G Richards

It sounds like a Brazil/Argentina thing to me. Tax fraud may well carry a maximum of a 5 year penalty, but if there is any wrondoing, I'm sure the players will get a fine.

I'm excited more than nervous. We should have the players to get us a result down there. It will be hard fought, but I really like the look of us going forward so far this season. I fancy us to score a couple, and I can't see them nicking more than one. Lots of mentions for Man Utd and Chelsea, but no mentions for Arsenal, who are level on points with us, and have also played 4 games. Arsenal have Totteham, so hopefully they will drop points, as Spurs are not as bad as their start suggests. A win here, then 2 'easier' games could set us up nicely for a tougher sequence of games thereafter. What price staying top all season? Come on you Reds!

Taylor would be a good signing. Not sure he'd break up Carra/Agger though, but if he's prepared to come and be third choice CB then get him in. I think he can also provide cover for right back.

England also need a top manager who can organise them and motivate them. For as long as I can remember the team has somehow always managed to be something less than the sum of its parts. Someone like Scolari would have sorted them out, but the media madness wasn't for him.

Three things: 1. He is likely scared of us and really doesn't want to meet us 2. His comments have a bit of validity if applied to our recent past. 3. His comments are likely no longer valid. We have all seen the evidence of this so far this season with our own eyes. Rafa looks to be putting together both sides of the team. It's not just steely resistance anymore. It is silky and rapier-like ability going forward. When we grow in this aspect over the course of the season: watch out. It will be honed in the group stages, but if we draw Real Madrid in the knockout stages I'm afraid Sheister knows what will happen.

Carson is progressing nicely. In the wilderness at Leeds. Comes to us as back up. We sign Pepe. Carson can't get in. Goes to Charlton to gain valuable experience. Does well. Goes to a bigger club to get more experience. We get £2.5M fee, plus they pay his wages for the season. If Carson gets so good that he becomes better than Reina (unlikely) then we bring him back after the Villa spell. If he remains a very good keeper, but not quite good enough to be our no.1, we either do another loan (assuming his contract has a few years left) or sell him. I reckon we'll end up selling him for around £8M next summer. I feel our no.2 keeper should be a seasoned 'steady eddie' - won't catch many headlines, but won't make mistakes if called on. Young keepers are too risky if they aren't playing regularly IMHO.

As for the topic of the thread, I feel we are getting closer and closer to Rafa's majestic Valencia team. They were known as the crushing maching becasue of their high tempo game, where play was pressed all over the pitch. We are getting there with that this season, and it is clear to me to see that it has jumped a step or two forward. To play like that you need athletes who will put ego aside and work their socks off for the greater good. They also need to be clever and disciplined. Signs are good that we are getting closer, though the time to evaluate will be at the end of the season, when I expect we'll have the title, the Champions league, the FA Cup, the league cup, the Grand National and the boat race! Then the new style will be confirmed beyond all doubt.

I saw that. I just assumed he wanted to beat the crowd so as not to get his ribs knocked on the way out

Next four games could easily see us with 10-12 points (you'd have to think if any poinbts were to be dropped, then a draw at Portsmouth might be on the cards). But I'm really hoping we get 12 points over the next four games, as that should see us on top of the league. Then we go into a very difficult four game period. I feel that what happens against Spurs, Everton, Arsenal and Blackburn will tell us a great deal for the campaign ahead. If we go to pot then we'll be playing catch up again, but if we get 9-10 points then we will stay in touch at the top (or possibly be top) with some tough fixtures under our belts. One game at a time and all that though!

We've got two good away wins in our first three games. Last season either/both could have been a draw. Rafa is definitely committing more going forward away from home and this is pleasing to see. The slight downside is the amount of chances we are not putting away, but I feel that will come. We have strikers still finding their feet in the English game, but you can see the quality is there. I'm concerned that Chelsea just seem relentless in grinding out wins. We really need to match that this season. If we keep up the pressure we may pull clear during the African Nations Cup, when their two best players (sorry Lampard and Terry!) will be away.

Strongest team possible please. If Stevie needs to rest his toe then play Mascherano or Sissoko alongside Alonso. Possibly Babel for Riise at left mid, but other than that, keep the same team. Sunderland just got beat 3-0 by Wigan. They will be a different proposition in front of their own fans. I expect a tough battle, though once it has calmed down a bit our superior quality should tell. Imperative to get the three points.

