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Robinho & Ned may be fit enough to be considered for selection by the time liverpool comes around and barring any fresh injuries against the UAE or to those on international duty this may be the first time Hughes has had a full squad to pick a starting 11 from.

If Rob is fit I'd like to see him get a game but not on the left side but playing in 'the hole' behind Ade.
We've got other players quite capable of playing that role in Petrov and Bellers if required.

Defence has come in for a battering lately and with Bridge and Lescott taking the brunt of it maybe it's time to drop 1 or both.
Kompany & Ned both candidates to replace Lescott. Personally I'd go with Ned if he's fit and looking sharp.
There's an option to play Lescott at LB but I just don't know how good he is in this position although apparently he has played there before. Bridge needs droping for me and although we've not had much chance to see Silvinho his stint against Scunthorpe looked confident and self assured but didn't really come under much pressure. However it was easy to see he's a vastly experienced defender and knows exactly what the job description means.
Whoever get the slot at LB he'll be up against Glenn Johnson getting forward down the right who has pace, skill and can deliver a killer ball in or even go for goal. I don't know but Hughes will have to make the right selection here or Johnson could win the game for the bindippers if he isn't looked after properly at LB. Possibly go for Lescott?

Midfield headache!
If Gerrard plays he wants marking out of the game. If Micheal Johnson is fit I'd give him this Role. He can tackle, will work hard for the team and can create and score himself.
Ireland would play but not as deep as of late and down the middle of the park.
1 defensive mid should play and I would probobly go for Barry as opposed to de Jong purely because of his distribution but again, a real headache when it comes to selection.

So, Barry, Johnson, Ireland in: Tevez, SWP, Bellers, Petrov, Weiss left?? Who gets the last place in midfield?? Probobly SWP for me but only based on Saturday's performance which was one of his better ones this season. He should be able to make some headway against that onsua? who is shite!

Just a few thoughts on a possible team for Liverpool but what would Hughes do with a full, fit squad to pick from?
Given me a headache! What will he do? No Torres, Benayoun doubtful, No Riera, No Carragher.

Let's see, given everyone is fit and ready for a start.

Given
Zabaleta--Toure--Onuoha--Lescott
SWP--Ireland--Johnson--Robinho
Bellamy--Adebayor

Given
Zabaleta--Toure--Onuoha--Lescott
SWP--De Jong--Ireland
Bellamy--Adebayor--Robinho

I am not flushed on the second, but without wingers as protection we are going to need a solid defensive midfielder and Barry is just not at the races recently. Tevez is more of a concern, he has been...well, I wouldn't say god awful, but certainly closer to that than the player we know he can be. Bellamy HAS to play as a striker, I am sick of seeing him fade out of games on that left wing, would work in a 4-3-3 but as a 4-4-2 he is always going to come inside and bunch the defence, something we need to start avoiding.

Slim wrote:Let's see, given everyone is fit and ready for a start.

Given
Zabaleta--Toure--Onuoha--Lescott
SWP--Ireland--Johnson--Robinho
Bellamy--Adebayor

Given
Zabaleta--Toure--Onuoha--Lescott
SWP--De Jong--Ireland
Bellamy--Adebayor--Robinho

I am not flushed on the second, but without wingers as protection we are going to need a solid defensive midfielder and Barry is just not at the races recently. Tevez is more of a concern, he has been...well, I wouldn't say god awful, but certainly closer to that than the player we know he can be. Bellamy HAS to play as a striker, I am sick of seeing him fade out of games on that left wing, would work in a 4-3-3 but as a 4-4-2 he is always going to come inside and bunch the defence, something we need to start avoiding.

That is the exact squad I would pick...

Still think we need a new rightback though.

I do not think that this will be much of a headache for the Liverpool game as the players coming back need some game time from the bench and that is not a game to be 'trying' things to see how they go - it is a genuine 6 pointer, so the team I would expect to play against Liverpool would be:

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

Zab---------------Toure----------------Lescott------------------Bridge

-----------------------------de jong

-------------------Ireland----------------------------Barry

--------SWP/Tevez------------------------------------------Bellamy

--------------------------Ade

with SWP/Tevez and Bellers having a a real job to do to put pressure on their FBs which is where a lot of their supply comes from - especially without Gerrard - if Gerrard is playing I would have some arrangement between de jong and Barry about being tight - with again instructions to SWP/Tevez and Bellers to track and pressure if he is on a run - he far too often gets time on the ball without someone pressurising him


But when Rob is fit then I think that it is really important to play him in the hole and not on the left - that is a mistake RM made because they had galacticos in the middle that could not be moved - moved from the left he is also less of a liability for the defence - I would expect our team to then be:


Against Scum, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Villa and Spurs:

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

Zab/New RB-------Toure----------------Lescott------------------Bridge

-----------------------------de jong

-------------------Ireland----------------------------Barry

-------Tevez--------------------------------------------Bellamy

----------------------------Ade

With Rob coming on at the right time to influence the game for Tevez or Bellers - and Ireland needing to get beyond the strikers


Against the rest:

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

Zab/New RB-------Toure----------------Lescott------------------Bridge

-------------------Ireland----------------------------Barry

-------Tevez------------------------------------------Bellamy

--------------------------Rob

--------------------------Ade

We are CITY and I think that the time of "lets try him there and lets try that other player in that role...." are gone.

The RB role is not working -change it - also we will need width from our FBs and therefore they should be like Johnson but good defenders (and better crossers)

The LB role is improving but still suspect - consider changing it in the summer and if there is need for change now - a specialist please - Sylvinio

The Lescott role is under a big spotlight - although for me he has brought much to the team that is better than Dunne / Ned of last year - but also brought some clear concentration errors - I do not know if this is just a 'gelling with Kolo / Bridge issue but I think that is likely -so disrupting it now just to 'play' would be totally wrong for me.

Big welcome back for Ned - but he ill be 1st choice cover for both CBs

Johnson and Weiss to be introduced to get game time as match situations allow - i.e. when they are won