Next season first XI

[reder]

Taking into account the new signings, what will our first XI shape up like next season. Formation must be 4-4-2 in keeping with tradition.

Im hoping for:

Reina

Finnan
Carra
Agger
Aurelio

Gerrard
Mascherano
Alonso
Babel

Kuyt
Torres

[Daz]

I think at this stage I;d be looking at:

Reina

Finnan
Carra
Agger
Riise

Gerrard
Masch
Alonso
Kewell

Kuyt
Torres

[Malzheimer]

Strongest 11 is tough especially in the 4-4-2 style as I don't think we'll use the old traditional system as much this year but I'll give it a go.

Reina

Finnan
Carra
Agger
Riise (heinze if he signs)

Pennant
Masch
Stevie G
Babel

Torres
Kuyt


Team I would like to see us play especially vs weaker teams: 4-3-3

Reina

Finnan
Carra
Agger
Riise

Xabi
Masch

Kuyt/Kewell
Stevie
Babel

Torres

[redeagle]

for our big games.

reina
finnan carra agger aurelio/arebelo

Gerrard alonso mashie babel/kewell

kuyt torres

but it is rafa after all.. so no doubt a serious amount of chopping and changing will occur resulting in reds pulling whats left of their hair out.

[gav003]

Reina

Finnan---- Carra---Agger----Riise

StevieG---MAsh---Xabi----Babel
----------Kuyt---Torres


Big games


Reina
Finnan---- Carra---Agger----Riise
---------Masch____Xabi
Gerrard-----Kuyt-------Babel
Torres

Momo, Kewell & Crouch most likely off the bench

[JMurray#8]

Not too different from above...

Reina

Finnan
Cara
Agger
Riise (even if Heinze signs)

Pennant
Masch
Gerrard
Kewell

Torres
Kuyt

It's interesting to see most peoples choice up front is Torres and Kuyt, I do think that Crouch and Torres could form a good partnership however I'll stick with Kuyt and Torres for the moment.
I feel the team has great depth this season with top class players to cover any injuries which could happen.

[GaryMc]

Reina

Carragher
Agger
Heinze

Masherano

Benayoun
Gerrard
Alonso
Babel

Kuyt
Torres

That would be a signal of our intent;);)

[9Torres]

ah kopirish i cant believe u left finnan out of the lineup... he's only the most consistent full back in the premiership... and totally underrated....

I'd have to go with the 4-4-2 system myself...


Reina

Finnan
Carragher
Agger
Riise

StevieG
Masch
Alonso
Kewell

Kuyt
Torres

Gotta have Finnan in there, also I think Riise is solid when he's on song - no messin about at the back

I might be nuts puttin Kewell in there, but he reckon's that he's as fit as he has been in years... I'm praying that after all these years he finally pulls through for us - we all know what he's capable of. Torres could really benefit from him if he's back to his old self.

Tough decision up front, I reckon Kuyt will be a lot more settled this year and both players are intelligent and will work off each other very well. And who knows, maybe Veronin will be a surprise package this year seeing though nobody is expecting much from him since Torres arrived... Lets just hope he's not another Sean Dundee.

Come on the pool... i cant wait for the new season to kick off.

[Alex Raisbeck]

Dont think 442 will be our main system next season.

[reder]

Dont think 442 will be our main system next season.

Will be, we always play 4-4-2.

[paddypower111]

finnan-carra-agger-risse-- mascha-alonso

gerrard-benoyuon-babbal

torres

prefer a new left back though risses better going forward not defending

[paddypower111]

4 2 3 1

[Jockser]

Look lad i could never predict the right team last season at 2.55pm on a saturday so next seasons team i have no chance!. it will consist of a core of 20 players probably

[megager]

I predict

Carra
Carra
Carra
Carra
Carra
Carra
Carra
Carra
Carra
Carra
Carra

[marko]

Predict rafa's best xi ?

Pass!!

[sean]

I agree with you 9Torres about Voronin, so little has been said about him yet he could turn out to be the surprise package of the season, maybe like Berbatov last season...

[paddypower111]

lol j

[peterk]

Seeing as Rafa likes to pick line-up to match tactics all of the above will prob be seen at some stage next season. I like to see this 4-4-3 though for some matches, bit like Barca line-up

.................Reina

Finnan....Carra.....Agger....Riise(Heinze)

...............Mascherano
........Stevie.............Alonso

....Youssi....................Babbel
...................Torres

[CroRed]

Babel said that Rafa had told him that he will compete with 6 players for 4 attacking positions. That means 4-2-3-1.

