So what do you think will be the lineup Against Spurs. Bearing in mind that any replacement seems likely from Spain or Italy and so behind in preperation for the new season. Maybe something like this - - - - - - - - - Reina - - - - - - - - - Johnson - - Carra - - - Agger - - - Insua - - - - - - Masch - - - Lucas - - - Kuyt - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Benayoun - - - - - - - - - -Stevie - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Nando - - - - - - - -
Well to be fair without taking into account any other signings i don't think there is really any other option than the above team, possibly Riera or Babel on the left instead of Benni.
i expect at least 2 more top quality players to sign before next sunday so at the moment its pretty much as it is from last season with the obvious adjustments
I sense your spot on with that prediction. Things should start moving very quickly from this afternoon onwards once Alsonso signs the dotted line in Madrid.
Hope you're right dave - any inside track? Agree with the original team - hope Benayoun gets the run in the team he deserves after his performances last season. How long is Agger out for?
Not long hopefully, with Skrtel injured too, we'd be looking at San jose in the team really and not sure about that at all!
agger didnt play on sunday as a precaution so i'd expect him to be fit come the start of the season... no idea who we will bring in but we can all hope that certain spanish duo "miss" their flight out of manchester tonight rafa has at least £50m left to spend if not more so i expect big name signings
Toss up between Riera and Benayoun for left. Insua seems only available for LB is Doss leaves Masherano and Lucas scares me a lot. I think either with Alonso last year was not bad, but both together was poor. Neither will pick the ball up from the centre halves so it will be hoof all the way. At least if agger is in there, he will bring the ball into midfield. Spurs are going to be dangerous, Crouch and Defoe up front, KEane has been playing midfield in pre season. Lennon on the wing. Not the ideal opposition to start the season away from home with. On the up side they are struggling in central defence, so hopefully Nando and Stevie can tear them apart.
Would love to see the look on Ferguson's face if we announced a couple of signings around 6pm tonight ahead of their friendly. Valencia are playing Arsenal at the weekend so there's a couple of days in between to get things sorted....
It would be amazing alright but i'm an awful lot more worried about Ferguson seeing the look on Benitez's face if he were to announce a couple of new signings. Really am very worried of who they plan on bringing in before the season starts.
i think we won nearly 40% more games last season with alonso In the team than whe he was missing - he was key to the way we play. the reason we only lost twice and won so many games was we used the ball better than most and kept posession of it better than most. we bt the chavs and the *******s twice and he was the best player on the park in all of em - utd couldnt get near him. Lucas in midfield against any team in the top 10 is a worry - lucas in the team where any of the opposition midfielders is over 5'10" or over 12 stone also worries me. but i reckon the afore mentioned lineup is close to what rafa will put out with maybe riera in for yossi. if twas me id play gerrard in midfield until rafa aquires alonso's replacement and play two strikers and two wingers - maybe give babel a game
Alonso didn't play in the 4-1 at OT, probably explains why the mancs couldn't get near him in that one.
-------------Reina---------- Johnson----Carra----Agger----Insua Kuyt----Gerrard----Masch----Reira --------------Yossi-------------- ----------------Torres----------- We could see Stevie put back in to the middle and Yossi playing in his best position in the centre behind the striker
Alonso didn't play in the 4-1 at OT, probably explains why the mancs couldn't get near him in that one. ok - best in home game v the mancs and against the chavs too when he scored - i especially remember the anfield game where masch got all the plaudits but alonso really controlled the game. just think gerrard gives us a lot more in midfield against a decent spurs side than lucas which is why i'd drop him back there til a replacement comes in. he's more agressive and a better passer than lucas. i know its breaking up the deadly duo but its the lesser of two evils in my eyes. 4-4-2 for me unless rafa pulls a rabbit outta the hat again
That would be my guess for the Spurs game although it would be very hard not to push Gerrard forward knowing how weak the Spurs centre-halves will be. This in turn would leave us weak down the middle, to be exploited. I guess Rafa will do something unpredictable anyway!
.....................Reina..................... Johnson...Carragher...Skrtel...Insua... ............Mascherano...Lucas............ Kuyt.............Gerrard...........Babel..... .....................Torres..................... Just think Babel will start the season so Rafa can see how much his attitude has changed like Ryan has promised. If he still isn't living up to his potential then Rafa will say well I gave him his chance and a fresh start. For the spurs game I wouldn't be surprised to see Gerrard in Lucas' role and Benayoun in Gerrard's position.