Your teams starting line-up for the first game of the season

What will it be?

-----------VDS-------------

Neville-------Rio------Brown------Heinze

Park-----Scholes--O'shea/Fletch--Giggs

---------Ronaldo-----Saha

I dont have a clue... Dunne, Hamann, Sinclair might be injured and Distin might have left, Trabelsi hasnt got his work permit yet and Thatcher or Jordan at left back is 50/50.

Also we have 5 strikers to choose from and its unclear who Pearce will go with, athough i expect Corradi and Samaras to start, maybe with Vas if we play 4-3-3.

Pearce says he will play different systems and formations depending on the opponent etc so sometimes 4-4-2 sometimes 4-3-3.

I love this, i always predict but Rafa doesnt put it out, oh well:

reina

finnan,carra,hyypia,riise

pennant,gerrard,alonso,gonzales

bellamy,fowler

Foster
Doyley
Shittu
DeMerit
Powell
Spring
Mahon
Francis
Young
Henderson
King

Oh god... erm. Well, taking into account

- The oppositions weaknesses
- Squad rotation
- The fact that alot of our players will have just played an international
- the fact that we have a more important game 3 days afterwards

...erm...

- - - - - - - - - Reina
- Carragher - Hyypia - Agger
Kromkamp - - - - - - - - - Warnock/Riise/Aurelio
- - - - - - Sissoko - Zenden
- - - - - - - - - Garcia
- - Crouch/Pongolle - Bellamy/Fowler

...Ok, maybe that's a bit OTT. This could be more likely:

- - - - - - - - - - - Reina
Kromkamp - Carragher - Hyypia - Aurelio/Riise
Pennant - Sissoko - Zenden - Gonzalez
- - - - - Bellamy - Fowler/Crouch

kromkamp over stevey f! why?

Impossible to predict, so far this season Roeder has made some very strange choices in team selection.

I wouldn't be surprised to see this team...

-----------------Given----------------

Carr--BRAMBLE--Moore--Babayaro

Solano--Parker--BUTT--Emre--Duff

---------------Ameobi-----------------


I would do the logical thing and replace Bramble and Butt with Taylor and N'Zogbia and go 4-4-1-1 with N'Zogbia "in the hole".

I'm usually quite good at predicting what fergie does so we'll see

luisgarciahedrinkssangria wrote:kromkamp over stevey f! why?

Finnan played Sunday, will play tonight, and will play next Tuesday probably (definitely, if we're considering selling Kromkamp, we don't want him cup tied). If we play him Saturday aswell he'll have played 4 times in less than 2 weeks. That's a bit OTT.

Why does Rafa want to sell kromkamp? what's that all about? he only just bought him

@luisgarciahedrinkssangria
i think for liverpool

reina

finnan,carra,hyypia,riise

gerrard,sissoko,alonso,gonzalez

bellamy,crouch

Kimbo wrote:Impossible to predict, so far this season Roeder has made some very strange choices in team selection.

I wouldn't be surprised to see this team...

-----------------Given----------------

Carr--BRAMBLE--Moore--Babayaro

Solano--Parker--BUTT--Emre--Duff

---------------Ameobi-----------------


I would do the logical thing and replace Bramble and Butt with Taylor and N'Zogbia and go 4-4-1-1 with N'Zogbia "in the hole".

Bit nonsensical using Parker, Butt and Emre in the centre, seen as none of them go into the box. Are you sure he doesn't intend on going more 4-3-3, considering how foward thinking Duff is?

Personally, I'd like to see

- Parker - Butt - Emre
Duff - Ameobi - N'Zogbia

That's if Roeder is insistant on playing Butt.

vds

neville rio brown heinze

ronaldo o shea scholes park

saha giggs

with park ronaldo giggs swapping all the time

The-Frank-Tavern wrote:@luisgarciahedrinkssangria
i think for liverpool

reina

finnan,carra,hyypia,riise

gerrard,sissoko,alonso,gonzalez

bellamy,crouch

You think Rafa will go for our strongest team, considering we have a more important game 3 days later?

@The-Frank-Tavern

I really don't think Rafa wants gerrard to play right midfield this seaason, he's got Pennant for that position now plus Garcia and maybe even Gonzales at times although i think he'll play left mid most of the time.

I would love to see Gerrard,Alonso and Sissoko all start but I dont think rafa will play that option unless he's going with one up front which by the way HAS to be Bellamy if he does

Sorensen
Delaney Mellberg Ridgewell Bouma
Hendrie Davis McCann Barry
Moore Angel

mostly picks itself. think baros is injured and laursen not ready. possibly samuel lb and bouma cb for ridgewell.

