Released by Liverpool, signed by Blackburn on a free. Signed by Aston Villa for £2.5m

What do you know that the managers of the top sides don't?

You're*

Dont the reserves train with the first team nowadays?

Occasionally, some get invited. Jonny 23 didnt then though as he was waaay down the pecking order. Class players can adapt and slot in at any club, Liverpool are failing because they overachieved last year, the match going reds will tell you the quality and depth of the squad isn't good enough, along with the injuries to Gerrard and Torres, Benayoun has stepped up though and been great.

Reserves and First team train together i thought?



I disagree with the overachieving part of last year. But the rest i agree with.

What's more laughable is all the United fans putting Fletcher in a premier league XI. Fletcher is a good, hard working player who supports the attack well, but Michael Essien is thrice the player Fletcher is, so are Gerrard, Lampard and Fabregas, whilst I'd still rather Ballack or Mikel in my team. If it was for pure defensive ability then Mascherano would be in over Fletcher. Fletcher's a solid player but the United midfield has been pretty weak for a while now, it's competitive and industrious, but there is little class or elegance there since Scholes has been moved deeper. Admittedly, Liverpool's midfield has lost the majority of its class since Alonso has gone, but I'm not arguing our midfield is better.

He's dominated Chelsea an Arsenal's midfield this season. Fletcher is world class. although I know you won't agree. Simply because he is scottish and not a fashionable name he doesnt get the credit he deserves.

Not really, I've said time and again that I rate Fletcher and he's by far one of United's most improved players over the years, it doesn't mean I think he's world class, though. He's a good player but I still wouldn't rate him among the world's best.

I'm afraid I can't really disagree with any of that. The loss of Alonso has been as big as expected and the fact that we're only just getting Carragher and Agger fit together has contributed as well.

But on form this season, he's better than Gerrard. Not Gerrard's fault, because he's been injured, but that's the reason I've not included Vidic in my XI.

Fitness means sweet F.A to good old Bevan Wire. Vidic and Robinho included in his almighty team.

It was a big 4 team. United, Chelsea, Arsenal and City.



If you wanted a premierleague team.

1.VDS

2.Johnson
6.Vidic
5.Terry
3.Evra

7.Gerrard
4.Fabregas
8.Lampard

9.Torres
10.Rooney
11.Drogba

We're already out of the top 4, are we? Almost as small time as the bluenoses with their week-long Rafa Beneathus antics

WUM attempt. To be fair to Everton, you are both going for the same trophies this season.

I know, I'm embarrassed.

So afterall that we disagree on 2 players?

Sorry, I thought by squad players you meant those outside of the first 11 who only come in as cover. I was meaning that there are some who are first choice for you who wouldn't be good enough elsewhere.

Paul Scholes has been the best English footballer of the last 20 years, doesn't mean I'd currently pick him ahead of Gerrard. And it remains to be seen if 'on his day' is a thing of the past for Carragher now.

Fair enough, we disagree.

Possibly right with Reina, I didn't really think of keepers as it's not really Liverpool's problem. Although being better than Almunia is hardly a glowing reference IMO.

Johnson and Sagna have little between them, both good in posession and suspect without. See above re Agger/Vermaelen, and Mascherano is very much the proverbial water carrier, I don't see what all the fuss is about. I certainly don't think he'd keep Fabregas out, assuming Gerrard is the other CM.

Arsenal play three midfielders. Masch is better than Song and Denilson who are both first choice regulars at Arsenal. With regards to Sagna and Johnson, they're kind of players who are opposites in ways. Sagna is solid defensively, quick and decent enough in possession, whilst johnson is terrific going forward but is lacking the brains defensively at times.

I think it's more about the standard of fullbacks in the current game TBH, which I commented on the other day in this thread.

I suppose it's just a different approach to the question. In Arsenal's current system, yes he'd probably get in the midfield 3. I was considering it as how many Liverpool players would get in as a whole, and for me that would mean a 4-4-2, as I don't see how you could leave out one of Torres or Van Persie.

I still think Sagna has some defensive issues as well TBH, dives in and commits himself a bit too quick at times IMO.

I'd play a kind of 4-2-3-1 but it isn't quite the same as Liverpool's. Masch would hold the midfield whilst Cesc would be a kind of box-to-box playmaker, with Gerrard playing just off Torres with RVP to the right and Arshavin to the left. Before this season, I'd have had Skrtel over most defenders in the league, I rated him so highly but this year he has been utterly woeful, he seems to have lost all composure, aggression and brains and ended up looking very poor. Vermaelen looks good but I still think a fit Daniel Agger is the superior player.

Eh, that was much longer than a week, many many months. We actually finished there remember so a whole summer of it





Dunno why, realistically we've been going for the same trophies for many years. You've never had a chance for the big ones