Given the state of our wide players...

[Kopite_Colin]

..and Rafa's inability to buy quality widemen, what do we do? This and the relatively poor form to date of those he has bought / played out of position - coupled to the few genuine wide players who are of sufficient quality which currently exist in European football, I ask one genuine question:

"What do we actually do to resolve our situation over the next 6-18 months? "

This is a genuine question because I'm not sure ANY of us (or even the manager) knows the answer.

We can all throw the obvious names into a hat for width: Alves, Mancini, Joaquin, Quaresma, Silva - but would they actually solve our problems?

Would we actually be better off with slower players who can pass and move: Van der Vaart, Aimar, etc. The Dalglish / Beardsley type who can wriggle past a player to create space rather than burst past with speed and space a la Ronaldo.

So is it a shift in formation which will benefit us? Is a sole striker the way forward (even though personally I hate it) Would we be better off breaking the bank for a Ronaldinho type to play as support to Torres alongside Gerrard - with Mascher & Alonso tucked in behind. Is it time to think about a back 3 again with 2 hard-working (and potentially rading) fullbacks in (dare I say it) Riise and someone like Alves.

I must admit - it's making me stop and think.

[the rev leeroy brown]

i think the only way to go is a change in formation... with the way benitez plays his strikers, wide players have no-one to aim at in the middle when crossing so constantly have to double back and play short passes. with this formation i think it would be best to play bennayoun and babel because both love to come inside and play narrow. however, i would love to see benitez play with two out and out wide players (wright phillips for example) and two out and out strikers to aim for but it will never happen because benitez is stuborn and will stick to what has worked for him in the past.

[Parm]

4-3-3

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

4-3-3

Agree.

Similar to what we saw on Sunday. But with Babel and Benayoun replacing Voronin and Kuyt. Obviously injuries dictate Crouch replaces Torres and Lucas for Alonso.

What was really encouraging is that we may have found Gerrard's best position in a formation which makes him at his most effective.

[kopdan]

Not against Kuyt playing on the wing. He did ok. Works hard and links up well. Wont score many from there mind.

But dont tihink its the right place for a £10m plus striker

[andyinswinton]

Short term it is the best plan of action but I'd want to see us get back to 4-4-2 with a few quality additions to the starting lineup.

[El Diego]

So far this season my lineup would be

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

Finnan------Carragher----------Agger-------Ardeboa

---------------------Mascherano

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

Babel----------------------------------------Kewell

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

[thesilverfoxlfc]

4-3-3 give it a go for awhile

[Red Chilli]

Rafa is a stubbourn little fecker so I din't think there is anything we can do. More of the same to follow IMO.

[Iceman]

The problem at the moment id that Agger and Alonso are out

Agger is one who can bring the ball out of the defence giving us an extra midfielder, Alonso is our best passer by a mile

at the moment Hyypia is not that mobile meaning that the midfield cant play a high line, this isolates the forwards and leave us with hoof ball as the only option

I also think Left back is a problem Riise (by all accounts ) is off to villa in January (would have gone in August if the ****s at Man u hadnt pissed about with us over Heinze)...................... in hindsight it now looks a bad mistake not having a back up CB strategy in place

Sadly I dont see Arbeloa being the best option for left back either (r footed for a start)

If you studied Arse on sunday they break with speed because they have a dynamic midfield and a mobile back four

With Sami we just dont have that............... dont get me wrong Sami has been a great servant to us but is now too slow for the modern game and its hurting us

AS I have said our problems started in august when the toothless FA tribunal backed "their mate Slur Alex"

[AFII]

The problem at the moment id that Agger and Alonso are out

Agger is one who can bring the ball out of the defence giving us an extra midfielder, Alonso is our best passer by a mile

at the moment Hyypia is not that mobile meaning that the midfield cant play a high line, this isolates the forwards and leave us with hoof ball as the only option

I also think Left back is a problem Riise (by all accounts ) is off to villa in January (would have gone in August if the ****s at Man u hadnt pissed about with us over Heinze)...................... in hindsight it now looks a bad mistake not having a back up CB strategy in place

Sadly I dont see Arbeloa being the best option for left back either (r footed for a start)

If you studied Arse on sunday they break with speed because they have a dynamic midfield and a mobile back four

With Sami we just dont have that............... dont get me wrong Sami has been a great servant to us but is now too slow for the modern game and its hurting us

AS I have said our problems started in august when the toothless FA tribunal backed "their mate Slur Alex"

As you say, Sami is a legend but his time at the top is over.

[Iceman]

And in all honesty he shouldnt be playing every week it cant be doing his body or fitness any good, he is my major worry about picking up a bad injury, simply because of the amount of games he is having to play at the moment

[Shanks65]

Agree.

Similar to what we saw on Sunday. But with Babel and Benayoun replacing Voronin and Kuyt. Obviously injuries dictate Crouch replaces Torres and Lucas for Alonso.

What was really encouraging is that we may have found Gerrard's best position in a formation which makes him at his most effective.

Spot on. Get Benayoun in the team. He seems to have the work ethic which Rafa loves, PLUS he actually looks like creating chances for himself and others. We`re crying out for this right now.

And Babel could well benefit from a run of games.

[redlancer]

Spot on. Get Benayoun in the team. He seems to have the work ethic which Rafa loves, PLUS he actually looks like creating chances for himself and others. We`re crying out for this right now.

And Babel could well benefit from a run of games.

couldn't agree more - Yossi looks the only player we have that can support the striker - reminds me of Beardsley.

I think we should stick with one up front but we have to get support for that player. Ok against the Arse's that was gong to be hard at times but it looked the way forward. Lesser teams Stevie should be higher up the pitch and put on Yossi and say Babel in stead of Voronin and Kuyt and we should have players who will naturaly support at the right time and if required can provide width.

Don't think we need out and out wingers - we need good clever attacking players can pull out wide, pull defenders out of postition and cross if nessessary.

Yossi and Babel IMO fit that bill.

The player we should of got is Tevez

What we need is Agger and Alonso back. Stevie to play higher up the pitch and Rafa to start with Crouch untill Torres is ready.

Crouch can hold the ball up and with a player like Yossi could creat a good partnership.

[Parm]

Agree.

Similar to what we saw on Sunday. But with Babel and Benayoun replacing Voronin and Kuyt. Obviously injuries dictate Crouch replaces Torres and Lucas for Alonso.

What was really encouraging is that we may have found Gerrard's best position in a formation which makes him at his most effective.

yup, also if we cold get more expansive full backs (**** Alves ertc Wenger seems to be able to pluck them from Africa/France so why cant we?) then we'd really have the width we crave.