The teamsheet tonight...

[abc]

People were screaming for Rafa to start his best players at Portsmouth a few weekends ago, and rest players against Porto. Tonight it seems like he's saved some of his team for the weekend. If he was indeed resting some players (Arbeloa, Mascherano, Kuyt, Riise) for Saturday, then you'll have no complaints from me.

 

Whether or not he needs to be resting them, that's for another thread...

[Coyler]

I thought it was a fine, strong team, with massive experience and a chance given to Leto out on the left and Aurelio an improvement on the hint-of-shakiness of Arbeloa at left back. Torres a cert to score his first CL goal alongside European scoring-machine Crouch, more than likely made by the on-fire Benayoun.

 

French pretenders to give no cheek to Momo and Gerrard in the middle of Anfield.

[Owen1978]

In all honesty i was disappointed to see Leto, Momo & Crouch

 

Leto - he's not gonna make for a top club, you can just see it, you can see quality players from a mile e.g messi @ 18?

Momo - he's just an athelete not a footballer imo, he's got a long way to go

Crouch - when he's playing we also seem to go for the easy option with him and resort to hoofing, he movement is not great and is slow and in europe he always seems to get penalised with those 50/50 challenges when the ball is in the air.

[Guest Snorky]

Concerned with Leto and Aurelio on the left, but that was it.

 

More concerned that Momo played the full 90 minutes like a tart.

[Gunga Din]

i was surprised Mascherano never started and surprised that Leto was playing. i thought we'd win though

[Eskimo]

In all honesty i was disappointed to see Leto, Momo & Crouch

 

Leto not so much, although he didn't have a great game, but agree with you on Momo & Crouch...

[mattster]

Coyler,

 

Leto shouldn't have been anywhere near that game, when you've got the likes of Babel on the bench. Also, Aurelio isn't up to much, he's alright, that's all, and when you put these two names together on the left side in such an important game (don't forget, our manager was talking about quick qualification and resting players later on, before the Porto game - nice one Rafa!), you are asking for trouble. It was madness to do what he did tonight. You can't just cherry pick names to win an argument, mate, look at the bigger picture. He more or less offered an open invitation for them down the left flank, in my opinion and, for me, Rafa dropped a clanger.

Also, his use of substitutions tonight was just shocking. He must have been watching a different game to me. Anymore of this and I'll start to doubt our manager.

Edited October 3, 2007 by mattster

[Leroy]

FFs Sh**e again, and have been since Pako left, its as if Rafa`s panicking now. They all look clueless.

[Guest Snorky]

I think also that Rafa underestimated Porto the other week and again tonight.

[Coyler]

I think also that Rafa underestimated Porto the other week and again tonight.

To be fair Quaresma only nicked it in injury time.

[abc]

I thought Crouchy did alright to be honest. I could go on about other performances but there are other threads in which to do that.

 

Shocked that Leto was a starter tonight, happy that Aurelio is back but his rustiness is very evident. Surprised to see Momo and Stevie start together, it was interesting to see how they did though. Now we all know why the both of them have hardly (if ever) started together as a midfield two.

 

It was a reasonably strong team still, as mentioned by many.

[mattster]

Agreed Kev,

Rafa pissed me off tonight, I thought he was smug as f*ck in the interview, showing no anger or remorse for some (of his) disgraceful decision making. Granted, it'll all be rosy again if we beat Tottenham and we'll get all the do-gooders coming on telling us all what wan*ers we are for panicking after the Marseille game.

Edited October 3, 2007 by mattster

[Guest Snorky]

Agreed Kev,

Rafa pissed me off tonight, I thought he was smug as f*ck in the interview, showing no anger or remorse for some (of his) disgraceful decision making. Granted, it'll all be rosy again if we beat Tottenham and we'll get all the do-gooders coming on telling us all what wan*ers we are for panicking after the Marseille game.

 

One of my biggest worries is that if the way we are playing continues then people will start to doubt Rafa (if they dont already). The quickest way to get a team playing like they should is stick to the same team, but Rafa never will. So it's a 20/20 situation.

 

It's coming to the point were I can see posts "I'm sick of rotation" which will mean I'm sick of Rafa.

[CarraLegend]

Agreed Kev,

Rafa pissed me off tonight, I thought he was smug as f*ck in the interview, showing no anger or remorse for some (of his) disgraceful decision making. Granted, it'll all be rosy again if we beat Tottenham and we'll get all the do-gooders coming on telling us all what wan*ers we are for panicking after the Marseille game.

 

He's called it one of his worst since he's been here and said the only good thing about the game was the final whistle. What more can he say? Don't recall any top manager ever coming out and saying they picked the wrong players and made "disgraceful decisions"

[Eskimo]

It's coming to the point were I can see posts "I'm sick of rotation" which will mean I'm sick of Rafa.

