Puskas

I think you're probably a day or two too early for optimism.

I'll go along with the view that Mourinho is tactically inflexible rather than tactically useless. His usual team tactics are excellent, and he has a great depth of players who fit in perfectly to that system. And it works 90, even 95% of the time. But when it's not working you have to try something else, and so far he's come up short in Europe - twice. True tactical genius IMO is playing 3 at the back (for only the second? time in the whole season) against Juventus at home. True tactical genius is replacing a full back with a defensive midfielder when 3:0 down at half time - and transforming the game.

Fowler was onside. Cisse wasn't (again). So we can blame Cisse and/or the linesman, take your pick.

Robbie Fowler

This content is not viewable to guests.

This content is not viewable to guests.

This content is not viewable to guests.

This content is not viewable to guests.

This content is not viewable to guests.

This content is not viewable to guests.

I didn't say it wasn't a risk... And they only play one up front, so we should usually have one centre back free to help with the one on ones... and our wide players can help out too... At least we'd have more firepower up front. Our main problem is scoring goals. If we can get a goal up then we can always switch back to 451. It worked very well against Juventus last year. And we played it pretty well (more like 3-6-1 really) after half time in the final.

I'd play that but with Agger in instead of Hyypia, who needs a rest as well.

I think it might be worth trying a 352 against Chelsea. It would at least give both their centre backs something to think about without leaving us a man short in midfield.

The problem that Crouch has is that Chelsea have sussed out how to play him. He gave them quite a lot of problems the first time we played them this season. Then Makelele was moved - he now stands just in front of Crouch with one of the centre backs marking hima and one just behind whenever the ball is likely to be played long. This is because Crouch likes to take a touch to control the ball - Makelele just moves in and takes it off him if he tries to control it, whichever centre back is not marking him will drop off and watches for knock downs. Good tactical move by Mourinho. It's interesting to see the tactical moves between Mourinho and Benitez - they had the measure of us at the start of last season, then we crept back into it with some draws - and actually won a game - now they have moved a little ahead again. I expect Benitez to try something different next time we play them, maybe play 352. We could certainly use a bit more of a cutting edge up front.

The last time we attacked Chelsea all out they beat us 4:1. To beat them we have to cut out the individual mistakes - like someone leaving Gallas unmarked at a corner, and someone playing Crespo onside.

What's that got to do with a 7-3 win over Eintracht Frankfurt at Hamden Park? Or 83 goals in 84 games for Hungary? More than Pele in international colours. A lot more than Romario (sorry Romario!) It's only in the last couple of years that anyone has topped Puskas's total of international goals - he held the record for nearly 50 years until Ali Daei surpassed it a few years ago.

This content is not viewable to guests.

Puskas - the only player to have scored 4 goals in a European Cup Final. "The fact that he could only use his left foot with any effectiveness was not important - with it he could produce the most sublime piece of skill or unleash the most fearsome of shots. Few, if any, could do as much with just one foot and as Puskas said 'If you kick a ball with two feet you end up on your a***'." ?Puskas scared the hell out of goalkeepers from the 30-35 metre range. He did not just have a powerful shot, but precision as well. I thought he was a genius? ? Raymond Kopa ?I was with Puskas coaching in Australia the players he was coaching did not respect him until he put the ball down outside the area and intentionally hit the cross bar ten times in a row? ? George Best And finally on himself: ?Gento still likes to tell the story about how he would throw me the soap in the showers and I could catch it with my left foot and keep it up for a while??. It was true? Good player as well. 59 in 68 for Hungary, but before Puskas's time. Sándor Kocsis was pretty useful too - 75 goals in 68 games for Hungary. He played in the great 1954 team with Puskas.

I beg to differ: FERENC PUSKAS Born: 2 April 1927 in Kispest. Nickname: Öcsi, Pancho Puskas, Canoncito Pum. Position: Inside left. Caps: Hungary 84 (1945-1956) / 83 goals Spain 4 (1961-1962) / 0 goals League Games: Hungary 354 (1943-1956) / 357 goals Spain 179 (1958-1966) / 154 goals Domestic Cup games: Hungarian Cup 40 (1944-1956) / 50 goals International Cup Games: European Champions' Cup 41 (1956-1966) / 35 goals Intercontinental Cup 2 (1960) / 2 goals European Footballer of the Year: 1956 (4th), 1959 (7th), 1960 (2nd), 1961 (5th), 1965 (13th) Trophies & Tournaments: World Cup participation: 1954, 1962 World Cup beaten finalist: 1954 Olympic Tournament: 1952 Intercontinental Cup: 1960 European Champions' Cup: 1959*, 1960, 1966* European Champions' Cup beaten finalist: 1962, 1964 Hungarian Champion: 1949/50, 1950, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1956 Hungarian runner-up: 1946/47, 1951, 1953 Hungarian Cup winner: - Hungarian Cup beaten finalist: 1955 Spanish Champion: 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965 Spanish runner-up: 1959, 1960, 1966 Spanish Cup winner: 1962 Spanish Cup beaten finalist: 1958, 1960, 1961* Top League goalscorer: 1947/48, 1949/50, 1950, 1953, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964

This content is not viewable to guests.

This content is not viewable to guests.

This content is not viewable to guests.

This content is not viewable to guests.

This content is not viewable to guests.

This content is not viewable to guests.