Anfield Road

LIVERPOOL will  begin their 2012 FA Cup campaign with a home match against either Southend United and Oldham Athletic.

League Two Southend drew 1-1 at home to Oldham Athletic yesterday, matching their club-record 17 match unbeaten run, and now face  a trip to League One Oldham’s Boundary Park for the 2nd round replay. 

Having been drawn away in every round of this season’s League Cup (only getting a home tie in the semis because that round is played over two legs) this is the first time Liverpool have been drawn at home for a domestic cup match since Roy Hodgson’s infamous penalty exit to “formidable” Northampton in last season’s League Cup.

Liverpool were drawn away in last season’s 3rd round, going out to Manchester United in a game that saw Kenny Dalglish take over the reigns from Roy Hodgson who had finally been given his cards. The game game kicked off less than 24 hours after Kenny had arrived back in the UK after cutting short a cruise holiday to answer Liverpool’s distress call, going straight from the airport to the team hotel.

Although he’ll have much more time to  prepare for the game this time round the Reds have big games a few days either side of the FA Cup match. They travel across to the Etihad for a league game against Manchester City on Tuesday the 3rd of January, with the FA Cup tie set for the weekend of the 7th and 8th, before travelling back to the Etihad on the 11th for the first leg of the Carling Cup semi-final.

Manchester City, meanwhile, have been drawn at home to neighbours Manchester United for their 3rd round tie.

One of the two Merseyside clubs will have their game moved to the Sunday, regardless of any changes for TV, after Everton were also drawn at home (against non-league Tamworth).