Liverpool vs Newcastle - Preview of Match

Friday March 7th, 2008 by Ed Harrison· 16 Comments

We still have our injury problems for the important game at Liverpool tomorrow.
We are again without Mark Viduka, Emre and Stephen Carr, who have been long term injuries during our fight against relegation.

Joey Barton is unable to play due to his bail conditions and Shay Given is still out as he attempts to get to the bottom of his chronic groin problems of the last 18 months.

But Nicky Butt is likely to be involved having shaken off an injury.

Kevin Keegan is extremely confident about tomorrow, and he is looking for a win and expects his captain Michael Owen to be in the goals.

Keegan has been impressed with Owen and apparently Michael has been playing really well in practice all week.

It’s the mark of a man who can miss chances like he did, by his own admission, last week and come back and score in the next game. We expect Michael to do exactly that.

Kevin is again restricted in his choice of players and here’s the team he is likely to field tomorrow.

Harper
Beye Taylor Faye Enrique
Milner N’Zogbia Butt Duff
Owen Smith
Subs: Forster Cacapa Geremi Martins Carroll

That’s probably the line-up, but we still don’t think Smith deserves his starting place and would prefer giving Martins a start, or even bringing in Andy Carroll.

But it looks like it’s a great chance for N’Zogbia, with Emre and Barton unavailable, to give the young Frenchman a start as the attacking midfielder. We could do a lot worse.

Liverpool manager Benitez knows Newcastle should not be taken lightly. He will be without midfielder Javier Mascherano, with Javier having suffered a dead leg against West Ham on Wednesday.

Benitez may use Brazilian Lucas Leiva alongside Xabi Alonso in midfield holding roles or move Steven Gerrard back.

Steve Finnan is still out with a groin injury and Daniel Agger will still not be available. Andriy Voronin has resumed training but he will not be in the line-up tomorrow.

We would be surprised if Benitez starts either Torres or Gerrard, because of Liverpool’s vital game in the European Champions League against Inter Milan in mid-week. They will attempt to become the 4th English team in the quarter finals and they hold a 2-0 lead from the first leg.

Yossi Benayoun and Jermaine Pennant could also make the starting line up.

But we expect an enterprising display from the lads tomorrow and if they have as much luck as they didn’t have last week we may see a surprise result and even 3 points tomorrow. We are hoping at least for some result to break our string of defeats.

What do you think? What team should Keegan play?

Comments very welcome.

Tags: Newcastle News · Match Preview

16 responses so far ↓

1 brad // Mar 7, 2008 at 19:50

first comments wooooooooooooooo
2 Obafan // Mar 7, 2008 at 19:54

I fear KK will start with this line-up

Harper
Beye - Faye - Taylor - Enrique
Milner - Butt - Smith - Duff
Owen - Martins

I fear this cause Smith has to play every f*cking minute. With Martins fully fit and also much needed and Barton not available, I see KK decide to take Smith into the midfield together with Butt. This will get us blown away here and his confidence will again be nothing worth.

My team would be:
Harper
Beye - Faye - Cacapa - Enrique
Milner - Geremi - N’Zognia - Duff
Owen - Martins

I’ve made a little chance to my line-up according to my other posts of the last couple of days. Milner can start and Geremi instead of Butt (who perhaps is not fully 100% fit).

Let us hope that we get 1 or 3 points with whatever team that appears at 15.00GMT!!!!
3 Ed Harrison // Mar 7, 2008 at 19:56

3 points tomorrow and I’m out with my wife celebrating tomorrow night - that’s for sure. It will relieve the relegation threat an awful lot.
4 Mehzeb // Mar 7, 2008 at 20:06

The team that could put up a fight against Liverpool:

Harper
Beye Diatta Cacapa Enrique
Faye
Milner Duff
N”Zogbia
Owen Martins
5 obamagic // Mar 7, 2008 at 20:13

as long as martins plays the full game and smith on the bench…. i’m a happy camper.
Harper
Beye-Taylor-Cacapa-Enrique
Duff-N’zogbia-Faye-Milner
Owen-Martins

I prefer milner on the left since he is more effective on the cutback cross.
6 CRAIGG // Mar 7, 2008 at 20:54

I would love to see this side given a chance…

Harper
Beye Edgar Taylor Enrique
Milner Faye N’Zogbia Duff
Owen Martins

Subs: Forster, Cacapa, Butt, Lua Lua, Carroll

But this is what i think will start…

Harper
Beye Taylor Faye Enrique
Milner Butt N’Zogbia Duff
Owen Martins

Subs: Forster, Cacapa, Lua Lua, Smith, Carroll

Martins will start as he is fully fit (i hope)
7 Tripp // Mar 7, 2008 at 23:07

CRAIGG, I like everything forward of the back 4. I don’t think this is the game to throw Edgar in, esp with Taylor as his partner. I’d go with Cacapa and Taylor, with Faye or maybe Geremi in place of Faye as DM and Faye in place of Taylor at CB.
8 Gordon d // Mar 7, 2008 at 23:22

we don’t have barton tomorrow( after last week won’t be missed) Harper,Beye,Taylor,Faye,Enrique,Milner,Gerime,Smith,N ,Zogbia,Owen,Martins.
9 Toooooooooooooooooon // Mar 8, 2008 at 2:15

a definitely lose match, there is no way we can win or draw at anfield… (altho i hope i am wrong!)
10 Vitorbarbosa // Mar 8, 2008 at 4:40

Hmm, put Geremi instead of butt. We should do much better.
11 ObaFan2 // Mar 8, 2008 at 4:52

If we can “nullify” (if there is such a word) Gerrard thats Liverpool stopped!…. Torres too if he plays!

Play:

Beye Taylor Cacapa Enrique

Milner Geremi Faye Duff/Zog

Owen Oba

Contain and look for the break just like Blackburn did to us at home!

This team would never happen as Smith and Butt must play cos they are so good in training!!!!!!
12 ObaFan2 // Mar 8, 2008 at 5:08

mmmmmm Duke Emre and Carr were due back today, 8th March but now their injuries set them back to 17th,22nd and 30th ……?
http://www.physioroom.com/news/english_premier_league/epl_injury_table.php?SKEY=61a37b473813191c1a61dabf22d41209

These are the sort of players imo the we don’t need,injury prone specialists and especially at this time when we need everyone to pull together for the good of the team.

Unfortunately Emre is in there, we could really do with some of his creative magic but I think that may be a thing of the past for him and his injury record will work against him, resulting in him leaving in the Summer.
13 ADL_Cali // Mar 8, 2008 at 11:10

Actually I’m fairly certain that Torres will be playing today- if not in the starting line up then definitely during the game.
14 scott 9 // Mar 8, 2008 at 11:48

cause its away at liverpool i think we need to tighten up a bit so i would play
harper
beye faye cacapa enrique
milner but geremi nzogbia duff
owen
but i would put £30 on the team being
harper
beye taylor faye enrique
milner geremi butt duff
owen smith
15 scott 9 // Mar 8, 2008 at 11:49

to be fair most people dont rate geremi or butt but at the start of the season for our first 10 games or so they played in cm and we were in top 6
16 TooooooN // Mar 8, 2008 at 13:04

no smith and butt is a good start…but i dont think it will happen