[Alex Raisbeck]

Will be, we always play 4-4-2.

No, we dont. Not always. And I believe it will be less this season.

[CroRed]

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


Finnan---------carragher-----------------------agger-------------riise


--------------------alonso--------------mascherano--------------------


Quaresma(?)------------------gerrard Mbe------------------------babel


--------------------------------torres-----------------------------------

[megager]

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


Finnan---------carragher-----------------------agger-------------riise


--------------------alonso--------------mascherano--------------------


Quaresma(?)------------------gerrard Mbe------------------------babel


--------------------------------torres-----------------------------------

You know, that looks like a really good team, I dont think we will get Quaresma now, but slot Pennant, Benayoun or Kewell in there. Id miss Kuyt, but can see stevie G and Babel popping in with a few goals as well. Maybe Heinze for Riise if we get him.

One thing is clear, there are options at least, only time will tell if it is enough to challenge though.

[Badman]

Not too different from above...

Reina

Finnan
Cara
Agger
Riise (even if Heinze signs)

Pennant
Masch
Gerrard
Kewell

Torres
Kuyt

It's interesting to see most peoples choice up front is Torres and Kuyt, I do think that Crouch and Torres could form a good partnership however I'll stick with Kuyt and Torres for the moment.
I feel the team has great depth this season with top class players to cover any injuries which could happen.
Am new to this site so still finding my way around it - wrt the formation and first 11 4 next season i'm a bit surprised that benayoun is not in anyones 11, not even in the squad. in his first season with hammers i think he hit double figures and buckets of assists whereas penant has 1 goal (a cracker i agree) and very few assists. I'm going to suggest the unthinkable and say maybe our most balanced (not necessarily our best) 11 doesnt have stevie g. Back 4 and goalie same as last year with benayoun, mascherano, alonso and babel in midfield and dirk and torres up top. Masch and alonso are rafas faves for midfield so gerard will b miffed to spend most of season on wing.
Am probably goin to get slated 4 suggesting team minus stevie g..but one thing's 4 sure we have to hot the ground running cos utd's team looks potent

[dougal]

Maybe Heinze for Riise if we get him.

I can't see Heinze getting in the first 11 ahead of Riise. If he does come it would be as cover for Left back and Centre Back I'd say.

I think that the 4-2-3-1 formation is going to get a lot of action this season.

My 11 would currently be.
------------Reina
Finnan -- Carra -- Agger -- Riise
----- Alonso -- Mascherano
Benayoun --- Gerarard --- Kuyt
---------Torres

If 4-4-2

------------Reina
Finnan --- Carra --- Agger --- Riise
Pennant -- Gerarard -- Masch -- Kewell
------- Torres --- Kuyt

[megager]

Hi Badman, Welcome,

A nice controversial start, the first of many I suspect.

I think if Rafa is to pick a first team without the club captain, it would be tandamount to mutinuty at Melwood.

I agree at times Stevie G is frustrating, sometimes we question his complianc ewith the managers plan, but I think he "is a man more sinned against than sinning".

He loves the club, and has comitted to us for the rest of his career. He also is capable of the impossible, who else would have struck that goal against West Ham.

Having said that, his best position is not the centre, but not the right either ( he is too far away from the thick of it. That why I think Rafa might use him as Crored suggests.

I think you are right about Benayoun though. I doubt Rafa put in so much effort for a reserve player. He will feature

[CroRed]

People, including me, underrestimate both Benayoun and Voronin. Who knows, maybe they'll be a big hit at Anfield. They are relieved of pressure and that is a big plus for them compared to Torres, the record buy, and Babel, club's third most expensive transfer in history.

[bmac]

Agree with the points on Benayoun but I can see Pennant starting a lot this year if he can put in the kind of performances he did towards the end of last season so i think it will be something like the below

-----------Reina--------------

Finnan - Carra - Agger - Aurelio

------Masch----Alonso-------

Pennant-----Gerrard------Kewell

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

Not sure how I managed to leave Kuyt as I think Rafa loves having him in the team but I think that team is pretty good looking with Benayoun/Babel and Kuyt ready to come in if anyone slips up!! Best team we have had in a long time I reckon :D

[Badman]

