1. Can Super Jonny Walters make an impact against Liverpool?
JONATHAN WALTERS BY and large enjoyed an excellent 2015, and he made a decisive impact for club and country, helping guide Ireland to the Euros and managing 11 goals in 36 appearances for Stoke last season.
However, the one sour note of the past 12 months for Walters has been his inability to get into Mark Hughes’ side in recent matches, with the experienced attacker not starting a match for the Potters since 1 December.
Nevertheless, Walters made an impression from the bench against West Brom at the weekend, scoring in his side’s 2-1 loss, and consequently, the 32-year-old forward could be in line to start against Liverpool tonight.
Local paper The Stoke Sentinelhas suggested the Ireland striker should play, arguing: “He loves Liverpool — or playing against them to be precise — and his physical presence could be just what Stoke need in tomorrow’s Capital One Cup semi-final first leg.
“Anyone watching Liverpool’s 2-0 defeat at West Ham on Saturday lunchtime will have been struck by their aerial frailty at the back.”
2. Can City overcome Kompany absence?
Like all the top sides this season effectively, Man City have been frustratingly inconsistent since the beginning of the campaign.
The team’s unreliability has been epitomised by their away form in particular — of the 10 games on their travels in the league, Manuel Pellegrini’s team have won four, drawn three and lost three — which simply isn’t good enough for a club with the high standards City aspire to.
Part of the reason for this indifferent form has been the long-term absence of key defender Vincent Kompany, with the Belgian international lasting just 10 minutes after coming on against Sunderland — his first appearance for the club since 8 November.
Ahead of Wednesday’s first leg against Everton, however, Bacary Sagna has urged Yaya Toure — another experienced squad member — to step up in Kompany’s absence.
“He is a very important player for us,” the ex-Arsenal defender said. “He is our captain while Kompany is away and he scored a great goal – he also scored against Sunderland and Arsenal.
Advertisement
“Of course he will get criticism because two seasons ago he scored 20 to 25 goals and people are expecting him to do the same but he is very important in our system.
“He cannot be on top and score in every single game but he did it at Watford and has been doing that in the last few games.
“Yaya has been very important to the team, and we all trust him. He is also one of the leaders in the team. We have a few — Vincent is one, as are Joe [Hart] and Yaya, but we all have to step up.”
3. Should Liverpool play for a draw?
It may be a cliché but it seems true more so than ever this season to suggest that Stoke is not an easy place to go.
Man United, Man City and Chelsea (twice) have all been beaten at the Britannia Stadium since the campaign began.
Liverpool are not in the best of form currently, and have been defeated by Watford, West Ham and Newcastle on their travels in the past month alone.
With that in mind, it might be wise for Jurgen Klopp’s men to err on the side of caution this evening against a Stoke team that genuinely outclassed Man United on St Stephen’s Day in their last match at the Britannia.
The Reds will, however, probably fancy their chances of doing enough to progress in the second leg on 26 January at Anfield provided they don’t leave themselves with a deficit to recover after tonight’s action.
4. Stones still needs to justify the hype
PA Archive / Press Association Images
PA Archive / Press Association Images / Press Association Images
John Stones is routinely described as England’s most promising young centre-back and of late, he has been playing as if he believes the hype.
The subject of a £38 million Chelsea bid in the summer transfer window, Everton were generally praised for holding on to the centre-back despite considerable pressure to sell for such big money.
Yet the England international has not been playing like a £38m-plus footballer in recent times — he is part of an Everton team that has one of the worst defensive records in the Premier League and featured in the side that shipped four against Stoke recently.
Although the outcome of Sunday’s match with Tottenham was less catastrophic, Stones angered the home crowd by doing Cruyff turns with the ball around his own penalty area — indulgent behaviour that is a sign of a lack of maturity in the 21-year-old’s game.
Jamie Carragher — someone who knows a thing or two about defending — was among Stones’ critics.
“People come back at me and say, ‘Oh, typical English mentality, it’s about time we had a player who steps out with the ball.’ I’ve had five or six foreign managers and not one of them would want me – or any defender – to be doing Cruyff turns in the six-yard box,” the former Liverpool defender said on Sky Sports.
“Hopefully Roberto Martinez is telling him that,” Carragher added.
5. Can Liverpool solve the Benteke dilemma?
So far in his Liverpool career, Christian Benteke has scored six goals in 17 appearances — not disastrous form by any means, but hardly spectacular either.
Two match-winning goals in his last three appearances have also helped temper the almost inevitable criticism of the £32.5 million summer signing.
Yet Benteke’s reputation from his Aston Villa days as being somewhat of an enigmatic presence on occasion has not been entirely overcome.
There are games where the Belgian adds little to the overall team play, and Liverpool’s reluctance to play the type of long-ball football, which Villa routinely employed during the striker’s time there, has not helped matters either.
There are signs too that Klopp remains unconvinced about the 25-year-old’s suitability to the team, with 20-year-old Divock Origi among others sporadically preferred in attack, while the German boss has acknowledged there is room for improvement in Benteke’s game.
That said, if Benteke can score a goal or two in a big game such as the one tonight, it might be just the confidence boost he needs to kick on and fully adjust to life at Anfield.
