<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="http://www.thehardtackle.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/liverpool.gif-e1281734447645.jpg"></a></strong> <strong><a href="http://www.thehardtackle.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Birmingham_City_FC_logo.png"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-9964" title="Birmingham_City_FC_logo" src="http://www.thehardtackle.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Birmingham_City_FC_logo.png" alt="" width="96" height="117" /></a></strong> <a href="http://www.thehardtackle.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/liverpool.gif"><img class="size-full wp-image-8404 alignright" title="liverpool" src="http://www.thehardtackle.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/liverpool.gif" alt="" width="92" height="119" /></a> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>BIRMINGHAM CITY</strong><strong> v LIVERPOOL</strong> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>St. Andrew's, Birmingham</em> 12 Sep, 2010 - 20:30 IST </p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong> </strong><em>Liverpool</em> travel to St. Andrews to take on <em>Birmingham City </em>in a fixture that has traditionally proved to be a stumbling block for the <em>Reds</em>. The corresponding fixture last year has been steeped in infamy for one of the most bizarre substitutions carried out by <em>Benitez </em>which <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t00D23R63ig&feature=related" target="_blank">left even the <em>Liverpool </em>Captain flabbergasted.</a> </p> <p style="text-align: justify;"> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em>Liverpool </em>are not unaware of the difficulty that this particular fixture poses. The <em>Merseysiders</em> have been unable to beat the <em>Blues</em> in the league since 2004. The two teams have always served up an even and exciting contest and all their last six <em>Premier League</em> fixtures have produced draws. Indeed, a closer look back shows that the nearest win in the League between these two belonged to <em>Birmingham </em>when they did an unthinkable double over <em>Liverpool</em> in 2004-05. </p> [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="443" caption="Torres, visibly disgruntled after he was substituted at 1-1 at St. Andrews last season"]<a href="http://view.picapp.com/pictures.photo/editorial/fernando-torres-liverpool/image/8432463?term=torres+substitution+birmingham" target="_blank"><img class=" " style="border: 0px;" src="http://view2.picapp.com/pictures.photo/image/8432463/fernando-torres-liverpool/fernando-torres-liverpool.jpg?size=500&imageId=8432463" border="0" alt="St Andrews Ground Birmingham City v Liverpool (1-1) Premier League 04/04/2010 Disgruntled Fernando Torres after being substituted by Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez Photo Roger Parker Fotosports International Photo via Newscom" width="443" height="442" /></a>[/caption] <p style="text-align: justify;">. <em>Birmingham </em>have already gone about proving that their last season’s top half finish was no fluke, with an impressive start to the season which sees them sit at the sixth position in the table. That tally could have been more impressive had they not allowed <em>Bolton </em>to snatch a point after they were 2-0 up at <em>The Reebok</em>. <em>Liverpool</em>’s run-in on the contrary can hardly be termed as comfortable, although the quality of opposition faced by both teams so far has been vastly different. </p> <p style="text-align: justify;">It's also interesting to note that <em>McLeish'</em>s men are on a 16 game unbeaten streak at <em>St.Andrews</em>, currently the longest unbeaten home streak. And the sides they have managed to hold on to at their fortress include <em>Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea,, Tottenham Hotspur, Everton, Arsenal </em>and <em>Liverpool</em>. </p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Both sides have had a flurry of late activity in the transfer window with <em>Birmingham </em>getting as many as four players on the very last day. However, the most notable of them,<a href="http://www.bcfc.com/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,10412~2149874,00.html" target="_blank"> <em>Alexander Hleb</em></a>, is set to miss out this match following a leg injury that he acquired while playing for Belarus. Striker <em>Kevin Phillips </em>(calf), and defender <em>Stuart Parnaby </em>(hamstring) are also likely to miss out. </p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The big blow for <em>Liverpool</em> will be the absence of their never tiring Dutchman <a href="http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-news/kuyt-injury-latest" target="_blank"><em>Dirk Kuyt</em></a>, who injured his shoulder while attempting a bicycle kick in training midweek with the Dutch squad. <em>Joe Cole</em> will also miss the trip as he serves the last of his suspensions. <em>Fabio Aurelio</em>’s niggling Achilles problem means that new signing <em>Paul Konchesky</em> could be given a start. <em>Raul Meireless</em> will also be looking for his start as a Liverpool man, although he might have to settle with a place on the bench. </p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong> </strong></span> </p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Possible