I'm not sayin gerard shouldnt b in the first 11 - bu if he wasnt captain rafa would always have alonso and mascherano in midfield cos they perfectly complement each other and are two classical traditional midfielders - much in the tradition of baracka and albelda at valencia, the ballast on which most of his success there was founded. Gerard (and maybe torres, we wont know for a while) is our only true matchwinner, someone who can do something outta nothing, but he's hard to put in a fixed posn which is the dilemma rafa has.
However ive total faith in rafa and trust his judgement - i would have benayoun and babel over penant and kewell out wide though - cannot ever see kewell beating his man or gettin stuck in, he's just not my cuppa tea.
And finally 4 now a big adios to luis garcia - frustrating, brilliant, enigmatic and down right infuriating. never again to c 37 consecutive misplaced passes followed by a 30 yard screamer into the top corner. He was the true "big match player", and anyone who scores against everton, arsenal, and chelsea in the c league semi will go down in folklore - besta luck in atletico.
Said i wouldnt start off too controversial or dogmatic, this site is a good soapbox though.

YNWA

[peterk]

I know where you are coming from Badman because there are a few people out there who wonder about SG and his best position, value to team etc - Dion Fanning in the Sunday Independent would be one who has used his column to question the hype around Stevie and analyze what he really offers . He has stated before that the most important transfer Rafa could be involved in is the selling of Stevie.

Have to point out that these aren't my views because I think he's a legend - even though I watched from the stands in Athens as he took a quick free kick across the pitch in his own half giving the ball away which led to the first Milan goal but this isn't a Stevie G thread...

[Alex Raisbeck]

Have to point out that these aren't my views because I think he's a legend - even though I watched from the stands in Athens as he took a quick free kick across the pitch in his own half giving the ball away which led to the first Milan goal but this isn't a Stevie G thread...

No.1 Well done you've told us all you went to Athens.
N0.2 Gimme a break, what about Alonso commiting a needless foul in a dangerous position.

[FinnanNo3]

No.1 Well done you've told us all you went to Athens.
N0.2 Gimme a break, what about Alonso commiting a needless foul in a dangerous position.

:D

[peterk]

Relax boy, no need to get like that, I'm just making a point.

So you're pointing out that Alonso also made a mistake in the build-up to the 1st goal? Yeah, fair enough, that's true - I never said he didn't. My point was that Stevie is prone to giving the ball away in CM and sometimes it can be costly but like I said I think he's a legend and a class apart for the most part.

[Alex Raisbeck]

Relax boy, no need to get like that, I'm just making a point.

So you're pointing out that Alonso also made a mistake in the build-up to the 1st goal? Yeah, fair enough, that's true - I never said he didn't. My point was that Stevie is prone to giving the ball away in CM and sometimes it can be costly but like I said I think he's a legend and a class apart for the most part.
To me it seemed like you were pinning blame on Stevie, something that gets done a bit too much for somebody who has done so much to take us to where we are right now, and I was just pointing out that he alone couldnt be held responsible.

[tosullivan]

Agree with the points on Benayoun but I can see Pennant starting a lot this year if he can put in the kind of performances he did towards the end of last season so i think it will be something like the below

-----------Reina--------------

Finnan - Carra - Agger - Aurelio

------Masch----Alonso-------

Pennant-----Gerrard------Kewell

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


This is somewhat I can see if he goes for this formation, but rotating Kewell with Babel, Pennant with Yossi and Aurelio for Riise.

[Alex Raisbeck]

This is somewhat I can see if he goes for this formation, but rotating Kewell with Babel, Pennant with Yossi and Aurelio for Riise.
Back that up 100%

[peterk]

To me it seemed like you were pinning blame on Stevie, something that gets done a bit too much for somebody who has done so much to take us to where we are right now, and I was just pointing out that he alone couldnt be held responsible.

Fair enough. Maybe it was a bad example to use for point I was trying to make but I think you know what I mean. Although in this particular example maybe Alonso only made the mistake and gave away the free because team was put under pressure by Stevie giving the ball away in 1st place? Anyway didn't mean to sound like I was putting all blame on SG, as I said I think he's the man.

[dougal]

Fair enough. Maybe it was a bad example to use for point I was trying to make but I think you know what I mean. Although in this particular example maybe Alonso only made the mistake and gave away the free because team was put under pressure by Stevie giving the ball away in 1st place? Anyway didn't mean to sound like I was putting all blame on SG, as I said I think he's the man.

I think that Stevie G had a lot of pressure on him last season to be more creative but with the new signings he will have a lot more help in unlocking defenses and will be freed up to do what he does best.