West Ham build up

[SB]

Dont see it as a pointless game at all. We could be going into this with Spurs and City both having lost on Saturday, and with hard games to follow the week after.

2 wins in a row for us against WHU and Burnley and 2 consecutive losses for Spurs (vs Chelsea and United) and City (vs United and Arsenal) and suddenly things look a bit interesting and their arses will start to squeak.

Give us your starting X1 Craig

[Big Dave]

With Torres out I think we should go with two up front which means Kuyt and Ngog. I can't see Gerrard being dropped either so he'll drop back into centre mid alongside one of Lucas or Mascherano (Normally I'd say Mascherano but I have a feeling he may be rested). Babel and Maxi in the wide areas, hopefully Pacheco can get a decent run out from the bench too.

I think this too. In fairness, against the lesser teams at home at least, this seems to have been the favoured formation. I wonder if he'll be tempted to rest Gerrard though and play Aquilani in the middle instead?

[Craig_H]

Give us your starting X1 Craig

Reina
Johnson Carragher Kyrgiakos Agger
Babel Mascherano Gerrard Benayoun
N'Gog Kuyt

[Mattshark]

Reina
Johnson Carragher Kyrgiakos Agger
Babel Mascherano Gerrard Benayoun
N'Gog Kuyt

Much rather have Maxi in there.

[Craig_H]

Much rather have Maxi in there.

I thought about him, but i'm fed up of having slow pedestrian wide players that offer zero genuine goal threat, via either themselves scoring, or creating things for others to score from.

[the rev leeroy brown]

------------reina----------
---carra---zorba----agger
-------lucas----ste-------
johnson----aqua-----babel
-------torres----pacheco--

[Kenneth]

------------reina----------
---carra---zorba----agger
-------lucas----ste-------
johnson----aqua-----babel
-------torres----pacheco--

No chance of that actually happening.

[the rev leeroy brown]

No chance of that actually happening.

unfortunately i know your right but with nothing left to play for why not just send them out in a proper attacking no holds barred line up?

[Mattshark]

I thought about him, but i'm fed up of having slow pedestrian wide players that offer zero genuine goal threat, via either themselves scoring, or creating things for others to score from.

Yeah ok, ignoring how well he has played recently then.

[Craig_H]

I'm not ignoring anything, i'd just opt for goal threats.

[ronanm]

With a bit of luck Benitez will suspend the long ball style with the ash 'n' all

[Shanks]

Torres is a doubt apparently..

I think Rafa will leave him out anyway.

[Exiled_red]

I've just seen the Reserves thread which says Pacheco will be away with Spain U19s for their games, so I'm guessing he won't be available for this one either, which is a shame, I'd have like to have seen him get a decent run out.

[anfieldanfield]

Rest everyone who is going to start in Madrid.

[Kenneth]

Agree.