Who should play Centre back in place of Agger?

I think we should try Arbeloa in the Birmingham game and Hobbs in the Wigan game to see what they are capable of...Arbeloa has done an excellent jobs till now on either side he played, except from the penalty he gave v/s portsmouth...he keeps fighting, goes upfront...he need a chance in that position.
As for Hobbs..well who knows, may be a future Carragher??? We'll never know untill we try, of course we can't try players against tough teams, and if we don't put a solid midfield and good strikers upfront..else we'll regret our decision!!

I see on this forum we are divided into those who will vent their frustrations via open discussion and those that would rather not think about it and perhaps just go to youtube and watch some footage from the 70's. I didn't mean for the last bit to be an attack on anyone just the way I see it.

I think the reason why X games into the season I'm so concerned is because this is RAFAS SQUAD!! We have players at LFC who are here on the strength of the Gaffa including many youth team players and a good 3 - 4 1st team internationals. This is a squad Rafa has assembled meticulously over the last 3yrs and still we lack that certain something, that certain flair that certain magic that certain unexpected brilliance. We simply do not play a style of football that will be conducive to that.

We are a defensively minded team with empathizes on closing down the opposition and retaining possession trying to probe and find an opening. Thats all very well should we have players who are expressive and try different things (with a greater degree of success than Luis) but we don't. Thats not to say we don't have a very talented squad because I sincerely believe we do but we have a squad of players merely executing instructions. I see no individual brilliance apart from the captain!

JP can ghost past players and should cut in and shoot or drive into the box for extra support but he doesn't and instead hugs that touch line and has his eye on his defensive duties.

Xavi a very gifted passer of the ball with a great footballing brain, reduced to playing the ball back to Carra or searching for 70 yard passes because he's been told to play the holding midfielder position. Snuffed out in the middle.
Khuyt Prolific striker in Holland but forced to drop so deep in the prem that he is now more midfielder than striker.

This season we have arguably the most talented squad we've had in years and we also have strength in depth. The key to the success of rotation was to keep winning and mounting of serious challenges on all fronts. It appears we may not do that if we continue to rotate. So then do we rotate and not win or win and not rotate ???

1)if we rotate and not win then the fans will become disenchanted (see forums)
Fans backlash will cause a revolt and could force the Gaffa out which would be catastrophic considering that much of the squad are players that he's brought in and feel a particular affinity to the gaffa. Players Like Torres /Xavi / Pepe / Lucas / all of the young Spanish youth players!!

2)If we win and don't rotate then players will become disenchanted bearing in mind many are young promising players (internationals) who at this stage need games under their belt to reach full potential ( eg Cesc Fabregas)
Young players need games and if they feel they aren't getting them then they are off in the next window! many are foreigners and won't be happy to sit on the bench in a foreign country like say Defo would be because he's a Londoner and enjoys the lifestyle.

For me it seems Rafa has too many ideas, good ideas but too many options to be able to execute the most practical. I feel his hand is being turned by variety.

I'd like to know how other fans see it ?? Finding the balance

Alright S4L I know what you mean as the result and ruined my day as well.
Rafa is implying that his method is best but over the last 3 yrs have seen that it doesn't work in the prem and this season I'm worried that it will have a negative effect on the players psychologically as we inevitably drop out of the title race and all comps apart from champs league. I want to see Rafa install that Lion heart in the players that fearless no retreat no surrender trait but in truth when I see Rafa I see a nice bloke from Spain who could perhaps run a Cafe in the capital. we have a great squad but He may not get the time to implant his style!

RAFA NEEDS 15 PLAYERS TO CHOOSE FROM THEN HE WILL BE A SUCCESSFULL MANAGER IN ENGLAND. HE NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND THAT ROTATION DOESNT WORK . LIVERPOOL PLAY THERE BEST AT A HIGH TEMPO, NOT THE RUBBISH SEEN AGAINST BRUM. GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER BENETIZ OR GET OUT.

I totally agree with u again scouse we are not gonna win anything else under rafa im like u i dont give a shit about the CL or the FA cup all us fans want is the premier league even if we finish second this year we have had another bad season (LOL! WHICH WE WONT! NOT UNDER RAFA!) all of the money rafa has spent he should be paying us bk with the premier league i was watching sky sports news this morning and rafa said he sticks by his decsion 2 leave torres on the bench HE IS A JOKE! oh and guess what else he said lads? he isnt worried by our recent DIP IN FORM! oh so 2pts from 6 is nothing 2 worry about? I THINK IT IS ESPECIALLY AGAINST 2 POOR SIDES. dunno about u but i think its about time there was some changes made as long as he's in charge we wont win the PL i can see us waiting 26 yrs b4 the mancs won it again I HOPE NOT BUT IT MAKES U THINK GUYS ive lost all faith in rafa now i didnt even watch the highlights lastnight that how pissed off iam what are ur thoughts.

The thing is criticalmind we needs 2 be playing our strongest 11 in every game i wouldnt play hobbs against wigan id play my strongest 11 if the pompey or birmingham game is anything 2 go by 2 win every game we need 2 play our best 11 doesnt matter who the opposition is in the PL but as we know RAFA HASNT GOT A PISSING CLUE WHAT HE'S DOING! I WANT HIM TO GET THE SACK!

