Reds v Brum

We go to St Andrews tomorrow for an early kick off 1.45pm in search of 3 points and needing to score goals. We are unbeaten with 2 credible draws away from home and a win and a draw at Anfield it is now time to push on and start hitting the back of the net.

This was a match we lost last season so a win here would really show we are heading in the right direction. Raffa has Morientes who passed a fitness test today and Jimi Trahore both fit as additions to his squad and may decide to rest Peter Crouch who has only just come back from injury.

My prediction 2-0 for the Reds

Birmingham v Liverpool

St Andrews
Saturday, 24 September
Kick-off: 1245 BST (13.45 en France )
BBC Radio Five Live
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Birmingham may give Neil Kilkenny his debut, with Nicky Butt, Muzzy Izzet, Stephen Clemence, Jiri Jarosik, David Dunn and Mehdi Nafti out.

Mikael Forssell will look to add to his Carling Cup goals after being eased into action following knee surgery.

Liverpool will be without Mohamed Sissoko, who has a thigh strain.

Dietmar Hamann and Bolo Zenden are both pushing for a return to the side, but striker Fernando Morientes is still sidelined with a hamstring injury.

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Liverpool (from): Reina, Finnan, Hyppia, Carragher, Warnock, Sinama-Pongole, Gerrard, Alonso, Riise, Luis Garcia, Hamann, Zenden, Crouch, Carson, Josemi, Morientes, Cisse, Traore.

Birmingham (from): Maik Taylor, Melchiot, Cunningham, Upson, Clapham, Pennant, Johnson, Kilkenny, Tebily, Gray, Lazaridis, Heskey, Forssell, Pandiani, Vaesen, Martin Taylor, Till, Painter

Birmingham goalkeeper Maik Taylor:

"The sooner we can turn St Andrews back into a fortress, like it was in the second half of last season, then the better it will be.
"No-one likes to lose three home games in a row.
"If we play as we did in the second half of our last match here against Charlton, it'll only be a matter of time before we turn things around."


Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso:

"Not scoring goals is a worry for us, there's no doubt about it.
"We have to get the balance right. I am sure in our next game and the matches after that we'll show an improvement.
"If we want to be closer to the top three then we have to start winning away from home and that's what we'll look to do on Saturday."

BIG-MATCH FACTS


BIRMINGHAM CITY against Liverpool in the Saturday lunchtime kick off, pits the Midlanders, without a home point, against the Merseysiders, who are unbeaten in the Premiership with a 100% defensive record. Victory would see City leapfrog the European champions in the table. The Brummies are coming off a comfortable 0-2 away win over Scunthorpe in the Carling Cup.

Steve Bruce's Blues have won only one of their six top flight engagements to date. They run out in search of a 25th home victory all-time in the Premier League, having scored just one goal in their three home League defeats this season against Manchester City, Middlesbrough and Charlton. The lack of form at St Andrews, follows a seven match unbeaten sequence of home League encounters at the end of the last campaign when five matches were won and two drawn. They last lost four League games on the spin at St Andrews between 4 February and 4 March 1997, when a Nationwide Division One team.

Birmingham have won half of their six Premiership fixtures with Liverpool, and completed a first 'double' over the Reds with a 2-0 victory in this corresponding fixture in February when a Walter Pandiani penalty and a Julian Gray goal inflicted defeat on a sluggish Liverpool.

LIVERPOOL embark on their fifth League game of the season, having registered three goalless draws and one victory to date. The maximum was against rock bottom Sunderland. Xabi Alonso's winner in that game is the Reds' only Premiership goal so far in this League campaign. The European champions could do with a morale booster, ahead of next Wednesday's eagerly awaited Champions League clash against Chelsea at Anfield.

The Merseyside clubs, Liverpool and Everton, own the most impotent attacks so far in the highest League. The pair have collectively scored just two goals in a total of nine outings.

Liverpool have kept clean sheets in five of their last seven League visits to St Andrews, winning three of the five.
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Referee:

Steve Bennett (Orpington)
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SEQUENCES/RECENT FORM

BIRMINGHAM CITY
15th 5 points
Highest achievable after Saturday's matches: 9th
Lowest could fall: 18th

Lost three of the last five Premiership matches.
Victory would take the club's all-time Premier League points total past the 150 mark. They have 148 at present.
Conceded more goals in the first quarter hour of top flight matches this season than any other club (four).
Failed to score in three of their six Premiership matches this term.

Holding the weakest home form in the top table (no points from three starts).
Birmingham, West Brom and Sunderland have each shipped six home goals, more than any other clubs in the highest echelon.

LIVERPOOL
11th 6 points
Highest achievable after Saturday's matches: 7th
Lowest could fall: 18th

Protecting an unbeaten Premiership record (one win, three draws).
Unbeaten in five Premier League duels. Won two and drawn three since losing 3-1, away to Arsenal on 8 May.
Won eight of their 12 games in all competitions, so far this term.
The Premiership's club to avoid as far as goals return is concerned. Their four games have produced just one goal (one for, none against).
Not conceded in 383 minutes (six hours 23 minutes) of Premiership football, since Gareth Barry's goal for Aston Villa at Villa Park on the last day of last season.
One of two clubs with a watertight defence in the Premiership. Chelsea are the others.
Picked up more points than any other club in the top division when failing to score (three).

