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It's A Squad Game
I remember a few weeks back when Liverpool were going through "the worst injury crisis in the history of football" culminating with the Sunderland game where the Sunderland 11 was stronger than the Liverpool 11. Now flash forward to the Arsenal v Sunderland game. Arsenal are likely to have 11 or 12 players out for the game (depends on Traore's fitness). Would you say that the Arsenal team on Saturday will be weaker than the Sunderland team?
This little mental exercise highlights Benitez's problem. He has built a team that can challenge for the title, not a squad. Unfortunately for him and Liverpool it's a squad game these days. Something Arsenal found out the hard way in the last two seasons especially in 07/08.
This is somewhat unrelated to the above point but key nonetheless, people always say that Benitez has replaced the Liverpool squad since 2005, however they completely forget to realize that Wenger has also replaced the Arsenal squad in that time. However Rafa spent a net of 80m to do so, while Arsene made a profit of 27m doing the exact same thing.
Naz (a plastic goner from Nigeria)
That's Telling Us
Dear Sir,
Your betting adverts are no longer becoming of your excellent website. Are Sunderland 5-1 to beat "reserves"? No. They're 5-1 to beat this team (barring further injuries tonight):
Almunia, Sagna, Gallas, Vermaelen, Traore, Song, Fabregas, Eboue, Nasri/Rosicky, Arshavin, Eduardo
Really not a reserve team - I couldn't even pick the 11 as we still have 4 players competing to play in the front 3.
Ben, London
All's Well That Ends Well...
There's been some debate recently over which was the greatest team of the modern era, the Invincibles, Man Utd 1999 etc. With Arsenal's extensive injury list if they somehow miraculously win the league will this prove to be the greatest squad ever?
Cliff Mallinder
...Showing the depth of our squad I expect Julie Fleeting and Faye White to shine against Sunderland on Saturday
Mark (see Rafa - this is a crisis!) Costello
Nicely Done
Arsenal should shut up complaining about their injuries, it is nothing to what Liverpool have had to endure recently. Liverpool have had two players missing over the last few weeks - that's their entire team.
Yours,
Col (ho ho ho) Broon
Transfer Gossiping
Am I the only person who thinks that if Gattuso is leaving Milan both Arsenal and Man U should be fighting to sign him? While he may not be the player he once was, both teams (particularly Arsenal) could use an experienced, tough tackling midfielder.
I realise Man U have said that they will not sign players over a certain age and Arsenal- the masterstroke that was signing Silvestre aside- haven't signed any in years but the odds of them winning the Premiership would be hugely increased if they had him in their squad (not sure if he'd be available for the Champion's League).
Hell, if Liverpool did lose Mascherano, Gattuso would be a good replacement at the right price.
John Fuller
Not Got That Winning Feeling
To put into perspective Ireland's chances tonight, I believe the terrifying statistic is, in competitive fixtures we've only ever beaten three teams away from home who have ever qualified for the World Cup or European Championships; with respect, those three footballing behemoths are Turkey, N. Ireland, and Scotland. ¿¼
Adam, Dublin
It Says Here That Abou Trika Is Actually Rather Good
Dear Adam, FCUM, Cairo,
Aboutrika is actually one of the top 5 players in Africa. Last year he came second trailing behind Adebayor in a move that saw CAF getting criticized by several media outlets (Including BBC) for basically not having the balls to give the award to someone playing his trade inside of Africa. Admittedly, he would have won it due to Eto and Drogba having a crap season and Essien being on the treatment table. Also in the past (If you'd believe the press anyway) He was chased by a number of clubs from Spain but Trika never had the desire to leave Egypt. (Not every player dreams about playing in the EPL)
And just to further solidify my point on how good he is, here is a number of awards he won;
Came 2nd in the 2008 CAF African Footballer of the Year award.
Nominated for the 2006 CAF African Footballer of the Year award.
Winner of the 2008 BBC African Footballer of the Year award.
Nominated for the 2006 BBC African Footballer of the Year award.
Winner of the 2008/2006 CAF Best African player in Club Competitions.
Top scorer in the FIFA Club World Cup with 3 goals.
