Real Madrid post match thread

[Fierce]

There's not a chance that Gerrard won't start on Saturday

[BigChief]

There's not a chance that Gerrard won't start on Saturday

Aye

[DannyMan2006]

There's not a chance that Gerrard won't start on Saturday

And rightly so if we want to win that game. Only ever looked like doing anything in an attacking sense once he came on. The job for Rodgers is to find a version of Gerrard who can also defend. Good luck with a that....... In the meantime, he has to play. I've questioned him at times, but he's still our most effective player in that role.

[calvoboy]

[/B]

No threat or quality in the final third whatsoever. Play that XI against a poor side and we'll control the game and still have the same problems because we didn't have anything at all.

I agree entirely. I hope that we're going to develop into a side, now we've got a proper squad, that plays like we did last season against the bottom dozen or so teams, but has the ability to play like we did tonight against the better sides and keep it tight and hope to nick one with Sturridge/Origi/Januarysigningpleasegod up front. Particularly away from home. That way I think we'll be challenging for the title for years to come. It's what cost us last year, we just didn't have the ability to shut up shop and take a point at worst when we needed to against Chelsea, or when we started to get under pressure in other games.

At the weekend, I'd go for the same system to start with. Gerrard and Henderson in for Lucas and Allen, Johnson for Manquillo, and Sterling for Markovic, with Lallana/Coutinho a coin-toss. Would love it if Sturridge is available to throw on for last 20 mins though, with Sterling and Coutinho on to feed him.

Would put money on Lovren returning though, despite our defence looking pretty good for most of the game against arguably the best attack in the world tonight.

[calvoboy]

And if anyone's reading the ****ing hammering we're taking on twitter from some of our more mentally challenged fans - do they realise that tonight meant next to **** all in terms of qualification for the knock-out stage? At best a win tonight would have allowed us a draw in one of the other games, but even that would depend on other results.

Before tonight beating Ludogarets and Basel would have seen us through. Whatever happened tonight, beating Ludogarets and Basel would see us through.

Us romantics might want us to pick the best team for every game, but this actually meant less in terms of our chances of winning the competition than picking a weakened team in the league cup or FA cup does, given the way the group has panned out.

[Kenneth]

I couldn't care less really about Sterling getting burned out.

He is one of our most effective players and I would not let his long term development stop him being selected. It's not as if he will be here when he is 25 anyway. Use him and abuse him.

By the time he does he'll have left us anyway. **** him.

[EwarWoo]

And if anyone's reading the ****ing hammering we're taking on twitter from some of our more mentally challenged fans

They're just parrotting Henry Winters.

[-V-]

Keep the back 5 the same for Chelsea. Johnson is a slow coach liability right now and doesn't deserve to be put back in. Lovren is a mess too so give Kolo a game again.

Id keep Can in midfield but bring back Gerrard and Henderson for Lucas and Allen. Sterling back in for Markovic and the team will compete

[BG1973]

Even though I want Hendo in for Allen on Saturday, I really think Allen had a good game.
He tailed off toward the end yes, but he must have been exhausted. He won the ball back very well tonight and helped Toure and Skrtel out massively at times.

Yep me too. Don't really understand the anti Allen brigade. The midfield played well And he was an important part if it - as was markovich.

Henderson has more power though so against Chelsea that wil be important .

[Norbs]

I couldn't care less really about Sterling getting burned out.

He is one of our most effective players and I would not let his long term development stop him being selected. It's not as if he will be here when he is 25 anyway. Use him and abuse him.

[Pablo]

It felt like we could have played for 900 minutes and not scored. We have one regular goalscorer, who's always injured. Literally no one else seems able to step up to the plate and bang the goals in. Sterling has threatened to at times, but has gone off the boil a little. The rest need to step the **** up.

[captainfog]

Keep the back 5 the same for Chelsea. Johnson is a slow coach liability right now and doesn't deserve to be put back in. Lovren is a mess too so give Kolo a game again.

Id keep Can in midfield but bring back Gerrard and Henderson for Lucas and Allen. Sterling back in for Markovic and the team will compete

Toure had one of those games where stuff went right for him, but it was seat of your pants stuff. Last night didn't convince me he is good enough.

As usual, Skittles was a ****ing liability. Our defensive options are ****.

[captainfog]

It was an encouraging display of defensive shape and discipline. I'm not going to get excited though, we lost, and the day we are satisfied with just trying hard is the day we turn into Everton.

[Tee]

[Carras_Shin_Pads]

Not sure why Markovic is getting bad press, i thought he showed some real attacking talent, we looked really shy in their half but i thought he ran with the ball well. Needs to work on his holding game to bring more players in but he looked good.