Can Ireland's Superman hurt Liverpool and more League Cup talking points
1. Can Super Jonny Walters make an impact against Liverpool?
JONATHAN WALTERS BY and large enjoyed an excellent 2015, and he made a decisive impact for club and country, helping guide Ireland to the Euros and managing 11 goals in 36 appearances for Stoke last season.
However, the one sour note of the past 12 months for Walters has been his inability to get into Mark Hughes’ side in recent matches, with the experienced attacker not starting a match for the Potters since 1 December.
Nevertheless, Walters made an impression from the bench against West Brom at the weekend, scoring in his side’s 2-1 loss, and consequently, the 32-year-old forward could be in line to start against Liverpool tonight.
Local paper The Stoke Sentinel has suggested the Ireland striker should play, arguing: “He loves Liverpool — or playing against them to be precise — and his physical presence could be just what Stoke need in tomorrow’s Capital One Cup semi-final first leg.
“Anyone watching Liverpool’s 2-0 defeat at West Ham on Saturday lunchtime will have been struck by their aerial frailty at the back.”
2. Can City overcome Kompany absence?
Like all the top sides this season effectively, Man City have been frustratingly inconsistent since the beginning of the campaign.
The team’s unreliability has been epitomised by their away form in particular — of the 10 games on their travels in the league, Manuel Pellegrini’s team have won four, drawn three and lost three — which simply isn’t good enough for a club with the high standards City aspire to.
Part of the reason for this indifferent form has been the long-term absence of key defender Vincent Kompany, with the Belgian international lasting just 10 minutes after coming on against Sunderland — his first appearance for the club since 8 November.
Ahead of Wednesday’s first leg against Everton, however, Bacary Sagna has urged Yaya Toure — another experienced squad member — to step up in Kompany’s absence.
“He is a very important player for us,” the ex-Arsenal defender said. “He is our captain while Kompany is away and he scored a great goal – he also scored against Sunderland and Arsenal.
“Of course he will get criticism because two seasons ago he scored 20 to 25 goals and people are expecting him to do the same but he is very important in our system.
“He cannot be on top and score in every single game but he did it at Watford and has been doing that in the last few games.
“Yaya has been very important to the team, and we all trust him. He is also one of the leaders in the team. We have a few — Vincent is one, as are Joe [Hart] and Yaya, but we all have to step up.”
3. Should Liverpool play for a draw?
It may be a cliché but it seems true more so than ever this season to suggest that Stoke is not an easy place to go.
Man United, Man City and Chelsea (twice) have all been beaten at the Britannia Stadium since the campaign began.
Liverpool are not in the best of form currently, and have been defeated by Watford, West Ham and Newcastle on their travels in the past month alone.
With that in mind, it might be wise for Jurgen Klopp’s men to err on the side of caution this evening against a Stoke team that genuinely outclassed Man United on St Stephen’s Day in their last match at the Britannia.
The Reds will, however, probably fancy their chances of doing enough to progress in the second leg on 26 January at Anfield provided they don’t leave themselves with a deficit to recover after tonight’s action.
4. Stones still needs to justify the hype
John Stones is routinely described as England’s most promising young centre-back and of late, he has been playing as if he believes the hype.
The subject of a £38 million Chelsea bid in the summer transfer window, Everton were generally praised for holding on to the centre-back despite considerable pressure to sell for such big money.
Yet the England international has not been playing like a £38m-plus footballer in recent times — he is part of an Everton team that has one of the worst defensive records in the Premier League and featured in the side that shipped four against Stoke recently.
Although the outcome of Sunday’s match with Tottenham was less catastrophic, Stones angered the home crowd by doing Cruyff turns with the ball around his own penalty area — indulgent behaviour that is a sign of a lack of maturity in the 21-year-old’s game.
Jamie Carragher — someone who knows a thing or two about defending — was among Stones’ critics.
“People come back at me and say, ‘Oh, typical English mentality, it’s about time we had a player who steps out with the ball.’ I’ve had five or six foreign managers and not one of them would want me – or any defender – to be doing Cruyff turns in the six-yard box,” the former Liverpool defender said on Sky Sports.
“Hopefully Roberto Martinez is telling him that,” Carragher added.
5. Can Liverpool solve the Benteke dilemma?
So far in his Liverpool career, Christian Benteke has scored six goals in 17 appearances — not disastrous form by any means, but hardly spectacular either.
Two match-winning goals in his last three appearances have also helped temper the almost inevitable criticism of the £32.5 million summer signing.
Yet Benteke’s reputation from his Aston Villa days as being somewhat of an enigmatic presence on occasion has not been entirely overcome.
There are games where the Belgian adds little to the overall team play, and Liverpool’s reluctance to play the type of long-ball football, which Villa routinely employed during the striker’s time there, has not helped matters either.
There are signs too that Klopp remains unconvinced about the 25-year-old’s suitability to the team, with 20-year-old Divock Origi among others sporadically preferred in attack, while the German boss has acknowledged there is room for improvement in Benteke’s game.
That said, if Benteke can score a goal or two in a big game such as the one tonight, it might be just the confidence boost he needs to kick on and fully adjust to life at Anfield.
Wife hints at Francesco Totti retirement>
‘Mourinho waiting in the wings if Zidane fails at Real Madrid’>
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Analysis Capital One Cup John Stones Jonny Walters Talking Points Liverpool Stoke City