 

[abc]

Granted, it'll all be rosy again if we beat Tottenham and we'll get all the do-gooders coming on telling us all what wan*ers we are for panicking after the Marseille game.

 

That's partially the point of my thread.

 

Rafa feels he needs to rest players. I strongly believe if he's gonna put out a weakened team it should be in the CL and not the league itself.

 

And if he did try to prioritise the league match then I for one couldn't care less about tonight as long as we play well (and win) on Saturday.

[Guest Snorky]

 

The simple fact is that with Rafa comes rotation - HE WILL NEVER CHANGE. So the two go hand in hand for me.

[Guest RedLegend]

Torres has played the last 3 in a row now so I'm guessing it'll be Kuyt and Voronin up front against Spurs?

 

This seem likely?

[mattster]

I think football fans like continuity as well, they like to rock up at the game having a good idea of their starting 11. Honestly, would you stake your life on being able to name 8 of the starting 11 on any given Saturday? I wouldn't, and that's got to be a bad thing all round. I know the players aren't happy with the situation, never mind what Yossi's been spouting in interviews of late. The gaffer is creating a bad atmosphere and he needs to nip it in the bud now.

Let's face it, we've had worse starts to the season, lots of them in the past decade. But consider this, Rafa was making threats to the new owners after the CL final in Athens, which got out into the media. I hated that, because I know that's how he wanted it, it was used as a way of putting pressure on the Americans to cough up some proper dough. They gave him the money, now he's got to start delivering the goods and, by that, I mean the Premier league.

Edited October 3, 2007 by mattster

[Crazy Horse]

I totally understand what Rafa is trying to do with his sparing use of players throughout the season. But it's not much f***ing good if we're out of every competition by Christmas. I still don't think he has the squad to do what he's trying to do. But I thought tonight's line-up would have taken care of Marseille comfortably. It should have. I didn't see the game, but we must have been s***e.

[Guest Snorky]

I totally understand what Rafa is trying to do with his sparing use of players throughout the season. But it's not much f***ing good if we're out of every competition by Christmas. I still don't think he has the squad to do what he's trying to do. But I thought tonight's line-up would have taken care of Marseille comfortably. It should have. I didn't see the game, but we must have been s***e.

 

You never saw the game.....................you are one of the lucky ones.

[lawrie]

Torres has played the last 3 in a row now so I'm guessing it'll be Kuyt and Voronin up front against Spurs?

 

This seem likely?

 

Which is what I'm worried about - I just don't see these two as a partnership. I hope Rafa goes with Torres/Kuyt (and Gerrard/Masch)

[surfaris]

we re at home. need to win. against decent side.

we should dominate, dictate the game, control posession, keep the back four high line.( or was it rafa tend to us drop deep, to give torres more space upfront? - skills, pure class player really need more space?)

use gerrard as more advance & attacking central role.

use the width.

 

the opposite happened.

 

the back four sit too deep, gerrrard was asked to be holder & distribute the ball from the back,

the gap are far too much between central midfield & strikers.

 

momo cant be holder CM

marsch cant (wigan game& all game they play together)

 

but they re so called 'the best defensive midfielder around' the destroyer.

they need to be coached how to pass. how to retain the basic feckin thing. to be cool under pressure. keeping the ball.

they supposed & should be holder CM . not going forward - because they re not going to be top attacking CM imo.

 

box to box? okay, but the priority for gerrard is to attack, play upront . not cover the feckin superb back four we got atm.

 

carra & sami we re all now are not ball playing defender. tend to hoof. no alonso. just gerrard. leave upfront isolated

 

that the feckin prob last night

 

imho

[beejay]

we re at home. need to win. against decent side.

we should dominate, dictate the game, control posession, keep the back four high line.( or was it rafa tend to us drop deep, to give torres more space upfront? - skills, pure class player really need more space?)

use gerrard as more advance & attacking central role.

use the width.

 

the opposite happened.

 

the back four sit too deep, gerrrard was asked to be holder & distribute the ball from the back,

the gap are far too much between central midfield & strikers.

 

momo cant be holder CM

marsch cant (wigan game& all game they play together)

 

but they re so called 'the best defensive midfielder around' the destroyer.

they need to be coached how to pass. how to retain the basic feckin thing. to be cool under pressure. keeping the ball.

they supposed & should be holder CM . not going forward - because they re not going to be top attacking CM imo.

 

box to box? okay, but the priority for gerrard is to attack, play upront . not cover the feckin superb back four we got atm.

 

carra & sami we re all now are not ball playing defender. tend to hoof. no alonso. just gerrard. leave upfront isolated

 

that the feckin prob last night

 

imho

 

Thanks, that's explained it perfectly. I'm off to bed now, you've set my mind at rest.

[growler]

isn't our game on sunday?