A team to win the league?

[Chewie]

with some personnel adjustments the team / shape that finished yesterday could win the league if given time and freedom to play and fit players....I honestly think this lot could do it...

 

Reina

 

Finnan Agger Carra Aurelio/Arbeloa

 

Gerrard Masch Alonso Kewell

 

Torres ?? (I'll go for Crouch...)

 

that team could do it....they should play consistently and only minor changes being made in terms of subs when the game is won or one or two changes if the opposition is far weaker

 

Babel / Benni / Pennant should be used in this way

Sissoko and Lucas providing cover for the middle

One of Kuyt or Crouch needs to start showing something or they'll both be out but one or the other should be the foil for Torres

Gerrard and Kewell should be told to play with freedom and pace going forward but Stevie needs to be facing the opposition not his own midfield when receiving the ball so he's not a second striker

 

that team could seriously do some damage and should be allowed to....the fringe players should only ever be rotated in and out of winning sides OR as genuine replacements for someone playing poorly knowing that if they step up to the mark they'll keep their place....

 

we have the players - do we have the guts?

 

Chewie

[Benzo-13]

I've a feeling that team would play a lot if it were fit.

[Falconhoof]

What we have is not as good as 2 or 3 other teams in the league. I've said this all along so its not kneejerk because of recent results. We have just one class striker and a bunch of fairly good wide midfielders. We only have 2 class centre halves and a mixture of never fit and rarely playing well enough down the left.

[abc]

In my opinion, we have nine first team outfield players who are very good on the ball and are proper footballers:

 

Agger, Finnan, Aurelio; Gerrard, Alonso, Kewell, Benayoun; Torres and Crouch.

 

This should be our spine. If you want to be picky, then pull Crouchy out, stick Babel, an in form Pennant or Mascherano (with Gerrard out wide), and stick Benayoun up front off Torres (a combination which I think would be great BTW).

 

Lucas looks like a good ball player, and Arbeloa, Voronin and Kuyt on their day can mix it up with said spine and not look out of place. But for me, Benayoun needs to be starting most games - he has quick feet and an intelligent football brain. He makes our play tick, and links up well with Stevie in particular.

 

Yesterday's lineup was more or less spot on, except for Kuyt who should have been benched ahead of an in form Crouchy who gives us a better threat in the air, as well as good hold up play deeper in the opposition half. Why he isn't starting, who knows...there doesn't seem to be any tactical or fitness reason to justify his exclusion with this form he's in IMO.

[Magic8Ball]

Reina

 

Finnan Agger Carra Aurelio/Arbeloa

 

Gerrard Masch Alonso Kewell

 

Torres Babel

That team can switch between 4231 and 442

[Guz]

The problem is that of our attacking players only Torres and Gerrard are of a certain class and bring any dynamism. Babel, Benayoun, Kewell, Kuyt, Crouch, Voronin, Lucas, Pennant - at the moment these are all players we dont know much about or are hoping, rather than expecting, them to produce something. We just dont know what to expect from individual players. Sometimes it seems we only have Torres and Gerrard to build around. Hopefully at the end of the season we can add two more to that but we don't have it at the moment.

[Knox_Harrington]

In my opinion, we have nine first team outfield players who are very good on the ball and are proper footballers:

 

Agger, Finnan, Aurelio; Gerrard, Alonso, Kewell, Benayoun; Torres and Crouch.

 

This should be our spine. If you want to be picky, then pull Crouchy out, stick Babel, an in form Pennant or Mascherano (with Gerrard out wide), and stick Benayoun up front off Torres (a combination which I think would be great BTW).

 

Lucas looks like a good ball player, and Arbeloa, Voronin and Kuyt on their day can mix it up with said spine and not look out of place. But for me, Benayoun needs to be starting most games - he has quick feet and an intelligent football brain. He makes our play tick, and links up well with Stevie in particular.

 

Yesterday's lineup was more or less spot on, except for Kuyt who should have been benched ahead of an in form Crouchy who gives us a better threat in the air, as well as good hold up play deeper in the opposition half. Why he isn't starting, who knows...there doesn't seem to be any tactical or fitness reason to justify his exclusion with this form he's in IMO.

Agree with the essence of this. Wouldn't play Crouch and Torres as a front two though.

 

The presence of both Voronin and Kuyt in the squad is one significant problem. I'd rather have a third out and out striker or a more creative player to play off an out and out striker than what's essentially two versions of the same player.

 

Posted it a few days ago but this squad is strong enough to do it with an addition at centre half:

 

Finnan----Carragher---Agger---Aurelio

Arbeloa---Hyypia---(Hobbs)----Riise---

 

----------Mascherano---Alonso----------

----------Sissoko-------Lucas------------

 

Gerrard--------Benayoun--------Kewell

Pennant-----------K/V-------------Babel

 

-----------------Togsylad----------------

----------------Crouchylad--------------

 

There remain question marks but there always will until we win the bloody thing. I'd move for Riquelme in January and get a proper third centre forward who has youth or experience on his side but who isn't in his prime.

[mathewbet1]

I like :

 

 

Reina

Finnan Carra Agger Aurelio

 

Mashc Xabi

[mathewbet1]

Doh I meant (blasted computer)

 

 

Reina

Finnan Carra Agger Aurelio

 

Masch Alonso

Gerrard

Babel Kewell

Torres

 

 

 

Now thats a tasty proposition with Kewell and babel and Gerrard give the lisence to interchange in a 'total football' kind of way the attcking possibilities are frightening

[Falconhoof]

we'd have the right hand side of the pitch well covered in that formation.

[mathewbet1]

.............Reina...................

Finnan Carra Agger Aurelio

 

.........Masch Alonso.............

Gerrard

...Babel........... ..Kewell.........

