Torres or Crouch for Fulham?

[Howard_lfc]

Or maybe both - with Voronin dropping to sub?

Would be harsh to drop Crouchy now, so personally I'd leave it as it was and give FT a break until after the international break, and have him fully fit and fresh for Newcastle away.

Quick word on Babel: twice the player through the middle than out wide.
Never mind his goals - he just looks so more comfortable and relaxed, doing things naturally - without having to think. His run (when caught offside) late on was very near perfect - and almost Rush-like the way he arched his run because the defender pushed up a bit. More of the same please.

[bigfooty]

If Torres is fully recovered I'd like to see Torres + Crouch but I suspect it'll be Kuyt and Voronin, maybe Kuyt and Torres.

[fowlen]

I was just thinking about Saturday and the team that Rafa should put out.
I agree 100% with you. Let's not risk Torres and leave him on the bench. If he is needed he can come on later in the game. Same for Kewell. If we are winning comfortably, bring him on for the last 35 mins or so.

As for the team, the guys will have loads of confidence coming off a great result and playing some decent stuff - regardless of the opposition.
I hope that Rafa names an unchanged starting line up for this game.

By the time the Newcastle game comes up he'll have many possibilities as hopefully Torres and Kewell will be 100% fit, and Agger and Alonso should also be able to play a part.

[friedk]

I think it would be great to play with largely the same side.

Another performance like that we would rip Fulham to shreds.

[CMK]

I hope Torres won't be called up for the coming Euro qualifying matches. We would need him fully fit for the Newcastle match.

[Reece]

As i've said in another thread, it might be an idea to leave Torres on the bench to ensure he is fully over the injury, and thus start with Babel and Crouch up front. Doubt it will happen that way though.

[AFII]

As i've said in another thread, it might be an idea to leave Torres on the bench to ensure he is fully over the injury, and thus start with Babel and Crouch up front. Doubt it will happen that way though.

No point taking any chances this time.

[fred_plasticine]

No point taking any chances this time.

but no doubt the spanish national team will

[The Birdman]

I'd play Torres hoping he aggrivates his injury just enough to miss the international games but to be fully fit for our 1st game afterwards!
Who Rafa plays will depend on how Fulham are going to play, if they are going to sit deep he'll play Kuyt and Voronin with Crouch as an option later in the game if we need him. Torres will all depend on how fit he really is, why risk him? if we can't beat Fulham at home off the back of an 8 nil then we don't deserve to be challenging for the league.
Another question is will we have Agger and Alonso back after the international break??

[Frank Leroux]

He has to play the same starting 11. This is the way a momentum, a confidence, a team spirit and an understanding that if you perform well you stay in the team - is built.

To drop any of the players that started, and played most of, the game would be soul destroying....no matter how well explained to them it might be.

Start that 11, have Torres, Kewell, Babel, Lucas ready to come on when we're 3-0 up.

...And if he does make major changes.....(just getting my retaliation in first!).

[Shaggy]

Torres OR Crouch? Torres AND Crouch for me. Our best two.

[Howard_lfc]

Torres OR Crouch? Torres AND Crouch for me. Our best two.

Haven't they only played together at Reading away IIRC?

[Red_hot]

Crouch. Keep Torres til he is 100%.

[Shaggy]

Haven't they only played together at Reading away IIRC?

Yep, it's ridiculous. Crouch has been snubbed though, almost continually, rather than 'rotated'.

IMO those two between them pose every sort of problem in the book to opposition centre backs.

[Flake]

why has torres and crouch suddenly become our best two?

the only time i've seen them have extended time together on the pitch they've been ****e.

they may be 1 and 2 in order of strikerlyness or some ****, but that does not the best pairing make.
I agree they deserve a chance to form a partnership, but there seems to be a collective amnesia of their performances together so far, which are a long way from suggesting these would be our best pairing.