Benfica V Liverpool

[moptop46]

I would play similar to saturday but Aquilani coming in and pushing Gerrard back up front.

 

Reina

Johnson Carra Agger Insua

Masch Aquilani

Kuyt Gerrard Babel

Torres

 

It will be a tough game, Benfica are a good team. An away goal would be fantastic , but we must avoid a defeat.

[stressederic]

Has it been announced what channel we're on?

[moptop46]

Five.

[Andy @ Allerton]

Don't play Gerrard. He's rubbish. Can't see him having a good game again

 

If he does I'll buy a hat and eat it

[floyd the barber]

I would play similar to saturday but Aquilani coming in and pushing Gerrard back up front.

 

Reina

Johnson Carra Agger Insua

Masch Aquilani

Kuyt Gerrard Babel

Torres

 

It will be a tough game, Benfica are a good team. An away goal would be fantastic , but we must avoid a defeat.

 

 

cant see Rafa going with such an attacking line up...

 

 

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

johnson------carra--agger--------insua

kuyt-------masch----lucas------babel--

---------------------gerrard------------------

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

 

would be my guess.....maybe benyoun in for babel

[Stevie H]

they do have a bloody good first XI benfica don't they? they have that monster luisao at the back as well, cracking defender he is. di maria will test johnson if he runs at him.

[fred milne]

cant see Rafa going with such an attacking line up...

 

 

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

johnson------carra--agger--------insua

kuyt-------masch----lucas------babel--

---------------------gerrard------------------

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

 

would be my guess.....maybe benyoun in for babel

I'll be amazed if your team with Benayoun in for Babel isn't what we see.

[Jarg Armani]

Pity Maxi can't play.

[johngibo YPC]

This is a game for two 'holding' midfielders if ever there was one

They have a lot of quality attacking midfielders who will need nullifying

[Hieronymus Bosch]

Attack's the best form of defence for us at the moment - our game's gone to sh*t when we've adopted a cautious approach recently. Will be disappointed if we revert to two holding midfielders for this game.

[Jarg Armani]

Attack's the best form of defence for us at the moment - our game's gone to sh*t when we've adopted a cautious approach recently. Will be disappointed if we revert to two holding midfielders for this game.

 

Well we're definitely going to, so why not save time by writing all your post match criticisms now.

 

Top Tip.

[Hieronymus Bosch]

Well we're definitely going to.

I dare say.

[Chili Palmer]

Attack's the best form of defence for us at the moment - our game's gone to sh*t when we've adopted a cautious approach recently. Will be disappointed if we revert to two holding midfielders for this game.

 

 

This is the kinda game where Rafas preferred system should work perfectly.

[Gunga Din]

This is the kinda game where Rafas preferred system should work perfectly.

 

 

the system of Lucas and Masch sitting in front of the back 4 that hasnt worked all season?

[Bailo]

People think we're going to go to Benfica and dick them off the park, playing Aquilani, Babel, Gerrard, Yossi, Torres and Dirk?

 

People are mad.

[Gunga Din]

People think we're going to go to Benfica and dick them off the park, playing Aquilani, Babel, Gerrard, Yossi, Torres and Dirk?

 

People are mad.

 

 

why shouldnt we able to do that? seriously?

 

here is a concept that we seem to have gone away from totally this season, and its a pretty simple one.

 

play to our strengths.

[Bailo]

why shouldnt we able to do that? seriously?

 

here is a concept that we seem to have gone away from totally this season, and its a pretty simple one.

 

play to our strengths.

No-one goes away to a decent team anymore and doesn't have at least one holding midfielder. People have been lauding the Mancs all season and as soon as they come up against anyone half decent, even at home, who do they play? Carrick/Fletcher.

 

At home, there's more of a case to possibly just have Masch on the pitch, depends if we're chasing the game. But in this game, the gameplan will be (and rightly so) to keep things tight, to cut their movement off and maybe nick an away.

 

Oh, and "our strengths" in Europe is the exact gameplan we'll play on Thurs. Keep it tight away, beat them at home. Won us a CL that.

Edited March 30, 2010 by Jernau Morat Gurgeh

[Hieronymus Bosch]

People think we're going to go to Benfica and dick them off the park, playing Aquilani, Babel, Gerrard, Yossi, Torres and Dirk?

 

People are mad.

It's not a long-term strategy, and not one to have used in previous seasons. But given how badly our cautious approach has worked this season, I'd go toe to toe with Benfica - so what that we're not playing at Anfield? I just don't want a repeat of how we lost our recently established momentum by playing within ourselves at Man Utd.

[Gunga Din]

No-one goes away to a decent team anymore and doesn't have at least one holding midfielder. People have been lauding the Mancs all season and as soon as they come up against anyone half decent, even at home, who do they play? Carrick/Fletcher.

 

At home, there's more of a case to possibly just have Masch on the pitch, depends if we're chasing the game. But in this game, the gameplan will be (and rightly so) to keep things tight, to cut their movement off and maybe nick an away.

 

Oh, and "our strengths" in Europe is the exact gameplan we'll play on Thurs. Keep it tight away, beat them at home. Won us a CL that.

 

i'm not saying not to play a holding midfielder

 

same team as saturday, with Pacheco in for Maxi, or move Kuyt rightand put Aquilani in off Torres

[Chili Palmer]

the system of Lucas and Masch sitting in front of the back 4 that hasnt worked all season?

 

 

I said system, not personell.

[fred milne]

No-one goes away to a decent team anymore and doesn't have at least one holding midfielder.

I don't think anyone is suggesting we turn up with neither Masch nor Lucas.

[Bailo]

i'm not saying not to play a holding midfielder

 

same team as saturday, with Pacheco in for Maxi, or move Kuyt rightand put Aquilani in off Torres

Aaagh!

[Hassony]

This is the kinda game where Rafas preferred system should work perfectly.

 

 

Yes, his tactics are boss in europe (apart from this season CL), leave the flat track bully mentality to the league

[Metro]

I would play similar to saturday but Aquilani coming in and pushing Gerrard back up front.

 

Reina

Johnson Carra Agger Insua

Masch Aquilani

Kuyt Gerrard Babel

Torres

 

It will be a tough game, Benfica are a good team. An away goal would be fantastic , but we must avoid a defeat.

 

 

Gerrard again in midfield with Aquilani up front behind Torres. And Benayoun will play instead of Babel, IMO. That's why he didn't play against Sunderland.

[Sir Tokyo Sexwale]

If Pacheco doesn't start etc etc....

 

I know he won't, but he should think, 'f*** them' and go at them. When we've impressed this season, it's not been at grinding out tough results, it's been playing attacking footy. We should let Masch marshall in front of the defence. Let them worry about Johnson's speed, AA's passing, Babel's unpredictability and Gerrard/Torres explosiveness