Line Up For The Rags On Sunday...

[saulman]

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

Richards------Toure-------Lescott-------Bridge-----

-----------------------De Jong--------------------------

SWP-----------Barry----------Ireland----------Petrov

---------------------Bellamy-----------------------------


With a bench that contains Weiss, Silvinho, Zabba and Onouha we've still got plent of options.
We've beat them many times with a much less.

[john@staustell]

Against Scum more than anyone we cant afford to be giving the ball away, and our two main culprits in that dept are Rigsby and SWP. Sweep will play because of the other good parts of his game and goal threat, but I feel he wont risk Petrov on this away match. I have a sneaky feeling (like some above) he may stick Sylvinho in at left mid. Tevez is 'doubtful' not ruled out, so there's a chance, but I reckon he'll be on the bench.

Given
Richards Toure Lescott Bridge
SWP Ireland DeJong Barry Sylvinho
Bellamy

If Tevez is reckoned to be fit he may play him instead of Sylvinho.

And fuck me Somerset, try and keep up! Etuhu is gone mate, injured at the weekend too. Hopefully his loan will be made permanent because he wont make the Premiership in a million years.

[Bingo Lewis]

as much as I like Petrov, there is no point playing him if we have only got Bellemy up front. His crosses will go nowhere. SWP is ok, coz crossing isn't his main game, he gets in the box and sets up tap ins, as well as crosses, Petrov likes to get down the wing and swing one in. There will be nobody there.
I just really hope Carlos is back.

[Wooders]

as much as I like Petrov, there is no point playing him if we have only got Bellemy up front. His crosses will go nowhere. SWP is ok, coz crossing isn't his main game, he gets in the box and sets up tap ins, as well as crosses, Petrov likes to get down the wing and swing one in. There will be nobody there.
I just really hope Carlos is back.

But Petrov also gives us pace on the left for the counter as well as pace on the right with SWP - one thing we showed against Arsenal was our attacking array
UTD don't have pacey full backs on both sides (evra is nippy to be fair) so we need to invite them in and hit them on the counter imo
Petrov will definately give us pace to a slow arsenal squad
Don't forget they've lost tevez and tranny so they rely on rooney for pace - don't rate Valencia much to be honest

[Bingo Lewis]

as much as I like Petrov, there is no point playing him if we have only got Bellemy up front. His crosses will go nowhere. SWP is ok, coz crossing isn't his main game, he gets in the box and sets up tap ins, as well as crosses, Petrov likes to get down the wing and swing one in. There will be nobody there.
I just really hope Carlos is back.

But Petrov also gives us pace on the left for the counter as well as pace on the right with SWP - one thing we showed against Arsenal was our attacking array
UTD don't have pacey full backs on both sides (evra is nippy to be fair) so we need to invite them in and hit them on the counter imo
Petrov will definately give us pace to a slow arsenal squad
Don't forget they've lost tevez and tranny so they rely on rooney for pace - don't rate Valencia much to be honest

IMO Petrov's downfall is his descision making. He will do the right this maybe 1 or 2 times in a match on an average game. most of the time he makes things look good and make us think the forwards should do better, when in reality, if he'd had maybe released a little earlier, or a few seconds later, or played along the floor instead of swinging it in we'd end up with a goal. Just think Petrov is the best option for when we have Ade or Santa on the pitch, just not Tevez or Bellers. I may be wrong and if he plays I hope I am.

[Wooders]

well bellers scored one from a pacey winger move and also set a pacey winger up - it seems as if he's gonna be our forward for the MU game so we may as well 2 players who can keep up with the lad imo

[Ted Hughes]

Bit of a quandry about Petrov but he was very instrumental in us winning there. My main worry is the obvious one; his lack of tracking back. Without anyone to hold the ball up, it could come back at us a lot & if we keep a tight shape, rags don't have that many players to exploit it these days. Out wide is one place they could win it & Petrov could potentially lose it for us.

He did a good job there 2 seasons ago though, no doubt about that. How stuffy are those bastards to not be facing Ade?

[Rag_hater]

For me it would be
Given,
Richards,Toure,Lescott,Bridge,
Wiess,SWP,NDJ,Barry,Petrov,
Bellamy.

Subs: Taylor,Sylvinho,Zabs,Onuha,Garrido

[Ted Hughes]

Just another thing; Hughes learned his trade in ragland.

Some on here have already suggested the other possibility; if this was the other way around , we all know without a shadow of a doubt who'd suddenly appear, on the day, back from the dead, leading the line: Tevez.

[Crossie]

I cant believe people want Sylvinho in ahead of Petrov, I knwo your thinking about different tactics, but we have NDJ and Barry who can help cover the left, Petrov knows the team and the flow more, Sylvinho is 35, untested in the premier league, and to throw him into the hardest away fixture we will play this season is a huge gamble that we dont neeed to take.

[mcfc1632]

Well according to doug, Belllers didnt do full training, so Hughes must be wrapping him in cotton wool because he is our only fit striker, and we all know how fragile he is (although he is great)

some sort of counter attacking 4-3-2-1 with the 2-1 working very very hard all game to not let scum settle.

Scum are more likely to play down the middle, since no R*nadlo, Nani will cry off, Valencia is wank, Giggs still quality but surely we can keep him quiet.

