Rafa has to hold his hand up...

[Steve101]

"We controlled the game from start to finish, that's life we lost get over it."

Spot on kemm ,as usual. Isnt getting older wonderful?!!!

[alunevans]

Crouch has qualities, but linking-up play isn't one of them. He scares the **** out of defenders but he wouldn't have been as effective in closing down play as Kuyt - which was an essential elemant of the team shape/plan last night.

In this respect Rafa got it right playing Kuyt. In his all round play he was very effective. Would we have scored playing crouch in the first half? We'll never know but he wouldn't have put that work in and "glued" the team together in the way that Kuyt managed to last night, as its not his game.

Personally I think Crouch's link up play is excellent, but accept that Kuyt's defending from the front is better.

I think Crouch is a much better link man though by a long chalk.

[disco]

With the benefit of hindsight the only mistake Benitez made was not bringing Crouch on earlier.

The formation was working, we were bossing the game and created 2 or 3 golden opportunities - 1 on 1s - and he was right to percevere (sp) with it in the second half.

However, when it was obvious Milan were defending I would have changed it to 4-4-2 around the 60th minute.

[Myo]

Anybody having a go at Rafa tonight simply doesn't understand football in my view. Tactically Rafa was brilliant tonight. we made a pretty decent milan team look ordinary and but for a lucky goal we would have won tonight. They hardly created anything until the last 20 mins when we were chasing the game. We had 4 or 5 decent half chances which we didn't take, thats why we lost. i thought we played brilliantly tongiht & I was proud to be a Red.

absolutely agree with with ya ..respect to Rafa and the lads...YNWA

[Myo]

Just got back from Athens. I'm emotionally destroyed but very proud of the way we played, especially in the first half.

With all due respect, you have no idea what you're talking about. I know this forum is about opinions but your post is factually incorrect.

Rafa's tactics were absolutely spot on. We stopped Seedorf and Kaka from playing as well as looking by far the most dangerous side. If we had a world class striker and a top class left sided player we would have probably finished Milan off in the first half. Unfortunately though we were hit by a sucker punch totally against the run of play but that had feck all to do with Rafa's tactics.

Rafa's tactics made AC Milan look ordinary.

[dww]

With the benefit of hindsight the only mistake Benitez made was not bringing Crouch on earlier.

The formation was working, we were bossing the game and created 2 or 3 golden opportunities - 1 on 1s - and he was right to percevere (sp) with it in the second half.

However, when it was obvious Milan were defending I would have changed it to 4-4-2 around the 60th minute.

I think that Arveloa should have come on earlier with Crouch. Finnan wasn't supporting Pennant aswell as he had done in the first half and the right was the side we were getting some joy on.

[disco]

I think that Arveloa should have come on earlier with Crouch. Finnan wasn't supporting Pennant aswell as he had done in the first half and the right was the side we were getting some joy on.

I didn't understand that substitution, but that makes sense now

[Lecter]

Crouch has qualities, but linking-up play isn't one of them. He scares the **** out of defenders but he wouldn't have been as effective in closing down play as Kuyt - which was an essential elemant of the team shape/plan last night.

In this respect Rafa got it right playing Kuyt. In his all round play he was very effective. Would we have scored playing crouch in the first half? We'll never know but he wouldn't have put that work in and "glued" the team together in the way that Kuyt managed to last night, as its not his game.

The thing about Kuyt is he drops off the play all the time

So firstly you have no get out ball. Secondly you have nobody to even hold it up

Linking the play is also different to holding the ball up which Crouch CAN do

We played a system with two widemen designed to put balls in the box - fecking useless if nobody is in the box. We also played someone off a front man yet again we struggled to get him to join up with the front man because Kuyt kept dropping off

Its been proven before Crouch can motor incredible distances in matches so the closing down side of things wouldnt have been a massive worry, particularly with Mascherano and Alonso sitting in

Cant agree that playing Kuyt was the right decision and when Sky guessed the team 3 days ago I expressed my concerns as to not playing Crouch

[Lecter]

And some will say that Tevez is the answer to our goalscoring problems.

Tevez wouldnt have fitted into that system last night

I'd go so far as saying that neither Eto'o, Villa or Torres would have either

[Tom]

Lec he may be capable of playing that role, but going on our previous record of playing him, an awful lot of long and high balls are used. A percentages game.

I don't think we'd have been as effective last night playing like that. We actually controlled possession first half last night. Can't do that with a percentages game which is how we use crouch.

[Lecter]

Lec he may be capable of playing that role, but going on our previous record of playing him, an awful lot of long and high balls are used. A percentages game.

I don't think we'd have been as effective last night playing like that. We actually controlled possession first half last night. Can't do that with a percentages game which is how we use crouch.

Your percentages increase exponentially when you are playing against Milans defence and dodgy Dida

I also disagree that playing Crouch means you automatically turn over possession we have shown in the past we can control teams and possession against Chelsea and the Mancs by playing Crouch

Nothing will convince me that Kuyt is an effective lone frontman he lacks any of the basic qualities required - you have to have at least one quality

Hes rarely in the box, his touch is poor, he isnt quick, his heading ability isnt domineering

He runs a lot thats about it but then so did Steve Cram

Kuyt imo is far more effective playing in a pairing