Team v Atleti - Masch at RB. Alberto starts

[Paco]

Exactly what I was thinking.

 

Lucas shouldnt be anywhere near the team that has to go and win the game by 2 goals

 

Also if true does beg the question why Ngog has started ahead of babel all season

 

cos Ngog does what he's told. same reason he played instead of keane

[piscinin]

Don't trust Macherano at RB he ended up back in CM a couple of times against Burnley. He'll need to cut that out because Simao will take advantage if it happens again.

[Iantn]

Don't trust Macherano at RB he ended up back in CM a couple of times against Burnley.

 

Funny thing is when he plays centre midfield he often ends up at right back covering. I think from this we can conclude, he's a bit fuckin' mental!

[Jose Jones]

Exactly what I was thinking.

 

Lucas shouldnt be anywhere near the team that has to go and win the game by 2 goals

 

Also if true does beg the question why Ngog has started ahead of babel all season

 

Well N'Gog's injured isn't he, so there you go.

 

I'd prefer Mascherano in midfield rather than right back agreeing with Zig, but I'd understand if Rafa wanted to have two more pace at centre back to look at the counter attack. It would probably help having a more progressive full back than Agger who just tends to stand there and hoof long balls rather than getting forward.

[piscinin]

Well N'Gog's injured isn't he, so there you go.

 

I'd prefer Mascherano in midfield rather than right back agreeing with Zig, but I'd understand if Rafa wanted to have two more pace at centre back to look at the counter attack. It would probably help having a more progressive full back than Agger who just tends to stand there and hoof long balls rather than getting forward.

 

I wonder if he wants to avoid two hoofing center halves as well.

[Brownie]

But then isn't that negated by having a midfielder at right back and a right back at left back? Why not stick with what you've been doing recently?

[Iantn]

How fit is The Greek?

 

Thinking about it if he wasn't gonna play tomorrow night then not sure why he was given a rest on Sunday.

[piscinin]

How fit is The Greek?

 

Thinking about it if he wasn't gonna play tomorrow night then not sure why he was given a rest on Sunday.

 

Who says he was rested though? I rather think there was an element of Ayala being rewarded with a start in an easy game against a team playing one up for the great performances he's put in all year in the reserves.

[Jose Jones]

But then isn't that negated by having a midfielder at right back and a right back at left back? Why not stick with what you've been doing recently?

 

Yeah – that’s why I said I’d rather have Masch in midfield!

 

Guess we’ll see what team Rafa picks and then whether it works!

If we’re planning to go full pelt at Atletico, and think we’re going to dominate midfield and possession I can see the logic of having a quicker centre back pairing and better ball players at full back. You don’t really need three centre backs if they’re just playing on the counter.

[Iantn]

Who says he was rested though? I rather think there was an element of Ayala being rewarded with a start in an easy game against a team playing one up for the great performances he's put in all year in the reserves.

 

Just a presumption really.

[Dracco]

Rafa seems not to trust Kyrgiakos these days. I didn´t see the game in Madrid as I was away from home and after seeing the result I did not want to see the replay.

 

But anyway, his performances in central defense have been miles better than Agger´s throughout the season.

[llego]

Rafa seems not to trust Kyrgiakos these days. I didn´t see the game in Madrid as I was away from home and after seeing the result I did not want to see the replay.

 

But anyway, his performances in central defense have been miles better than Agger´s throughout the season.

 

[RafaLaBamba]

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

Johnson Greek Agger Carra

..........Gerrard Masch

..Babel Aquilani Benayoun

..................Kuyt

 

Main reason he's changed it is Lucas.

 

If he has.

 

No I agree with what the other fella said. Probably wants someone quicker up against Aguero tonight in Daniel Agger. I personally doubt that Kuyt will be fit for tonight anyway, but fingers crossed he is. Zigackly, please stop knocking Lucas!

[zigackly]

Zigackly, please stop knocking Lucas!

 

I will have to consult my busy schedule of Lucas knocking and see if I can cut down a bit.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

I guess the starting 11 will have to do the business as our bench is going to look a bit threadbare.

[Randy Marsh]

I can deffo see the reason why Rafa feels the need to bring Danny Agger back in to the center. The greek is great, especially against physical teams, but I feel that facing up to Forlan and Kun Aguero means that bit more mobility is required.

 

Have no qualms with Masch at RB, we've seen him a few times bombing up and down the right this season and he delivers a great cross. I'd rather see him there than Degen or someone else, and if Lucas sits I reckon he will be able to do the destroyer roll in the middle.

 

Happy with that

[goatboy59]

Lucas played in the Benfica 4-1, I'm sure. Might even have scored, but then I had snorted an immense amount of crack that afternoon. Of course he'll play!

 

I like this stuff about Babel liking to play up front. This after a whopping 40 minutes when Torres and N'gog were out and Kuyt crumpled to the deck.

 

If he liked it that much and he was any good at it, I'm wondering why in this of all seasons he hasn't done it much.

[Skidfingers McGonical]

Exactly what I was thinking.

 

Lucas shouldnt be anywhere near the team that has to go and win the game by 2 goals

 

Also if true does beg the question why Ngog has started ahead of babel all season

 

Erm, Lille and Benfica?

[Guest LFD]

I don't mind that team, mainly because Mascherano and Lucas aren't together in centre midfield.

[The Acolyte]

I have an easy solution Milan. Don't play Masch at right back.

 

I have a thing about balanced teams though. Masch at right back and Johnson at left back is just wrong unless you can avoid it.

 

Perhaps by playing players in their natural positions ...

 

Unless their wingers have a habit of checking in rather than hug the touch line then having Johnson on the left makes perfect sense.

When Rafa has time to set up his teams for a European night he rarely buggers it up.

[zigackly]

Unless their wingers have a habit of checking in rather than hug the touch line then having Johnson on the left makes perfect sense.

 

I think that's a bit of a stretch, you don't need to be right-footed to get tighter to your centre back.

 

Agger is left footed and he plays as a centre back for instance. Better in my opinion as the left of a pair than if he were right footed.

 

For me you've over-analysed this a bit too much. The team is being reshaped either to accomodate a player Rafa wants or to compensate for not having enough fit defenders. If that's really the team ...

 

I didn't know the Greek was injured when I suggested it was to accomodate Lucas. I still don't. What's wrong with him? When will he be back? Link a brother up, don't just drop in a coy statement of fact and leave.

[Brownie]

Unless their wingers have a habit of checking in rather than hug the touch line then having Johnson on the left makes perfect sense.

When Rafa has time to set up his teams for a European night he rarely buggers it up.

 

We're losing though? Surely we should be setting the team up to win the game, not contain their wingers?

 

Agger at LB or Masch at RB is much of a muchness for me.

 

If Kyrgiakos is out then fair enough I understand we have to change things, but if he's not, i'd like to see something like this:

 

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

 

Johnson--Carra--Krygiakos--Agger

 

Kuyt--Gerrard--Mascherano--Benayoun

 

-----------Aquilani

 

------------Babel

[Monster Masch]

I don't mind that team, mainly because Mascherano and Lucas aren't together in centre midfield.

 

This.

 

 

 

I'm happy with that team.

[goatboy59]

We're losing though? Surely we should be setting the team up to win the game, not contain their wingers?

 

Concede again and we'll be losing by 3.

 

Your team looks good enough though.

[Antynwa]

I've heard a rumour that Kuyt and Ngog didn't train today.

 

I also heard another rumour saying this

 

Reina

Masch Carra Agger, Johnson

Yossi lucas Gerrard Babel

Aqui

Kuyt