Benfica build-up

[Kenneth]

But some will still only refer to it as a tin pot cup. Even if we do win it!

Well me for one. Doesn't mean I would rather we didn't win it, but it's not worth an open top bus tour imo.

[Guest]

Well me for one. Doesn't mean I would rather we didn't win it, but it's not worth an open top bus tour imo.

Who said it was?

[dww]

I really don't like going for a formation with three at the back as IMO that will give Di Maria too much room.

I can see that but to be honest I'm not sure that Johnson or any emergency fullback is necessarily a better option.

[Neil Young]

Who said it was?

[TheElephantMan]

Well me for one. Doesn't mean I would rather we didn't win it, but it's not worth an open top bus tour imo.

Now that the Mancs are out of Europe it feels a little bit better still being in this competition. Not much better though. If we win tonight then great, if we don't then I won't be too bothered. The significance of our participation in this competition just highlights how low our aspirations have become this season.

Our league ambitions are now on a par with the likes of Aston Villa, Everton and Fulham to finish in a position to play in a **** meaningless competition. Depressing.

[red g]

better to win the europas than get knocked out on quarters of CL.

If we did win it we could rightly say we did the best out of any english team in Europe.

A little bonus

[Kenneth]

Who said it was?

Who said someone said it was?

[PTP]

i think we will prob see agger at left back - unless we have someone who can play on the left side of a 3-5-2?? probably not


i think most likely would prob be

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

johnson----------carra------kyriakos-----------agger

----------------mascherano----Lucas-------------

Kuyt------------------Gerrard-----------------Benayoun

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


doesn't leave much on bench

Aquilani if he fancies it
El Zhar
Ngog
pacheco
er....whats left?

[the rev leeroy brown]

couldnt care less but i'm so surprised to see people wanting agger at left back?!?!

i mean why??? he is a centre half. champ manager etc.... doesnt reflect real life people. why move our best centre half out to a full back position.

so, for me, it has to be a 3-5-2 formation:

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

-----carra------zorba-----agger------

johson--mash--aqua--ste---yossi----

-------pacheco----torres-------

not a thing to lose so lets just attack **** out of them and see what happens.

[Kenneth]

couldnt care less but i'm so surprised to see people wanting agger at left back?!?!

i mean why??? he is a centre half. champ manager etc.... doesnt reflect real life people. why move our best centre half out to a full back position.

so, for me, it has to be a 3-5-2 formation:

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

-----carra------zorba-----agger------

johson--mash--aqua--ste---yossi----

-------pacheco----torres-------

not a thing to lose so lets just attack **** out of them and see what happens.

I assume it's because people realise he's able to play a bit, pass and has a left foot, can tackle, can shoot, etc. Many of the traits we would want in a LB. We have adequate cover for him in the middle. Not ideal, but I think the reasoning is pretty clear.

[Baracus]

i think we will prob see agger at left back - unless we have someone who can play on the left side of a 3-5-2?? probably not


i think most likely would prob be

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

johnson----------carra------kyriakos-----------agger

----------------mascherano----Lucas-------------

Kuyt------------------Gerrard-----------------Benayoun

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


doesn't leave much on bench

Aquilani if he fancies it
El Zhar
Ngog
pacheco
er....whats left?

Rafa might be refering to him and Robbie Keane when he said in his interview. Other big clubs can afford to make £15m signing mistakes. Will he ever fancy playing for us?

"Every manager makes mistakes," he said. "But you can see the difference. At some clubs you can make two or three mistakes a year for £15 or £20 million, and nothing happens."

[Baracus]

better to win the europas than get knocked out on quarters of CL.

If we did win it we could rightly say we did the best out of any english team in Europe.

A little bonus

A huge bonus

[PTP]

I assume it's because people realise he's able to play a bit, pass and has a left foot, can tackle, can shoot, etc. Many of the traits we would want in a LB. We have adequate cover for him in the middle. Not ideal, but I think the reasoning is pretty clear.

exactly that - it's not like we are raining left back at the moment - and whilst i did mention a 3-5-2 wpuld prob work best with carra/agger/kyriakos - i'm not 100% conviced we have anyone who could then do the left side of the 5...............in fact prob the best option would be Kuyt purely because at least we know he is capable of running in straight lines non stop

[Scratch]

Who's the Reserve team LB??

[PTP]

Rafa might be refering to him and Robbie Keane when he said in his interview. Other big clubs can afford to make £15m signing mistakes. Will he ever fancy playing for us?

without a doubt............it's been said many times for liverpool

utd, chelsea and now city - can afford to pay say £10m to £20m, and we hardly see him and nothing gets mentioned.

If we pay that much, he is a big signing and straight into the first team.