Team for Liverpool

[roro]

After a great win yesterday despite the poor performance yesterday do you feel the team and maybe the formation needs reshuffling for our trip to Anfield on Wednesday evening?

I think if we have any chance on Wednesday we need to reshuffle the pack including the formation to give ourselves our best chance possible of getting something from the match. I would be very tempted to go 4-5-1:

***************Sorro*********************
*******Wilko**Faye**Shawcross**Higgy********
**Delap**Whelen**Diao**Whitehead**Etherington
**************Fuller**********************

People may shoot me down in saying drop Lawrence and Beattie for Whelen and especially Diao, but I believe these changes could be key in keeping the game tight and hitting Liverpool on the counter with Ethers pushing up to support Fuller and Diao sitting in the hole to protect the defence, in which he can do. Whilst admitting Diao may not be the best of players at the club and his passing is very weak most of the time, the one thing he can do and does it well is break up the play and block out key passes by getting in the way.

What are your thoughts?

[PickSCFC]

i wouldnt mind seen that actually

[march4]

Same team - that is our first 11.

[cheadlestokie]

I would play Lawrence rather than Delap,but otherwise no arguements from me.

[knowles]

My Dad mentioned Diao to me after the match and, after his great performance at Anfield last time out, TP may well be tempted to include him. However, I think he will stick with the same XI.

[StokeOnTour]

***************Sorro**********************
****Wilko**Cort**Faye**Shawcross**Higgy*****
**Lawrence**Delap**Whitehead**Etherington***
***************Fuller**********************

[DelapsWankingArm]

Sorro
Wilko Faye Shawcross Higgy
Lawrence Whelan Whitehead Diao Ethers
Beattie

[roro]

To be honest I wouldn't play Delap much at all away from home this season, it was a toss up between Lawrence and Ethers, but the reason I have opted to play Ethers is his pace can help us break on the attack quicker on the counter. So the reason of wanting Delap in the side this coming match is not due to his throw ins, but for his defensive duties. I think he would make us more solid and harder to break down, later in the game depending how the match has developed we can look at bringing Lawrence on for him to give us more attacking options for if needed.

[luke45]

--------------------------Sorensen-----------------------

Wilko--------------Shawcross-----------Faye---------------Higgy


-----------------------------Whitehead-------------------------------


Delap-------------------------------------------------------Lawrence


-------------------------------Whelan-------------------------------------


------------------------------------------Kitson----------------------------

-------------------------------Fuller----------------------------------------

[march4]

Whelan is yesterday's man - forget him.

I have been slagged off all summer for predicting that Whelan would be dropped for Whitehead and Rory for the Burnley game.

Don't give me the - 'he was tired after a midweek international' excuse. He was dropped and will be lucky to get any starts when everyone is fit, especially if we sign another central midfielder.

[roro]

March4 I have been the same, I am not the biggest fan of Whelen at all. I think he is a good squad player to put on the bench, but as a starter I don't think he is or will ever be bigger enough. Most fans look at me as if I'm green when I say it, but really how many goals did he score and create for us last season as our main 'so called' playmaker? Not as many as he should be doing for my liking. Saying that I would not be disappointed if he was to start the match on Wednesday, like I always say, I hope he can prove me wrong.

[burtonstokie]

Put Delap in the middle, get rid of Diao and play Lawrence down the right IMO. No one in the team works harder than Liam and that's what we're gonna need to get anything from Anfield.

[Olgrligm]

We play to a system. When we change, it tends to go disastrously wrong. Let's just stick to the thing that's drilled into our team's skull. The same starting 11 as yesterday would do me just fine, it's definitely our strongest 11.

[DurhamDuran]

I think Pulis might go with the midfield that finished the game yesterday,
Delap on the Left, Whelan and Whitehead in the middle, Lawrence on the right. And then stick Beattie in there just behind Fuller. Same back four though.

[Lakeland Potter]

No way would I drop Lawrence. When fit he would be one of the first names on my team sheet home or away. I might drop Ethers but (unless we sign another winger by Tuesday) the problem would be who to put on the left wing. Delap I suppose, but it wouldn't fill me with confidence - maybe Delap on the right with Lawrence on the left and Whelan in the centre?

