Presuming we sign Barry

[Subby]

isn't Barry more on the left side of a midfield??? not an out and out winger but a central left side player???

[Marky]

As has been pointed out by several others, I will only be happy to sign Barry provided he'll be used in central midfield. If he's being bought to play anywhere on the left I will be mortified.

Yep, couldn't agree more. His best position is far and away centre mid and i really hope he plays there should we sign him, i think Rafa will play him there too.

[shanks59]

But what affected his performances in the seasons after his first one with us? Apart from the fact that opposition players learved to close him down and deny him space?

One example after this period, was his superb performance when 10 men battered the bitters 3-1 at Anfield (StevieG sent off wearing the 08 city of culture numbered shirt)

[Shaggy]

One example after this period, was his superb performance when 10 men battered the bitters 3-1 at Anfield (StevieG sent off wearing the 08 city of culture numbered shirt)

Fantastic display - one of his best for us.

[Johnny]

We had the best MF in the world then tho, but we've lost half of it now.

Now Liverpool and Juventus will have the Best Midfield In The World(If Xabi goes to to Juve)

[rage]

i for one hope this deal falls through and we keep xabi.

[frank the tank]

perhaps xabi wants to leave liverpool though? That is one thing that nobody has suggested..... i know that he came on the offal site and siad that he wasnt going to ask for a transfer but there is more than one way to leave a football club..... perhaps xabi would like to leave liverpool and play in italy for a while before then heading back to spain to see his career out....... maybe rafa would prefer him to stay but xabi has privately made his feelings known......

put it this way, if lfc wanted to sell a player, then surely the deal would have went through by now..... we will only know for sure if and when he finally does leave, then maybe the real story will come out.....

gtting back to gareth barry, i will put it this way - for me he is the type of player that all teams need, he doesnt ever really have a bad game.... a bit like steve finnan was 2 years ago.... barry would easily hold his own and, as you can see with his england performances, will become even a better player when he has better players around him.... also, he seems to get better with age and i actually reckon that he will be a very good player and also one that gives rafa a lot of options....

as for team line-ups, then it does appear that rafa wants our width to come from the full backs so perhaps a strong centred team like this:

---------------------reina--------------------------

degen------carra-------------agger---------dossena
------------------mascherano----------------------

--------gerrard-----------------barry---------------

--------kuyt-----------------------babel-----------

-------------------torres---------------------------


i would personally prefer if we signed another playmaker and i believe that aimar would be perfect..... as for bentley, i really dont know about him. Put it this way, if wenger left him leave arsenal, then maybe he really doesnt have what it takes to play for a big big big club..... i know that he is playing well for blackburn but then so did bellamy....perhaps blackburn is his level to be honest.... some players just cant cut it playing for top clubs..... his career path seems to be very very similar to pennants - and while pennant has a lot of natural ability, his doesnt have the temperament to play for lfc.... put it this way, i wouldnt break the bank for bentley......

[rage]

with the 2 new full backs i really do think that we're going to play to our areas of strength in depth more. i can see us playing a rafa version of 352 a lot more regardless of whether we buy barry and sell alonso.

[lfc1394]

It obvious Rafa is trying to re-create his valencia side, Rafa sees him as the Baraja type midfielder. The 4 2 3 1 of Valencia, Braja rarely sat deep he pressed all over the pitch and chipped in with 8 league goals the year they won the league. I think the original plan was Alonso and Momo, with Momo playing the Braja role, he did the pressing OK but was technically poor. Alonso is also not as good at sitting as Mascher obviously is.

[frank the tank]

good point.... also i can see rafa playing 3 centre backs a lot..... i was hoping that he would pick his best team and play that as much as possible...like he did from feb onwards... but i feel he might tinker a bit next season as well...

we could often start with a team like...

