Topic: next season's first team squad?

[ST202]

just having a little think about the make up of our squad and taken into account the probable signings still to come and feel pretty confident about the coming season. if you look at it Rafa seems to have covered all POSIBILLITIES with players that are able to play in several positons and allowing for the odd injury(well obviously not like last season). by my reckoning we will have 34 players involved with the first team.

gk
Renia,Dudek,Carson

cb
Sami,Carra,Ibanez/Upson/Millita,Hobbs,Whitbread

lb
Djimi,Warnock

rb
Finnan,Barragan,Josemi,Raven

cm
Gerrard,Xabi,Didi,Sissko,Welsh,Potter,Le Tallec

lm
Riise
Kewell
Zenden
Gonzalez

rm
Garcia
Figo
Nunez

cf
Ciise
Baros
Morientes
Pongolle
Crouch
Mellor

looks like a good balance to me with plenty of players with experience and promising up and coming youngsters.

[Roper]

Still looks a bit light in a couple of areas to me mate.

Left Back, and Centre Mid for me.

[cork scouser]

I agree for the most part, but I still think centre back is our weakest part of the squad. I would have liked to sign another left back but with Djimi signing a new contract that seems unlikely now. Hope Rafa signs a few more coz this season will hopefully be very very busy. Also surely we cant suffer the same spate of injuries this year. (touch wood)

[Mark Walters]

With Kewell, Zenden and Gonzalez at left mid, I don't think Riise's gonna get a look-in there so he will be our 3rd left back.

[Brotus]

Riise should be Left back and nowhere else unless there's injuries.
Could be looking at Zenden for Centre Midfield, Gonzalez for right and left wing.
Pongolle could also be right wing.

[StormyDog]

If you don't allow Riise to come forward and shoot, you are punishing him for having his best attacking season so far.

He will probably want a move which is a mighty shame as he has a scouse heart.

[theCanadian]

Goalkeeper: Reina, Dudek, Carson

Centre-back: Hyypia, Carragher, (new signing), Traore, Whitbread, Hobbs

Right-back: Finnan, Josemi, Carragher, Raven, Barragan

Left-back: Traore, Riise, Warnock

Centre-Midfield: Gerrard, Alonso, Zenden, Hamann, Welsh, Diao

Left-Midfield: Kewell, Zenden, Riise, Gonzalez, Warnock, Figo, Luis Garcia

Right-Midfield: Figo, Luis Garcia, Gonzalez, Nunez, Finnan, Le Tallec

Forward: Cisse, Morientes, Baros, Crouch/Kuyt, Pongolle, Le Tallec

[MasterJ]

GK: Reina, Carson (Think Dudek will go)
CD: Carra, Hyypia, (Milito or Ibanez)*, Whitbred, Roque, Hobbs
LB: Riise, Traore, Warnock
RB: Finnan, Josemi, Baragan
CM: Gerrard, Xabi, Hamann, Zenden, Welsh, (Sissoko)*
RM: Figo, Garcia, Nunez, Gonzales
LM: Zenden, Gonzales, Garcia
AM: Garcia, Zenden, Gerrard, Le Tallec
ST: Cisse, Moro, (Crouch)*, Baros, Sinama, Le Tallec

The ones with * are possible (probable) signings

[-Daws-]

You've been pretty flat with who can play where.

GK - Reina, Carson, Dudek Kirkland (loan)

RB - Finnan, Josemi, Barragan, Raven, Carragher.

CB - Carragher, Hyypia, Traore, Josemi, Barragan, Warnock.

LB - Riise, Traore, Warnock, Carragher, Zenden.

RM - Figo, Nunez, Garcia, Kewell, Gonzales, Gerrard, Pongolle, Le Tallec, Potter, Finnan.

CM - Gerrard, Alonso, Hamann, Sissoko, Zenden Diao, Welsh, Potter.

LM - Kewell, Garcia, Zenden, Le Tallec, Riise, Gonzales, Warnock.

AM - Garcia, Morientes, Gerrard, Zenden, Sissoko, Gonzales, Le Tallec, Kewell, Potter.

CF - Cisse, Morientes, Baros, Pongolle, Garcia, Kewell, Le Tallec, Mellor.


Funny how right wing is said to be a priority, yet it is the position we have most cover for. Centre back is a priority for me, as is centre midfield, and upfront will be if Baros goes. I've taken the liberty of including Missoko and Figo, because they look almost certain to sign. It's a strong squad, as long as we don't get the horrific injuries we did last year.

[swaz]

please. no peter crouch, shorley we can do better than that

[andrix999]

please. no peter crouch, shorley we can do better than that

I don't really see what the problem is. We lacked a big strong player up front lastv season in the games where Cisse, Baros and what's frankly a light weight strike force in statue, got the shit kicked out of them by defenders. I mean, by no means have him as anything but a squad player, but with players like Nando and Cisse that's all we need. We saw last season our problem was that we didn't have enough depth to the squad even though we had a team that could go and win the CL based on one off games.

 I mean, I realise why alot of people are complaining but you have to look at it in contet, sure Heskey wasn't the best player ever but he took the knocks for Owen and worked so Owen could work his magic, at the moment we have NO-ONE who can do that for the strikers and signing another big name forward like Morientes isn't going to sort it out. Real Madrid have proved that just having big names in the team isn't enough, you have to have the right blend.

 Surely you realise Rafa who has more of an eye for these things than us (or we'd all be managers and winning the CL and La Liga) must see somthing in him and with a large chunk of money left over for signings, you only have to look at the lists above to see this is one of the few areas we need to strengthen, so it's not like the price tag is really as much of an issue as we're all making out.

 You only need to look at what Rafa managed to do last season to realise the man knows what he's doing so why are we bitching the moment he tries anything new just because we don't like it. If he wants him, it's fine by me. The boss knows what he's doing.

[Not So Xabi]

i would give crouch a chance.......
he proved last year (against us) that he can score goals,
he is not the most ellegant of players but he would allow us to mix it up possibly more than any other teams in the league..
cisse skill and pace, sinama skill pace(penalty winner) morientes pure proven world class, mellor heart and drive,baros unpredictabilty and no little skill.
and crouch aerial presence and more skill then he looks like hes got..
he would not cost us a massive sum of money and if it did not work out i think we could re coup the majority of the transfer fee.
i dont think rafa is going to shell out 10m + for any one player, so a world class recognized striker is out of the question (and would probably disrupt the side as they cant all play week in week out)
i would also take figo on a free as long as he s not on silly money....


"above us only sky"