****Weekend Football Fixtures - 10-11th January 09 SPOILERS****
- Thread starter 5ingh
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Well I am also an advocate of playing my strongest team in every premiership match, regardless of how "easy" the game "should" be.
But then thats managing a football team for you, everyone is different, if there was a perfect selection of 11 in a match then nobody would need a manager as they could just look up which 11 they are supposed to pick for each game
It's a good job we wont then.
I don't know about you, But if I was Benitez I'd be approaching Stoke and Real Madrid in quite different ways.
Had Keane been playing better than Kuyt then i'd agree but he hasn't. In Kuyt's last game (playing up front on his own btw) he linked up well with Gerrard and we took Newcastle apart. In Keane's last game he added a few more contenders to his personal miss of the season competition.
Fair enough but that's only good and well when Torres is 100% fit.
What a pathetic performance. Words cant describe how annoyed I was at the players today. Everything was so half-hearted and bothersome for them, they looked like they simply didn't want to be there.
Even Gerrard looked like he couldn't be *****. It was only Torres at the end who you could see getting frustrated and annoyed, as if he was the only one who actually cared about what was happening.
What the hell is wrong with them? Dont they want to win the league? I fully understand that Stoke is a difficult game, but you have got to at least try and put effort in to get a result.
I just find it hard to understand why they played the way they did today. I sure there where things that could have been different today, like choosing a different setup, but I really dont think it matters when the players simply cant be bothered.
Bloody shocking stuff really. Its embarrassing to see
Even Gerrard looked like he couldn't be *****. It was only Torres at the end who you could see getting frustrated and annoyed, as if he was the only one who actually cared about what was happening.
What the hell is wrong with them? Dont they want to win the league? I fully understand that Stoke is a difficult game, but you have got to at least try and put effort in to get a result.
I just find it hard to understand why they played the way they did today. I sure there where things that could have been different today, like choosing a different setup, but I really dont think it matters when the players simply cant be bothered.
Bloody shocking stuff really. Its embarrassing to see
It's a good job we wont then.
I don't know about you, But if I was Benitez I'd be approaching Stoke and Real Madrid in quite different ways.
Why? Rafa played a team tonight which will closely match the one that will play Real Madrid.
Well I can only speak for myself of course, but I would take a 75% fit Torres over a 100% fit Benayoun or Lucas any day. Especially if I was trying to get a win. Just me though.
Yeah, and team selection is all that's involved...
Not really. Unless we've got injury problems then i'd imagine we'd line-up more like this:
------------Reina
Arbeloa-Carra-Skrtel-Insua
--------Masch-Alonso
Kuyt-------Gerrard------Riera
------------Torres
Fair enough. I personally wouldn't risk losing Torres for 1-2months for the sake of a game against Stoke, especially when he's shown that if he's not 100% then he breaks down.
A CL final/make or break game then with out a doubt.
Not if you are coming from behind - that makes no difference
Dont get me wrong, you still might not be coming from behind - but now for the first time in a very long while , you DONT have the points on the board
with the inexperience your whole team has with not winning the EPL , thats a huge miss (especially with your manager being in the same boat)
At the end of the day, Liverpool could still come out of this on top - no question - but this is the first game you "risked" by not playing your really 1st choice.
While I accept your initial post about not worth risking Torres for two more months or whatever time scale for one match, if he is fit enough to have a sub appearance (which I think he has done since his injury - appologies if mistaken) then he could at least start for the same length of time as that sub and try and get the points on the board.....
As I said it may well still work out for you, but now even a draw at OT doesnt work for you, and you really have to prey for a win...(if my maths are correct I think Chelsea win puts you in the best position, but even that doesnt discount Man Utd from the title - with a win for you tonight, Utd winning would not totally discount Chelsea, but make it VERY difficult)
With a win tonight - Liverpool could have really put pressure on both sides for an all out win, but now even a draw doesnt really disadvantage anyone
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That will do you no favours....
Well a draw would be preferable, but if UTD win, they are still going to be 5 points behind us, where as if Chelsea win, were only ahead by 1 point, so if theres going to be a winner tomorrow, id rather it be UTD.
If he is truly that fragile then I would be much more concerned at having a player who breaks down so much than a match against Stoke , regardless of the outcome of the game. As I say though, its all just different managerial styles.
I presume you mean we no longer have our destiny in our own hands (which we still do in a way) rather than points on the board (which we do have).
As for Torres' match time prior to today, he's played ~15mins vs Preston in 6 weeks. Hardly enough for a player who has a history of needing to 100% fit before he returns.
As for tomorrow's result; we'll still be top (even after giving Utd 6 points from there other 2 games) as long as you don't win. I personally want a Chelsea win though. A draw would leave things exactly the same as they were before this weekend; you'd be 7 points behind with 2 games in hand and Chelsea would be 3 points behind with the same amount of games played.
Well a draw would be preferable, but if UTD win, they are still going to be 5 points behind us, where as if Chelsea win, were only ahead by 1 point, so if theres going to be a winner tomorrow, id rather it be UTD.
but with the OT games in hand - you COULD very easily be behind once Utd play them - I think thats what he was meaning
Wigan and Fulham are different teams and prospects to even last season, but given until tonight at least Utd's home form, that (ie a Utd home win tomorrow) will hopefully be good news for Utd (enough could's and should's etc in there to cover me if the worst happens
)And personallly - if I was a Liverpool supporter (thank god Im not lol) I would prefer Chelsea to be the nearest at the top rather than Utd....personal choice though I guess
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Well a draw would be preferable, but if UTD win, they are still going to be 5 points behind us, where as if Chelsea win, were only ahead by 1 point, so if theres going to be a winner tomorrow, id rather it be UTD.
But assuming Man U win their two games in hand, it will put them ahead of liverpool.
and as it is man utd you cant be blamed for assuming they will win them.
Also, liverpool are yet too come to old trafford.
Well a draw would be preferable, but if UTD win, they are still going to be 5 points behind us, where as if Chelsea win, were only ahead by 1 point, so if theres going to be a winner tomorrow, id rather it be UTD.
Although, Chelsea would be 1 point BEHIND us with the same games played, whereas Utd would be 5 behind us with the potential of +6 points from games in hand wins against Fulham and Wigan, which would put them 1 point AHEAD of us with the same games played. Though a lot can happen to sway it all in any direction.