Liverpool FC Forum

[slickrick]

yeah we really need downing, cos he's the best left sided player available in europe   and for the people askin why pennant isn't playin, simple answer, he's been for the last year so can't see it changin

[slickrick]

as for team selection, i'd try gerrard wide right, allowin masch and alonso to play in the middle, i know people will say your takin gerrard out of his fav position but i think it would solve our wing problems and give us alot more goin forward

[bigmick]

Well speaking as someone who hardly ever thinks the team should be changed, we should change it for this one. We need to make a decision one way or another about who is our first choice centre half pairing and play it in this game, and in the next ten after that. Personally I don't really care too much who we we should go with, but it's probably Agger plus somebody else. For me it'd be Carragher, but I remain sneakingly suspicious that our best defender will end up playing right back for much of the season, while Skyrtel will partner the Dane in the centre. Fair enough for me, as long as the Serbain/Croatian/Yugoslavian/Balkan/big European bloke (where the feck is he from again?) can curb his tendency to ball watch, and can provide the necessary heading power.

Further forward, if we are going to stick with a 4-4-2 ish formation (which we surely must now we've signed Keane) then sooner or later we are going to have bite the bullet on Kuyt. Yes I know he runs around a lot, and that his dad died last year, and I'm also fully aware that he runs around a lot, lots and lots in fact. The simple truth is however that while he can do a job, milk-floating up and down the touchline in a 4-5-1, in a 4-4-2 his numerous limitations are cruelly exposed and come into sharp focus. Lets be honest, he was absolutely cringe-makingly awful against Sunderland. I felt sorry for him he was so bad, and he needs to be put ourt of his misery. For me under the current circumstances, I'd have Gerrard on the right of midfield (not quite rotation in terms of how much I'm obsessed with it, but Gerrard on the right is another of my hobby-horses). That way we could give Plessis a game without actually weakening the team, as well as allowing Alonso to build on his good start. If Babels back, I'd bung him back in on the left and leave him there until we can think of something better to do with him, and I'd obviously have Keane and Torres up top.

This is probably one of those games where Leon could make his first appearance of the season in goal, as well as me filling in as a kind of withdrawn, deep lying sweeper who is relieved of any running around duties and we'd still win. I'd very much resist the temptation for any kind of styling here though. Anybody who watched the Sunderland game (and I'm led to believe the Champions League game as well) would be fully aware that we aren't exactly top of the fluency and momentum league right now. We need some, so best we leave out the players who actually inhibit progress in those areas, and bring in soime better ones.

Regardless of selection/styling, Liverpool to win 3-0.

[teamleader1]

......................Reina
Carra.....Skrtle......Agger.....Dossener
.....................Masch
Gerrard...........Alonso.........Babel
.............Torres........Keane

As we stand this would be my first eleven, the present squad also gives us plently of options.

Im confident for the season 

Well apart from the owners 

[dawson99]

i fecking hate 'boro, hope we spank 'em

[Ola Mr Benitez]

Mascha won't be back, will he??

I think once he is back we play Alonso and Mascha in the middle with Gerrard on the right (I know he doesn't like it but tough sh|t) and Babel on the left.  Although Babel needs to improve 100% on last years performances for me.  His decision making is diabolical

[Dundalk]

Mascha won't be back, will he??

No he will still be in China

[zarababe]

Argentina play in the final on saturday

[Ola Mr Benitez]

Argentina play in the final on saturday

What time.. he might make it back??

[zarababe]

maybe he can bring Messi back with him ay - gawd imagine if Messi ever joined us corrr what a team we would have ay !

[Toffeehater]

, he's playing around the time we play boro and i'm not sure how long it takes to return to england from china? Maybe 10 or so hours?

[samurai3000]

3-1 to liverpool.. torres,gerrard,keane...

[Owzat]

yeah we really need downing, cos he's the best left sided player available in europe   and for the people askin why pennant isn't playin, simple answer, he's been for the last year so can't see it changin

Welcome to the boards, so very eloquently put by the way.

I'd resist making too many changes, build on the second half XI with Babel for Benayoun. When Mascherano and Lucas return I'd be tempted to switch back to Torres on his own up front.

I have a funny feeling Kuyt could score in this one, if he isn't axed.

[LiverpoolMadman]

yeah we really need downing, cos he's the best left sided player available in europe   and for the people askin why pennant isn't playin, simple answer, he's been for the last year so can't see it changin

Welcome to the boards, so very eloquently put by the way.

I'd resist making too many changes, build on the second half XI with Babel for Benayoun. When Mascherano and Lucas return I'd be tempted to switch back to Torres on his own up front.

I have a funny feeling Kuyt could score in this one, if he isn't axed.

Sorry to kuyt if that's happen but it's about time to sell him and AV and the money will help us to buy good attacking midfield. ( NOT GB )

Ngog and Krisztian Nemeth should in the sub every match

[Owzat]

Sorry to kuyt if that's happen but it's about time to sell him and AV and the money will help us to buy good attacking midfield. ( NOT GB )

Ngog and Krisztian Nemeth should in the sub every match

Depends what they offer for either, but Kuyt is more valuable as a squad player unless we get £7m+ for him. Voronin may not get much chance and bids may not be too high.

The german peasant  should be sold off first, especially if/as he's behind Kuyt in the pecking order for RW.

Good time to point out that I didn't mention Kuyt to start the old debate about whether he's good enough etc, so perhaps we could stick to the game and not "is he good enough?" or other transfer issues. That said at least one of N'Gog and Nemeth should be on the bench, maybe two from them two and Keane