Match Day Thread Pre-season

Its a Rodger term.

Its a player who starts wide like a winger but makes bent runs inside to score instead of creating with crosses from wide. Sterling is one.

 

I don't think United were particularly good and that was almost a full strength starting XI from them - only RVP missing really. We missed Sturridge, Enrique, Flanagan and one of Lallana or Markovic. They'll struggle again this season as their midfield and defense are ****e (yes, despite the 3 goals against).

That said, we've got problems to fix. Without Sturridge, there's no one else. Lambert for me isn't going to lead the line without midfielders running past him into the box, Lallana might help that as well as just Henderson right now. Our fullbacks still need fixing and I'm not too optimistic that two new youngsters will solve it for this season. I'm still not convinced on Gerrard as a defensive midfielder - great passing and control of the ball, but not a leader at the back to organise that dross. Hopefully Lovren will step up and solve that problem though. Maybe it was the fuzzy resolution from my stream, but I didn't even notice Allen was playing for most of the game.

Positives: Erm. Ibe will be brilliant. He's where Sterling was two years ago, bags of talent and pace but needs a lot of game time to work on his decision making. You can tell which one's matured into a team and which one is still the talent he was years ago. Bit of a shame he's been ignored slightly because he's been left behind, but still young enough to improve like Raheem. He needs cup games this season at least and some league game cameos if we're comfortable. I'm confident that Henderson will continue to push on this season and add to his game. Sterling is really showing that he can improve further and be a key player for the team, just as Coutinho has shown he can.

 

reverse winger is not just rodgers... its a common term for a player who's say left footed playing on the right. they vacate the wing for the full back to over lap and cut inside to shoot.

yes sterling is one but really anyone you see cutting inside all the time fits the bill... its made up to basically describe 90% of attackers these days

 

Pile of **** post

Only RvP missing?

RvP, rafael, Shaw & januzaj missing.

Fletcher, Young, Hernandez are squad players.

 

Shaw played...
OK, maybe Januzaj would start ahead of Hernandez.
And Rafael

 

Biggot!

 

Said the eloquent one...

Young maybe your wingback if you play 532... so is Rafael better than Young when playing as a wingback? defensively he maybe better but I'd have thought Young better going forward?
Shaw, from the brief highlights I saw, was playing....
Janzuaj, missing.... He's been missing since Jan?
Fletcher a squad player? Well, given the comments LVG has made, it appears he could be a regular starter..
Therefore, only player missing from your first 11 was RVP...

 

Forgetting scoreline, who was the better team. Not you UIR

 

I forgot about Carrick too. At best we were 50% full strength.

At least unlike the jokers on RAWK, youve not claimed your team was weakened because of players you have not yet signed

rafael is our first choice right back and the best right back there is between our 2 clubs.

valencia and Young were playing as wing backs as well. Not their actual positions.

 

Disappointing result but the first half performance was positive in terms of intent and pressing. However, the same issues keep costing us:

1) Skrtel is a liability. People may think him scoring goals is a good attribute (which it is), it shouldn't be at the expense of actually defending. He lost his man (Rooney) for the first goal.

2) Johnson (and fullbacks in general) are actually useless and should be binned. He continues to fail to close down crosses (see Rooney's goal as an example) and then he trots back when we're exposed on the counter.

3) Gerrard can't protect a defence.

4) Lambert is an oaf who is only good for coming on as a last resort in the last 10 mins of a game. And no - this isn't a knee jerk reaction. I said this before we signed him. The attack looks a little toothless without Sturridge leading the line though. New striker is badly needed.

Looking at the positives now:

a) Sterling and Coutinho are special players. I can really see them having big seasons.

b) Sakho is a beast and has surely cemented his place in the starting line up, and to partner Lovren.

c) We have a new CB in Lovren, with new fullbacks pretty close to signing.

d) Emre Can gives us more power and strength in midfield and is a welcomed option, ideally to replace Stevie as the DM.

 

Shaw was there- he may be promising future... but he's not that great yet- you can't count him missing as a big loss. Rafael is crap. Januzaj is promising- but his absence wouldn't have really been missed that much. RvP was your only player of significance missing.

 

Yawn.

You say Januzaj hasnt played since january so shouldnt be considered first team but Fletchers played about 5 games in 3 years..... you consider him a member of the first team.

theres no need to carry on here.

 

We can count him as a big loss as we have sold evra and Buttner so Shaw is our only left back currently ( Blackett is a prospect though ). Hes very much a starter.

Carrick
rafael
RvP
Shaw
Januzaj

The 5 players missing who would all start or at worst in januzajs case, be on the bench.

 

Did you really need to make that point? I think it's pretty obvious that even Reina would be a starting RB for us right now if he hadn't had arguments with Rodgers.

Fullbacks are different to wingbacks. Young and Valencia may not be wingbacks, but then again, neither are Rafael or Shaw. The latter two may be better suited, but they'll need to grow into that position.

Anyway, you seem to just be naming missing players but you can only start with 11. So, given LVG's preference for 5-3-2, who is your current starting XI? We were missing 5 players who will be starting (injuries aside).

 

Basing it on who are our first team players or the players bought to replace them.

Much like you guys. unless Llalallalalala and co are noit first teamers?

 

You appear to be desperately trying to convince yourself that last night's result and the little bookend trophy won was prestigious UIR.

It was only a friendly.

 

and yes, reina would be a better RB for you than the lolback you have.

 

I know it was. Astro said. Earlier he had said this game was massively important but then the result happened and suddenly it didnt matter

#wayoftheworld.

 

Great retort... "Yawn.." that comment really has me snookered..
Did you read what I wrote and tried understand or are you in "reply first, think later mode"?
Januzaj you stated was missing, yes.. but he's unlikely to be a regular 1st teamer, so strength of last nights team was not diminished with his exclusion.
If he does play who doesn't? Mata, Herrera, doubt that.. Rooney? Again no, he gonna replace RVP? Nope.. he won't play centrally.. and unless he wants to put £30m Shaw on the bench, he won't be playing Wingback either..

I've stated in the past I think the boys got potential, at times seems to go by his players with ease, but doubt LVG will have him as a regular starter.

Carrick or Fletcher.. Carrick the better passer, Fletcher the better engine, both could play in the same team but unlikely...
Rafeal better than Johnson, not exactly hard.... but given the Wingback role your LB and RB will need to play under LVG I wouldn't say Rafeal edges out Young, so again, no diminished strength..

 

You've said RVP, Carrick, Januzaj, Rafael and Shaw (who played anyway, but granted didn't start). I make that 5 players who you consider to be missing from your XI. So which 5 starters from tonight do you take out? That gives us your best XI.

We missed Sturridge, Lallana, Lovren, Enrique and Flanagan who would come in instead of Lambert, Allen, Skrtel, Johnson and Kelly.

This discussion isn't about bench options, I clearly said in my first post 'full strength starting XI'...