Top scorer in the CAF Champions League with 8 goals.
Top scorer in the Egyptian League (2005-2006) with 18 goals.
Top scorer in the Egyptian Cup (2007) with 4 goals.
Best Player in Egypt (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008).
Named in the CAF Starting XI in the CAN Egypt 2006.
Named in the CAF Starting XI in the CAN Ghana 2008.
Named in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup dream team.
Man of the final match in the 2008 African Cup of Nations after scoring the winning goal.
That said, however, he was pretty crap in the match against Algeria. Here's hoping that he'll improve much more today. Because if he's on form our chances of qualifying increase by large margin.
Yehia (Emad Moteb is the guy who scored the second goal actually), Egypt
Missing Out
Having read your forgotten men article I didn't find a name of a man who you must have "forgot" who surely must warrant the most spectacular fall from grace. A person who's CV includes a match winner at Old Trafford, 15 Premier League goals in the 1st half of the 2002/2003 season and to cherry the cake an international England cap.
A man who now has dwindled in the echelons of the football league, scored and handful of goals in a handful of appearances over the past 6 years and had the indignity of being released by Southend for being too fat and currently plying his trade at Tranmere.
I give you Michael Ricketts - Can anyone beat this?
Mike (I celebrate Paddy's day so I will support the Irish tonight)
It's All Rubbish
I went to the last game Scotland played against Australia at Hampden. I drove up from Durham with 4 friends in a beaten up, leaky Silver Cavalier Sri, AKA "The Silver Bullet;" in quite possibly the worst driving conditions I have ever driven in. We arrived just in time for half time in the worst game of football I have ever seen. This includes Darlington vs. Torquay that same season in League 2/Div 3 whatever it was. Australia won 2-0 and even the goals weren't exciting. The most entertaining part of the night was arriving at my Scottish friends house in Edinburgh afterwards and discovering that my English friend (comedically wearing said Scotsman's kilt in true Scottish style) had forgotten his bag. Cue humor before we headed out and got exceedingly drunk on 50p drinks - Berties if anyone is interested.
Scotland were rubbish then and are rubbish now. The A-League is also rubbish. Robbie Fowler is the best player in it at the moment, his biggest problem is that the rest of his team are so bad that even him regularly firing in a wonder goal can't keep them off the foot of the table. Australia are quite possibly a more boring team the Ireland thanks to Pim Verbeek. I have a T-Shirt that sums up Australian football: "Socceroo's fan since 2006."
Oh, and "The Silver Bullet" went to the garage the next day and was put down as an economic write off. Much like all the previous incarnations of the A-League. Thank God for Fox Sports and viewer's choice premier league games.
David Nicholls
To Be Jose Or Not To Be
Like the delectable Natalie Imbruglia, I'm torn. I'm torn over the prospect of Jose Mourino returning to the shores post SAF retirement.
Do I want Jose back in English Football? Yes. Undoubtedly, Yes. He has charisma, passion, and doesn't just trot out the same platitudes as 'Arry. An interview on MOTD that I wouldn't fast forward.
Do I want him managing my beloved United? Undoubtedly No. His reign at Chelsea brought the blandest of football, and a desire to try and win every game 1-0, with no flair, at a time when he had the means to buy any player in the world. Yes results are important, but I'm not shelling out hundreds of pounds for the Yanks to watch the sh*t served up at the Bridge for those 2 years he was there.
But do I want him managing the Scousers or another top 6 team. Undoubtedly No, as in spite of the turgid nature of the football his side's play, he is fantastic at what he does, and I would worry that he would make turn that side into champions, and nobody needs gloating Scousers back on the Mailbox.
What to do? Here's hoping for a Pep drug scandal and Jose going to Barca. Only good outcome as I see it.
Matt, (5 paragraphs, but please forgive me, as they are short) Cheshire
Continuing His Own Idea. Allegedly
It was with some dismay yesterday afternoon that while during my daily read of your mailbox that I found that one of your mailbox writers had decided to take one of my ideas. What further dismayed me was that he is my brother but nonetheless I shall play his game.
