After being gifted our easiest route to the final for years, we aren't half making a meal of it. Can we maul the Championship side Barnsley - our toughest opponent yet - 3 days before the Inter Milan clash, or are we facing another replay?... Or worse, after two close shaves already could it be third time lucky with regards to an upset?

With that Inter match on the horizon, expect players to be rested. Although not too many, as we can't really risk losing...


----------------------------- Itandje ----------------------------

----- Finnan -------- Skrtel ------- Hyypia -------- Riise -----

---- Benayoun ---- Gerrard ---- Xabi Alonso ---- Kewell ----

---------------------------------------- Babel ----------------------

----------------------- Kuyt ---------------------------------------

Subs: Martin, Carragher, Mascherano, Crouch, Torres


I think we'll grind out a relatively comfortable 2-0 win. Which i'd take, frankly.

I think a shock could be on the cards here in good ol' FA Cup fashion - minnows Liverpool to win 1-0.

You heard it here first.

Pretty much agree with your team, who should be good enough to win, but have a phobia about teams beginning with B in the FA Cup, in past decade or so remember Bolton, Bristol and Burnley especially spring to mind

I can see Barnsley making a good account of them in this one, after their morale boosting victory over West Brom at Oakwell last weekend, but Liverpool to just dominate the game and win it by a comfortable 3-1 scoreline.

The way things are going this season i can see us struggling to kill off the game again.

It's a difficult one to call for me this one with me being a Barnsley boy born and bred....

I'm hoping for a Liverpool win but hopefully they don't hammer the Tykes

Injury news:

Martin Skrtel is the only new major doubt (calf) for the match.

Sami Hyypia, Alvaro Arbeloa, Fabio Aurelio and Fernando Torres have all returned to training after injuries. It's touch-and-go however as to whether Rafa will risk them, with a view to the Inter Milan match on Tuesday.

And Daniel Agger and Andriy Voronin remain at least two weeks from fitness, unfortunately.


With our defence ripped to shreds, and Jack Hobbs out on-loan, we may inevitably see 18-year-old Mikel San Jose Dominguez receive his first senior start for the club since arriving in August. It'd be an intriguing but equally daunting thought...

Some clown told me they were playing Barnsley!

Aye, and knowing us they'll be made to look like Brazil instead of the half-decent, SPL-rate outfit they actually are...

Barnsley are actuall a second rate SPL side?!? Learn something new everyday I suppose

I suppose you can translate "SPL-rate" to "second-rate" yes. But i didn't say they were an SPL side.

Damn my bad, read it wrong. I lose

Freudian slip FTW

whats FTW?

Arbeloa and Aurelio are ruled out through injury, Torres probably rested no decision released yet.

Liverpool 2-1 Barnsley.

I can't see Barnsley even getting in the l,pool half really which is a shame!


l,pool 5 - 1 Barnsley (own goal)









COME ON BARNSLEY!!!!!!!!!!

I can't see Liverpool loose that one, rotating to keep players fresh is a good option for that game.
I just wonder if Benitez does loads of team shape training sessions with the 11 he is playing or if the players are also clueless about if they are in the starting line up or not ?

I think even rafa beneathus is also clueless about who's in the starting line up.

Pretty even so far...

In fact best chance to barnsley so far....

Finally Kuyt gets on the mark

Halftime, 1-0 with a Kuyt goal.

You could hear a pin drop....

I'm speaking as if I were covering a chess match.