Liverpool Preview III: Time to step up, lads. 7 April, 2008

Right this is it. The title might be a possibility but we still have a strong chance in the Champions League so that is what we must focus on now. Tomorrow night will decide our fate, it’s currently 1-1 but the tie is well in Liverpool’s favour thanks to their away goal.

After a disappointing draw in the League on Saturday, I’m pretty pissed off. Gunnerblog’s match report pretty much has the jist of what I think so I’ll just link you to that. But we need to forget that now, whoever’s fault that draw was doesn’t matter. It’s all about tomorrow night now.

We need another great Arsenal performance. I’m asking for something memorable, it’s a lot to demand but that’s the position we’ve slipped into. In the last round we went to Milan and put on a great display, now we must go up to Liverpool and produce it again.

They have to play like it’s the game of their lives. The name ‘AC Milan’ might seem more exiting than ‘Liverpool’ but they need to play like it’s the Champions League Final, because if they don’t we’re out.

We need to score; it’s quite simple really. A score draw would just about do too. So we need to attack, not go mental, but not play with a negative attitude. We’ve played Liverpool 3 times already this season and it’s finished 1-1 every time. If we were to make it four 1-1′s in a row then the tie would be taken to extra time, anything else and the tie will be settled at 90 minutes.

I’m quite worried about the possibility of going into extra time. We’re looking quite tired at this stage of the season and that that perfectly visible in the latter stages of Saturday’s game. The heart of our team Fabregas and Flamini both looked knackered and if tomorrow night went to extra time they’d be running on empties for sure.

So yeah, we need to go forward. I’ll be really fucking pissed off if Wenger plays a 4-5-1 again and it’s doesn’t look that unlikely. With van Persie not 100% I can see it happening. I’ve been annoyed but Wenger’s tactics recently and if he goes and puts 5 across the midfield tomorrow I’m really going to have to question him. Robin’s in the squad but I have no idea whether he’ll start or not. For sure he wont be absolutely fully fit but in games like these you take that risk.

Do we leave him on the bench and bring him on late on? Or do we face the fact we need to score and go for the early goal. Here’s how I’d like us to line up tomorrow, usually in the preview I show the team I think it’d be, but this time I’ve selected the 11 if it were up to me:

My thinking is that Eboue is a useless cunt so he shouldn’t start plus Walcott is more attacking, Toure should go at right back because Hoyte wasn’t good enough on Saturday and we should risk starting van Persie because we need to score.

It’s going to be a brilliant game tomorrow night, and I’m gutted I’m not going. There was a bit of a scare this afternoon when I nearly got two tickets but it wasn’t to be. In reality though, I’m going on holiday on Wednesday morning and to drive up to Liverpool and back on Tuesday would be pushing it a bit, plus I’d be spending the money I’ve saved to go away.

Not sure where I’ll be watching it yet. Either, The 12 Pins down by Finsbury Park or at home. They’re showing it at The Grove in one of those ‘o2 screening’ things in Club Level but I don’t really fancy that. I haven’t decided where I’ll go yet, all I know is I’ll watch it somewhere.

To those of you going: firstly you lucky cunt, secondly sing up for me. It’s a great atmosphere when you go up to Anfield because the away fans want to match the Liverpool crowd’s noise. It makes a great atmosphere to watch the game in and I’m so jealous of the 3,000 odd of you lot travelling up there. Bastards.

I’m going to wrap this up now; you’re probably bored by now. As I mentioned earlier, I’m off on holiday on Wednesday morning, I’m going Skiing in Colorado for a week. I’ll get the match report in before I go, either Tuesday night or Wednesday morning and maybe another post before I go because the observant ones amongst you will have noticed I’ll be out there for the big Manchester United game. I’ll probably be able to find a computer out there to be honest but if I do I certainly won’t be posting every day.

Right I’m off, speak to you all at some point after the game. I’ll either be very happy or very depressed. Until then.