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These international breaks do seem to drag and I'm sure everyone involved with the squad would have wanted to be playing earlier than today after that defeat at Chelsea.
I think we found out just how tough the Premier League can be at Stamford Bridge against a Chelsea side who were simply magnificent on the day, but we still sit in the top half of the table with six points which is a lot better than most pundits were predicting for us.
Today's is another tough one against Liverpool, despite the fact that like us they have lost two of their opening league games. And looking down their team sheet there's no sign of Djimi Trarore.
Once favourites for the league at the start of every season it is now over 19 years since Liverpool last picked up the old First Division title, and with the Premier League in its 18th year it is one trophy that is still to make its way to Anfield.
Under Bill Shankly, and more so under Bob Paisley, they became without any doubt at all the best team in England and won countless trophies both at home and in Europe. But things have changed in the last two decades. They have finished as low as eighth in the Premier League and have just twice finished as high as second.
One of those second places came last season giving hope that Liverpool were again ready to mount a serious challenge for the title. Those two early defeats shouldn't prove too costly with only Chelsea of the traditional top four not to have lost as yet.
There is one thing for certain that has changed at Liverpool since their heady days. Then, they seemed to be the best run club in the country. Not one bit of dirty linen was ever washed in public under chairman John Smith.
Now with Laurel and Hardy running the show from America they club has often been made a laughing stock by this duo that must have seriously worried every Liverpool supporter from the day they took over.
Rafa Benitez has had his run ins with them and Rick Parry has been shown the door. If I was a fan I'd wonder which one I could distrust the most.
Benitez has got Liverpool back on track after the early defeats, and last time out they came from behind to beat Bolton at the Reebok.
Fabio Aurelio is back in contention for Liverpool after recovering from a cartilage operation in what could be an almost full strength side for Benitez. Yossi Benayoun is expected to be recalled on the left hand side of the midfield.
Their starting line up for the last game at Bolton was: Pepe Reina, Emiliano Insua, Jamie Carragher, Sotirios Kyrgiakos, Glen Johnson, Albert Riera, Lucas Leiva, Javier Mascherano, Dirk Kuyt, Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres. Subs: Yossi Benayoun, Andrea Dossena, Peter Gulacsi, Martin Kelly, Damien Plessis, Martin Skrtel, Andriy Voronin.
Owen Coyle will be hoping all his players return from international duty without injury which would leave him with a fully fit squad other than captain Steven Caldwell who has still not recovered from the groin injury sustained playing for Scotland four and a half weeks ago.
The big question is whether new signing David Nugent will make his league debut for us and I suspect he'll come in for Martin Paterson who had a game in midweek for Northern Ireland.
We could line up: Brian Jensen, Tyrone Mears, Clarke Carlisle, Andre Bikey, Stephen Jordan, Graham Alexander, Steven Fletcher, Wade Elliott, Chris McCann, Robbie Blake, David Nugent. Subs from: Diego Penny, Richard Eckersley, David Edgar, Christian Kalvenes, Joey Gudjonsson, Kevin McDonald, Chris Eagles, Fernando Guerrero, Steven Thompson, Martin Paterson.
The last time we played Liverpool in a league game was at Anfield on 27th March 1976 when goals either side of half time condemned us to a 2-0 defeat.
The result took Liverpool into fourth place, just two points behind leaders Queens Park Rangers. Burnley were next to bottom although a massive eleven points ahead of already doomed Sheffield United.
The game proved to be a last Burnley appearance for captain Colin Waldron who was left out of the remaining games and released at the end of the season.
The Burnley team was: Gerry Peyton, Derek Scott, Keith Newton, Peter Noble, Colin Waldron, Billy Rodaway, Tony Morley, Brian Flynn, Ray Hankin, Paul Fletcher, Mike Summerbee.
Previous 20 Seasons | |||||
Season | Div | Ven | Result | Att | Scorers |
1994/95 | LC | a | 0-2 | 23,359 | . |
| . | . | h | 1-4 | 19,032 | Robinson |
. | FAC | h | 0-0 | 20,551 | . |
| . | . | a | 0-1 | 32,109 | . |
1996/97 | FAC | a | 0-1 | 33,252 | . |
2004/05 | FAC | h | 1-0 | 19,033 | Traore(og) |
