Pre-Match View From Liverpool

“We are due a shock defeat. We are also due to thump a team at Anfield. Could this be one of those?”

“Nothing suggests to me that we are due a defeat. Every team in this league can beat anyone, if you don’t go into the game with the right attitude and commitment. There’s a very good reason why we are top and are on an excellent winning run…..it’s because we do show the right attitude and commitment!”

“this could be a tricky game ..s united are playing well .. and we would be a big scalp for them”

“tricky game”

“Will be a tough game, they are a decent outfit and played really well at Chelsea a few weeks ago.”

“They have had a good start to the season and would love to try to show what they can do. We have become a bit of a target as teams want to measure themselves against us. I expect this to be harder than we might imagine, and we will have to battle before the quality differential becomes apparent.”

“I’ve seen bits and bobs of them, they defend well as a unit and not afraid to attack aggressively when the opportunity presents itself. No star players really jumping out, but their GK (Henderson, on loan from united) is v good.”

“I think the key game to this game could be their ‘overlapping’ centre backs. They will leave space in behind for our full backs moving forward. I’m sure people will say the manager will come up with a different plan for this game but the quality is not in their side, despite their impressive start, to mastermind a new system just for this game. They will have to attack, the back line is not strong enough to hold us for 90 mins. McGoldrick and Robinson work hard and will have to be watched but I think our defensive players are more than up to the task.
It should be a comfortable win, as long as we don’t get complacent. Mane and Salah will see a lot of the ball and Firmino could cause havoc.
They will spring more surprises this season until teams come to terms with this new formation and style of play though”.

“Hope they don’t clam up against us and i don’t think they will,could be like the Norwich game we’re our quality just is far too much for them also nice we’ve rested most of out starting eleven.”

“It won’t be much like the Norwich. To their credit, Norwich came out with an intent to play and attack when they had the chance. Didn’t work against us, paid dividends against City. The Blades have been much more traditional, defence first (their 3-5-2 is almost more Italian style than English), force opponents out wide, and deal with the crosses that gives up. Like Norwich, they are sometimes going to press high, but Norwich wanted to play a wide game, Sheffield are a lot more narrow, a lot of longer balls hoping for one of the strike partnership to get a flick-on to the other. A lot more effective so far than it has been entertaining.”

“I don’t mind newly promoted clubs doing this. So far it’s working for them.
We’ll still hammer them.”

“The 3-5-2 is an interesting wrinkle, most of the ‘defend to survive’ promoted clubs are more likely to play a 4-5-1 trying to clog their entire defensive area with as many bodies as possible, and make every game tedious. Sheffield United choose a space to give up (midfield width) in order to have a little more sting.”

“I have watched their Chelsea and Everton matches. I would say their system worked against Chelsea, but did not against Everton, result notwithstanding. Everton seemed more aware of where the space was available, they were just dire at actually using it. Chelsea was more determined to batter through the middle I think. On the attack, Sheffield struggled to get much going against Everton (in part I think because they had a lead for over half the game, so were more cautious). Their scheme seems to rely on a flaring run from one of the two strikers, with long balls aimed wide, outside the 18 yard box and in the zone between the 18 and half line. The other striker shifts over and makes an interior run, one of the midfielders always runs into the space that striker vacates, and sometimes one of the other 3 mids makes a supporting run. That worked much more effectively against Chelsea than Everton, ironically.
I think they probably will, so it might be an interesting day for their wingbacks. TAA in particular might get some excellent chances for crosses from deep, because they defend the drives for crosses into the corner fairly vigorously, but a fullback perhaps 30 meters out in a wide position is basically standing where they are willing to let him stand. “

“Watched the Chelsea game. Great attitude and determination but little ability and no stars.
We should beat them with a disciplined approach”

“Their manager is a self confessed mardy Yorkshireman – I liked what I read last week. He was laying into them and Jagielka said, “Boss, this was a good result, we just beat Everton…” or something like that. Anyhow, there’s a bit more depth and insight to the manager than you might expect. They have thought it through and it’s a case of so far so good for them.
On our end what we’ve been showing as the team matures is an ability to win all sorts of games. If we play well we beat anybody. But it’s not always like that, and some days you have to find a way to win, and that’s what is helping us put up such strong challenges for the title of late. We are a team that doesn’t panic, and we also have the ability to work it out on the pitch. We have some clever players who, I expect, will do what they need to do to find the space they need out there.
As Arminius says, Sheffield United will be narrow and will pack the bodies in that way, when they are on the back foot, but they will try to hit the diagonal and get support up there for the hoped for secondary ball as it comes down.
We should have too much quality, but as ever, we have to earn the right to show it.”

“Poor Sheffield United.
It’s bad enough facing the European Champions, but the European Champions with 7 days rest.
Oh boy.”

“They’ve lost 3 consecutive games at home now.
Spirited team and got a fantastic result at Everton, but they don’t have a lot of quality.”

A win by at least a 2 goal margin, in what should be a fairly routine victory, with the Champion’s League tie coming up in mid week.”

“Should be a (rare!) clean sheet & hopefully comfortable enough victory to enable us to make some subs the last 30 mins.”

“I saw them play, switched off after 30 mins.”

“I actually keep forgetting they are in the PL. I am surprised every weekend when I are their name on the fixture list.”

“Their manager looks like every single person in “Kes” and the only two words he knows are “hard” and “graft””

“Lads should be rested, the front three will blast them away.”