Early team news for Tuesday

[Kopite_Colin]

Hhhhhmmm. Rafa has a slight problem. Masher only needs a yellow to miss the final. My guess is he would have been 1st choice with SG in the middle. Xabi played the full game yesterday, as did Momo, suggestiung to me, they're not starting. But if Masher gets booked, and we get through, it'll be a real shame. I wonder of Momo's got a bet on that?

[tomasjj]

Team that started against Chelsea back in January. Interesting to see that Both Gerrard and Alonso started in the centre. I disagreed with Red_Al_77 by saying I didn't think Rafa would pair Gerrard and Alonso. I am starting to think it could happen.

Pepe Reina
John Arne Riise
Daniel Agger
Jamie Carragher
Steve Finnan
Fabio Aurelio
Xabi Alonso
Steven Gerrard MBE (c)
Jermaine Pennant
Peter Crouch D
Dirk Kuyt


Petr Cech
Ashley Cole
Michael Essien
Paulo Ferreira
Geremi
Arjen Robben
Michael Ballack
Frank Lampard
John Obi Mikel
Didier Drogba
Salomon Kalou

Aurelio is out mate.

EDIT: OUCH... too early.

[Shaggy]

Team that started against Chelsea back in January. Interesting to see that Both Gerrard and Alonso started in the centre. I disagreed with Red_Al_77 by saying I didn't think Rafa would pair Gerrard and Alonso. I am starting to think it could happen.

Pepe Reina
John Arne Riise
Daniel Agger
Jamie Carragher
Steve Finnan
Fabio Aurelio
Xabi Alonso
Steven Gerrard MBE (c)
Jermaine Pennant
Peter Crouch D
Dirk Kuyt


Petr Cech
Ashley Cole
Michael Essien
Paulo Ferreira
Geremi
Arjen Robben
Michael Ballack
Frank Lampard
John Obi Mikel
Didier Drogba
Salomon Kalou

Momo was injured though mate, and we had no Masher at the time. Gerrard had that extended run in the middle and didn't really pull up any trees.

I would, however, play him in the middle on Tuesday.

[Parm]

If finnan IS fit, then he can play RB with Arbeloa LB and Riise LM.

Riise always offers a threat at LM, which is more than Gonzalez does.

[Kaip]

Starting to get the old butterflys in the stomach............and its got **** all to do with the 10 pints of bow i had lastnight

[SB]

As I say jusy a gut feeling - he will probably play it safe and go for Zenden!

If he "plays it safe" we'll all being watching the final on tele, even our players! Zenden on the bench at best IMO!

[dom9]

I would have thought Geremi would play at CB instead of Essien,

[darkknight]

Some good news from the beeb -

Chelsea have been rocked by the news that Michael Ballack and Ricardo Carvalho will miss Tuesday's Champions League semi-final against Liverpool.
The Blues lead 1-0 after the first leg but midfielder Ballack is likely to miss the rest of the season after having ankle surgery on Friday.

The 30-year-old picked up the injury in the early stages of Chelsea's goalless draw with Newcastle last weekend.

Defender Carvalho, 28, sustained a knee problem against Bolton on Saturday.

[James]

My Team would be:

Reina
Finnan
Carragher
Hyypia
Agger
Pennant
Gerrard
Mascherano
Riise
Kuyt
Crouch

This way we have the height of crouch and hyypia for set pieces, the movement of two strikers to try and drag their centre backs out of position allowing Stevie to surge through the centre.

When they have the ball we have two banks of 4 to defend by playing Agger at LB.

When we have the ball Stevie plays off the front two and Jamie either steps forward into his space and we compact the other 3 together, or we use Jamie almost as a sweeper to combat the long ball to Drogba.

The critical thing in this game is going to be the counter attack.

[Johnny]

My Team would be:

Reina
Finnan
Carragher
Hyypia
Agger
Pennant
Gerrard
Mascherano
Riise
Kuyt
Crouch

.

That`s way too ballsy for Rafa.

[Rigadon]

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

Finnan --- Carra -- Agger -- Riise

--------Alonso -- Masher---------

----Kuyt---Gerrard---Bellamy----

------------ Crouch--------------

[James]

That`s way too ballsy for Rafa.

Probably, but we have to do something about Drogba on Tuesday.

[Johnny]

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

Finnan --- Carra -- Agger -- Riise

--------Alonso -- Masher---------

----Kuyt---Gerrard---Bellamy----

------------ Crouch--------------

Again WAY too ballsy for Rafa.




-----------------Reina-------------------
------Finnan--Carra--Agger--Arbeloa------
------Gerrard--Alonso--Mascher--Riise----
---------------Crouch-----Kuyt----------



Nice and safe.With Pennant,Gonzo and Bellers coming on in the 2nd half.

[The_weatherman]

Again WAY too ballsy for Rafa.




-----------------Reina-------------------
------Finnan--Carra--Agger--Arbeloa------
------Gerrard--Alonso--Mascher--Riise----
---------------Crouch-----Kuyt----------



Nice and safe.With Pennant,Gonzo and Bellers coming on in the 2nd half.

I agree, Chelsea will sit back and defend deep so Bellers will be useless IMO, Crouch has to start but I would like to see Pennant on the right though with Gerrard in the middle or behind Crouch.

[Morph]

Bellamy will be of zero use in the home leg, exactly how many goals has he scored at anfield anyway?