Liverpool FC Forum

Posted: **Wed Jan 14, 2009 1:59 pm**

GK - Reina
RB - Carragher
CB - Agger
CB - Skertel
LB - Arbeloa
LM - Reira
CM - Gerrard
CM - Mascherano
RM - Babel
ST - Torres
ST - Keane

Bench - Kuyt,Ngog, Lucas, El Zhar ........

What do you think ?

Posted: **Wed Jan 14, 2009 2:00 pm**

I think yes what about you?

Posted: **Wed Jan 14, 2009 2:02 pm**

replace mascherano with Alonso, benni with Babel

Posted: **Wed Jan 14, 2009 2:07 pm**

Replace Keane with Alonso and stick Kuyt on the right instead of Babel and I would agree.

Posted: **Wed Jan 14, 2009 2:12 pm**

mascherano is disappointing me a bit, Is a tremendous player without the ball but when he´s got it he becomes in a very mediocre player who takes attack capacity away from the team. Alonso is more balanced than him. So...

Reina

Arbeloa Carra/Skrtel Agger Aurelio

Kuyt Gerrard Alonso Riera

Keane Torres/Babel

Posted: **Wed Jan 14, 2009 2:16 pm**

Alex G. wrote:mascherano is disappointing me a bit, Is a tremendous player without the ball but when he´s got it he becomes in a very mediocre player. Alonso is more balanced than him.

I think its more a case of Masch having been poor this season since he came back. He really needs to up his game to the levels we saw last season.

Posted: **Wed Jan 14, 2009 2:16 pm**

subject matter = "Starting XI", you've added a bench and yet only put five players on it - what's that about?

For me the best XI is :

GK Reina
RB Arbeloa
LB Insua/Aurelio (close call for me)
CB Carragher
CB Skrtel (Hyypia if we need more aerial presence)
RM Kuyt
LM Riera
CM Alonso
CM Mascherano
AM Gerrard
CF Torres

Subs : Cavalieri, (one of) Agger/Hyypia, Lucas, Benayoun, El Zhar, Babel (not just to replace Riera), Keane

I think it's our best/most effective formation, there's little evidence Keane and Torres in a 4-4-2 is better. I might use a 4-4-2 against teams we should be beating, probably replace Mascherano with Keane and put N'Gog on the bench in Keane's stead. That plays all our best players in their best position (not saying all XI are our best players, just that we play all our best players and they are all in their best roles), leaves something on the bench to bring on and change the game - sometimes the bench is pretty lame looking - with scope to change the formation. I might put Aurelio on the bench in place of either Benayoun or El Zhar if Insua starts, we always have the option to move Carra or Arbeloa to a different position defensively which is why I've left the bench light of defenders. Sadly Rafa brings on Babel as a LM to replace Riera a lot, I am not a fan of that and see it as a wasted substitution.

Posted: **Wed Jan 14, 2009 2:19 pm**

I agree with most of that too Owzat

Posted: **Wed Jan 14, 2009 2:21 pm**

s@int wrote:
Alex G. wrote:mascherano is disappointing me a bit, Is a tremendous player without the ball but when he´s got it he becomes in a very mediocre player. Alonso is more balanced than him.

I think its more a case of Masch having been poor this season since he came back. He really needs to up his game to the levels we saw last season.

He ain´t gonna improve with the possession of the ball. That´s about quality, you can´t train it, it´s innate, he never will have the quality of Alonso.

Posted: **Wed Jan 14, 2009 2:22 pm**

s@int wrote:
Alex G. wrote:mascherano is disappointing me a bit, Is a tremendous player without the ball but when he´s got it he becomes in a very mediocre player. Alonso is more balanced than him.

I think its more a case of Masch having been poor this season since he came back. He really needs to up his game to the levels we saw last season.

I think his all-round game is weak and therefore any loss of form is exacerbated. His passing needs serious rectifying, he needs to stop diving in and waving his arm in the air as he does it (possible handball/penalty shouts) Other than that he isn't much use going forward/scoring so he is very limited.

He has a very good engine, covers a lot of ground, but I don't think we're defensively inpenetrable with him in the side, not a massive gain on when he is left out. So for me we just include a player to win the ball when it doesn't by-pass him, whether he does anything with it when he's got it is another matter entirely. I think in some ways Lucas's passing range/game looks weak when he plays next to Mascherano. Alonso has a greater range of passing than those two put together, his tackling may not be at Mascherano's level, but for me he's the first name in the XI as noone else can offer what Alonso does to the team. I think we miss him more than most of the others, except maybe Torres and Gerrard and only then when they're having a better than average game (for them)

Posted: **Wed Jan 14, 2009 2:27 pm**

I disagree with most of that too owzat

Posted: **Wed Jan 14, 2009 2:45 pm**

with what we have to play with and everyone being fit this weekend i would play this team

reina

carra - - skittle - - agger - - Aurelio

alonso
babel -- gerrard -- riera

keane
torres

bench: Ngog, kuyt, Mash, Lucas, Insua, Hyypia, Cavalieri

Posted: **Wed Jan 14, 2009 3:14 pm**

I am no Kuyt lover, and realise ALL his faults, but can anyone explain just what Babel had done this season to justify being selected in front of him on the right?

Posted: **Wed Jan 14, 2009 3:33 pm**

s@int wrote:I am no Kuyt lover, and realise ALL his faults, but can anyone explain just what Babel had done this season to justify being selected in front of him on the right?

i'm not saying kuyt has done anything wrong just that i think babel offers a better chance of the ball going forward and not sideways or back, sometime he (kuyt) does wonders to keep hold of the ball and make room for himself to push forward only for him to pass straight back to the defence and all the hard work he has done was for nothing

yes i know babel will not track back half the time but at least we would then have someone further up the pitch to pass the ball to and not just have torres left there on his own i think with the pace he has he SHOULD be bombing past players and getting the ball in the box and with him being on the right he would be able to cross the ball with his stronger leg lowering the need for him to cut in all the time and run in to trouble as he seems to do time and time again when on the left

Posted: **Wed Jan 14, 2009 4:05 pm**

gk pepe
rb arbeloa
lb insua
cb carra
cb agger
dm xabi
dm masher
rm kuyt
lm reira
am gerrard
st torres

subs
cavelleri
skittles
aurelio
lucas
babel
yossi
keane

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Best startint 11 - Using current squad members

Best startint 11 - Using current squad members