Liverpool FC Forum

by **DLS** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 12:25 am

very easy question to answer.

Reina in goal, best keeper in the world as far as I'm concerned.
Carra at right back because Finnan is knocking on and it gives us a chance to blood Agger and Skrtel together early.
Agger and Skrtel at the back obviously by my line above. Both quality, young central defenders. They're more than likely going to be our pairing in the future, sort it out now.
Arbeloa at left back. It's where he's played all his best games in a Liverpool shirt, especially at the Nou Camp where he marked Messi out of the game. Our other options for left back just aren't up to the task, unless we give Insua a real go in the side who is another massively talented youngster.
Right wing has to be Gerrard. The rest down the right are useless and can't cross wires never mind a football.
Mascherano and Alonso in the middle becuase they are simply two world class midfielders. If Alonso gets this more advanced role then we'll be laughing because Mascherano will mop up everything and we'll see Alonso's ability going forward much better.
Left wing is Babel. A very good player who will only get better. Again our replacements might as well not exist.
Up top is Keane and Torres. No explaination needed really.

by **Rush Job** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 2:09 am

Reina

Darby Carra Agger Dossena

Masch
Lucas/Alonso

Gerrard Babbel

Keane
Torres

With Gerrard playing in front i`d take the chance to bring though young Darby, looks a sound and lively player plus he`d die for the shirt, i reckon we`d get another 20% out the lad playing him behind SG.

by **JoeTerp** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 2:37 am

I like to get a little crazy:
Reina
Carra Hyypia Agger
Mascherano Alonso
Gerrard Aurelio
Keane
Torres Babel

by **heimdall** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 5:00 am

JoeTerp wrote:I like to get a little crazy:
Reina
Carra Hyypia Agger
Mascherano Alonso
Gerrard Aurelio
Keane
Torres Babel

Too dangerous playing 3 CB's, especially Hyppia as the central one, swap him out with Skyrtel and its a possible though. It does look an exciting team, I especially like Aurelio on the left, he is no defender but left midfield could be a very good position for him, plus I want to see babel given a chance as striker/forward.

by **account deleted by request** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 5:26 am

Rush Job wrote:Reina

Darby Carra Agger Dossena

Masch
Lucas/Alonso

Gerrard Babbel

Keane
Torres

With Gerrard playing in front i`d take the chance to bring though young Darby, looks a sound and lively player plus he`d die for the shirt, i reckon we`d get another 20% out the lad playing him behind SG.

I like the idea of Darby getting a chance mate. I put Carra out there because I am not that keen on Arbeloa, but I would be quite happy to see Darby get a run of real games to see if he sinks or swims.

I thought he did very well in preseason and certainly didn't look out of place, whether he could do it in a competitive game we won't know till we try him.

by **Toffeehater** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 5:36 am

s@int wrote:While its extremely early to be trying to pick a best team, my early view is that our new buys have hardly come out of the blocks running, in fact they haven't really left the starting line yet.

My hopes once again are pinned to the top quality players we have........Reina, Carra, Agger, Masch, Gerrard, Torres. If they play to their best levels we are in with a chance, injuries to a couple of them and I think we can forget any sort of real title challenge.

The next group are the "good enough" players.....Hyypia, Skrtel, Alonso, Lucas, Babel, Keane. While not key players, I think they will do a good job when called on with a few top class performances and MAYBE a few forgettable ones thrown in.

Then we come to the questionable ones, players that might do OK, but are just as likely to cause endless frustration and cost us points. Cavelieri, Arbeloa, Finnan, Dossena, Aurelio. The worry is a couple of these are likely to be first team regulars!

Last and most definately least are the players I don't really want to see much of this season Degen,Benayoun, Pennant, Kuyt, Voronin. Although to be fair, Kuyt purely on effort and hard work should probably be in a higher category.

Best ELEVEN

Reina

Carra
Skrtel
Agger
Dossena/Aurelio (depending on formation)

Aurelio/Alonso/Lucas (depending on formation)
Mascherano
Gerrard
Babel

Keane
Torres

I have basically gone for a standard 4-4-2 but with a couple of changes it would become the famous 4-2-3-1....... which with the players we have available would mean little difference anyway.

spot on , i'd pick the same team , with the 4-2-3-1 formation with keane playing as a second striker in the hole .

by **The_Rock** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 5:52 am

In his 4 years here....Benítez, the free encyclopedia has not bought any "flank" type player (ie...fullback, wingers) of worth-able mention...thus my strongest team selection goes along these lines.

