League Cup: Leeds v Liverpool – teams

Carling  Cup 3rd Round.

Leeds United v Liverpool
Elland Road
Kick-0ff: 7:45pm BST.

This used to be one of the main fixtures of the Premier League season, before Leeds hit financial problems and began a slide that shows no club is too big to go down. Leeds now play their league games in the third tier of the league, or League One as the marketing people have renamed it.

Rafa Benitez knows this competition is the ideal time to test out some of the fringe players, but this is a big fixture for the Leeds of 2009. Their ground is sold out, it’s the highest attendance since their Premier League days, they’re here for an upset.

With that in mind Rafa has got Gerrard, Torres and Johnson on the bench, in case the 11 on the pitch don’t take this chance to stake a claim for a regular start.

Jamie Carragher is perhaps one of those with something to prove, he’s not had his best run of form in recent games but captains the side tonight in the kind of atmosphere he thrives in. He partners Kyrgiakos, with Philip Degen making a rare appearance as one of the full-backs. Who’ll take the other full-back role remains to be seen; Fabio Aurelio and Andrea Dossena both start, but so does Albert Riera.

Aurelio has been used in central midfield before by Rafa, but Rafa has given Jay Spearing a welcome start, and the young Red is likely to line up with Javier Mascherano.

Also unknown until after kick-off is whether Ryan Babel will play wide or in support of David N’gog.

At least one player’s position will be known from the off, with Diego Cavalieri starting in goal to give Pepe Reina a break.

Leeds United: 12 Higgs, 2 Crowe, 3 Kisnorbo, 17 Michalik, 4 Doyle, 14 Howson, 16 Johnson, 22 Hughes, 9 Beckford, 10 Becchio, 23 Snodgrass
Subs: 1 Ankergren, 6 Naylor, 7 Prutton, 8 Kilkenny, 18 Robinson, 13 Grella, 21 Showunmi,

Liverpool: 1 Cavalieri, 12 Aurelio, 16 Kyrgiakos, 23 Carragher, 27 Degen, 38 Dossena, 11 Riera, 20 Mascherano, 26 Spearing, 19 Babel, 24 Ngog
Subs: 25 Reina, 2 Johnson, 37 Skrtel, 8 Gerrard, 28 Plessis, 9 Torres, 10 Voronin

Referee: Alan Wiley

19 thoughts on “League Cup: Leeds v Liverpool – teams”

  2. Poor AGAIN!

    It shows how little real quality we have in reserve when we struggle against a 1st division outfit.

    Very lucky to progress, Leeds the better team and unlucky to have the goal disallowed. And to be fair they came at us and had ago, so the usual excuses of a team sitting on the game wont wash.

    One up front again. Vunerable from corners. Nothing changes. Please Mr Benitez sort this crap out.

    And for those out there who still blame the board for our lack of depth in the squad. Beintez has spent more in five years than most get and has brought in so much rubbish its laughable. And lets not forget who he let go either. Ive already seen the ice this season on Torres’s leg. It wont be long before he’s missing. Not to worry weve always Crouch and Keane to bring in. Errrrrr hang on a minute……..

    Six years is plenty of time to put a decent squad together. He hasn’t. How long are we going to give this very much over rated manager. Real Madrid please save our souls.

    And before you ask, Dalglish with Rush as number two. Its possible. They would give up on the zonal marking, return to attacking play at home with two strikers and lift the team.

    Hey, im a dreamer. Just like Benitez.

  4. Crouch gets 3 and keano bags 1 at Preston tonight. How rubbish are those two Rafa?????????????

    Voronin and Ngog are their replacements. How is this good sense?????

