Team for two lose...

[akjs123]

Well, Rafa won the CL with a worse team than our b-team.

B-team........

-----------------Itandje
Arbeloa----Hyypia--------Paletta-----Aurelio
----------------Alonso
Pennant--------Sissoko-------------Leto
-----------Crouch------Voronin

A-team......

----------------Reina
Finnan----Carra------Agger-----Riise
----------------Mascherano
Babel-----------Gerrard---------Kewell
----------Torres-------Kuyt

Sorry AFII but that is the biggest pile of **** ever.
-----------------Itandje
Arbeloa----Hyypia--------Paletta-----Aurelio
----------------Alonso
Pennant--------Sissoko-------------Leto
-----------Crouch------Voronin

better than

-----------------Dudek
Finnan----Hyypia--------Carra-----Traore
----------------Hamman
Garcia--------Gerrard---Alonso----------Riise
-----------------Baros

No way

[akjs123]

I get your point chilli, it wont happen but i get your point, tbh i couldnt give a **** about the CL this year, we need a title challenge for this club to progress.

Would you put Chilli's team against a top 10 PL opponent?

[Red Chilli]

Would you put Chilli's team against a top 10 PL opponent?

Depends on the tournament. In the League cup I would.

[akjs123]

Depends on the tournament. In the League cup I would.

Why not the FA cup?? Is it more important than a CL qualifier??

[Mattshark]

They're not speed merchants a la Cisse and Henry but tell me who, in our squad, is?

Babel it seems.

[JPK]

Final word on the matter from me:

If we lose in the 3rd round qualifier to Toulose, the 3rd round of the league cup and the 3rd round of the FA cup BUT win the league I will see that as a fantastic season.

I do care about the Champions league, I do care about the FA cup, I don't give 2 ****s about prize money or the league cup to be perfectly honest; but the title is our bread and butter and the SCUM are too close to us to allow our focus to slip.

Winning breeds confidence.So you would except a loss and think we would still be super confident facing Chelsea?If the players are going to get tired after 3 games we should throw our hat at the lot.

[Morph]

I'd go for almost a completely different team to saturday:

Reina
Arbeloa Carra Hyypia Insua
Benni Leiva Mascherano Kewell
Crouch Voronin

Maybe stick Stevie in there if Rafa thinks the game calls for him

Injuries permitting of course, maybe leto for Kewell

[slimbimjim]

This Wednesday I'd go with -

---------Crouch--Crow
Babel--------Benni-------Pennant
------------Sissoko
Riise----Agger-----Carra----Finnan
--------------Reina

Subs:
Leiva
Gerrard
Arbeloa
GK
Kewell
Leto
Torres

It allows us to push them up field with Sissoko keeping things in check at the back for the three attacking midfielders to support the stikers who are both excellent at retaining possession and holding up.

Benni is the creative outlet with two quick outside midfielders to come inside.

Back 5 to stay as they are.

I also think that game against Chelsea is far too important to start knackering out our players in a CL game.

[Craig_H]

I also think that game against Chelsea is far too important to start knackering out our players in a CL game.

Some serious questions would be asked if our players were knackered out after just 2 games...

[MascheredUp]

Elmander's late show lifts Toulouse before trip to Anfield

Marcus Christenson

Monday August 13, 2007

The Guardian

Johan Elmander scored a late goal to give Toulouse a 1-0 win against the reigning French champions, Lyon, in their last game before taking on Liverpool in the Champions League third qualifying round on Wednesday.
The Swedish forward, who had struggled to be fit for the game because of a thigh injury, pounced on Achille Emana's short pass and scored from close range in the 90th minute. The result against Lyon, who had Kim Kallstrom sent off in the first half, was a welcome boost for Toulouse's coach, Elie Baup, after the inept performance in the first league game of the season, a 3-1 defeat at Valenciennes. "We gave it all," said Baup. "Taking three points against such a team as Lyon, that's huge."

http://football.guardian.co.uk/continentalfootball/story/0,,2147642,00.html

Didn't know the first leg was at Anfield.

[akjs123]

Some serious questions would be asked if our players were knackered out after just 2 games...

The game is in afternoon and temperature in Toulouse go around 30C and playing under that condition will be very energy sapping. The players wont be knackered but they wont be be able to give 100% against Chelsea which is needed.

[Craig_H]

The game is in afternoon and temperature in Toulouse go around 30C and playing under that condition will be very energy sapping. The players wont be knackered but they wont be be able to give 100% against Chelsea which is needed.

If they cant recover in 4 days, then again, i'd be asking questions...

How do you think players perform in world cups??

[akjs123]

If they cant recover in 4 days, then again, i'd be asking questions...

How do you think players perform in world cups??

Incase you have missed it

Liverpool face a trial by furnace to claim their place in the Champions League proper.

Rafa Benitez and his men will have to play their qualifying round first leg at Toulouse next week in the blazing heat of the afternoon.

Liverpool had assumed they would begin their European bid with a normal evening kick-off. But there is a full French domestic programme scheduled for Wednesday, forcing the game to be switched for TV purposes.

And Toulouse last night announced that the match in the Stade Municipal will now start at 4.30pm local time - when temperatures could be at their height.

A Toulouse source said: "It looks like the air temperature will be in the mid-30s, but it will be even hotter inside the stadium because it is a bowl and keeps the heat in.

"It is not ideal for the Toulouse players, but at least they are used to this sort of heat and will have an advantage over Liverpool. It could make things very interesting."

The conditions wouldnt be very different from what the friendlys in Hong Kong were played in except that this game wouldnt be played at snail pace with players strolling. I'm not saying they wont recover in four days, just that they wouldnt be 100% fit for the match against Chelsea and everyone needs to give 110% for that match.

[Fiddy]

I'd go for almost a completely different team to saturday:

Reina
Arbeloa Carra Hyypia Insua
Benni Leiva Mascherano Kewell
Crouch Voronin

Maybe stick Stevie in there if Rafa thinks the game calls for him

Injuries permitting of course, maybe leto for Kewell

I think that's close to what we'll see...have people forgotten who we're playing on Sunday?! No chance Rafa plays a full strength, same team 3 times in one week. Especially given the conditions we've been told to expect in 'the Bowl' on Weds afternoon.

Our second teamers should be good enough to do an average French team, and even if they can't, bring back the big guns for the second leg at Anfield and we'll batter them

I think Crouch and Benni defo play, and Torres probably starts on the bench cos he's the man for Sunday. Got a big feeling he's opening his account against the Chavs

[Craig_H]

Incase you have missed it



The conditions wouldnt be very different from what the friendlys in Hong Kong were played in except that this game wouldnt be played at snail pace with players strolling. I'm not saying they wont recover in four days, just that they wouldnt be 100% fit for the match against Chelsea and everyone needs to give 110% for that match.

It's gonna be over 30C in toulouse, not a million miles hotter than in england at this time of year, some days. Sure it's hot, but it's one game and they'll cope.

I think you're over estimating it, it's gonna be hot, sure...it's been hotter in the last couple of world cups and players have managed.

With 4 days to recover, they'll be fine. They're athletes, not couch potatos...