban, while on-loan defender Andre Wisdom is ineligible to face his parent club.

Craig Dawson has recovered from a minor knee problem suffered last weekend.

Liverpool trio Daniel Sturridge, Mamadou Sakho and Lucas Leiva remain unavailable because of injuries.

Adam Lallana and Jon Flanagan are doubts after recently returning to training, while Jordon Ibe is back after being cup-tied last weekend.

Match Preview

West Brom will be relieved to have picked up 3 points against Crystal Palace last week with this, Man Utd, Arsenal and Chelsea left on their run in but they probably have done enough to continue playing top flight football next season

Liverpool will be looking to bounce back after a disappointing FA semi final defeat to Aston Villa as they look to close the gap on Man City in the race for 4th spot

Match Facts

Tony Pulis has never lost to Liverpool at home in the Premier League

Steven Gerrard can join Ryan Giggs and Jamie Carragher as the only players to make 500 appearances for one Premier League club

Prediction

West Brom 2-2 Liverpool

Talisman

On current form Liverpool would be doing very well to score 2 goals.

niallo27

Talisman wrote: »

On current form Liverpool would be doing very well to score 2 goals.

Even less of a chance of west brom doing it. Could be a big chance for liverpool if Everton can do them a favour.

Harry Palmr

Nervy, it would be nice to think the meek FA Cup performance will prompt a backlash

Agent Coulson

Berahino to score a goal and Liverpool to be linked to buying him for £30m in the press for the while of next week.

Talisman

niallo27 wrote: »

Even less of a chance of west brom doing it. Could be a big chance for liverpool if Everton can do them a favour.

West Brom have scored 2 goals in each of their last two games. It was early March the last time Liverpool managed that feat.

This fixture and the Newcastle game are West Brom's best chance of securing the points they need to steer clear of the final day scrap at the foot of the table.

5starpool

Talisman wrote: »

West Brom have scored 2 goals in each of their last two games. It was early March the last time Liverpool managed that feat.

This fixture and the Newcastle game are West Brom's best chance of securing the points they need to steer clear of the final day scrap at the foot of the table.

We scored 2 against Newcastle 2 games ago. If you are talking about scoring 2 goals 2 games in a row then ok, but that's not relevant for this game.

Aside from last weekend though West Brom have been awful recently. I certainly don't expect Liverpool to win at a canter as we've been poor too, but West Brom have not been good. We always do poorly away to Pulis teams though sadly.

Charlie19

Talisman wrote: »

West Brom have scored 2 goals in each of their last two games. It was early March the last time Liverpool managed that feat.

I watched the full 90 minutes of West Broms away win at Palace and they were dreadful, it was all Palace. The first goal came from terrible defending at a corner, which lead to the smallest player on the pitch scoring a header and from then on, I dont remember Brom doing much apart from, the second goal and it was a peach tbf by Gardiner but I have to say that was all they done.

Shanotheslayer

Under 2.5 I reckon.

1-0 either side or 1-1.

5starpool

Hopefully this thread will have 217 posts when it peters out after a fairly tame 0-2.

Oranage2

5starpool wrote: »

Hopefully this thread will have 217 posts when it peters out after a fairly tame 0-2.

Not sure pool losing will generate a lot of posts, it's pretty much season over for both teams if I'm being honest.

whatawaster

Oranage2 wrote: »

Not sure pool losing will generate a lot of posts, it's pretty much season over for both teams if I'm being honest.

Liverpool around 6-1 with bookies for top 4. Not likely, but not over

5starpool

Oranage2 wrote: »

Not sure pool losing will generate a lot of posts, it's pretty much season over for both teams if I'm being honest.

Not as much as it would have 6 weeks ago for sure, but there will be more posts if it is 2-0 than 0-2, both from LFC fans giving out loads and other fans laughing (and it'd be hard to blame them).

There is still a small glimmer of hope for CL. Anything but a win today though and it's surely curtains.

Oranage2

5starpool wrote: »

Not as much as it would have 6 weeks ago for sure, but there will be more posts if it is 2-0 than 0-2, both from LFC fans giving out loads and other fans laughing (and it'd be hard to blame them).

There is still a small glimmer of hope for CL. Anything but a win today though and it's surely curtains.

Good luck so, I'd like nothing better than a pool win and a united loss this weekend.

5starpool

5starpool

Interesting starting lineup. 4 at the back and Balotelli starts. The last time both of those thing hapened at the same time was in November I think.

MonkeyTennis

Im gonna turn on Rodgers today. This is the day

Harry Palmr

Hendo/Gerrard screams muck

Agent Coulson

Gerrard's 500th league game today.

Rodgers 150th game as manager.

jcsoulinger

5starpool wrote: »

Interesting starting lineup. 4 at the back and Balotelli starts. The last time both of those thing hapened at the same time was in November I think.