  6. cantos stop being negative please, and yes football changed 2 up front is old style put that in mind, mybe that is why its hard to see an english manager do somthing decint on international level, all best teams in the world play one striker even whisky nose changed his 442 mantality in the last four years andmanaged two champions league finals 442, long balls, and ball in the air is a predictable game and its old school.

    be positive

  7. cantos stop being negative please, and yes football changed 2 up front is old style put that in mind, mybe that is why its hard to see an english manager do somthing decint on international level, all best teams in the world play one striker even whisky nose changed his 442 mantality in the last four years andmanaged two champions league finals 442, long balls, and ball in the air is a predictable game and its old school.

    be positive

  8. This type and standard of football is obviously good enough for you cory and malta, but i will continue to moan and complain until the standard of football at Anfield is back to where it used to be.

    Chelsea seem to play this old school type of football with two strikers and guess what, their top of the league….go figure.

    I cannot believe the amout of people who contribute to this site who seem on cloud 9 with our football, style of play and quality of players.

    Its hard to be posotive when i sit inside Anfield each week and watch negative football, that if were honest is predictable and lacks ideas.

    I pay my money, i do my bit for the team which is alot more than some of you on here, so i’ll moan if i want to.

    Get to the games, listen to the supporters, many of whom cant get access to a computer. You will find you guys who are happy with the team etc,are in the minority.

    If we are stuck with these mediocre players then lets at least find a style that they can play instead of churning out the same old crap every week.

    We should be looking to turn Hull over this afternoon. An early goal should see a landslide of goals for the reds.

    Youll never walk alone.

  9. I do spend money on Liverpool to, I am an e season ticket holder, I buy most of the merchandize there is available for me and my son, and see three to four games a year which cost me a lot of money in traveling, so I do have the right to voice my opinion, and to put the record straight I cant say we are playing negative football whan we are top scorers, the p-problem lays in defending I m sure it will be sorted,

    I m sure u will be happy about this you said that (Chelsea seem to play this old school type of football with two strikers and guess what, their top of the league….go figure) They lost 3 1 today as for there record so far you cant say it was easy for them they won two games in the last minute so a lil of luck helps something that we did not have against Aston villa.

    PS yes we need to sort out the back.

    Be positive,

    And as long AS RAFA is with Liverpool he will never walk alone don’t just sing it live it all the way same GOES FOR BABEL LUCAS AND VORO THEY WEAR THE BADGE AND WE ARE BEHIND THEM. BOWS WOUNT HELP.
    YNWA

  11. cantos r u a man u fan? it sounds like it. you dont sit in block 202 of the kop do you? i’ve got a fan like u that sits behind me at games. always moaning and always pointing out negatives not positives.up until last week he was claiming Torres and Gerrard had lost it. he was pretty quiet yesterday mind. you are in the minority not majority. And if Rafa could afford to sign Villa or Aguerro and have them in the squad rather than Voronin dont you think he would???

  13. Much better, couldnt fault the tactics or the starting 11 on Saturady.

    Torres was wonderful and Lucas had a good game.

    I even won a couple of quid on the Torres hatrick.
    Lets keep it up. The team looked like they wanted to give Hull a hiding. They looked confident and up for it.

    This will hopefully springboard us forward into Sundays big game. Cant wait. Everyone seems to be hitin form together.

    Nothing to moan about this week fellas except that clown who called me a Utd fan. yawn.

    Well in the reds, well done Rafa.

  14. Theres only room for 1 clown on this website and you’ve already shown you have taken that role. If it takes a 6-1 win to make you happy with the team then for 37 out of the 38 league games it looks like we have to put up with more of your moaning. Dont get me wrong if everyone had the same opinion life and this website would be pretty boring. But when you take the same stance of criticising the team no matter what, neglecting to talk about the positives (e.g spearings performance and Ngog’s finish in the leeds game) then its pointless posting comments because no-one will take any notice of them.