-------------------------------------reina-----------------------------------

------------------SKRTEL---------CARRAGHER----------AGGER---------------

DEGEN------------------------------------------------------------DOSSENA

------------------------------MASCHERANO--------------------------------

---------------------LUCAS---------------------BARRY----------------------

-------------------------------GERRARD-------------------------------------

-------------------------------TORRES---------------------------------------

[El Jefecito]

perhaps xabi wants to leave liverpool though? That is one thing that nobody has suggested..... i know that he came on the offal site and siad that he wasnt going to ask for a transfer but there is more than one way to leave a football club..... perhaps xabi would like to leave liverpool and play in italy for a while before then heading back to spain to see his career out....... maybe rafa would prefer him to stay but xabi has privately made his feelings known......

put it this way, if lfc wanted to sell a player, then surely the deal would have went through by now..... we will only know for sure if and when he finally does leave, then maybe the real story will come out.....

gtting back to gareth barry, i will put it this way - for me he is the type of player that all teams need, he doesnt ever really have a bad game.... a bit like steve finnan was 2 years ago.... barry would easily hold his own and, as you can see with his england performances, will become even a better player when he has better players around him.... also, he seems to get better with age and i actually reckon that he will be a very good player and also one that gives rafa a lot of options....

as for team line-ups, then it does appear that rafa wants our width to come from the full backs so perhaps a strong centred team like this:

---------------------reina--------------------------

degen------carra-------------agger---------dossena
------------------mascherano----------------------

--------gerrard-----------------barry---------------

--------kuyt-----------------------babel-----------

-------------------torres---------------------------


i would personally prefer if we signed another playmaker and i believe that aimar would be perfect..... as for bentley, i really dont know about him. Put it this way, if wenger left him leave arsenal, then maybe he really doesnt have what it takes to play for a big big big club..... i know that he is playing well for blackburn but then so did bellamy....perhaps blackburn is his level to be honest.... some players just cant cut it playing for top clubs..... his career path seems to be very very similar to pennants - and while pennant has a lot of natural ability, his doesnt have the temperament to play for lfc.... put it this way, i wouldnt break the bank for bentley......

Frankly Frank

I can't see Rafa straying from 4231. SG has been far too effective in the more advanced role (20 goals + 20 assists) to waste him in CM. Except as occasional cover of course.

[El Jefecito]

It obvious Rafa is trying to re-create his valencia side, Rafa sees him as the Baraja type midfielder. The 4 2 3 1 of Valencia, Braja rarely sat deep he pressed all over the pitch and chipped in with 8 league goals the year they won the league. I think the original plan was Alonso and Momo, with Momo playing the Braja role, he did the pressing OK but was technically poor. Alonso is also not as good at sitting as Mascher obviously is.

Just based on the way we were playing towards the end of the season I think it was obvious that El Jefecito was playing a far more adventurous role than peviously. He was most definitely not playing as a pure holding midfielder. My thought is that Rafa will deviate from the Valencia model and have the two deeper CMs working piston like i.e taking turns to attack and defend depending on where space is available. I think both Lucas will grow into this role, El Jefecito has already shown a massive improvement and Barry already has that to his game.

I think it will provide great balance and will work really well.

[dww]

As has been pointed out by several others, I will only be happy to sign Barry provided he'll be used in central midfield. If he's being bought to play anywhere on the left I will be mortified.

I wouldn't mind us occasionally using 4-4-2 with Barry on the left. I think we may need to in order to ensure any second forward we bring in will be ready if Torres is ever injured. I would be genuinely shocked if Rafa had anything other than CM in mind as Barry's main role.

[dww]

I also hope we don't see anymore of the 3-5-2 formation. It's rare outings as it is are enough for me. It is generally a limited formation and I think we are better off tweaking our 4-2-3-1/4-4-2 variants for different matches and situations in almost all situations.

[rage]

so who would you regularly bench? for me the two centre backs need to be strong, consistent partnership and i really don't think we'll constantly rotate here. agger, carra, skertle?

with the new fullbacks i can't see carra competing for deggen or arbeloa or agger (if indeed he can play left back) competing with aurellio, the new italian kid and insua.