Not sure it ts a back 4 could still be 3 at the back.

5starpool

5starpool wrote: »

Interesting starting lineup. 4 at the back and Balotelli starts. The last time both of those thing hapened at the same time was in November I think.

Actually, just wondering if he will play Johnson at left wing back with Ibe on the other side with 3 at the back? That might make more sense actually, and Sterling up front with Balotelli or just behind.

kevohmsford

Finally Balotelli starts and Jordon Ibe.

5starpool

We could make a drinking game out of this I think.

Every time Balotelli takes a shot from more than 25 yards take a shot.
Every time Gerrard takes a bad corner take a shot.
Every time Johnson loses the ball in a bad are of the pitch take a shot.
Every time Lovren makes a panic tackle take a shot.

You'd be hammered by half time :pac:

Harry Palmr

I'm assuming Ibe and Johnson would be the wing backs (Johnson on the left) if that's the formation.

Any side without Lucas and with Gerrard in a two is just terrible to be honest, only thing to do is try to find the least worst set up.

---

Can--Skrtel-Lovren
Ibe--Gerrard--Hendo--Johnson

---

Coutinho

---

Sterling--Balotelli

5starpool

Nicer day in the English midlands than it is in Dublin today.

Turtyturd

5starpool wrote: »

We could make a drinking game out of this I think.

Every time Balotelli takes a shot from more than 25 yards take a shot.
Every time Gerrard takes a bad corner take a shot.
Every time Johnson loses the ball in a bad are of the pitch take a shot.
Every time Lovren makes a panic tackle take a shot.

You'd be hammered by half time :pac:

At least you left out a shot for every time Gerrard is beaten by a player a proceeds to watch him or stroll around.

5starpool

Turtyturd wrote: »

At least you left out a shot for every time Gerrard is beaten by a player a proceeds to watch him or stroll around.

I contemplated including something about each time the commentator eulogises over him, but decided against it as people will be watching various sources.

Sellotanta for me anyhow.

Headshot

Kenny Cunningham voice would go right through ya. I really hate seeing and hearing him pundit

Knex*

Headshot wrote: »

Kenny Cunningham voice would go right through ya. I really hate seeing and hearing him pundit

He does raise some eyebrows with his comments, though.

Osmosis Jones

Line up looks like it could suit a 4411

Hidalgo

Headshot wrote: »

Kenny Cunningham voice would go right through ya. I really hate seeing and hearing him pundit

'At this moment in time'

marklazarcovic

is today the day the laptop ends up stuck in the tv after watching ballotelli try be a professional footballer ,think ill leave down the laptop just in case

5starpool

Here we go.

OwaynOTT

5starpool wrote: »

Here we go.

Here we go

Osmosis Jones

I love Jordon Ibe.

5starpool

Gerrard seems to be playing in the centre of the back 3 early on with Can ahead of him. Odd.

That or a back 4 with Gerrard dropping deep. It seems to have changed about 3 times already.

OwaynOTT

5starpool wrote: »

Gerrard seems to be playing in the centre of the back 3 early on with Can ahead of him. Odd.

That or a back 4 with Gerrard dropping deep. It seems to have changed about 3 times already.

Total football.

JohnDaniels

Gerrard looks to be playing really deep almost as the middle CB.

5starpool

Fans in good voice anyhow.

Caovyn Lineah

Why cant we have this kind of volume at home anymore?

niallo27

Liverpool in total control.

Osmosis Jones

Caovyn Lineah wrote: »

Why cant we have this kind of volume at home anymore?

It's the same with almost every team in the league, the more dedicated fans go to the away games.

Caovyn Lineah

Doth my eyes deceive me? Did Balotelli just track back about 20 yards and win the ball back??

niallo27

Caovyn Lineah wrote: »

Why cant we have this kind of volume at home anymore?

Most away fans don't go to home games plus few hours on bus or train with a bag of cans helps.

5starpool

Osmosis Jones wrote: »

It's the same with almost every team in the league, the more dedicated fans go to the away games.

Or more importantly I think, they are all together.

Shanotheslayer

niallo27 wrote: »

Most away fans don't go to away games plus few hours on bus or train with a bag of cans helps.

:S Which away is meant to be Home :P

Tipsy McSwagger

Caovyn Lineah wrote: »

Why cant we have this kind of volume at home anymore?

Because it's full of day trippers looking at the match through their smartphones.

marklazarcovic

sterling is a tad brain dead at times isnt he

Caovyn Lineah

My stream just died, i pressed play again and it was the Barca game and Suarez was on screen

niallo27

Tipsy McSwagger wrote: »

Because it's full of day trippers looking at the match through their smartphones.

That's just a myth though. There are nearly 29 thousand season ticket holders who a lot of them just sit there. Most day trippers make a lot of noise.

5starpool

A corner to us is nearly as good as a goal kick to the opposition these days.