Your starting X1 vs Marseille please

[Reece]

Reina

Arbeloa - Carra - Agger - Dossena

Benny - Alonso - Lucas - Riera

Kuyt - Keane


Torres & Gerrard on the bench as Rafa will not risk them in 1st half as we should be good enough to win without them.

That except I'd swap Babel for Benny, and possibly give Carragher a rest.

[Johnny]

Will Pennant get any games this season??

I`m a rafa Fan but he does seem to cold shoulder decent players who could do a good Job for us.

[Fierce]

----------------Reina----------------
--Arbeloa---Carra---Agger---Doseena-
---------------Masher---------------
-------Babel----Gerrard----Riera-----
------------Keane------Torres-------

Actually, after typing, thats more what I'd LIKE to see tonight

I think it will be -

----------------Reina----------------
--Arbeloa---Carra---Agger---Doseena-
--------Masher-----Alonso----------
--------------Gerrard---------------
--Keane/Babel--Torres-----Riera-----

With Keane/Babel and Riera alternating between 4-3-3- and 4-5-1 respectively

I think it would be tough to put Keane on in place of Babel after the weekends performance, but its impossible to 2nd guess Rafa, hence the above.

[The_weatherman]

Will Pennant get any games this season??

I`m a rafa Fan but he does seem to cold shoulder decent players who could do a good Job for us.

Seems like Rafa was serious about letting him rot, rather cold I might add.

[Mike]

Pepe

Arbeloa - Carra - Skrtel - Dossena

Babel - Alonso - Lucas - Riera

Kuyt - Keane

[Johnny]

Seems like Rafa was serious about letting him rot, rather cold I might add.

Crouch got the same treatment.

Rafa is hardnosed when it comes to those he doesn`t rate anymore.

[Woobus]

Will Pennant get any games this season??

I`m a rafa Fan but he does seem to cold shoulder decent players who could do a good Job for us.

Think he will get some games in the other cups and if we qualify early, seems that Kuyt, Zhar and Benny are all in front of him now a days. Pennant can still do the job, hopefully this spell on the side lines will be making him put his head down and try to improve.

[Johnny]

Regarding the team selection.

We need to win the 1st 4 games so we can concentrate more on the PL this yr.Put out strong teams and then rest our best for the last two CL games.

Pepe

Arbeloa - Carra - Skrtel - Dossena

Kuyt - Alonso - Mascher - Riera

Torres - Keane

Take off Torres and Mascher if we`re stuffing them after 60 mins.

[Johnny]

Think he will get some games in the other cups and if we qualify early, seems that Kuyt, Zhar and Benny are all in front of him now a days. Pennant can still do the job, hopefully this spell on the side lines will be making him put his head down and try to improve.

Hopefully.

I like Pennant.

[hamshanks]

Reina,

Degen, Skrtel, Agger, Dossena,

Benayoun, Alonso, Lucas, Riera,

Keane, Babel

Good opportunity for Keane to get off the mark and I'd like to see Babel playing up front more often. Degen, Agger, Dossena, and Riera all need to get matches under their belt. Gerrard, Torres and Mascherano could do with further rest and Kuyt's rubbish so he'd never be in my 1st 11.

[The Birdman]

Same team as against Man U except Dossena for Aurelio.
If Gerrard wasn't fit for the Man U game I can't see how 2 days which includes travelling will make him that much fitter for a game Tuesday night.
Leave him and Torres on the bench, hopefully won't use them.

[JPK]

__________________ Pepe __________________
Arbeloa ____ Carra _______ Skrtel ____ Dossena
_____________ Xabi _______ Masch __________
Kuyt _________ Gerrard ___________ Babel ____
_____________ Torres ______________________

Regarding Pennant: He does not deserve to be in our squad. He knew he had no chance of playing and settled for picking up his handy money. He deserves to be sold because he never did enough for us. Rafa should instruct Javier to have a word with him.

[Johnny]

Same team as against Man U except Dossena for Aurelio.
If Gerrard wasn't fit for the Man U game I can't see how 2 days which includes travelling will make him that much fitter for a game Tuesday night.
Leave him and Torres on the bench, hopefully won't use them.

He`s not swimming to France.

[Scratch]

Regarding Pennant: He does not deserve to be in our squad. He knew he had no chance of playing and settled for picking up his handy money. He deserves to be sold because he never did enough for us. Rafa should instruct Javier to have a word with him.

You do realise that if he'd moved he'd have got more money? For one, as he has not asked for a transfer, we would have to pay the difference in wages to him for the duration of his original contract with us. Two, he would have picked up a hefty signing on fee from his new club. Three, any bonuses that he is not collecting now as he is not playing he could be picking up at his new club.

He chose to stay and fight. We don't know how hard he is working behind the scenes to impress Rafa. But obviously, he felt he still had a point to prove, so fair play to him for that. He could have taken the easy way out, gone to a smaller club and been a big fish, but he chose to stay and people are slating him for it!

[-V-]

I would leave it unchanged, except Dossena in for Aurelio. Bring Babel on in 2nd half once Marseille are tired