Early Reds Team News
Barnsley are missing major players for the club's biggest game since the 2006 League One Play-Off Final.
Heinz Muller is out for the rest of the season with a cruciate knee ligament injury and replacement Tony Warner is cup-tied. This will mean a mammoth debut for new loan signing- 23 year old Luke Steele. Lewin Nyatanga and Jon Macken are also cup-tied. Bobby Hassell should come in at right back with Stephen Foster going into central defence. If Davey goes 4-4-2 Istvan Ferenczi should partner Danny Nardiello up front or Nardiello could play as a lone striker.
Likely Line-Up:
Luke Steele
Bobby Hassell
Stephen Foster
Dennis Souza
Rob Kozluk
Martin Devaney
Brian Howard ©
Anderson De Silva
Diego Leon
Istvan Ferenczi
Daniel Nardiello
Head to Head
Barnsley head to Anfield for only the 11th time in their history and have won in only one of those trips- the last meeting. In Barnsley's one and only season in the Premier League exactly ten seasons ago, The Reds secured an historic 1-0 victory courtesy of an Ashley Ward strike after 35 minutes. David James had a rush of blood to the head and hauled down Andy Liddell. The ball squirted off Patrick Berger to Ward and the ex Derby man prodded the ball over the line. Despite Liverpool laying siege to the Barnsley goal in the second half The Reds held on.
In the FA Cup the two sides have met five times with the first meeting coming in February 1895 when Liverpool scored a resounding 4-0 victory. The last FA Cup meeting in 1985 also saw Liverpool win 4-0 at Oakwell. Barnsley have never beaten Liverpool in the FA Cup.
Last 6 Barnsley v Liverpool Results:
28/3/98 Barnsley 2-3 Liverpool (Premier League)
22/11/97 Liverpool 0-1 Barnsley (Premier League)
10/3/85 Barnsley 0-4 Liverpool (FA Cup)
19/1/82 Barnsley 1-3 Liverpool (League Cup)
12/1/82 Liverpool 0-0 Barnsley (League Cup)
30/3/59 Barnsley 0-2 Liverpool (Second Division)
Overall Record:
Barnsley Wins: 3
Liverpool Wins: 12
Draws: 4
Barnsley Goals: 17
Liverpool Goals: 37
This Season
In the Premier League Liverpool were expected to make a concerted effort to challenge for the Premier League title after spending £26m on Fernando Torres. Too many draws and off the field battles between manager and owners have left Liverpool in a lowly 5th place, 19 points off leaders Arsenal and in real danger of failing to qualify for next season's Champions League.
They have only been defeated once at home this season though- by Manchester United and got to the Fifth Round of the FA Cup (a competition they have won seven times and been runners up in six times) by defeating Luton 5-0 (in a replay) and Havant and Waterlooville 5-2, both at Anfield.
Barnsley meanwhile need to arrest a woeful away run if they are to achieve the biggest upset of the weekend. They have won just twice on the road this season (at Southampton in the league and at Southend in the last round of the FA Cup) and have lost five of the last six on the road.
This is the furthest Barnsley have been in the FA Cup since 1999.
Last 6 2007-2008 Results:
Barnsley:
12/2/08 Plymouth 3-0 Barnsley (Championship)
9/2/08 Barnsley 2-1 West Brom (Championship)
2/2/08 Coventry 4-0 Barnsley (Championship)
29/1/08 Barnsley 2-1 Colchester (Championship)
25/1/08 Southend 0-1 Barnsley (FA Cup)
19/1/08 Queens Park Rangers 2-0 Barnsley (Championship)
W:3 D:0 L:3 F:5 A:11 GD:-6 Points:6
Liverpool:
10/2/08 Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool (Premier League)
2/2/08 Liverpool 3-0 Sunderland (Premier League)
30/1/08 West Ham 1-0 Liverpool (Premier League)
26/1/08 Liverpool 5-2 Havant & Waterloo Ville (FA Cup)
21/1/08 Liverpool 2-2 Aston Villa (Premier League)
15/1/08 Liverpool 5-0 Luton (FA Cup)
W:3 D:2 L:1 F:15 A:5 GD:+10 Points: 5
Barnsley lie 14th in the Coca-Cola Championship with 40 points from 32 games.
Liverpool lie 5th in the FA Barclays Premier League with 44 points from 25 games.
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