Agreed with you starting 11 - Dossena's selection on Sunday was presumably on the basis he isn't playing against Madrid unless everyone gets the Craig Bellamys* on paella.

Real's 6 goal 'beat down' plays into Benitez's hands in my view. They'd be looking for goals anyway but they'll be practically assuming they'll get them after the weekend. Benitez will line them up nice and tight, frustrate and let the crowd become impatient. It's a cliche but that first goal will be huge.

This fixture was fascinating when it was drawn, even more so now following the way the 2 teams seasons have gone since it was. Liverpool have lost the initiate in the title race over here and Real are trying desperately to wrestle some momentum from Barca and are starting to do it. Plus, it's on Sky so no David 'I love crawling on Kerbs' Pleat to get in the way on the commentary. Splendid.

*s

As long as it's not on Setanta, I think I'll cope

I've cancelled mine, bad enough coping with some of the mongs on here.

I remember Liverpool being in a similar situation last year, where you'd been in bad form and just lost an FA cup tie against Barnsley, you then went on to win your champions league game against Inter.

news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... 905905.stm mr mourinho has started the mind games here i think i think he is trying to goad manchester united to go there and set up on the attacking side so inter can take advantage of the defensive reshuffle. anyone else think there may be some mind games involved.

news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... 905905.stm mr mourinho has started the mind games here i think i think he is trying to goad manchester united to go there and set up on the attacking side so inter can take advantage of the defensive reshuffle. anyone else think there may be some mind games involved.

Are you ready Mr Alex?

The Special One awaits you.

My team fantastic, I forsee a repeat of my touchline dash in 2004.

Great stuff.

hello mr mourinho nice to see you on rlfans

i would spend less time playing mind games and train your players to deal with the best club side on the planet.

Shame you wasn't good enough at your job to keep you in it

Are you for real?

Losing Vidic was a massive blow because he has been immense this year. To then potentially lose his replacement leaving us without a CB is fairly disasterous.

We're not playing a $hite club like Leeds where we can afford to move the team about a little, we're playing Inter Milan away.

Aye. It was the correct decision IMO. Bearing in mind at the time, he was probably expecting that to be the starting back four versus Inter.

I wouldn't worry about Adriano. He's not that good. As for Ibrahimovich, has he actually had a decent game against an English team? IMO teh most overrated footballer on teh plaent. He doesn't perform in Europe but then he scores a great goal against Lecce and is regarded as the best thing since sliced bread.

You talk about height. How tall is Cordoba?

The point I was making is that you have enough quality in the other players to carry one player playing out of position.


If City were to lose 3 midfielders to injury menaing that SWP and Martin Petrov end up playing in the middle, along with Robinho, they're going to struggle. It doesn't matter how much that midfield costs.



That one player is vital but, like I said, look at other teams. We had SWP playing central midfield. Ireland has played on the wing on several occasions over the last two years. We have had to play Kompany in his second position pretty much all season. Not to mention, Vassell on the wings.

Playing a striker at RB is a totally different scenario to playing CH instead of LB. After all, a lot of full-backs now how to play CH as they often have to cover that position. Both positions are have teh same aim - to defend the goal.