Obispo wrote:

Kimbo wrote:Impossible to predict, so far this season Roeder has made some very strange choices in team selection.

I wouldn't be surprised to see this team...

-----------------Given----------------

Carr--BRAMBLE--Moore--Babayaro

Solano--Parker--BUTT--Emre--Duff

---------------Ameobi-----------------


I would do the logical thing and replace Bramble and Butt with Taylor and N'Zogbia and go 4-4-1-1 with N'Zogbia "in the hole".

Bit nonsensical using Parker, Butt and Emre in the centre, seen as none of them go into the box. Are you sure he doesn't intend on going more 4-3-3, considering how foward thinking Duff is?

Personally, I'd like to see

- Parker - Butt - Emre
Duff - Ameobi - N'Zogbia

That's if Roeder is insistant on playing Butt.

The problem is he's insistant on picking Solano aswell, even though the signs are there that his legs have gone. It looks a good formation though, it'll be interesting to see if Butt does get in the side as he was pretty average against Ventspils.

obispo- you need to get off to a good winning start, so i really believe he may go v strong, ok may leave 1 or 2 out but i doubt anymore, as to who, who knows. he´ll still be v confident of beating haifa especially as they will have to attack then defo expect to see pennant, bellamy play a big part

@debaser

is baros still at your club?

@ Obispo i think Sissoko may start actually against sheffield united, its the type of match Momo will relish, a tough away game with tackles flying in, but i'd be surprised if gerrard didn't start

Sorensen
Delaney Mellberg Ridgewell Bouma
Hendrie Davis McCann Barry
Moore Angel

mostly picks itself. think baros is injured and laursen not ready. possibly samuel lb and bouma cb for ridgewell.

Debaser what no De La Cruz? that i can forgive but no Super Eric? .

Remember DOL Isn't in charge nomore

The-Frank-Tavern wrote:obispo- you need to get off to a good winning start, so i really believe he may go v strong, ok may leave 1 or 2 out but i doubt anymore, as to who, who knows. he´ll still be v confident of beating haifa especially as they will have to attack then defo expect to see pennant, bellamy play a big part

Agree, I think we'll see quite a strong side. I wouldn't be surprised if we go 5-3-2/3-5-2 though. We've done it a few times on the road before and apparently they're quite weak down the flanks, so we could get away with Aurelio and Kromkamp out wide.

E.M. wrote:

Sorensen
Delaney Mellberg Ridgewell Bouma
Hendrie Davis McCann Barry
Moore Angel

mostly picks itself. think baros is injured and laursen not ready. possibly samuel lb and bouma cb for ridgewell.

Debaser what no De La Cruz? that i can forgive but no Super Eric? .

Remember DOL Isn't in charge nomore

Am interested to see what happens to Djemba now aswell

E.M. wrote:

Sorensen
Delaney Mellberg Ridgewell Bouma
Hendrie Davis McCann Barry
Moore Angel

mostly picks itself. think baros is injured and laursen not ready. possibly samuel lb and bouma cb for ridgewell.

Debaser what no De La Cruz? that i can forgive but no Super Eric? .

Remember DOL Isn't in charge nomore

i think - though not 100% - de la cruz was released. his contract was up end of last season. djemba or berson could be in for mccann, i guess.

i could be completely wrong - o'neill has only picked one team so far and that was for a friendly, so it's hard to know what he's thinking

luisgarciahedrinkssangria wrote:@debaser

is baros still at your club?

yep, for now. o'neill is apparently having talks with him, barry & phillips to see if they want to stay.

been carrying that injury since the world cup though, so doubt he'll be back for saturday

I love Meeeeelan, think he's a quality player

Well not considering injuries

VDS
Gary Rio Brown Heinze

Park Scholes Oshea Ronnie

Giggs Saha

Not really sure but :

Cudicini

Ferreira, Carvalho, Terry, Bridge

Essien, Makelele, Lampard

SWP, Sheva, Robben

is likely I think.

Ballack might be injured. Sheva is rested by Ukraine whereas I think Drogs has a match, so Shevchenko will play I think.

The Portuguese players will play because they have no game this week.

Makelele may be match-fit by this weekend.

Hardrada wrote:Not really sure but :

Cudicini

Ferreira, Carvalho, Terry, Bridge

Essien, Makelele, Lampard

SWP, Sheva, Robben

is likely I think.

Ballack might be injured. Sheva is rested by Ukraine whereas I think Drogs has a match, so Shevchenko will play I think.

The Portuguese players will play because they have no game this week.

Makelele may be match-fit by this weekend.

We'll shit on you....4-0 City