As far as starts go, he could certainly have hoped for an easier one, but as difficult as this game looks to be for us, it’s even more tough for the Gunners. Like ourselves, their pre-season has been disrupted due to the World Cup commitments of some of their key players. Unlike us, they haven’t had any competitive games to help hone their sharpness, and there isn’t a side in the country that would want to be visiting Anfield on the opening day of the season. As I say, they’ll be more worried about this game than us, or at least they should be.
That’s not to say this will be easy, of course it won’t be. But starting the season at home against a side as good as Arsenal guarantees a more intense atmosphere than you’d get for a West Brom or Blackburn for instance. Throw in a new manager, Joe Cole, Torres returning to the squad and tomorrow should be electric.
I’ve been looking forward to this game for weeks, I’ve been desperate for it to come around and I can’t fucking wait. I’m confident that we can get a good result to boost our confidence ahead of the trip to Man City next week, and I’m even more confident that we’ll get a good result against them.
Roy’s first team selection will be interesting, although most of the side probably picks itself. Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Agger, Gerrard, Cole and Kuyt all seem certain starters, with the rest of the side being made up from Aurelio, Skrtel, Lucas, Mascherano, Jovanovic, Maxi and Ngog.
The most intriguing selection poser is Mascherano. Does Roy pick him, knowing that he wants out? Had Lucas not been away on international duty until Friday the issue would have been a lot more complicated, but the Brazilian’s extended absence might have opened the door for the wantaway Argentinian.
I’d pick him if it was up to me. For a few reasons. Firstly, he’s a quality player. I’m not worried that he’d throw a strop and not give his best, it’s a big game with millions watching around the world and I’m sure he’d go out there and give everything he has. Secondly, it shows Inter and Barca that if they aren’t prepared to stump up the asking price, we’re quite happy to have him available for us. (I’m not sure that’s actually the case, as we need the money to strengthen elsewhere and already have his replacement on the books now in Poulsen).
And finally, and I accept this is a long shot, but it might just make Mascherano think twice about wanting to go. I’d be very surprised if the fans didn’t give him a good reception, and if he puts a shift in we’ll probably hear his name being bellowed out from the Kop. If he plays his part in a good win, you never know. It’s probably too late for that, and as I say we may actually be better off if he does go now, but as long as he’s still here we may as well get some use out of him.
There are a number of games where Mascherano isn’t needed, but Arsenal isn’t one of them. This is exactly the kind of game where his presence can make a difference. Arsenal like to pass the ball around quickly, and you have to get amongst them. The two best players we have at doing that are Macherano and Kuyt.
I think back to the CL game we had with them a few years ago. For the opening 20 minutes we couldn’t get near them, they passed us off the park and we were in trouble. Then Kuyt and Mascherano began harrying them off the ball and others followed suit. We went on to win a game that at one point looked beyond us.
We need to play at a high tempo and get in their faces. So if it were me, I’d select Mascherano in the middle with Gerrard, and my feeling is that Roy will do that. I know he’s definitely in the squad, but whether he makes the team or not we’ll see tomorrow.
Left back is another area where Hodgson has to make a decision. Is Aurelio fit enough to play, or will Agger continue where he left off at the back end of last season? If it’s Agger, then Skrtel will presumably partner Carra in the middle. And who plays up front? It’s surely too early for Torres to be starting games, so that would leave Ngog, Jovanovic, Kuyt or Babel.
Ngog has probably done enough in the Europa games to deserve a shot at it, and Kuyt and Jovanovic will most likely be playing either side of him (unless Maxi gets the nod in place of either), with Cole in behind. The ideal scenario would be for us to be leading after an hour, so we can bring Torres on when we aren’t chasing the game.
There’s no reason why that shouldn’t be the case. We’ve got players who can hurt the Gunners, not least Steven Gerrard who will be flying after his international exploits in midweek. The link up between him and Cole is something that should give us a lot of pleasure this season, and they hold the key to us winning this game. If they have big games, I think we’ll win.
I’m not dismissing Arsenal, they’ve got some good players and they are always tough opposition. But Fabregas and Van Persie may not start, there are injury doubts over Song, Denilson and Diaby, and according to reports Bendtner is also missing.
They’ve got the new lad up front they signed from Bordeux, and a new centre half who I’ve never heard of. As ever though, the big glaring weakness is the keeper, and we need to put as much pressure on him as possible. That means we need to get plenty of shots and crosses in, and let’s see how he handles it.
Arshavin is the biggest threat as we know how much he seems to enjoy playing at Anfield. Keep him quiet, and we should be fine. Walcott is also a danger as you never know when he’s likely to do something brilliant. He’s not really developed as most people thought he would, but he can still produce moments of devastating pace and penetration and will need to be watched closely.
All in all, I see it being a close game but Gerrard and Cole proving to be the difference, with both getting on the scoresheet, along with Ngog.
Line Up Prediction: Reina; Johnson, Carragher, Skrterl, Agger; Mascherano, Gerrard; Kuyt, Cole, Jovanovic/Maxi; Ngog:
Score Prediction: 3-1 (Ngog, Cole, Gerrard)
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