It's all the fault of the players, fucking asswholes who can't beat teams like Birmingham!! Why are they being paid so big salary,??? to offer us those boring games!!!
Rafa need to stop trusting players who underachieved last season and give chance, else we'll reapeat same mistakes.
Now we are once again behind Manure and Assnal, and need to play the catch up games once more..will we be able to do it this time??? The game in hand is useless untill we win it, don't forget, west ham has bellamy who is being used in the right position and using his asset, his pace properly...so don't say we are in good position, coz, its not achieved marks until we win that match!!!
I just hope we get back to the initial winning team of this season...BUT not starting from the Carling cup, preferably playing the best team together in the next league games.

I too hate the rotating policy, and the fact tat our 20mil+ striker warms the bench, but we shudn't worship Rafa when the team does well and kill him when they dont. But we shud actually be blaming the players, NOT Rafa!!

I'm sure Rafa coaches the right moves and tactics and game plans, cos no manager wud coach their team to lose.. havin said tat, i say Martin Jol is ok too.. Its jus that the players aren't really making gud use of whatever little chance they get. They dont seem to wanna impress..

But having said this too, i still think we need tat ONE quality player who can create sumthin outta nothin.. We're so in need..

Red4life

I live in Australia and didn't see the game but feel as if I have after reading all the comments!! We SHOULD have dealt with Birmingham the way we did against Derby. This is something I have written about several times on the site. You complain about Torres not being played (and to my mind rightly so) but LFC SHOULD have, with all its spending, enough skilled players to put another six past Brum. I bet Benitez is as sick about the result as we all are but, as at least one other contributor has said, put some blame at least on the players!! A Carling Cup loss and also to Wigan could easily see some major change at Anfield!!one otherGeorge

THE PROBLEMS CREATED BY CONSTANTLY ROTATING THE TEAM ARE THAT THE TEAM NEVER REALLY GETS TO UNDERSTAND AND PLAY TO EACH OTHERS STRENGHS. ALSO THERE IS NOTHING WORSE THAN TO PLAY REALLY WELL IN ONE GAME ONLY TO FIND YOURSELF ON THE SUBS BENCH IN THE NEXT G. AME.ALLMOST ALL SUCESSFUL TEAMS ARE BASED ON A SETTLED SIDE. OBVIOSLY INJURIES AND PLAYERS LOSING FORM ARE REASONS TO CHANGE AS ARE THE ODD TACTICAL SWITCH BUT RAFA APPEARS TO CHANGE THE TEAM FOR CHANGES SAKE.IF HE CONTINUES TO ROTATE IT WILL ULTIMATELY COST US ANY CHANCE OF WINNING THE PREMIERSHIP. WE ARE ALLREADY 4 POINTS BEHIND ARSENAL COME ON RAFA WAKE UP , PLAY YOUR BEST TEAM IN EVERY GAME AND WATCH US WIN GAMES WEEK IN WEEK OUT.WILL BE MORE EAGER TO PLEASE AND TRUE COMPETITION FOR PLACES WILL SEE THE GLORY DAYS RETURN.

I AGREE WITH YOU PHILK14, MOURINIO CALLED THEM HE'S UNTOUCHABLES, REINA FINNAN CARRAGHER AGGER GERRARD MASCARANO AND TORRES SHOULD BE OUR UNTOUCHABLES SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY ARE OUR BEST PLAYERS.THEY SHOULD BE SELECTED IN EVERY GAME BARRING INJURIES - SUSPENSIONS. THER IS NO SUCH THING AS AN EASY GAME IN THE PREMIERSHIP , THE MOMENT YOU THINK THAT THERE IS YOU END UP DROPPING POINTS. IF WE PLAY THES PLAYERS WE KNOW THE TEAMS PERFORMANCE WILL GENERALLY BE GOOD. PERHAPS WE COULD CALL THEM THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN.

IF THIS IS THE CASE I SUGGEST RAFA PLAYS STEVIE G IN EVERY GAME FROM NOW UNTIL OUR NEXT ENGLAND INTERNATIONAL, THEN WE CAN GET OUR OWN BACK.

TONIGHT WILL HOPEFULLY GIVE YOUNGSTERS LIKE HOBBS LEIVA AND LETO AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHINE. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE ONE MAYBE TWO YOUNGSTERS BREAK IN TO THE FIRST TEAM. FROM WHAT IVE HEARED THESE THREE PLAYERS HAVE ALL BEEN PLAYING WELL ESPECIALLY LETO AND A LEFT WINGER IS SORELY NEEDED. LETS HOPE THEY ALL GET A GAME AND REALLY PLAY WELL. I PREDICT US GETTING BACK TO WINNING WAYS WITH A 2-1 VICTORY.

A GOOD DISPLAY AGAINST READING , TORRES WAS UNREAL WHAT A SIGNING , OTHER VERY GOOD PERFORMANCES FROM FINNAN CARRAGHER , GOOD PERFORMANCES FROM LEIVA LETO AURILIO AND CROUCH. ALL IN ALL A GOOD NIGHT. NOW WE NEED TO BUILD ON THIS RESULT OVER THE NEXT FEW GAMES KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING. SURELY RAFA THE KING OF SPIN WILL PICK TORRES AGAINST WIGAN.