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Pick your Champions League Starting XI

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I went with...

........................Cech...........................

Belletti.........JT............Carv...........Bridge

.......................Essien...........................

.........Ballack.................Lampard............

Joe..................Drogs.....................Kalou

I know Arsely will get in ahead of Bridgey but I just can't vote for him. Not much fussed at whether the RB is Paulo or Belletti, but Essien must start in the middle of the park.

 
Amazing what a difference a few weeks makes. Can you imagine Malouda getting that many votes a month ago?

 
Amazing what a difference a few weeks makes. Can you imagine Malouda getting that many votes a month ago?
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No.
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You're both wrong: A Cole didn't play until extra time, Bridge started. And Giggs played on the left for Utd.
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you're all wrong!
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ronaldo played on the left against paulo with swp on our right helping out, while giggs on their right played against bridge with joe in the first half and robben in the second ahead of him. (I was there etc
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I think paulo has shown on more than one occasion that he can play well against ronaldo- however I expect grant to play essien there.

united will possibly play their favoured front three, rooney, tevez and ronaldo. park a possibility, with tevez dropping out, but I think tevez will start. it's hard to tell. also if those 3 do play expect them to interchange positions- against barca he used ronaldo more centrally as he wanted the harder working players to help with barca's threat down the flanks. it's difficult to predict their side, in midfield carrick and scholes will play with one of anderson or hargreaves, or even fletcher.

 
I voted for Petr Cech and then clicked submit
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Oops...

Cech, Essien, Ricky, JT, Ashley, Ballack, Maka, Lamps, Malouda, Drogs, Joey... 4-3-3 - thats what I think Grant will play.

 
You can still vote again I think Gem - it will let you vote until you have used up all 11

 
Amazing what a difference a few weeks makes. Can you imagine Malouda getting that many votes a month ago?
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He has been playing better these last couple of weeks, lets hope he (or anyone for that matter) scores on Wednesday.

 
I voted for Petr Cech and then clicked submit
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Oops... Cech, Essien, Ricky, JT, Ashley, Ballack, Maka, Lamps, Malouda, Drogs, Joey... 4-3-3 - thats what I think Grant will play.
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Thats the startting line up , no doubt but Essien is more effective in midfield so i'd have Paulo at right back . Malouda has ability but he hasnt justified a place in the starting line up and i'd be surprised if he's there but i still think Gem's selection is the one Grant will go for.

 
People have voted for Hilario as well
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I know he has a 100pc record this season, but then Cech is our first choice....and he has a cool head gear too!

 
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Carlo's vote didn't come from me, but I do want him between the sticks if it's ending up in a penalty shoot-out (God forbid).
 
I went with a classic:

Cech

Ferreira

JT

Carvalho

A Cole

Makelele

Ballack

Lampard

J Cole

Drogba

Kalou

Bench: Cudicini, Essien, Alex, Sheva, Anelka, Mikel, Malouda

Altho.. now I'm thinking maybe Essien should start at RB. I have a feeling that he will. And maybe that Malouda will be on the left instead of Kalou.

 
Team that I have no doubt Grant will put out:

........................Cech..............................

Essien...........JT........Carvalho............A Cole

........................Maka..............................

..........Ballack................Lampard...............

J Cole...............Drogba...................Malouda

Team that I think would be our best bet to win the trophy:

Mourinho-style "death of football" 4-4-2 diamond:

........................Cech..............................

Ferreira.......JT............Carvalho...........A Cole

.......................Maka

........Essien.....Lampard....Ballack................

..............Anelka........Drogba.......................

The main reasoning for it -

In an attacking, free flowing match, Man United will win. We are not as organised at the back as we were, and if we give Ronaldo, Tevez, Rooney and (much more importantly) Scholes space, then we will lose.

In a non-free flowing midfield battle with no time or space on the ball for anyone, we will win. It will probably be boring and it will probably be settled by a single something-out-of-nothing goal from Drogba, but we will win. It always won against the likes of Man United, Barca, Arsenal or any team that tried to play sexy football against us.

So, play all our big guns in the middle of the park, out muscle them, give them no time on the ball and control the game. Obviously change things around if we go a goal behind, but until we do, we should strangle them out of the contest.

That and we need to play two real fullbacks to cope with a wing-swapping Ronaldo (both Ferreira and Cole have coped better than most in the past), and then get one of the cetral midfielders (Essien or Ballack depending on which side) to double up on him (and give him a good kicking) as soon as he gets the ball.

Of course, having said all of that, I would be absolutely shocked if we don't put out the usual 4-5-1 of the first lineup.

 
My team had essien at rb and maka in the centre. I'd have been open to having Paulo at rb and essien in the centre or essien at rb and mikel instead of maka.

Paul scholes and giggs are also slowing down so maybe maka can handle the pace. I have kalou and joe cole with drogba.

This will be a lot tougher game than at stamford bridge which I suppose is regrettably obvious. A cole much better defensively than bridge.

I will be in Milano/Como for the game so I hope the hotel has a good tv

 
I dont expect any selection surprises, i expect the same 11 for the Liverpool match. if we play 442 at some stage, I expect Sheva to come on instead of Anelka. I just think on the biggest stage, with all the experience he has, he can do something special.

 
Loz you havn't included Riise. Surely he warrants a place on the bench.

 
......................Cech

Essien....Carvalho..Terry....Cole

....................Maka

...........Ballack.....Lampard

Joe.................................Malouda

...................Drogs

 
mac, that's the team I submitted to BPL and I honestly think it WILL be our starting 11.

 
Agreed, I'd be very surprised if it wasn't that team and formation.

As much as I hate Essien being played out of position, he has to start and I struggle to fit him in the team anywhere other than at right back!

 
If he doesnt start then i will stick to my statement that AG has not got enough faith in him OR Belletti.
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For my part, if Essien plays down the right and they score from that side of the field I will call Avram a loser.
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Avram, you are a loser
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