Stoke City v Liverpool FC – Match Preview
They say Revenge is a dish best served cold, and with this in mind Brendan Rodgers and Liverpool travel to the Britannia Stadium this afternoon to take on Mark Hughes’ Stoke City side for their first encounter in this sparkling, brand new Barclays Premier League season.
The first match since that result in the final match of the 2014/16 season.
The hapless Basil Fawlty once coined the phrase “Don’t mention the war…!”. For Liverpool supporters, the word war can be replaced with “the 24th May”. For this is the unspeakable date on which Liverpool suffered their worst defeat in over 50 years when they were thrashed 1-6 by the The Potters. It goes without saying that revenge will be the word on everyone’s lips leading up to the game. Considering the strength of the improvement made to the Liverpool side that suffered that day, one would be either brave or a Stoke City fan to doubt the record will be put straight today.
At Rodgers’ disposal is a fully fit squad with the exception of Joe Allen, all of whom one hopes, will be queuing for a place in the starting eleven and to take part in setting the record straight. Not to mention the implied pick of the new recruits; Christian Benteke, Roberto Firmino and James Milner. If the boss has any intention of holding onto his job this season, these three have to be included.
Personally I’d prefer Emre Can in place of Coutinho in midfield, with the Brazilian partnering his compatriot Firmino, and Benteke in attack. Also, despite popular opinion – and common sense – it seems Lovren will be chosen ahead of Mamadou Sakho to partner Skrtel in defence. A recipe for disaster in my eyes, but then I’m not picking the team unfortunately for us all.
To say this is a must win game is an understatement. Having said that, no trophy has been given out in August to my knowledge other than the Community Shield and the odd commercial pre-season affair and thus in reality it probably isn’t. To come away with less than three points will not be the end of the world. However, sharpened knives will be drawn in preparation for inserting into Rodgers’ back. For his sake, and for the the avoidance of a witch – or shall we say Rodgers – hunt, a win would be the best solution.
In historical terms, the clubs have met 14 times in the Premier League of which Liverpool’s record is W: 5, D: 5, L: 4. If we focus on away matches at the Britannia, the record doesn’t exactly breed confidence. P: 7, W: 1, D: 2, L: 4. Thus the omens do not look good for the Merseysiders. What I would say is that this squad does look to be the strongest I’ve seen for some time. Arguably better than the side that contained a certain Luis Alberto Suárez Díaz where we all know his goals covered for a team with a rubbish defence.
Over recent seasons, Liverpool have been found wanting in terms of physical presence. Been muscled out of games. Today’s opposition have been the main protagonists in bringing this apparent frailty to light. Hence such a poor record against the Potters on their own patch. A steely determination has been missing. Some fight has been missing along with a will not to be beaten. A lack of invention has been rife. The experience brought into the squad this year is supposed to address each of those problems.
There aren’t many more physically imposing front men than Benteke. The cunning creative invention can be provided by Firmino. The consistency and fight in midfield, Milner. The weaponry is in place. It just needs to be deployed effectively. Ultimately though, I think this game will be decided by the defensive solidity of the winner and in that respect, I’m not as confident with this area of the team. As I’ve pointed out Lovren looks as if he’ll get the nod today and I’m sure Stoke City will see this as a weakness to be exploited.
Despite the past indicating Liverpool have their work cut out this afternoon, this side looks pretty good on paper. The only problem is, football isn’t played on paper, it’s played on grass and this is where, for all Rodgers’ talk and the clubs signings, the only proof is on the pitch. This is where it counts. This is where he and the club will be judged. This is where we find out just how good a side we have for this season. This is where nothing but a win will do.
Follow us on Twitter: @TheLFCFile