Sadly at Liverpool we don't have a number 3.6 or 7. So the next 3 avaiable players of numbers higher than 11 are 12(Fabio Aurelio), 15(Yossi Benayoun) and 16(Sotirios Kyrgiakos). It wouldn't shape into too bad a side if the players were put into their positions but if they were put in order of the missing numbers we would seriously struggle
1. Cavalieri (The problems start early in this team)
2. Glen Johnson (England's best right back so things are shaping up better)
3. (12) Fabio Aurelio (A left back at left back and things are looking up)
4. Alberto Aquilani (the little prince marshalling the midfield and maybe this team has a chance)
5. Daniel Agger (Probably our best centreback so no qualms here)
6. (15) Yossi Benayoun (And here is where it all comes crumbling down although I think Yossi could do a job against William Gallas, now if number 16 could play at centre back then things would be sorted)
7. (16) Sotirios Kyrgiakos (The powerful greek centre back could tower above most left backs but thats about it)
8. Steven Gerrard (With Stevie in the team and playing in centre midfield you would fancy your chances)
9. Fernando Torres (And with Nando up front there's always a chance even if you've got Benayoun at centre back!)
10. Andriy Voronin (But sadly I don't think he'd get much service if Voronin is playing up front with him)
11. Albert Riera (At least the team finishes off in some sort of orthodox manner with Alby on the left)
Peter (how ironic that after almost being kicked out of uni for plagiarism that my own brother steals my idea) Stevenson
Carrying On...
So I decided to take a look at my beloved Pompey's first 1-11. Having gotten over the first problem of not having a number 10 (Perhaps a decent one would solve some of our problems, but that's a story for another day) by using the next lowest (Number 14), I realised how positively ancient ours is, with gems such as James at 39, Linvoy at 36 and The Hermannator at 35. Here it is:
1. David James GK 39
2. Linvoy Primus RB 36
3. Younes Kaboul LB 23
4. Aaron Mokoena CMF 28
5. Jamie O'Hara CB 22
6. Hayden Mullins CB 30
7. Hermann Hreidarsson LMF 35
8. Papa Bouba Diop CMF 31
9. Frederic Piquionne CF 30
14. Mike Williamson CF 26
11. Michael Brown RMF 32
Average Age 30 years 2 months 4 days
Frankly I'm disappointed with O'Hara and Kaboul, they are really letting the side down! As for the side itself, it's just as bad as our normal 11, though a centre back as a centre forward may actually help us..
Ed Fulda
...Following on from the ace idea to put out your 1-11 first team, this is how the Birmingham team would look.
1. Maik Taylor GK
2. Stephen Carr RB
3. David Murphy LB
4. Lee Bowyer CM
5. Martin Taylor CB
6. Liam Ridgewell CB
7. Seb Larsson RM
8. Garry O'Conner
9. Kevin Phillips
10. Cameron Jerome
11. Chucho
It's quite worrying to be honest, only Brazil really get away with playing 4-2-4 and I don't think that Ridgewell, Murphy or Taylor could hack that lack of support from a midfield two of Bowyer and Ferguson. I can see us scoring goals even with O'Connor in the team but I think they'd be destined to finish even below Wolves with this team.
I dread to think what would happen if we played that Arsenal team.
Tom (Is going to start writing under the pseudonym of 'Javed LFC' in order to get even more crap printed) Tamworth
...In response to Adonis Stevenson's mail I to have succumbed to the bore of the international week, though I must admit the North African duel between Egypt and Algeria has captured a bit of my attention. Anyhow here's my pick from squad (united) of players numbered 1-11
1 - GK - Blunder Sar
2 - RB - The Neviller
3 - LB - Evra
4 - CMF - Hargreaves
5 - CB - Rio Ferdinand
6 - CB - Wes Brown
7 - RMF - Mickey
8 - CMF - Anderson
9 - CF - Dimitar "he of the BERBOV fame" Berbatov
10 - CF - Wayne Rooney
11 - LMF -Giggsy
You have to admit this is a solid side, surely Mickey would put in a more descent shift than Nani.
Mtoe "Did Fergie have this in mind when he handed out shirt numbers?" Phuthi
