Your Starting 11

OK Reds fans ... There's a lot of you posting about the rotation policy and how bollocks it is ... well I agree!  We need to stabalise, get the confidence up and start posting 3 points every week.  So the question is if you were Rafa for a day ... who would your best starting 11 be???

So here's my best 11 (of the current squad and fit)

Goals - Reina
Defence - Finnan, Carragher, Agger, Riise
Midfields - Sissoko, Gerrard, Alonso, Gonzalez
Forward - Kuyt, Bellamy

I'm interested to see your teams ....

adelaide UTD.......no way.....  sydney FC mate    

i would go with a 3-5-2 formation due to our surplus of midfielders

                 reina

      finnan cara agger

                 sissoko
  garcia     alonso     risse
                 gerrard

          kuyt   bellamy

bench: dudek, hypia, gonzalez, pennant,crouch

the team i would stick with:

-----------------reina
--finnan---carra---agger---riise
----------------sissoko
--------gerrard-----alonso
----------------garcia
----------bellamy----kuyt

diamond formation which is attacking and good deffensively

What's the point in us playing the diamond formation???

We specifically bought wingers this year because we were playing too narrow last year and Rafa is trying to emulate his Valencia side.

We have the wingers, we have the big target man with the pacy striker playing off him.

It's not rocket science.

Formations are all very good but until the players start performing then all these options won't help.

REINA

               FINNAN        CARRA    AGGER      WARNOCK


                GERRARD    SISSOKO    ALONSO      RISSSE


                            BELLAMY        CROUCH

     PS...... I'D GIVE STEVIE G A FREE ROLE FROM THE RIGHT.

KoolKidda:

 o yea i know we bought wingers too give us width but this post is about what team you would play and thats the team i would play soo..

Reina

                 Finnan        Carragher       Hyypia       Riise


                 Garcia         Gerrard           Alonso       Kewell


                                    Kuyt               Crouch


I think this is a strong starting line up, with the exception of garcia.
This back four is the best we have and is very solid, the only change i would make to the defence would be Agger for Hyypia.
The midfield  is good, you could swap around Alonso and Sissoko depending on the type of game home or away for defensive purposes .  Garcia should be replaced  for though away games and home games when we need to keep possesion more.

REINA
FINNAN CARRA AGGER WARNOCK
GERRARD SISSOKO ALONSO KEWELL
             KUYT BELLAMY




i think at the moment this would be liverpools safest bet but with kewell injured id seriously consider dropping alonso and shifting gerrard back to the middle and maybe playing pennant out on the right, i feel alonso just isnt performing at the moment and id much prefer an under par gerrard than an under par alonso,as for defensively i think risse isnt playing well enough ther so warnock should get the nod along with agger who i think has more than shown his worth,then up front i think kuyt and bellamy could turn into a lethal combination with the right team around them,i think crouch is a great player but as a strike partnership goes i think this one could well be our best option

seeing as a couple people expressed theyre interest in this, thought id bring it up again. also considering in your subs as they will change the formation out of your starting 11. where would you make the changes?

well who's your starting 11?

mine would be:


--------------Reina----------------
Finnan---Carra---Agger---Riise
-------Masch-----Alonso---------
--Stevie G--------------Kewell--
-------Voronin----Torres--------

subs: kuyt, babel, crouch, pennant, sissoko, hippia

---------------------------------------REINA------------------------------------------
FINNAN-------------------CARRAGHER----------AGGER-------------------ARBELOA

--------------------------------------ALONSO------------------------------------------

PENNANT------------------------------------------------------------------BABEL----------

------------------------------------------  STEVIE G-----------------------------------------

-----------------------------TORRES-----------------VORONIN----------------------------


BENCH: KUYT, YOSSI, KEWELL, MASCHERANO, ITANDJE

tactic: stevie able to play more attacking and push forward to become a third striker.....babel and pennant switching sides when needed...alonso dictating play and running the show from defence to set up our attacks....

Either:

                    Reina

Finnan  Carragher  Agger  Arbeloa

Pennant Gerrard Masherano Leto

         Torres  Babel   

Subs : Itandje Hyypia Benayoun Alonso Kuyt

I think this should be used in most matches. Plenty of variety in the team and have the players on the bench to impact the game when they come on. Babel deserves his chance to shine at striker, i think it wont hurt to try him there since it cant get worse. With an atttacking mentality before a defensive one it is a lethal line up.

or:

                  Reina

Finnan  Carragher  Agger  Arbeloa

  Pennant  Gerrard  Benayoun

     Voronin  Torres   Babel

Subs: Itandje Hyypia Alonso Sissoko Kuyt

A team to be used for those game we should win against lesser teams. Its all about attack in this formation which is what is needed to beat those teams. Could even drop Babel to the left mid and bring in Sissoko to win the ball all day.