  16. I have been thnking over my long fan support for LFC, it stems from 1945 up to day and I think the club in its worst financial state in since Shankly came to the club, prior to that it was not. But when a certain John Moores (an Everton a minority Invester inLFC) sent his Companyy’s Accountant to loook over the LFC books he declared, that Shankly was the clubs biggest asset and that he shoud be back and so he was with the signing of Ian St.Joh and Ron Yates.
    As an retired Finance manager for a Multinational I beleive I am qualified to comment on this matter.
    Our present owners remind me of Mum and Dad buying furniture on HP, they borrow the money and then get the asset to pay for all the fiancial charges, interest, Bank fees. Mum & Dad cannot do.any of these, they must pay all of these charges out of their own pocket as they own the asset.
    I have tavelled to the UK from Australia a number of times, my fares, accommodation and meals and my transport to the ground and entrace fee are all my private expenses, but what a few shares can do for you, the owners charge all this to the club.
    THEY BORROW THE MONEY TO BUY THE ASSET AND PAY NOTHING OF THEIR OWN MONEY FOR IT, IT IS A MATTER OF OBTAINING A VWEY WEALTH ASSET AT LITTLE OR NO COST TO THEMSELVES..
    Poor David Doores valued to the club to low, sold his beloved LFC who said they would do all that he asked of them then promptly forgot all about their promises, he should most assurdedly sold to the Dubai people who had money and not these American loosers.
    MY FINAL SOLUTION WOULD BE THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT OR THE F.A. PROHIBIT ANYBODY OTHER THAN A BRITISH CITIZEN WITH BRITISH MONEY BUY A SOCCER CLUB, THE LEAGUE MAY BE WORSE OFF BUT WE WOULD AT LEAST HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE MOOR INTERESTED IN THE CLUB THEY BUY RATHER THAN THE MONEY THEY CAN SQUEEZE OUT OF IT.

    THE VERY BEST WE, AS LFC FABS CAN HOPE FOR, IS THAT SOMEONE WITH REAL MONEY WITH BUY OUT THESE 2 CLOWNS. THE OLD DAYS ARE NOW LONG GONE.

  18. @ kopite999

    Mate, 6-1 victories do make me happy. But i would take any victory, draw or loss provided we played well and gave 100% to the final whistle.

    I dont really blame the players for anything other than a lack of passion at times which we have seen over the years, usually from the low quality continental players who have just not been good enough.

    Rafa as you know is not my number 1. He does have manyh qualities as a manager, but these do not include spotting a good player. Yes he has signed a few brilliant players but nowhere near as many as the flops he has signed.

    I take on board your point about Spearing, who if you follow these blogs, i have stated many times that he should be given the chance to play instead of Lucas. Ngog i just dont think is anywhere near good enough. Yes he’s young and needs experience but just doesnt have the outstanding quality needed.

    If anyone needs a run in the team its Babel, who is a confidence player. When hes confident he plays well, and i think he would be better off as an out and out striker.

    All in all its been a good week. We still wont win the league, we just havent got the squad, its that simple. Rafa should have kept Keane and Crouch, who would be great to have on the bench. A MASSIVE MASSIVE mistake. And if buying a skillful, commited player and selling him again months later isnt proof enough that Benitez is sometimes too big for his own boots then i dont know what is. Am i the only one out there who thinks this?

    I think we will beat Chelsea on Sunday. Im confident. We play better as the underdog and can use our strengths when teams attack us. It suits us.

    If we go out and give our all, play with commitment and lose, so be it.

    Been watching Aqualani reruns and he does look like a good addition to the squad. Cant wait to have him available.

    Good luck tonight boys. Do us proud.

  19. Right before i go on about last nights display in Florence and why Rafa chose the midfield that he did????? Why Torres was taking corners????? Why we couldnt pass the ball???? Why nothing was changed at half time to try and right the wrongs of the first half????

    Please would kopite999 or malta hit me with the positive points from the game as they saw it.

    People travelled far and paid alot of money to support the team and had to put up with that! Awful, arrogant management.

    But please, i know theres got to be some posotive from the game. A completed pass in the 19th minute. The boys looked good in the new kit. any more???

    Its not difficult to understand why nobody wants to invest in us.

    For years now people have been saying that we were just one piece away from completing the jigsaw. Perhaps we have all the pieces now and just need someone who knows what they are doing to put them together.

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