Would you be happy with this starting 11

[the rev leeroy brown]

If Alonso goes, Lucas will step up. I don't know why, but for some reason I'm less terrified by that than I probably should be. Possibly because it would give us the money to buy Silva or someone similar on the left.

?!?!?

be scared if that should happen.....be very scared. lucas will not step up....FACT.

[Fierce]

?!?!?

be scared if that should happen.....be very scared. lucas will not step up....FACT.

Lucas WILL step up. FACT

[gentingfrmhell]

If Alonso goes, Lucas will step up. I don't know why, but for some reason I'm less terrified by that than I probably should be.

If lucas is all we've got we are doomed!!! I dont mind if alonso goes for a decent price, but we definetely need a quality replacement if he goes.

[Brucester70]

As the papers sound like it is more and more likely Alonso could be off, and if we get 25-30m for him and could convince Villa to come, we could go for:

------------------Torres----------------------
Silva------------Villa----------------Kuyt------
-------------Masherano--Gerrard--------------
Insua---------Agger------Carra------Johnson--
-------------------Reina----------------------

That would be title winning side. Gerrard would burst forward more than Alonso so still could link up with Torres, he can spray it around like Alonso and tackles better, so this team could work.

[dww]

Intriguing - has Villa played that sort of deeper role before?

I still don't want Gerrard playing that deep - he is too inclined to play long balls.

[JohnDoe]

I have an intense dislike for Gerrard and Mascherano in the middle.

On second thought, I have an intense dislike for any midfield without Alonso

[kev776]

As the papers sound like it is more and more likely Alonso could be off, and if we get 25-30m for him and could convince Villa to come, we could go for:

------------------Torres----------------------
--Silva-----------Gerrard---------Villa----------------
---------Masherano------Lukas----------
Insua---------Agger------Carra------Johnson--
-------------------Reina----------------------

That would be title winning side. Gerrard would burst forward more than Alonso so still could link up with Torres, he can spray it around like Alonso and tackles better, so this team could work.

[Delinquent]

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

Johnson------Carra--------The Beast-------Dagger


Kuyt---------Gerrard-------Mascher--------Riera


--------------Benny

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

I cant see much wrong with this, but if Scabby goes it may be all we have.

Absolutely not.

Daniel Agger is in the wrong position to start with. Then there's the fact that we'd obviously have sold Alonso with no attempt to replace him. And as much as I like Yossi I'd prefer him as an impact player rather than a genuine starter. We need better if we're to push for the league next season. And finally, there's still no sign of a quality left winger. Whilst Riera may improve next season, he's not shown enough in the Premiership to suggest he can elevate us to the next level.

We need better supply and in particular, more goals to alleviate the burden on Gerrard and Torres. Apart from the obvious advantage of Johnson's runs from the fullback position, nothing in that line-up really suggests the burden will be lifted at all.

[calvoboy]

?!?!?

be scared if that should happen.....be very scared. lucas will not step up....FACT.

Lucas WILL step up. FACT

My dad and I had this argument about Lucas all season. I thought he was OK but should be playing better given the number of games he's had, whereas my Dad says he's still young, is a great talent and will come good. All I can think is that it must be easier to be won over to his way of thinking when you haven't actually seen Lucas play for a few weeks!

[Exiled_red]

I have an intense dislike for Gerrard and Mascherano in the middle.

On second thought, I have an intense dislike for any midfield without Alonso

[dww]

My dad and I had this argument about Lucas all season. I thought he was OK but should be playing better given the number of games he's had, whereas my Dad says he's still young, is a great talent and will come good. All I can think is that it must be easier to be won over to his way of thinking when you haven't actually seen Lucas play for a few weeks!

I've always been a fan but I thought other than a few daft mistakes he had a pretty good season. He didn't get many extended runs in the team but still to me seemed to progress. At the end of the season he looked stronger in the tackle and more willing to bomb forward on occasion. I think people look for different things - a lot of people seem to be unhappy with Lucas because he doesn't have Alonso's passing range but his short passing is good and his movement helps us advance just as quickly.

He needs to stop giving away cheap freekicks and show a bit more composure higher up the pitch and he will be an excellent player for us. In fact I think if he reaches his potential he will be better for the team than Alonso (although this assumes that we have a holding/Mascherano type player to partner him with at the time).

[calvoboy]

I've always been a fan but I thought other than a few daft mistakes he had a pretty good season. He didn't get many extended runs in the team but still to me seemed to progress. At the end of the season he looked stronger in the tackle and more willing to bomb forward on occasion. I think people look for different things - a lot of people seem to be unhappy with Lucas because he doesn't have Alonso's passing range but his short passing is good and his movement helps us advance just as quickly.

He needs to stop giving away cheap freekicks and show a bit more composure higher up the pitch and he will be an excellent player for us. In fact I think if he reaches his potential he will be better for the team than Alonso (although this assumes that we have a holding/Mascherano type player to partner him with at the time).

I know what you mean, and I don't dislike him, I just thought he was a bit average and prone to mistakes. He's certainly more of a box-to-box midfielder than Alonso, and has good movement and passing, as you say. It's the free-kicks, lack of composure, and occasional switching off moment in games that annoyed me, particularly early in the season.

If Alonso went, it would be make or break for him, as he'd be the natural replacement from within the squad, and I haven't seen any obvious replacement at any other club (though I see we've been linked with someone from Udinese today...). Goes without saying that I still hope we keep Alonso though.

[dww]

I know what you mean, and I don't dislike him, I just thought he was a bit average and prone to mistakes. He's certainly more of a box-to-box midfielder than Alonso, and has good movement and passing, as you say. It's the free-kicks, lack of composure, and occasional switching off moment in games that annoyed me, particularly early in the season.

If Alonso went, it would be make or break for him, as he'd be the natural replacement from within the squad, and I haven't seen any obvious replacement at any other club (though I see we've been linked with someone from Udinese today...). Goes without saying that I still hope we keep Alonso though.

I'm pretty resigned to Alonso going at this point. I actually thought that we were a CM light in the squad this season so unless Rafa feels Spearing or Plessis can kick on I think we need to bring in at the very, very least one player to replace Alonso if he goes.

While I think Alonso-Mascherano is as good a partnership for the way we play as any about there are attributes about it that could be improved. For a start neither are great in the air or score many goals. Alonso is not a particularly mobile play maker and Mascherano looses his cool in the opposition half too often. I'm not sure that we could hope to really one for one replace either but we could look to improve some of these aspects as well as doing as good a job of getting people to fill the roles the players we have already do.

I think Lucas is still a season away maybe from fulfilling what he can offer. He needs to keep growing and I wouldn't want to have to rely on him as our established CM at this point. I really think he might be a huge part of our long term future though.

It is an interesting point in the development of a lot of our players actually as Insua, Agger, Skrtel and Lucas could all be looked upon next season as having to really establish themselves as top players.