Starting Line-Ups</strong></span> </p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em>Hogdson</em> might be tempted go with an attacking 4-4-2 formation, like he did in the away game at <em>Manchester City</em> but with <em>Ngog</em> having just recovered from an injury; he’ll field a 4-3-2-1 in all likelihood, with <em>Torres</em> alone upfront. </p> <p style="text-align: left;"> [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="313" caption="Possible Liverpool Starting Formation"]<img class=" " style="border: 0pt;" src="http://this11.com/boards/1284217553786639.jpg" border="0" alt="Football Fans Know Better" width="313" height="467" />[/caption] <p style="text-align: justify;"> -<strong> Liverpool FC-</strong> <em>Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Skrtel, Konchesky, Poulsen, Lucas, Babel, Gerrard, Jovanovic, Torres.</em> </p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Birmingham City-</strong><em> Foster, Carr, Ridgewell, Dann, Johnson, Larsson, Gardner, Bowyer, Ferguson, McFadden, Jerome</em>. </p> <p style="text-align: justify;">-</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>TheHardTackle’s PREDICTION</strong></span> </p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em>Birmingham City</em> 1-1 <em>Liverpool</em> </p> <p style="text-align: justify;">-</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">TheHardTackle’s Player To Watch Out For </span><em>Fernando Torres (Liverpool)</em></strong> The only realistic threat that <em>Liverpool </em>possess in the striking department, <em>Fernando Torres </em>still carries the club on his shoulders in terms of goal scoring responsibility. The absence of <em>Joe Cole</em> further increases the reliance on him to produce one of his trademark genius moments to carry <em>Liverpool </em>through. </p> <p style="text-align: justify;"> <div style="overflow: hidden; width: 1px; height: 1px; text-align: justify;"> <!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <! /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} --> <!--[endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">Possible Starting Line-Ups </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Hogdson might go with an attacking formation with a 4-4-2, like he did in the away game at Manchester City but with Ngog having just recovered from an injury; he’ll fiel </p> Possible Starting Line-Ups Hogdson might go with an attacking formation with a 4-4-2, like he did in the away game at Manchester City but with Ngog having just recovered from an injury; he’ll field a 4-3-2-1 in all likelihood, with Torres upfront alone. Liverpool FC- Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Skrtel, Konchesky, Poulsen, Lucas, Babel, Gerrard, Jovanovic, Torres Birmingham City- Foster, Carr, Ridgewell, Dann, Johnson, Larsson, Gardner, Bowyer, Ferguson, McFadden, Jerome. TheHardTackle’s PREDICTION Birmingham City 1-1 Liverpool TheHardTackle’s Man To Watch Out For Fernando Torres The only realistic threat that Liverpool possess in the striking department, Fernando Torres still carries the club on his shoulders in terms of goal scoring responsibility. The absence of Joe Cole further increases the reliance on him to produce one of his trademark genius moments to carry Liverpool through. <p class="MsoNormal">d a 4-3-2-1 in all likelihood, with Torres upfront alone. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Liverpool FC- Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Skrtel, Konchesky, Poulsen, Lucas, Babel, Gerrard, Jovanovic, Torres </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Birmingham City- Foster, Carr, Ridgewell, Dann, Johnson, Larsson, Gardner, Bowyer, Ferguson, McFadden, Jerome. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">TheHardTackle’s PREDICTION </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Birmingham City 1-1 Liverpool </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">TheHardTackle’s Man To Watch Out For </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Fernando Torres </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span>The only realistic threat that Liverpool possess in the striking department, Fernando Torres still carries the club on his shoulders in terms of goal scoring responsibility. The absence of Joe Cole further increases the reliance on him to produce one of his trademark genius moments to carry Liverpool through.</span> </p> [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="360" caption="The Lone Source Of Goals For LFC"]<a href="http://view.picapp.com/pictures.photo/entertainment/sports-news-august-2010/image/9557726?term=fernando+torres" target="_blank"><img style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://view4.picapp.com/pictures.photo/image/9557726/sports-news-august-2010/sports-news-august-2010.jpg?size=500&imageId=9557726" border="0" alt="Aug. 16, 2010 - 06332118 date 15 08 2010 Copyright imago BPI Fernando Torres of Liverpool PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxUKxFRAxNEDxESPxSWExPOLxCHNxJPN men Football England Premier League 2010 2011 Liverpool Action shot Single cut out Vdig 2010 vertical premiumd Football." width="360" height="492" /></a>[/caption] <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>TheHardTackle’s BLAST FROM THE PAST:</strong></span> <p style="text-align: center;"> </p> </div>