Without an away League victory in four.
A 1-2 win at Portsmouth on 20 April is their only maximum in eight away Premiership games.
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KEY PLAYER NOTES/POTENTIAL MILESTONES

BIRMINGHAM CITY

Emile HESKEY scored two Premiership goals against Birmingham, when a Liverpool player.
If on the field from the outset, HESKEY will be making his 300th career League start.
Muzzy IZZET needs a double to reach 50 club career goals.
When next on the field for the opening whistle, David DUNN will be making his 150th career League start.
Suspended: Nicky BUTT
LIVERPOOL
Steven GERRARD has scored three Premiership goals in his career against Birmingham.
GERRARD is two shy of totalling 50 goals for Liverpool.
If involved, John Arne RIISE will be playing on his 25th birthday.
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LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME:
Birmingham City 2-0 Liverpool
12 February 2005 - Ref: Howard Webb
Birmingham scorers: Pandiani 38 pen, Gray 45
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HEAD TO HEAD TOTALS
League: Birmingham 28 wins, Liverpool 46, Draws 18
Prem: Birmingham 3 wins, Liverpool 2, Draws 1


HEAD TO HEAD at Birmingham
League: Birmingham 21 wins, Liverpool 15, Draws 10
Prem: Birmingham 2 wins, Liverpool 1, Draws 0

Shankly Gates wrote:

My prediction 2-0 for the Reds

I think we will win despite we will concede a goal so a victory 1-2 will be great

A 4 jours du match contre Chelsea, la défense devra se montrer aussi intraitable qu'avant. Donc je pense qu'on ne prendra pas de buts.
Reste à en marquer ; ça va venir ...
0-1

J'ai parié sur un 2-1 pour nos Reds mais ton 1-0 me satisferait pleinement, Yves.

Gardons quelques buts pour mercredi et dimanche prochain

oui il faut gagner car avec les matchs qu'on a en retard on a pas une super place pour l'instant.

Excusez mon ignorance, mais que veut dire le qualificatif "brum" pour désigner Birmingham city ?

RUSH86 wrote:

Excusez mon ignorance, mais que veut dire le qualificatif "brum" pour désigner Birmingham city ?

Brummies, ce n'est pas spécialement pour Birmingham City (même si on les appelle souvent comme ça, ou Blues, leur autre nickname) mais de façon générale pour les habitants de Birmingham dont c'est le surnom, de la mêm façon que les gens de Newcastle sont les Geordies ou ceux de Liverpool les Scousers.

plus rapide que son ombre,jlb.

je pense que la défense a tenu deja 4 matchs et je nous vois bien encaissé un but mais aussi en marqué !!! donc 2-1 me parait bien, meme si cette nuit j'ai revé qu'on faisait 2-2 ?

Bah, quand je connais la réponse, j'aime autant la donner tout de suite. Quand on pose une question, je trouve que c'est bien agréable d'avoir la réponse rapidement. Enfin, quand c'est possible.

Birmingham
M Taylor, M Melchiot, K Cunningham, M Upson, J Clapham, J Pennant, D Johnson, N Kilkenny, J Gray, M Forssell, E Heskey
Subs: M Taylor, W Pandiani, S Lazaridis, N Vaesen, O Tebily

Liverpool
J Reina, G Josemi, J Carragher, S Hyypia, S Warnock, F Sinama Pongolle, X Alonso, D Hamann, S Gerrard, B Zenden, P Crouch
Subs: S Finnan, J Riise, D Cisse, S Luis Garcia, S Carson

ça me fait mal de voir emile contre nous...
C'est surement le depart qui m'as fait le plus de peine depuis des annees

10 minute de jeu et tjr 0 0

Dr Schrödinger wrote:

10 minute de jeu et tjr 0 0

On maitrise bien mais on ne s'est pas encore crée d'occases

Sauvetage de Reina mais match soporifique.

je n'ai pas tps ou je peut regarder parle t il de cisse

djib-the-boss wrote:

je n'ai pas tps ou je peut regarder parle t il de cisse

Poteau sur une mine de Steven,

Faut marquer à part Emile il n'y a rien en face.

Djibrill est remplaçant il rentrera sûrement en 2ème période.

Cissé ne joue pas.

Equipe de départ : Reina - Josemi, Carragher, Hyypia, Warnock - Gerrard, Alonso, Hamann, Zenden - Crouch, Pongolle

Subs : Carson, Garcia, Cissé, Riise, Finnan

Personellement, je continuerais à donner sa chance à Traoré, même si c'est loin de faire l'unanimité sur ce forum !!

scotch wrote:

Personellement, je continuerais à donner sa chance à Traoré, même si c'est loin de faire l'unanimité sur ce forum !!

Warmock est l'un des meilleurs aujourd'hui, il n'y a pas photo avec Djimi pour l'instant.

grosse domination des reds, mais pas vraiment une grosse envie de gagner. on joue à la baballe on redonne derrière ect..
total on a failli prendre un but par heskey seul contre reina un peu excentré.
on répond par un tir sur le poteau de gerrard mais ce fut la seule action dangereuse de la 1ere mi-temps si ce n'est la première attaque à la 2eme minute du match.
on va direct vers un 0-0 à moins que l'on se décide à attaquer face au kop des reds. ceci me rapelle trop les matchs du temps de g.houiller, rien de vraiment changé sur ce match là.
pour ceux qui qualifiaient le match contre m united de nul, je n'ose pas imaginer leur avis sur ce que je viens de voir.
on veut faire quelque chose en championnat mais si c'est tout ce que l'on peut montrer on ne mérite pas de figurer dans les 3 premiers.
on a le potentiel, on a pas de blessé et on a pas la hargne. je suis déçu car en face il n'y a pas grand chose sauf si on leur permet de croire en la victoire(comme l'on fait actuellement) et qu'ils s'enhardissent vraiment et là on aura la frousse de perdre. mon avis est que birmingham se contenterai bien d'un nul mais bon vu le match pourquoi pas la victoire?
j'attends les réactions de ceux qui regardent le match.

sylvain

prevenez moi quand cisse rentrera et si il y a un but