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Originally Posted by Haroon
Liverpool FC
Preview
UCL/ECC wins : 4
One of Europe's fallen giants that was about to diminish into obscurity is making strides to get back into recognition and contention this season. A club with a rich history and tradition is walking back into Europe's greatest competition and it is walking alone without its ridiculously disastrous coach Gerard Houllier! That should increase Liverpool's bid by a good 25% if nothing else!
Wholesale changes have taken place at Anfield with a young and successful coach taking the helm. Very outspoken and to the point and also not shying away from giving a reality check to the players makes this an interesting start to an era for Liverpool FC. A league title beckons for long as the period is over a decade now and the club is hungry to get back lost glory. The squad is not complete but on its way there. The club's fans should expect at least a strong showing with positive signs towards a WIN in the future.
Offence
 1/2
-> Cisse
-> Baros
-> Pongolle
-> Mellor
Hats off to Baros who after a brilliant Euro campaign announced his firm plans to stick with his club and fight for a place knowing that he would not be first choice as Owen was still present. Players like that are rare and he is a great character to have in a squad. Cisse has always pledged loyalty to the Reds making it absolutely clear that Liverpool is the dream, the fantasy that he HAS to fullfil and now he is a RED! Pongolle can learn from these two even though the former two are relatively inexperienced. It is a youthful attack which at this moment needs time and continuity.
Midfield
-> Gerrard
-> Alonso
-> Kewell
-> Garcia
-> Hamann
-> Diao
-> Smicer
-> Nunez
Good balanced and strong midfield especially the starting 4 which is very good and will be a handful for the opposition. Spanish Margherita on the menu and Benitez has brought in Spanish specialists for the job and they have lifted Liverpool in this department from above average to classy. It is a young side throughout which will need time but this crop of players promises to give exciting times to the Anfield faithful.
Defence
-> Hyypia
-> Henchoz
-> Josemi
-> Riise
-> Finnan
-> Traore
-> Carragher
-> Warnock
Liverpool needs two central defenders as their present ones are not good enough if they want to win. The level is low compared to to other rivals in the league and Europe. The fullback department looks set.
Goalkeeper
-> Dudek
Good.
Starting Line-Up
4-4-2
-----------------------Dudek--------------------------
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--Josemi-------Hyypia--------Carragher----------Riise--
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--------------Gerrard-----------Alonso-----------------
----Garcia-----------------------------------Kewell----
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-----------------Cisse--------Baros--------------------
Young side that can play together for years however that mess in the central defence has to be sorted out for good things to happen at Anfield. The coach is smart and knows full well how to optimise with what he is given so Benitez can be expected to strengthen that defence even with what he has. That is what exceptional coaches do and he is one. Liverpool still lacks squad depth however and that will hurt their cause in this season's competition. Their group is evenly balanced so it will be very tight.
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[b] Liverpool FC
Liverpool FC (ENG)
Qualified as: Fourth place in England
Premiership status: Fifth (P26 W13 D4 L9)
Group stage: Group A runners-up (P6 W3 D1 L2)
Best performance: Winners (1977, 1978, 1981, 1984)
2003/04 Champions League: Did not qualify
RD-16 opponents:Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Review + Preview
Liverpool re-ignite the memories of that memorable clash with Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the 2001-2002 campaign. It was epic and the second leg of that UCL was the best game in that campaign by MILES.
It deserves a small flashback for it was a superb see-saw game. Liverpool won the first leg 1-0 at Anfield and went to the BayArena in Deutschland knowing that even a 0-0 draw would take them through while Leverkusen needed to win by two clear goals to keep their hopes alive in that UCL campaign.
