Saturday 25 October 2014
Anfield
Kick-off 15:00
180px-Liverpool_FC.svg.jpg Liverpool vs Hull City 200px-Hull_City.svg.jpg
Live Links:- http://www.wiziwig.tv/broadcast.php?...01&part=sports
Anfield
Kick-off 15:00
180px-Liverpool_FC.svg.jpg Liverpool vs Hull City 200px-Hull_City.svg.jpg
Live Links:- http://www.wiziwig.tv/broadcast.php?...01&part=sports
Match preview
Brendan Rodgers wants Liverpool to improve their defensive record, starting with Saturday's Barclays Premier League meeting with Hull City at Anfield.
Liverpool's defensive frailties last season meant they conceded 50 goals in their 38 matches while finishing as runners-up to Manchester City.
But Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge, with a tally of 52 top-flight strikes between them, contributed more than half of Liverpool's goal total and enabled the Merseyside club to outscore most opponents.
With Suarez now plying his trade for Barcelona and Sturridge having not played since August due to injury, Rodgers wants his side to "pride themselves on clean sheets" while they look for the goals to be shared around the team.
Rodgers' side have conceded 12 times in eight BPL outings this term, with their sole clean sheet coming in a 3-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur on 31 August. They also suffered a 3-0 UEFA Champions League defeat at home to defending champions Real Madrid on Wednesday.
"It needs to be better as a team, not just the defence and goalkeeper," Rodgers said.
"We pride ourselves on clean sheets but we need to be more competitive and aggressive in those moments as a team.
"In the goals we've conceded, a large number have been soft so our job is to improve that record and that's something we'll continue to work on."
Visitors Hull come into this weekend's match on the back of a 2-2 draw at Arsenal last Saturday, and Rodgers has been impressed with the work done by opposite number Steve Bruce during the transfer window.
"He's done an excellent job and he's got some reinforcements in that have given them real depth to the squad," he added.
"He's building a squad and trying to bring in players with experience. They've got some players that can win the game for them so it will be tough for us but that's what we would expect."
One of those new arrivals is Uruguay forward Abel Hernandez, who has three goals in five Barclays Premier League appearances and is eagerly awaiting the trip to Anfield.
"It is another exciting game to look forward to," the striker said. "We are preparing this week and are working as hard as possible to be 100 per cent ready to play against a famous club with great players.
"I am really loving life with Hull City and am looking forward to us all taking the next step together."
Hernandez may have to shoulder the majority of Hull's goalscoring burden for the foreseeable future with regular strike partner Nikica Jelavic out for up to six weeks with a knee problem.
Defender Michael Dawson is out for a similar period of time with an ankle injury, and goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic is set for only his second top flight start after Allan McGregor's back-up Steve Harper tore a bicep tendon against Arsenal.
For the hosts, Sturridge remains sidelined with a calf complaint, while Mamadou Sakho tweeted on Wednesday to confirm that he would need 10 more days of treatment for a thigh injury.
Liverpool (from): Jones, Mignolet, Johnson, Jose Enrique, Lovren, Manquillo, Moreno, Skrtel, Toure, Allen, Can, Coutinho, Gerrard, Henderson, Lallana, Lucas, Markovic, Balotelli, Borini, Lambert, Sterling.
Hull City (from): Jakupovic, Bruce, Chester, Davies, Lenihan, Maguire, McShane, Robertson, Rosenior, Brady, Ben Arfa, Diame, Elmohamady, Huddlestone, Ince, Livermore, Meyler, Quinn, Ramirez,Aluko, Hernandez.
Match Appointments
Referee: Neil Swarbrick Assistants: D Bryan, M Salisbury Fourth Official: P Tierney