On Saturday

[Craig_H]

Middlesbrough are going to come and park the bus. And it's a game we have to win.

Aside from a piece of Torres or Gerrard magic, what's the best tactic we could adopt in order to break them down?

How would you go about it?

Answers on a postcard.

[Sarb]

It might be a struggle to be honest. Think we'll need some magic for Gerrard or Torres

[slimbimjim]

I don't think they will. Direct balls to Torres and Keane with Gerrard following up.

[Sarb]

I don't think they will. Direct balls to Torres and Keane with Gerrard following up.

Long balls you mean? If so, that won't work

[Craig_H]

I don't think they will. Direct balls to Torres and Keane with Gerrard following up.

You dont think they will park the bus? I'd be delighted, but very very surprised, if they came to Anfield and tried to play football against us.

We'd batter them. Even Southgate isnt that clueless, surely.

[Paddy]

I think we should rest Torres. There will not be enough space for him to run into because of Middlesborough playing so deep.

[bobbyfallon]

they can do what they like. we have enuf to outclass them. 2-0 keane 2

[slimbimjim]

You dont think they will park the bus? I'd be delighted, but very very surprised, if they came to Anfield and tried to play football against us.

We'd batter them. Even Southgate isnt that clueless, surely.

I don't think he wants to be seen as a negative manager so he'll have a go. They're not a bad little team these days.

[BFG]

You dont think they will park the bus? I'd be delighted, but very very surprised, if they came to Anfield and tried to play football against us.

We'd batter them. Even Southgate isnt that clueless, surely.

From what I remember of this fixture last season they didn't park the bus at all. They did try and play quite compact but they also got men forward.

I don't think Boro play in such a negative way very often if at all from what I've seen of them which isn't a great deal I admit.

[PLY]

You dont think they will park the bus? I'd be delighted, but very very surprised, if they came to Anfield and tried to play football against us.
.

To be fair they didn't park the bus last year in fact they played very well and I would say they were one of the better teams who came here last year, we struggled to contain them at times.

[Sarb]

I think we should rest Torres. There will not be enough space for him to run into because of Middlesborough playing so deep.

Needs a rest already? If you want to win the Prem you play your best players. He's class, he'll find a way round deep defences. He'll have to as that is how a lot of teams will try to combat him this season

[nebbers]

A traffic warden and a tow truck

[Parm]

if babel is back in time and fit enough, get him on the pitch and strecth the play wide

[PTP]

I'd go at the *******s 4-3-3

reina

arbeloa
Agger(has to play*)
Carra
Dossena

Gerrard
Alonso
Plessis

Keane
Kuyt
Torres


Agger has to play, he can bring the ball forward and is an option we missed so badly in these type of games last year - he is confident enough to carry the ball over the halfway line, plus he is too good for the opposition to ignore, and allow to carry on going forward - this creates a chain reaction through their team,

Agger goes forward either 1) the opposition allow him to run into space until he is near their area and can either go for goal or look to set up someone - he is too good to allow him to just run forward so

2) an opposition player will have to close him down! - so he goes forward and someone goes to close, if they have parked the team bus in front of the goal then they will be marking man to man, if agger goes forward whoever goes to challenge will leave some space and a man free - which then means someone else will have to pick up this free space/man which in turn creates more space etc etc

Without agger in the team, we really have noone in defence(we shall see what dossena/degen can offer as the season goes on) who is a danger going forward. So it's easier for teams coming to anfield to defend - they ccan pick up the midfielders/attackers, make it tight, and just let the likes of carra, arebloa, hyppia etc have the ball!!!! Agger tho is different, he is too good with the ball at his feet to allow him to go forawrd unchallenged.

Also - benni is a good option to bring of the bench in tight games, and i'd include a couple of young lads like N'gog and Nemeth - nothing better in a tight game to get some young and enthuastic legs on to try the ****ing hardest to make a name for themselves

[Paddy]

Needs a rest already? If you want to win the Prem you play your best players. He's class, he'll find a way round deep defences. He'll have to as that is how a lot of teams will try to combat him this season

I was referring to Birmingham at home last season.

That was Rafa's reason for resting him.