Looks good but things dont always work out as planned as Rafa should know.

i think this is ok
--------------Reina----------------
Finnan---Carra---Agger---Riise
-------Masch-----Alonso---------
--Stevie G--------------Kewell--
-------Voronin----Torres--------

                                                    REINA

FINNAN                           CARRA                 AGGER              ARBELOA

                                                 
                         GERRARD                         MASCH                             

KUYT                  TORRES            VORONIN                   BABEL

BOUT TIME WE GOT MORE ATTACK MINDED   
     

4 strikers?? abit risky dont you think Brian?? thats alot of work for stevie and mascha to do in the middle of the park, and alot of work for the opposition to play around with the ball- their 4 midfielders versus our 2?? quite questionable....

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

Finnan-----Carragher-----Agger---------Arbeloa
                                                           

Benayoun-----------Mascherano-------Babel--------

---------------------Gerrard---------------------------

----------------Kuyt----------Torres------------------

Bench: Itandje,Hyypia,Alonso,Pennant,Voronin

             

                          Reina

  finnan----------Carragher---------Agger----------Arbolea
                                                                   (risse)
            Pennant -------Alonso----------Babel
          (Benayoun)     (Masch.)
                            Gerrard
                 Kuyt---------------Torres
              (voronin)
    By the way bring back Carson from villa........hope we dont loose him too as we did Kirkland

4 strikers?? abit risky dont you think Brian?? thats alot of work for stevie and mascha to do in the middle of the park, and alot of work for the opposition to play around with the ball- their 4 midfielders versus our 2?? quite questionable....

its a formation that could easily become a 4 4 2 with kuyt and babel dropping back and id be using it at Anfield more then away  games

------------------------------------------------reina------------------------------------------------
finnan----------------------carragher-------------agger------------------------arbeloa
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
pennant----------------------gerrard-----------alonso-------------------------benayoun
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------torres--------------kuyt---------------------------------------

For me to get the best out of Stevie G and for him to give the best for LFC you cant give him a CM role.Here is my team and you can adapt the formation to 4-4-2 OR 4-3-3 OR 4-3-1-2 and on and on and on
Very close to Achilles post.
            Reina
finnan    Carra         Agger         Arbeloa/Riise
         Masch          Alonso
   Voronin             Stevie G        Babel
                           Torres
Subs:
Hyppia
Kewell (if ever fit)
Benayoun
Kuyt
Pennant

Hate to say, but Riise time is up.

Would sell him on in January while his value is high.

He has played his best matches in a Liverpool shirt.

...now shoot me down...

It's all lovely to typing names on the screen but who we are playing and in which competition influences big time who will be on the pitch the only exceptions would be Reina, Carra, Stevie and probably Torres....

I dont agree Cy.
You should play your team and let the opposition worry about you. the only exception to this is if you for examle only need a draw or narrow defeat, Eg in a cup competition,you might line up differently.
but in the league you need to try and win every game - so play a team to win and not a team to avoid defeat.
The team I list above is in the context of the league which is LFCs main aim or at least should be the main aim now.

Cy and Sparky, i think thats the great thing about this forum, everyone has a different idea of how to play yet we support the same club.

Personally im tired of having all our CM's used as holding mid's while Gerrard is the only out and out CM. I dont think this is the year for us to win it but its a sign of how much we need to improve. A new LB CB CM LM RM ST is what we need to really be a force. Plus we need to get rid of afew players while clubs want them such as Crouch Riise and Hyypia plus the Yanks kitty. Plus maybe letting go of some players that we dont need like Momo and Carson . Maybe even start to blood some new players because all this talk of bringing up our youth players has failed! Not one youth player besides Leto has been used in the Prem. Hobbs, El Zhar and Spearing (might be out on loan already, not sure) all deserve a chance. Anderson should have stayed along with Guthrie this eason to play with the first team. Sending them out on loan doesnt solve everything. Guthrie was sent out to Bolton and has played one league game, surely he would be far better off with the first team here learning from the best.

i wouldnt get rid of riise yet, he's the only left footed winger we got...

reina
finnan carra agger arbeloa
pennant gerrard alonso riise
kuyt torres

would also love to see youssi play in the middle, i think he can do the job.