.............Torres....................

 

 

 

 

thats what i meant shirley, keep your knickers on love!

[pjwy]

with some personnel adjustments the team / shape that finished yesterday could win the league if given time and freedom to play and fit players....I honestly think this lot could do it...

 

Reina

 

Finnan Agger Carra Aurelio/Arbeloa

 

Gerrard Masch Alonso Kewell

 

Torres ?? (I'll go for Crouch...)

 

that team could do it....they should play consistently and only minor changes being made in terms of subs when the game is won or one or two changes if the opposition is far weaker

 

Babel / Benni / Pennant should be used in this way

Sissoko and Lucas providing cover for the middle

One of Kuyt or Crouch needs to start showing something or they'll both be out but one or the other should be the foil for Torres

Gerrard and Kewell should be told to play with freedom and pace going forward but Stevie needs to be facing the opposition not his own midfield when receiving the ball so he's not a second striker

 

that team could seriously do some damage and should be allowed to....the fringe players should only ever be rotated in and out of winning sides OR as genuine replacements for someone playing poorly knowing that if they step up to the mark they'll keep their place....

 

we have the players - do we have the guts?

 

Chewie

 

 

If we dont beat Besiktas on Tuesday,we might see your suggestion become reality.

 

Only remaining in the CL would go anuwhere near justifying Rafa's rotation policy.

 

Furthermore,although not getting to the next stages of the CL would be a disaster inthe short term,it might give us our best hope of challenging in the League this season.

 

One thing is certain though,we have to qualify for the CL this time again (for next season)otherwise not only will the rotation be out of the door,it will be quickly followed by Mr Benitez.

[abc]

There remain question marks but there always will until we win the bloody thing. I'd move for Riquelme in January and get a proper third centre forward who has youth or experience on his side but who isn't in his prime.

 

I think even Kuyt thought he was going to be used as a center forward rather than the support striker he has. That was the player he was at Feyenoord, scoring 70 odd goals in ~100 league matches or to that effect. I still reckon he can be more than decent as the front man, but Rafa prefers his hard work over his goal threat, which is to me silly for the simple reason that the deep lying forward should always be creative and excellent on the ball.

 

Riquelme is a great shout - but if Rafa's prefers Kuyt in that role as a support striker as a "worker", can you honestly see him going for a lazy but talented footballer? I'd love to but it doesn't seem to be his style. And Aimar was an inherited player, so I doubt that's a valid argument. Although, he seems to like Kewell played as a support striker as much as a winger. Think I've mentioned it a fair few times, but I'd love to see Yossi played between the midfield and the main forward. Our interplay and movement around the box would be excellent, with Yossi linking up well with Stevie in particular.

[CaptainXabi]

You two (abc and Knox) must be joking. If you tried to design a player who was as unsuited to English football as possible, you'd come out with Riquelme. No dobut he's very skillful, but he lacks just about all of the other qualities - pace, strength, bottle, industry - that make players a success in the English game. He would be a massive failure if we signed him.

[boohog]

What about Riise? Will nobody think of Riise?

[McBain]

Martin O'Neill

[Redkop]

What about Riise? Will nobody think of Riise?

 

No... hopefully.

[MFletcher]

You two (abc and Knox) must be joking. If you tried to design a player who was as unsuited to English football as possible, you'd come out with Riquelme. No dobut he's very skillful, but he lacks just about all of the other qualities - pace, strength, bottle, industry - that make players a success in the English game. He would be a massive failure if we signed him.

 

Riquelme is much stronger than people think. Yes he's a lazy so and so, but that's his role. His role in the team is to get the ball, put his foot on it and create something. If he can't create something, then he keeps things ticking over. You have to build the team around him to ensure he gets on the ball enough. If he's not on the ball, he's not going to be doing anything. That's why the Argies play with two - sometimes three - holding midfielders. They do his work for him, win the ball and give it to him. He probably would be a failure for us under Rafa, considering he likes his team players and doesn't want to build the team around one player. Riquelme is also mentally fragile.

[Knox_Harrington]

You two (abc and Knox) must be joking. If you tried to design a player who was as unsuited to English football as possible, you'd come out with Riquelme. No dobut he's very skillful, but he lacks just about all of the other qualities - pace, strength, bottle, industry - that make players a success in the English game. He would be a massive failure if we signed him.

With enough quality around him he'd only need to play well for five minutes a game and his set pieces would be a f***ing improvement. And he's cheap. And we don't have one.

[eskton]

Reina

 

Carra, Agger

 

Alonso, Gerrard

 

Torres

 

all must play every game they are fit

 

all other players should be told, if you want in this team you have to reach the level of performance of those six

[Guest petelfc]

-------------------Reina

 

Arbeloa----Carra-----Agger------Aurelio

 

---------Gerrard----------Alonso

 

Babel---------Benayoun---------Kewell

 

------------------Torres

[_00_deathscar]

-------------------Reina

 

Arbeloa----Carra-----Agger------Aurelio

 

---------Gerrard----------Alonso

 

Babel---------Benayoun---------Kewell

 

------------------Torres

 

That's what I use in FM 08 - same formation, same positions. Works a f***ing treat...

 

Set tempo to as high as possible, passing game to as short as possible, creative freedom and attacking mentality to as high as possible and watch that front 6 go, along with the full backs bombing forward.

 

Won the League by 15 points.

 

SACK RAFA, HIRE ME!

Edited November 6, 2007 by _00_deathscar

[Guest petelfc]

Cracker isn't it. Plenty of flair and attacking thrust.

[_00_deathscar]

Benayoun gets a fair share too - he got 19 in 30 starts and 12 sub appearances, and about 18 in the last 20 games.

[Stevie H]

microcosm.