Reina
Carra Hyppia Skertel Agger
Mascherano
Keane Alonso Babel
Gerrard
Torres
- Carra and Agger as fullbacks....I am still not convinced with dossena. Don't see any major improvement over riise. As for arbeloa, i just think he is pretty average. Shall just use this excuse which is quite pop here....will arbeloa make the starting lineup at arsenal, manure or chelsea ? Will he even make the bench at chelsea ? Lets move on......

- Actually think a technically sound player like Agger is our best choice at LB...He is comfortable on the ball....can score a few goals..is relatively fast ...and is a good defender (what more can u ask from your LB). You could even call him the next maldini....

- As for the rest of the lineup....it just picks itself... Gerrard has to have a free-role (ie..support striker)...Its no use asking him to play right mid....centre mid..when he basically goes everywhere around the pitch. So keane on the right for me.

- As for alonso...as long as he is willing to get forward and play closer to the opposition half...then he is in. If he goes back to his old hunting ground and sticks behind mascherano throughout the game...and lets the opposition striker disoriente him, then i would replace him with a more mobile lucas.

thats all folks...... :cool:

by **skatesy** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 6:51 am

REINA
ARBELOA CARRAGHER AGGER DOSSENA

MASCHERANO ALONSO

GERRARD BABEL
KEANE

TORRES

by **Thewaykokid** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 7:09 am

To me, i've noticed a lot of talk about pushing some of our players wide like we did with kuyt, and that hasn't turned out too well :no

. I think however this was a one of thing because kuyt has no attacking flair ( no offense to kuyt, but he isn't much of a playmaker). However, im my formation, i would play a 4-1-2-1-2 with someone different on the wing........perhaps someone who has never tried it before but is already a decent midfielder. Xabi Alonso seems to fit perfectly, now i'm not saying take Xabi and put him on ther right flank vs. manchester united, but perhaps in some "Not as important" games we could give Xabi a shot on the wings.

Reina

Arbeloa Carragher Skrtel Dossena

Mascherano
Alonso Babel

Gerrard

Keane
Torres

I think this is a very effective formation and btw Rafa if you are by chance reading this i'm interested in a possible assistant coach position at the club :laugh:

by **66-1112520797** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 7:46 am

Lando_Griffin wrote:So we struggle like f*ck to win games playing a 4-4-2, having been outstanding when using the 4-2-3-1, but 4-4-2 is our best formation...

It gets better.

Lando fella, I find myself agreeing with you ! :Oo:

In no particular order our best eleven at the moment.

Torres
Finnan
Keane
Carra
Gerrard
Mascha
Agger
Alonso
Dossena
Reina
Babel

by **Owzat** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 1:41 pm

Lando_Griffin wrote:So we struggle like f*ck to win games playing a 4-4-2, having been outstanding when using the 4-2-3-1, but 4-4-2 is our best formation...

It gets better.

That made me laugh, that and the basis of a lot of people including Keane in the "best eleven" being that we paid £20.3m for him and not because he deserves to be included on merit! It's not what you know, it isn't even who you know, but what you cost. By that logic should we not find a place for Kuyt because we paid £10m for him? And Babel because we paid £11.5m for him? In fact, fookit, let's simply pick the XI on who we paid most for

GK Reina £6m
LB Dossena £7m
CB Skrtel £6m
CB Agger £5.8m
RB Finnan £3.5m
LM Babel £11.5m
CM Alonso £10.5m
CM Mascherano £18.6m
RM Kuyt £10m
CF Torres £21m
CF Keane £20.3m

Well we can't leave anyone out who cost us a bit now can we? We can leave Keane out, based on performance. Why shouldn't we have a £20.3m striker on the bench if the side on the pitch does the business? As you said Lando, three games of "struggling like f*ck" and yet people stick with the same players and the same formation, you can bet your bottom dollar Kuyt will be to blame! (always Kuyt, never anyone else)

by **dodoshady** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 1:43 pm

How is dossena playing?

by **66-1112520797** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 1:51 pm

Owzat wrote:
Lando_Griffin wrote:So we struggle like f*ck to win games playing a 4-4-2, having been outstanding when using the 4-2-3-1, but 4-4-2 is our best formation...

It gets better.