Brian i think that would be a good idea. when you think about it they could snap back to 442 quikly with no effort during ne period in the game. use the 424, score some goals then snap back to 442 and start defending, then do it again.

yeah it is great to see every ones ideas of how we should play, and every one knows that the circumstances would change things as far as the game and team we are versing. but what about our "second" best players, the players that dont always get first team. how do they compare to the "seconds" of our rivals? im not expecting rafa to sign a hell of alot more players but to be honest i think we need more back up behind our starting 11

Reina
Finnan   Carra   Agger   Riise
Gerrard Mach Alonso   yossi
Torres   Kuyt

in need of wingers in a bad way.. babel yossi don't seem 2 fit the pool team. maybe it's rafa's changing the side every game...  and wat does every1 tink of arbeloa i really don't like hin think's he makes the back four very nervous looking

Reina
Finnan - Carra - Agger - Aurelio
Mascherano - Alonso -Babel
Gerrard
Torres - Kuyt

Subs:

Arbeloa for Finnan or Aurelio,
Hyypia or Jack Hobbs as cover for Centre-back,
Pennant for Mascherano,
Risse for Babel or even Kewell if he ever sets foot on the hallowed turf!
Gerrard for Alonso -
Crouch or Yossi for Gerrard
Veronin for Torres or Kuyt...

Something like that!...

3-4-1-2 is one that could work too.

                    Reina

Finnan   Carragher / Agger  Arbeloa

Pennant  Gerrard  Alonso  Babel
       
                 Benayoun

           Torres   Voronin
 
Subs : Itandje Carragher/Agger  Mascherano  Crouch  Kuyt

Babel could easily go into Yossi's position and Yossi drop to the wing. I think Gerrard doesnt fit in the gap between midfield and striker so maybe a CM role. Easily could beat Portsmouth or Birmingham!         

My starting XI

Reina (clearly the best keeper at the club)

Finnan (reliable) - Carragher (great vision of the game) - Agger (strong and pacy) - Arbeloa (a revelation)

Pennant (promising couple of months) - Gerrard (obviously) - Mascherano (great ball winner, great defensively and frees up SG) - Babel (needs to be given games)

Torres (class) - Kuyt (thrives on confidence - needs to play often)

Bench: Itandje, Hyypia (cover), Voronin, Alonso, Riise (covers both wing backs and wingers)

My starting XI

Reina (clearly the best keeper at the club)

Finnan (reliable) - Carragher (great vision of the game) - Agger (strong and pacy) - Arbeloa (a revelation)

Pennant (promising couple of months) - Gerrard (obviously) - Mascherano (great ball winner, great defensively and frees up SG) - Babel (needs to be given games)

Torres (class) - Kuyt (thrives on confidence - needs to play often)

Bench: Itandje, Hyypia (cover), Voronin, Alonso, Riise (covers both wing backs and wingers)

I'm not against rotation, but as i've stated in other threads i think that there should be a core of first team regulars in the competition deemed as the most important to the club... Those core players are Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Agger, Gerrard, and Torres IMO... Although Mascherano is becoming more prominent due to the poor form of Momo Sissoko.  For certain games i'd use a 4-5-1 formation...

                                                       Reina
   
                        Finnan             Carragher     Agger          Arbeloa 

                                                   Mascherano
 
                        Pennant                   Alonso                   Gerrard

                                                                 Benayoun

                                                   Torres

I think that Benayoun would provide the sort of passes that Torres would thrive on if he were played behind him, or i would go with a 4-4-2.....

                                                         Reina

                         Finnan             Carragher       Agger          Arbeloa

                         Benayoun        Alonso           Gerrard         Kewell (if fit!)

                                                 Torres       Kuyt

Obviously Benitez will rotate, and rightly so, because players such as Voronin, Babel, Riise, Crouch, Sissoko, Pennant, Hyypia etc can play their part.

My starting 11 would be

               Reina

Finnan    Carra    Hyypia Agger

Pennant  Masch  Gerrard Kewell

             Torres     Babel

Assuming none of these players are not injured that is but at the mo it looks like half this team are.  It's hard even as a fan to pick your best 11 so god knows how tuff it is for Senior Benitez week in week out.  I would like to use Babel as a striker as I feel we have seen a hint of what he is capable of and he needs to be let loose, midfielders need an strong play maker to push forward and Gerrard and Masch seem a good choice for this kind of attacking play with service on both wings from proven players as Pennant and Kewell. 

Defense needs to be kept tight and with Carra forming the foundations to which Finnan and Agger strengthen and Hyypia is like a wall that they all play alongside.  Reina in goal as he's the best we have.

                  Reina
Finnan  Carragher  Agger  Riise
              Mascherano
Pennant                       Babel
                Gerrard
           Torres  Crouch
GOALS GOALS GOALS GOALS
and defensive steel the best we have
no disrespect to all the people who picked kewell but hes always injured but an amazing player. Realistically this is our best starting 11