[kingshankly]

Originally Posted by Sir Gallagher

I wouldn't play Downing because i think he's about as much use as tits on a nun. He played decent enough in our last match but has shown nothing else apart from that, Carroll has is in good form and confidence is up so i hope he plays.

Only think downing gives fa bit of width which we are lacking very badly.
I also believe spearing has to play as it releases Gerard and Adam to do what their best at without worrying about who's holding

I will go with back 5 is obvious then

Gerard. Spearing. Adam
Suarez Bellamy
Carroll

[mormank]

I would like to see this team fielded on Sunday

Reina


Carragher Skrtel Agger




Downing Spearing Adam Bellamy


Gerrard

Suarez Carroll


With Bellamy and Downing pushed further forward than represented here.
I just played a few games of Fifa with this formation and it made for epic games!!

[Morzadec]

Originally Posted by mormank

I would like to see this team fielded on Sunday

Reina


Carragher Skrtel Agger




Downing Spearing Adam Bellamy


Gerrard

Suarez Carroll


With Bellamy and Downing pushed further forward than represented here.
I just played a few games of Fifa with this formation and it made for epic games!!

Not really the time to be experimenting... We'd be totally exposed down the flanks, if you're going to play that type of formation you need experienced wingback players like Johnson to take the wide roles.

Your formation is a bit of a kamikaze approach imo and what works in computer games has little baring on real life!

[~Rebel~]

Would be tempted by:

---------------Reina
Johnson--Skrtel--Agger--Enrique
-------------Spearing
-------------Gerrard
----Kuyt----Suarez----Bellamy
-------------Carroll

[danniemcq]

I'd have Doni instead of Downing.

Be better at long balls surely?

[kevohmsford]

Originally Posted by Tusky

While I agree with the thrust of your argument, they are bad examples. Aquilani was hardly cheap, he cost around £18m and Dossena was decently priced for a full back too at £8m.

I'm all for the Rafa love in and wish he had have been properly backed after the brilliant 08 season instead of having to fight off field battles and sell to buy. BUT, his choice of signings in the last two years at the club were down right awful, and were part of the reason for the teams downfall.

The fact was he had to sell in order to buy new players. I know it has been discussed here already that Aquilani's fee was spread out over a number of years and contained various clauses and appearance clauses. I agree that the signings were poor but there was little money available due to the owners at the time.

[rarnes1]

Agree about Spearing. He needs to play. Gerrard is wasted in the middle. He needs to be in areas where he can do damage. He likes scoring in Finals too......

[Suarezistheman]

Originally Posted by murpho999

We're trying to win a trophy. Sentimentality should not rule the day. Kuyt has been poor this season and should not start on Sunday.

Even though Kuyt has been poor this season I think he should play on Sunday. He always saves his best performances for the big occasions and he will be brilliant on Sunday. Always likely to get a goal & his work-rate cannot be underestimated.

[Morzadec]

Originally Posted by Suarezistheman

Even though Kuyt has been poor this season I think he should play on Sunday. He always saves his best performances for the big occasions and he will be brilliant on Sunday. Always likely to get a goal & his work-rate cannot be underestimated.

The thing is that the big occasions usually come against the big teams. I agree with you completely that Kuyt is great in these types of matches, where we need him as much for his off the ball work rate than what he does on it.

While this a big occasion it's not a big team. Not to disrespect Cardiff (because I can easily imagine a scenario in which we lose on Sunday) but they are not a big team. They are a division below us.

The more I think about it, the more I think that perhaps Kuyt shouldn't play, and he certainly shouldn't play for sentimental reasons. The match is too big to play someone for such trivial reasons.

I know Downing comes in for a lot of stick, but I actually think I'd prefer to see him...He was good against Brighton and I think he would provide more of a threat, with greater pace...

Or just play Suarez out wide (maybe interchanging with Gerrard in the hole) and include Carroll...

[Melion]

God i cant understand why anyone would choose to play Downing. It baffles me

[Mr Alan]

Originally Posted by Tusky

While I agree with the thrust of your argument, they are bad examples. Aquilani was hardly cheap, he cost around £18m and Dossena was decently priced for a full back too at £8m.

I agree overall that both Aquilani & Dossena were poor buys.

However it's important to remember there was mitigating factors as to why it was preferential for us to deal with Roma & be interested in Aquilani (some Riise fee outstanding from Roma and a player who due to his history of injury there could be a massively structured deal for). It's not like we had £18m sitting in the bank for a player of our choice unfortunately.

