Alonso

Does sound promising. Given Elias' success at Southampton with the younger players I wonder if Gary Mac will be part of the coaching staff and Elias to take over from Heighway?

Great news. Any idea when it will be officially announced?

Think it's gonna be Maldini's 8th European Cup final if he's fit. That's some record altho he's had twice as long as everyone else to reach that number!!

Padelli. Wouldn't be a bad decision if he's gonna be no 2 next season. As for the last game of the season I'd go as near full strength as possible to keep them match sharp. One thing I'd definitely do is give Kewell as close to 90 minutes as possible.

Paletta for Carragher, Alonso for Mascherano and Fowler for Crouch. Kewell to make an appearance off the bench.

I'd also get him on the weights to give him some more body strength.

Players on yellow: Liverpool - Javier Mascherano, Jermaine Pennant Chelsea - Michael Ballack, Joe Cole, Lassana Diarra, Didier Drogba and Arjen Robben

All of the above at various parts of the day so far!!

Maybe Threlfall will get a place on the bench as cover for LB after his MOTM display last night?

Henry links his future to Wenger Friday, 27 April 2007, 08:05 GMT 09:05 UK Thierry Henry insists he will stay at Arsenal as long as Arsene Wenger remains as manager. The 29-year-old's future has again been at the centre of speculation after an injury-troubled season, despite signing a new four-year deal last summer. He told Sport magazine: "At the end of last season I signed a new contract. "I believe in the boss and what he is trying to do here. As long as he is here then I will be here - it's just as simple as that." Wenger has another year left on his current deal, but there has also been questions about his future after long-time friend and close confidante David Dein left Arsenal because of "irreconcilable differences" with the rest of the board. Arsenal will be without a trophy this season, and Henry believes they have paid the price for a lack of experience. He said: "I think perhaps we lose our concentration. We don't do this on purpose. "We have ended up losing so many points against teams we should have beaten. "The talent is there but you need to put the ball in the back of the net, and I wasn't fresh enough, or there enough, to do that for the team this season. "It was the same with Robin van Persie, who has been injured, and William Gallas, who was out for more than three months. "I'm not complaining about these things, but it is a fact and it does make a difference. "We have a lot of amazing youngsters at the club, but you need experience too." He added: "We'd be in a much better position if we had taken our chances. "We do have something to build on, but we need to kill teams off. That's all that let us down this year."

Padelli Arbeloa Paletta Hyypia Riise Pennant Sissoko Zenden Gonzalez Bellamy Fowler Subs: Dudek Finnan Mascherano Crouch Lindfield

Pedersen would be an improvement over anything we have on the left (unless Kewell gets back to his best). McCarthy with 15 goals in his first season in the PL is very impressive, esepcially for an indifferent Blackburn side. It's no secret that he's a MU fan tho and just wonder if Utd are looking for another striker in the summer whether he might be on their shopping list? David Villa's status and record speaks for itself. I can't see all 4 strikers being sold tho esepcially with only 2 plus Voronin coming in.

Reina Alonso erm...have I said Reina?

For me what sums Zenden up is early on in the season (can't remember what game) the ball was going out for a corner for us yet Zenden comes charging in saves it from going outta play then proceeds to dribble it out for a throw in to them. :dynamite:

Generally you need one or more of pace, skill/dribbling ability and crossing ability to be a decent winger. He has none of those which actually makes him a pretty limited footballer. At least he tries hard and never hides tho.

Not if you play Gerrard behind one of the strikers (Crouch) and Pennant on the right.

Wouldn't suprise me.

He didn't have as much cover from Gerrard tho as from Pennant which was aprt of the problem.

Strange predicted line up from UEFA.com: Liverpool: Pepe Reina; Steve Finnan, Daniel Agger, Jamie Carragher, John Arne Riise; Steven Gerrard, Mohamed Sissoko, Javier Mascherano, Xabi Alonso; Dirk Kuyt, Peter Crouch. BBC have us with: Liverpool (probable): Reina, Finnan, Arbeloa, Agger, Carragher, Gerrard, Alonso, Mascherano, Riise, Bellamy, Kuyt.

It's not as if Rafa goes out to lose a game tho. Surely we try and win everything we can, just some are given extra priority just as they are at every club. Well done to Chelsea for having that luck and depth of squad that has seen them compete on 4 fronts.

I think it's great he's been doing so well and getting rave reviews, it's about time we had someone come through that could genuinely try and stake a claim for a first team spot. But realistically is he gonna get that chance? With our options down the left, Pennant hitting form and Gerrard used on the right and with the potential of signing Alves/attacking player will he really get to show what he can do?

So they're due a win then.We've got the measure of them and should get a least a draw then.

Nice one, thanks for that!

With Mourinho going on about us getting Drogba a yellow card tonight I've looked at the players who we've had booked since the knockout phase. Sissoko and Kuyt have both had 2 and served their bans so are on clean sheets as it were but that leaves: Agger Bellamy Arbeloa Reina Pennant Mascherano all on yellows or does each round count as a clean sheet?

To be fair that was during our poor early season form and Rafa may well have been working towards that over the past few days. I do agree however that I would prefer Crouch to play the loan striker role but if Rafa sees it differently then who are we to argue. FWIW if we go 2 up front I'd play Kuyt and Bellamy, if it was one then I'd go Crouch.