Its Rooney that can damage us, he is in form.

I dont think this is the best game to blood 35 year old Sylvinho

Rooney will drift wide and give Micah a torrid time - that is where any scum goals will come from

[Ted Hughes]

Well according to doug, Belllers didnt do full training, so Hughes must be wrapping him in cotton wool because he is our only fit striker, and we all know how fragile he is (although he is great)

some sort of counter attacking 4-3-2-1 with the 2-1 working very very hard all game to not let scum settle.

Scum are more likely to play down the middle, since no R*nadlo, Nani will cry off, Valencia is wank, Giggs still quality but surely we can keep him quiet.

Its Rooney that can damage us, he is in form.

I dont think this is the best game to blood 35 year old Sylvinho

Rooney will drift wide and give Micah a torrid time - that is where any scum goals will come from

Hopefully SWP can nick the ball off him then jump over Rooney's boot as he trys to kick his legs from under him, followed by Felcher then Everard then...etc etc

[Alioune DVToure]

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

Richards-----------Toure----Lescott-------------Bridge

---------------------------NDJ-----------------------------

-----------------Zabaleta------Barry------------------------

--------SWP---------------------------Ireland---------------

------------------------Bellamy-------------------------------


This is a solid line-up. And solid seems to be our best option in light of the injuries and suspensions up-front. A midfield five of absolute grafters that should out-leg their midfield of coffin-dodgers, that lesbian from Shameless and Darren Fletcher, and with plenty of pace on the counter attack.

The thought of playing Sylvinho on the left of midfield is ludicrous in my opinion, especially when giving the reason that Petrov is short of match practice. Sylvinho is 35, a defender, and hasn't played competitively since May.

But then he's Brazilian and Brazilians are invariably brilliant, right?

[ronk]

I cant believe people want Sylvinho in ahead of Petrov, I knwo your thinking about different tactics, but we have NDJ and Barry who can help cover the left, Petrov knows the team and the flow more, Sylvinho is 35, untested in the premier league, and to throw him into the hardest away fixture we will play this season is a huge gamble that we dont neeed to take.

Yeah but he played against the rags already this year in a bigger game, and beat them. He's not that untested.

[Alioune DVToure]

I cant believe people want Sylvinho in ahead of Petrov, I knwo your thinking about different tactics, but we have NDJ and Barry who can help cover the left, Petrov knows the team and the flow more, Sylvinho is 35, untested in the premier league, and to throw him into the hardest away fixture we will play this season is a huge gamble that we dont neeed to take.

Yeah but he played against the rags already this year in a bigger game, and beat them. He's not that untested.

He also used to play for Arsenal. I still wouldn't play him though. We've got a nice little spirit in the side and we've won all six in all competitions this season. Why upset the apple cart by throwing in players signed as backup out of position. For me it has to be 4-5-1 with either Petrov or Zabaleta coming in. I'd plump for Zabaleta personally. I'd also hae Weiss as the wildcard on the bench - give him (and perhaps Petrov) the last 25 minutes to set the game alight.

[bobadji]

Code: Select all

           Given
Richards   Kolo   Lescott   Bridge
              De Jong
SWP    Ireland    Barry    Bellamy
               Tevez

If Tevez is injured, put Bellamy there, and put Sylvinho on the left. Our midfield is going to have do a massive job both forwards and backwords, and I'd prefer someone who could put a tackle in than Petrov.

[Geo123]

So Rag Hater doesnt put Ireland on his bench, his bias is bordering on hilarious now

[Robinho_Is_GOD]

With no Adebayor, Robinho, Tevez, RSC, Kompany or Johnson, I would opt for the following:

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

Onouha-----Toure-------Lescott-------Sylvinho

-----------------------de Jong

------------SWP-------------------Barry

Weiss---------------------------------------Petrov

----------------------Bellamy


The reason I would opt for Onouha and Syvinho as full-backs, is because the only thing the scum wingers have is pace, and we need to be able to counter that, Zab nor Bridge are quick enough to recover if they were to be got behind.

As for Weiss playing, well I would go for a winger who will target Evra's weakness....defending!, and bleeding run at him, getting him on his back foot, that used to be SWP, but he refuses to take FB's on now, Weiss would do, and SWP is performing better than Ireland, and so that is why I would move SWP to CM alongside Barry and Ireland to the bench.

Subs: Taylor, Richards, Bridge, Zabaleta, Ireland, Garrido, D Ball

[BlueJohnBlue]

It’s not just Sunday I’m worried about, all our squad strikers.

Emmanuel Adebayor (Out for 3 Games)
Craig Bellamy (Fit)
Valeri Bojinov (Not available this season)
Felipe Caicedo (Not available this season)
Jô (Not available this season)
Benjani Mwaruwari (Not available for 6 weeks)
Robinho (Not available for 4 weeks)
Roque Santa Cruz (Not available for 8 weeks)
Carlos Tevez (Not available for 2 weeks)

[Rag_hater]

So Rag Hater doesnt put Ireland on his bench, his bias is bordering on hilarious now

There was an article in the paper earlier in the week saying he was injured but if all the experts on here think its cool to play an injured player I will bow to their vast knoowledge