Rafa's biggest problem with Aquilani imo was not so much buying, but not playing him more often when he was fit, especially considering he was nearly always very impressive when he did turn out for us.

Originally Posted by Tusky

I'm all for the Rafa love in and wish he had have been properly backed after the brilliant 08 season instead of having to fight off field battles and sell to buy. BUT, his choice of signings in the last two years at the club were down right awful, and were part of the reason for the teams downfall.

Last season:

Maxi - good signing.
The Greek - decent signing.
Johnson - good signing.
Aquilani - poor signing.
Voronin - poor signing.

Second last season:

Degen - poor signing.
Riera - decent signing.
Dossena - poor signing.
Keane - poor signing.
Mascherano - good signing.
David Ngog - good signing.

I always maintain that a 50% hit rate is good for any manager.

Rafa continuously got more right in his transfer dealings than he did wrong. When you take into account the financial restrictions (5 of the last 11 players he signed were for between £1.3m & free, at a time when we were the top rated club in Europe).

Taking into account that & the frankly insane pressures he was working under at a boardroom level, I think his overall transfer record during his time at Liverpool was very good.

While his record got worse as the boardroom & financial restrictions intensified (hardly surprising), I would think saying it was "downright awful" is very very harsh and quite frankly, totally untrue.

[Iang87]

rafa talk hmmm .......................

League cup Final sunday

[Turtyturd]

Originally Posted by Melion

God i cant understand why anyone would choose to play Downing. It baffles me

Coming off the back of his best performance for the club it would be easy to see the case for his inclusion.

[mike65]

Originally Posted by Melion

God i cant understand why anyone would choose to play Downing. It baffles me

To build on an excellent assist against Brighton, confidence is important as is a rhythm so I think he should start if Carroll starts (if he doesn't then I'd have him on the bench)

--------Reina
The-Usual-Back-Four
----Spearo-Hendo
-------Gerrard
Kuyt--Suarez-Bellamy

[Kess73]

Originally Posted by Mr Alan

I agree overall that both Aquilani & Dossena were poor buys.

However it's important to remember there was mitigating factors as to why it was preferential for us to deal with Roma & be interested in Aquilani (some Riise fee outstanding from Roma and a player who due to his history of injury there could be a massively structured deal for). It's not like we had £18m sitting in the bank for a player of our choice unfortunately.

Rafa's biggest problem with Aquilani imo was not so much buying, but not playing him more often when he was fit, especially considering he was nearly always very impressive when he did turn out for us.



Last season:

Maxi - good signing.
The Greek - decent signing.
Johnson - good signing.
Aquilani - poor signing.
Voronin - poor signing.

Second last season:

Degen - poor signing.
Riera - decent signing.
Dossena - poor signing.
Keane - poor signing.
Mascherano - good signing.
David Ngog - good signing.

I always maintain that a 50% hit rate is good for any manager.

Rafa continuously got more right in his transfer dealings than he did wrong. When you take into account the financial restrictions (5 of the last 11 players he signed were for between £1.3m & free, at a time when we were the top rated club in Europe).

Taking into account that & the frankly insane pressures he was working under at a boardroom level, I think his overall transfer record during his time at Liverpool was very good.

While his record got worse as the boardroom & financial restrictions intensified (hardly surprising), I would think saying it was "downright awful" is very very harsh and quite frankly, totally untrue.

Would agree with a lot of what you just said, especially when it comes to the behind the scenes stuff, but there is no way Rafa had a 50% good signing record from the 11 players you named.

Calling N'Gog a good signing is generous to say the least. He was far less effective that Riera was, and Riera really only had one fairly good season (his first season).

N'Gog turned out to be a filler signing. Nothing more, nothing less, and certainly not a good signing.

Maxi I don't think was a good signing for Rafa. I think he was very average under Rafa and did Rafa no favours with his on pitch performances. He has played far better under Kenny as a cameo player than he ever did under Rafa.

For me there are only two good signings from the 11 players you named. And I am basing it on how they performed under the man who bought them.

Mascherano
Johnson

There are three decent signings

Soto
Riera
N'Gog

The rest would have been poor under Rafa imho.


But then again that is just looking at only two seasons worth of Rafa signings that were meant to either come in at squad or first team level.If a look is taken at Rafa's success rate for the duration of his time at Liverpool in terms of how players bought to be first team/senior squad players did, then I reckon it would reflect pretty well on Rafa