Klaus Toppmöller's side took the lead levelling the tie at 1-1. Liverpool equalled the game at 1-1 and put the tie in their favour at 2-1. Leverkusen took the lead to make it a 2-1 game but the tie was still at 2-2 with Liverpool qualifying on the away goal! Ballack struck to make a 3-1 game for Leverkusen and put the initiative in Leverkusen's favour with a 2-3 lead in the tie! Liverpool was in no mood to give in and they scored yet again to make it a 3-3 tie and 3-2 match!!! :thmbup: Leverkusen had to score to go through while Liverpool had to maintain this score to go through. Ballack again with a phenomenal shot from distance scored to take the score to 4-2 for Leverkusen and a 4-3 tie to Leverkusen!!
-- Fantastic game to watch. The season's best! Edge of your seat thriller! --
This is the first time that all 4 English clubs qualified for the knock-out stage of the UCL but out of all 4 it is Liverpool who struggled the most to qualify. It was Gerrard's superb strike that sealed qualification. The big match player rose to the occasion ....
yet again!
Liverpool did well to qualify from this group. It was a tricky group with all teams on virtually the same level more or less so it would've come down to who the better two were in the end. No wonder the top 3 teams all lost
two games and the 2nd (Liverpool) and 3rd (Olympiacos) placed sides finished with 10 pts each [2 pts behind group leaders Monaco]
HOME FORM
Rafa Benitez has a simple plan. Win all the home games and draw the away games. Liverpool won their first home game outplaying Monaco to grab a convincing 2-0 home win. Deschamps said in the post match comments that his side was lucky to lose by only two goals.
The second home game didn't go according to plan with a scoreless draw to Deportivo La Coruna but the third one on Matchday Six was where all the excitement took place culminating in a stunning Gerrard strike to make the Kop go delirious with joy.
Home record is pretty good for Liverpool FC.
-> 5 goals scored and 1 conceded in three home games.
AWAY FORM
The away form of Liverpool has to be the concerning part. Rafa's plan didn't work at all with two away defeats albeit narrow ones (1-0) to Monaco and Olympiacos really damaged their campaign somewhat. It was an important win at the Riazor to Deportivo (0-1) that was precious.
This kind of form will hurt a lot in the knock-out stages. A team cannot continue to rely on the home games to get the job done. There
will come a time when things don't click in a home game at least once during a champions league [victorious] campaign and it is at that time that the great sides put on the show in alien territory to show who's boss.
-> 1 goal scored and 2 conceded in three away games.
Offence
(old rating: 2.5 stars)
-> Cisse
-> Baros
-> Pongolle
-> Mellor
Liverpool have already lost Cisse with a broken foot but pulled through. They have Morientes now but he is ineligible for European competition as he has represented his former club. However that will give the opportunity to Mellor who has scored a shocker or two to partner Baros up front. Liverpool is depleted up front but the damage is not much in this deptt compared to what they were starting with. They can manage.
Midfield
(old rating: 4 stars)
-> Gerrard
-> Alonso
-> Kewell
-> Garcia
-> Hamann
-> Diao
-> Smicer
-> Nunez
Losing Xabi Alonso is a big big blow to Liverpool's chances. It hurts their chances big time. The burden and pressure on Gerrard's shoulders is huge now as if it wasn't before! The others have to raise their game which is a difficult thing to do. Things will have to work inch perfect for Liverpool to deal with this. I'm afraid it is a damaging blow keeping in mind they don't have a rounded squad.
Defence
(old rating: ditto)
-> Hyypia
-> Henchoz
-> Josemi
-> Riise
-> Finnan
-> Traore
-> Carragher
-> Warnock
I was wrong in saying that the full-back position was set because it is not. The right back needs improvement. Rafa Benitez will have to weave some magic and instill some discipline + organization to make Liverpool's defence water-tight because a strong defence (meaning clean sheets) will help Liverpool's progression in this tournament as the midfield is not very strong.
LEVERKUSEN - Deutschland
Next opponent as mentioned is in Germany. Both teams are more or less in the same position in their respective leagues. It seemed that Liverpool had got the easiest of draws amongst the English sides but injuries and form have put doubts in that a bit. Liverpool will have to play a fantastic match in Anfield to seal the tie. A narrow home win can potentially hurt them in the BayArena considering their poor away form.