IAN RUSH: Who I think Rafa Benitez should replace Fernando Torres with.

Been sayin it all along, Kuyt is the best lone striker option we have. Maxi and Rodriguez on the wings. Gerrard, Masch & Aquilani/Lucas

I agree with you about Kuyt but I am a little confused about our 2 wingers.Which wing would Maxi play on and which wing would Rodriguez play on.

Rush is god in my eyes. Whatever he believes is the best option. I spent my youth trying to play like him but more resembling a paralytic sean dundee

I agree with Rushie.

Be nice to bring a 25 year old Ian Rush on in place of Torres eh, Rushie to the time machine.

Pacheco isn't a lone striker anyway, he plays best just behind the striker or as a second striker.

We shouldn't be playing a lone striker anyway, it barely works even with a world-class forward!!! I'm a big advocate of 442, gerrard and masch in the middle, kuyt and pacheco/n'gog/babel upfront. Just do it rafa.

Pacheco isn't physically strong enough to be playing as a lone striker. Attacking mid is where he would be best.

If ngog deserves more and more time to prove himself upfront, why shouldn't Babel get the same oppotunity? He's not 35, he's still got his best years ahead of him, and he is stronger quicker and has a more powerful shot than ngog. Torres s out and Babel has changed his attitude, I'd let him start the rest of our league games up front.

Cant for the life of me see why Rafa puts Ngog ahead of Babel in the lone striker role?!?? Babel has already scored some incredible goals for the club and has a wicked shot on him. Hes faster stronger and better at shooting/creating opportunities. Ngog needs tons of chances before he scores. The old argument was Ngogs work ethic and attitude but Babel has been tracking back and doing a lot of the dirty work recently. Up until his red card he was one of our better players over the last few weeks.

Im not saying Babel is the finished article at all but much more polished than Ngog imo. Babel has had a little resurgence of form playing on the left. For a total right footer hes done quite well. Imagine Ngog being played on the left.. hed get murdered!! Babels showed he can keep the ball quite well and hasnt done as much stupid stuff like before even though its on his much weaker side. WHen he came on for the end of the west ham match i thought he was twice as effective as Ngog up there on his own with his power and pace. Just cant see why he doesnt get the nod ahead of Ngog?!

Cant for the life of me see why Rafa puts Ngog ahead of Babel in the lone striker role?!?? Babel has already scored some incredible goals for the club and has a wicked shot on him. Hes faster stronger and better at shooting/creating opportunities. Ngog needs tons of chances before he scores. The old argument was Ngogs work ethic and attitude but Babel has been tracking back and doing a lot of the dirty work recently. Up until his red card he was one of our better players over the last few weeks.

Im not saying Babel is the finished article at all but much more polished than Ngog imo. Babel has had a little resurgence of form playing on the left. For a total right footer hes done quite well. Imagine Ngog being played on the left.. hed get murdered!! Babels showed he can keep the ball quite well and hasnt done as much stupid stuff like before even though its on his much weaker side. WHen he came on for the end of the west ham match I thought he was twice as effective as Ngog up there on his own with his power and pace. Just cant see why he doesnt get the nod ahead of Ngog?!

N'Gog is one of those players that can create some great opportunities, Babel sets up some great crosses, so I think he believes that Babel setting up N'Gog is better than Babel playing up front and N'Gog not playing at all.

So much people having faith in Ngog after scoring a goal. Still not convinced he can do good away to Atletico.. Would prefer having Kuyt up on his own supported by Aquilani.

Be nice to bring a 25 year old Ian Rush on in place of Torres eh, Rushie to the time machine.

If only....

Be nice to bring a 25 year old Ian Rush on in place of Torres eh, Rushie to the time machine.

A 25 tear old Roger Hunt would not be too bad either.

If ngog deserves more and more time to prove himself upfront, why shouldn't Babel get the same oppotunity? He's not 35, he's still got his best years ahead of him, and he is stronger quicker and has a more powerful shot than ngog. Torres s out and Babel has changed his attitude, I'd let him start the rest of our league games up front.

i agree totally with you, when babel gets the ball you feel like something is going to happen every time, whereas when ngog gets it we think here we go again. he has all the attributes to be a top striker if he was given the chance.

Babel's been getting his chances, and he's done OK lately. N'Gog got his chance and scored against West Ham. Would you not prefer that both get their chances and both do well?

Isnt maxi not allowed to play for us this season in this cup as hes cup tied. Id put this. Reina, johnson, carra, sotis, agger. Mascherano (cdm). Gerrard lucas babel. Kuyt ngog

Cant for the life of me see why Rafa puts Ngog ahead of Babel in the lone striker role?!?? Babel has already scored some incredible goals for the club and has a wicked shot on him. Hes faster stronger and better at shooting/creating opportunities. Ngog needs tons of chances before he scores. The old argument was Ngogs work ethic and attitude but Babel has been tracking back and doing a lot of the dirty work recently. Up until his red card he was one of our better players over the last few weeks.

Im not saying Babel is the finished article at all but much more polished than Ngog imo. Babel has had a little resurgence of form playing on the left. For a total right footer hes done quite well. Imagine Ngog being played on the left.. hed get murdered!! Babels showed he can keep the ball quite well and hasnt done as much stupid stuff like before even though its on his much weaker side. WHen he came on for the end of the west ham match i thought he was twice as effective as Ngog up there on his own with his power and pace. Just cant see why he doesnt get the nod ahead of Ngog?!

fair point but babel has the first touch of a baby elephant with his back to goal. And as someone else mentioned I think Ngog has better game intelligence.

Too small to play as a lone striker.

Imagine him trying to win headers from Carragher's clearances.

To be fair, Crouch would struggle.

Hes making some sense there, i would love to see Pacheco get a run out in the team, but as he basically said we are still pushing for fourth (even if sometimes it seems out of reach, but mathmatically still possible), it would be too much of a gamble to put him in the team, however if we were to slip up and lose 4th, but secure 5th then maybe on the last game of the season play him along side Kuyt? See how he does, and see whether or not he is too lightweight for the premier league

Babel's been getting his chances, and he's done OK lately. N'Gog got his chance and scored against West Ham. Would you not prefer that both get their chances and both do well?

Well at the moment only Ngog is getting the chances upfront, as he has done all season. I'd love Ngog to score at least 1 ever 2 games, I'm sure everyone would, but he isn't, whereas Babel isn't getting any chances at all and I think he should do.

Babel       Benayoun   

Don't rate Babel personally ,admittedly he has improved but he doesn't put the fear of god into defenders does he? I do like Pacheco ....(when he comes back from Spain ! ,) , and N'gog is still very young but willing

Babel has done a lot more than Ngog has though to be fair. He has scored some awesome goals for us. West Ham's defence made Ngog look a genius the other night but they are fighting to stay up, well they're hoping to stay up but wouldn't call it fighting. I do however think Babel is more effective as a left sided midfielder even though his opportunities to play as a lone striker have been minimal.

Without Torres i wouldn't mind seeing our attacking line up being like this against Atletico Madrid ....

                  Kuyt

Babel         Gerrard        Benayoun

        Lucas       Aquilani

I think people forget that this season, the only positive to come from Torres being injured is that Kuyt has stepped up his game.

Just has to be Dirk for me.

For me it is a no-brainer. Definitely has to be Kuyt. Ngog would be too risky, especially for the first leg.