That made me laugh, that and the basis of a lot of people including Keane in the "best eleven" being that we paid £20.3m for him and not because he deserves to be included on merit! It's not what you know, it isn't even who you know, but what you cost. By that logic should we not find a place for Kuyt because we paid £10m for him? And Babel because we paid £11.5m for him? In fact, fookit, let's simply pick the XI on who we paid most for

GK Reina £6m
LB Dossena £7m
CB Skrtel £6m
CB Agger £5.8m
RB Finnan £3.5m
LM Babel £11.5m
CM Alonso £10.5m
CM Mascherano £18.6m
RM Kuyt £10m
CF Torres £21m
CF Keane £20.3m

Well we can't leave anyone out who cost us a bit now can we? We can leave Keane out, based on performance. Why shouldn't we have a £20.3m striker on the bench if the side on the pitch does the business? As you said Lando, three games of "struggling like f*ck" and yet people stick with the same players and the same formation, you can bet your bottom dollar Kuyt will be to blame! (always Kuyt, never anyone else)

Who said anything about playing players who cost us more.

:lookaround

Nobody.

Its all in your head lad.

by **Scottbot** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 1:59 pm

In my opinion - This is our best 11 players on the pitch in the formation we finished last season.

Reina

Finnan Carra Skrtel Agger

Alonso Mascherano

Gerrard Keane Babel

Torres

Fullbacks: It looks like Finnan has been frozen out but he is a better player than Arbeloa (who has always looked better at LB for me anyway). Dossena has yet to inspire any confidence in me, from what i've seen he isn't the quickest when it comes to changing direction and he's been squared up a few times already. He has hit a couple of nice long passes + a few decent balls into the box in pre-season mind. The manager likes to play Carra at RB from time to time. That doesn't make a lot of sense to me because we lose his leadership and organisational skills at the back. I'd be far more inclined to play Agger at LB in these situations. I've put him there (permanently) becuse i have very little faith in the players available. It wouldn't surprise me if Insua (got potential in my book) wins the job by January.

Midfield: Guess it depends on the formation. I think the manager has to bite the bullet and play Gerrard on the right for some of the time (not necessarily every game). He's been worried about the left but what about the right!? We've got NO-ONE! Pennant seems to have been frozen out, El Zhar is not the answer, we can just about get away with Kuyt playing out there in the 4-2-3-1 but in a 4-4-2!!!!! Not a chance. If you look back at our first 3 games EVERYTHING breaks down as soon as the ball reaches Arbeloa/Kuyt down the right hand side. Both players are very good at passing the ball backwards or sideways, that's about it. In the 4-2-3-1 the front 4 have got a lot freedom, i'd give Gerrard, Babel and Keane licence to roam. Alonso and Masch both read the game very well and have the nous to accomodate the movement of the front players. Again with Babel, he had some succes playing wide-left in the 4-2-3-1 but struggled with the defensive aspect required as part of a 4.

Forwards: Keane and Torres can play together, we've seen a few little glimpses but they will be far more effective when (if) we are able to get some attacking (or remotely threatening) play from wide areas. I DON'T want to see Keane playing wide-right, i'd happily see him playing behind Torres as Gerrard did last season.

by **DLS** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 1:59 pm

Owzat wrote:That made me laugh, that and the basis of a lot of people including Keane in the "best eleven" being that we paid £20.3m for him and not because he deserves to be included on merit! It's not what you know, it isn't even who you know, but what you cost. By that logic should we not find a place for Kuyt because we paid £10m for him? And Babel because we paid £11.5m for him? In fact, fookit, let's simply pick the XI on who we paid most for

GK Reina £6m
LB Dossena £7m
CB Skrtel £6m
CB Agger £5.8m
RB Finnan £3.5m
LM Babel £11.5m
CM Alonso £10.5m
CM Mascherano £18.6m
RM Kuyt £10m
CF Torres £21m
CF Keane £20.3m

Well we can't leave anyone out who cost us a bit now can we? We can leave Keane out, based on performance. Why shouldn't we have a £20.3m striker on the bench if the side on the pitch does the business? As you said Lando, three games of "struggling like f*ck" and yet people stick with the same players and the same formation, you can bet your bottom dollar Kuyt will be to blame! (always Kuyt, never anyone else)

lad did you just want to show you had the prices for our transfers?

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Our very best eleven.... - Based on a couple of matches.

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