[stokelad84]

Fuller up front on his own would get frustrated, would be best started with Beattie or Kitson up front and Ric coming off the bench

[euan ouzami]

How about dropping Delap to keep both Lawrence and Ethers? Long throw is never very effective away from home

I like the 4-5-1

Sorro

Wilko_Shawcross_Faye_Higgy

Lawrence_Whelan_Diao_Whitehead_Ethers

Fuller

(Beattie not quick enough as lone striker)

[fentonstokie]

The only change i would make would be Whelan for Etherington and put Delap on the left and Whelan inside with Whitehead.

[gilberto]

for what its worth id go...

sorensen

wilkinson

shawcross

faye

higgy

lawrence

whelan
- because he's more mobile than delap. quicker at closing people down. he's also better with the ball and we're not going to get many chances for a longthrow. they're pretty useless away from home anyway. he's also got the best shot in the unlikely event that we do get within 30 yards of the liverpool goal.

whitehead

etherington
- out ball. proper balance to the team even if he isnt playing brilliantly. anyone who thinks he should be dropped and delap put on the left need their head seeing to. delap on the left wing is my most hated pulis trick.

kitson
- better on the ball than pretty much anyone in the team bar fuller. he'd help keep possession and give us a rest and push out. maybe being dropped would give beattie a bit of a kick up the arse as well (not that he necessarily needs one).

fuller
- no brainer. did someone actually suggest beattie up front on his own? what are you on?!

[crashbandicoot]

I will be surprised if Pulis does not play 5 across the back like he did last year against Villa or 5 across the midfield with Diao coming in. I reckon Beattie will drop to the bench either way.

I would put my house on Delap starting because realistically the only way we will be able to score past Liverpool is through a set piece.

[gloucesterstokie]

4-5-1

sorenson

wilko
shawcross
abdoulaye
higgy

lawrence
whitehead
whelan
delap
etherington

fuller

[roro]

Aug 16, 2009 12:53:12 GMT burtonstokie said:

Put Delap in the middle, get rid of Diao and play Lawrence down the right IMO. No one in the team works harder than Liam and that's what we're gonna need to get anything from Anfield.

Lawrence does run around none stop, however is defensive duties are not one of his strengths and he lacks the pace to support Fuller to hit on the break for if we did opt for the 4-5-1 and for those reasons that is why I have opted for Delap and Ethers over Lawrence.

[Jamo on the wing]

I think the same XI will start although I would maybe think about Kitson for Beattie who doesn't look quite on it as he didn't during pre season.
It wouldn't do either any harm, Kitson would be rewarded for his promising pre season and Beattie would be reminded he isn't an automatic selection.
Everyone's a winner!

[Cupid Stunt]

I think we should go for this:

------------------------------------Sorensen-----------------------------------

-----------------Wilko------------Shawcross-------------------Higgy--------

------------------------------------A.D. Faye-----------------------------------

----------------------Delap-------------------------Whitehead---------------



---Lawrence--------------------Beattie-----------------------Etherington-


----------------------------------Fuller------------------------------------------

I'm sure Pulis will go along with that

[scfclifer]

we must start with beattie and fuller if we want something from this game, skirtel has just gone off injured doubt he'll play wednesday, they now have a 18yr old centre back on and carra put our main two on and give them something think about, beattie to bully the kid and fuller to leave carra standing

goaarn stoke

[jarhead]

Delap should not play away at all as the pitches are bigger his legs have gone and the throw is as much use as a chocalate tea pot but we all know what pulis will do.

[Deleted]

Having watched the match today dare I say I am more hopeful of getting something at anfield than I was previously!! Spurs definitely deserved their 3 points

I'd like to see

***************Sorro*********************
******Wilko***Faye***Shawcross**Higgy*******
**************Whitehead*****************
****Lawrence****Diao/Delap*****Etherington*****
**************Whelan/BT*****************
**************Fuller********************

[danmase]

I think we will see:

Sorro
Wilko Ryan Abdy Higgy
Lennie Whelan Whitehead Delap
Beattie



Fuller


Although I personally wouldn't be averse to a five man midfield with:

Sorro
Wilko Ryan Abdy Higy
Diao
Lennie Whelan Whitehead Ethers
Ric

[roro]

Interesting how many people are agreeing with Diao, I thought I would of been shot down for even suggesting it to be honest. I think it could be a shrewd move that could pay off for the Potters in gaining a point again at Anfield.

[pope loves brass]

sorro
wilko faye shawcross pugh(more pace cope against g johnson)
lawro whelan whitehead
fuller beattie