EPL : Boro vs L'pool
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Yakubu is set to make his competitive debut .
Mark Viduka (back and hamstring)
Gaizka Mendieta (knee) are in contention.
Ugo Ehiogu should shake off a groin injury.
Chris Riggott (knee) out
Stuart Parnaby (knee) out.
Liverpool hope to have Bolo Zenden back to face his former club after having treatment for a thigh strain.
Josemi (thigh) - out
Peter Crouch (hamstring) - out
Djimi Traore (Thigh) - out
Jerzy Dudek (dislocated elbow) - out
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Middlesbrough boss Steve McClaren:
..."There could not be a better game than against Liverpool, the European Champions.
..."It is a great first game, and that is it, we are off.
..."But although everyone puts a great emphasis on the first game, we played 52 last year and we hope to play more this year."
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez:
..."At times last season we didn't fight hard enough. When I look at the players I have now, I'm confident.
..."There are far more options for me with the team now. I want us to score more goals and prove we are more consistent.
..."In the Premiership we didn't do it but I'm sure we'll be better. I expect them to always play at the same level."
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Liverpool (from): Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Warnock, Zenden, Luis Garcia, Hamann, Gerrard, Alonso, Riise, Sissoko, Carson, Baros, Whitbread, Morientes, Cisse, Potter, Barragan.
Middlesbrough (from): Schwarzer, Jones, Reiziger, Queudrue, Southgate, Ehiogu, Riggott, Bates, Boateng, Parlour, Downing, Doriva, Mendieta, Morrison, Hasselbaink, Yakubu, Viduka, Nemeth, Maccarone.
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Referee: Mark Halsey (Lancashire)
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LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME:
Middlesbrough 2-0 Liverpool
20 November 2004 - Ref: Steve Bennett
Middlesbrough scorers: Riggott 36, Zenden 62
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HEAD TO HEAD TOTALS
Prem: Middlesbro 5 wins, Liverpool 9, Draws 6
HEAD TO HEAD at Middlesbrough
Prem: Middlesbro 5 wins, Liverpool 3, Draws 2
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LIVE on CH-23 , 12.10am , Sunday morning .
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a lost for liverpool as usual.
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Pool shld win with ease.
2-0 to pool -
nothing to ponder about.Boro win.
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pool to win 2-1. Cisse to score
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own goal that is.Originally posted by hmsg:pool to win 2-1. Cisse to score -
Boro 1-3 Liverpool
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0 - 5 zenden hattrick, gerrad one, garcia one
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I don't want to predict.
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LFC frontmen looked sharp enough and less dependable to Captain Gerrado for goals. Both Cisse and Morientes has scored in recent matches but they would certainly be thirsty to score in the all new season.
2-0 win for LFC.. Thank you very muchie. -
ok, i think this match will ended a draw.
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never compare premiership games to european matches. remember last season.
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Last season has gone and should look forward to the new one. The top teams has improved their squad, had their warm-up matches. The recent matches will definitely do good a morale boosting to the strikers and why not? They need goals to grwo that confidence and you can see it in their play.
LFC didn't do particularly well in away games and more so now at Middlesbrough but I do see them taking a win from this one. -
A very much improved L'pool against Boro .
Sissoko is so much better than what was compared to Viera .
Maybe we played with a 5-men midfield , that make us look very good in the middle .
Garcia was terrible . As usual , got rob off possession on many occasion .
Zenden was a bit quiet against his compatriot Reiziger .
Nando was quiet the whole first half except for that wonderful knock-down , Gerrard should have buried it .
0-0 first half . .
I xpect L'pool to play Cisse , and return to 4-4-2 formation and Garcia , out ! -
I think so too Poolman. LFC played with more conviction than Boro.
Compared with last season away games where they have a tendency to lose possession, LFC played more compact as a unit altough the strikeforce was sacrificed in the first half.
Reverted back to 4-4-2 with Cisse introduced, let see more goalmouth actions! -
Ouch ! Lost 3 points ! Painful .... just painful !
Lost count how many glorious chances Gerrard had missed ! If he took all , should be 5-0 ?
Commentator Hawthorns were saying : " Gerrard should get two hattricks ! "
L'pool's Sissoko .... what can i say , just a wonderful guy to watch , now i'm relief man , Hamman's position is safe for now !
We badly need a right winger ..... think so !
But we indeed has a bright future ...... starting from now .
Yes ! I can see it all in one game !
If Crouch does play , think he can create more havoc in the box .
Good beginning .
I thought we play at Anfield , but no , it's at Riverside ! Last season , we only play like that at Anfield .
To those rival teams to Anfield : Beware , Anfield is back to haunt you !
THIS IS ANFIELD -
A draw is as good as a win for this match.
Like what Poolman said, not much was played thru the widths. Rafa tried to put Cisse on the right towards the end but that was useless. Baros, it seemed.. wasn't too keen to get involved, perhaps the thought of uncertainty still lingers around his feet? -
Haa,so cisse is a ring winger?LOL..Worried about liverpool,no unless they can prove that they are not a one man team..Everything is about gerrad,gerrard and gerrard..
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The 1st match is HORRIBLE.
Ah Ben is sticking to the 4-5-1 formation that is NOT EFFECTIVE in the EPL.
Moro cannot be the supplier and the striker at the SAME TIME.
Luis Garcia is not protecting the right wing, he is a creative player, not a ball holder.
Alonso and Momo are taking turns to MIA.
Gerard is clearly overworked as the rest of the players were not fast enough to react.
Reina have a weakness in corners.
When Boro was down to ten men, there were not enough men in the six yard box to create chances or score goal.
Hope Ah Ben can wake up and play 4-4-2 to give his strikers a BIG SUPPORT. -
Gerrard is skipper , and he's showing some skipper's example , that's Gerrard !
When you are earning 100,000 pounds per week , and a life-long supporter of L'pool , and a Captain , you'll never stop scoring for your club . -
Well , look at the bright side. At least Liverpool is playing much better then last season. If they keep playing like this and take the chances, we can definately challenge for the EPL.
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when Reds starts with a lone striker.. I knew my prediction is gone
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too early to tell.
many teams played very well. -
Especially West Ham.Originally posted by dragg:too early to tell.
many teams played very well. -
Personal comments of the game:
Liverpool obviously still lacked the confidence and swagger to keep attacking the opposition instead of keeping possession and looking for loopholes in the defence. You can see it from all the loose balls and passes and the results in the final third of the field.
Benitez shall give even more attacking mindset to Liverpool, since they have a rather stable and good defence. Attacking through the centre does not work in the EPL, since EPL talks about hard tackles and knocks to disrupt opponents.
Chelsea is strong because they have the twin terrors of Robben and Duff. Man U and Arsenal also use the flanks very often. Liverpool kept trying to attack through the centre and it's very frustrating to see them lose the ball.
Luis Garcia at right midfield simply CMI. I hope he's a temporary option. Now, I see him as a squad player rather than a first team player. I'm surprised that they didn't use Zenden often to attack the flanks, maybe because of the boos from Middlesborough. In the end, what happen, Stevie G was on left flank, Cisse on the right.....OMG....
The entire team needs more confidence, determination and luck. Other than the wingers and the strikers, the entire team actually played well. Sissoko looks impressive though he can improve further. Alonso has those probing balls and Stevie G was all over the place. But they need to keep attacking more like in the last ten minutes.....
Disappointing result this.....I almost can't sleep last night.