Not true, but obviously if you are out of the league you go full tilt at the prizes left on offer.

I think our best central pairing will be Stevie and Mascherano. This is not to say that Xabi is not an excellent player. He clearly is, even though he has started this season slightly below his imperious best. Stevie is the best midfielder at the club. He is at his best when marauding through the middle. He needs someone to give him a base to play from, and Mascher is the man. He offers bite in the tackle and is really tenacious. His strength is his positional awareness and ability to calmly snuff out danger. He is not as good as Alonso on the ball, but if he gives it simple (and he usually does) then we retain possession and build another attack. As to where this all leaves Xabi I wouldn't like to say. If we play all three of Stevie/Xabi/Mascher then great, we shoe-horn them all in. But at what price? Where does the width come from? And will we then only play with one striker? Mascherano is yet to play a lot of games for us (though when he has played he has been excellent), but if he is given that chance and takes it, then for me, much as it is unpalatable to say, at that point Alonso's future may possibly be elsewhere. Hopefully it won't come to that, but I can't for the life of me see how we can keep all of our central midfielders happy. The best pairing will be Stevie and Mascher for me, so if Momo and Leiva are understudies, that leaves Xabi (too good to be an understudy) a little bit vulnerable.

What about playing those three in the midfield, with Babel, Torres and Kuyt up front? (Babel and Kuyt can try to tuck back in when they have the ball to make it 4-5-1, but when we have the ball it is 4-3-3). Alonso will not have to concentrate on his defensive duties too much, given the protection Momo and Mascher will offer. Xabi's job can be trying to find the telling pass for one of the three boys up front. If he's got three targets it should cause Chelsea more problems too.

I think we're going 4-3-3 in this one. Reina Finnan Carra Agger Riise Gerrard Alonso Mascherano Kuyt Torres Babel We have such a strong central midfield that I think there is justification in playing all three, and as for the attacking 3, a couple of them could tuck back in when Chelsea have the ball, giving it more the shape of 4-5-1. I really hope Rafa plays this team and formation. We have the players for it and it will pose Chelsea loads of problems.

We look to have much better options now, and I'm convinced we will get many more points away from home this year.

If Fergie would have become our manager there is every chance he would have sustained the success. Having said that, I thought there was every chance Kenny would have done too. He certainly seemed to have the measure of Ferige and Kenny started off fantastically well for us as player/manager and then manager. After Hillsborough he couldn't get his spark back and stood back from the game (and I'm not criticising him for that).

I'm going for a 3-1 win. Torres brace and I'm not sure who will get our third. Agbonlahor for them. It will be a solid and professional away win and will set us up nicely for Chelsea.

Yeah, but it was Harry Potter what beat him.

I think I'd rather sign one quality wide man who is able to operate well on both flanks. We have other options to go with, and I'd play either Kewell or Pennant (depending on who was fit and on form) with the new man on the other flank. Much as I love Momo, I'd also sell him (assuming we have a nailed on long term agreement for Mascherano in place).

I think Torres will be worth an extra £3M or so in terms of merchandising to the club. If he takes off and becomes a top striker (he's already very good, but there is possibly quite a bit more improvement to come if he kicks on) then the £3M could be much more, especially if he stays for 5 years or more. The main reason we should buy him is to improve us on the pitch. If we win more matches then the other stuff should rightly always remain secondary.

I suspect Arsenal will be just fine, and by that, I mean 4th. I don't think they are crumbling. As for young players I'd have from them, I'd go for Eboue, Clichy and Traore. Not sure if Toure is classed as a youngster, but he'd be a great replacement for Sami too. Still, none of this will happen. I suspect they will sign Owen and Babel with the Henry money, and it will be business as usual next season, though they will finish 4th.

Torres plus Mancini/Malouda would improve our options going forward no end. The rest of the side is already as good as the best, so with a couple of key additions next season should be very interesting.

Unless Xabi wants to move.

The new riches of clubs such as Villa, West Ham etc. is good news as far as I'm concerned. Any players we ship out will be of interest to them, and we might even get a reasonble fee for them. As far as them catching the established top four, there is much work to be done, but over a few years it might be possible. The main issue will not be money available but the ability to attract the necessary calibre of player to break into the top four on a sustained basis. I don't think it will happen just yet, but the pack just behind the top four will be bigger, richer, and more able to do their own damage in the league on any given day.