On Saturday

[dww]

Gerrard on the right. He wont like that

If he asks he's part of a fluid three behind Torres

[Exiled_red]

FFS dramaqueens, there is no anti-plessis thing going on, just I, and a couple of others, think he isn't ready to play in the heart of our team in such important games. He's played 2 games and been substard in both, not ****, not embarrassing, just not good enough to have +ve effect on our performance, almost definitely due to nerves. Maybe bringing him on when we're leading, saving him for CC games etc would be the best approach.

Fair do's. But at the moment we don't really have anyone else to play there in the Mascherano postition. For all the people calling Xabi a defensive mid, he isn't someone who breaks up play, he just plays his football from a deeper position.

[Exiled_red]

So 4231 then?

It's my preferred system but with the Olympic nonsense, we still dont yet have the personnel for it. Unless you'd play Plessis and Alonso in the holding roles, which i guess is what you're hinting at.

So it'd be:

-------------Pepe

Arbeloa---Carra--Agger----Dossena

--------Alonso----Plessis

Gerrard-----Keane-----Yossi

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

That's the formation I suggested we play for the Sunderland game, which I still think is the best with the players we have available at the moment. Next week I'd have Babel in for Yossi, and eventually Mascherano will come in for Plessis, it saves us taking a few games to get used to a system then change it when everyone is back

[BrooklynRed]

FFS dramaqueens, there is no anti-plessis thing going on, just I, and a couple of others, think he isn't ready to play in the heart of our team in such important games. He's played 2 games and been substard in both, not ****, not embarrassing, just not good enough to have +ve effect on our performance, almost definitely due to nerves. Maybe bringing him on when we're leading, saving him for CC games etc would be the best approach.

Completely agree. Without the Olympics, he is third choice, coming on as a sub in league cup ties. That is not slating him, that is his actual purpose in the team! He even knows it.

My main thoughts are:

1. Go Brazil! I want Mascherano back and an Argentina loss would be perfect timing.
2. Babel is home and fit, he should walk into the team on the left; Rest Benayoun, who I believe was poor on Saturday.

Is there a bronze medal match in the Olympics? Surely one of Lucas/Mascher will be released when they fail to qualify for the final?

[Exiled_red]

Completely agree. Without the Olympics, he is third choice, coming on as a sub in league cup ties. That is not slating him, that is his actual purpose in the team! He even knows it.

My main thoughts are:

1. Go Brazil! I want Mascherano back and an Argentina loss would be perfect timing.
2. Babel is home and fit, he should walk into the team on the left; Rest Benayoun, who I believe was poor on Saturday.

Is there a bronze medal match in the Olympics? Surely one of Lucas/Mascher will be released when they fail to qualify for the final?

There will be a Bronze medal match, and I would assume if Brazil or Argentina are in it then Lucas or Mascherano will stay

[BrooklynRed]

Then they both stay because Argentina is playing Brazil next.

[-V-]

Babel, Gerrard, Alonso, Torres, Keane. Enough creativity there to pull Boro apart

[JPK]

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.

I was at that game luckily and they had a right go. Tuncay and Downing did well and we were ****e bar Torres.

[JPK]

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

He scored four against them in the games last year. He will be mad for this one. Worth a bet for first goalscorer

[rage]

Sod that. I don't see El Zhar being around long-term anyway, so play whoever is most likely to get us a win. That'd be JP out of those two.

i'm tempted to think exactly the same of lucas