The ref did us a huge disservice by getting Ashley Cole suspended for our first round match against Barca. How will it effect our line-up?

Do you see Ferreira, Mancienne, Ivanovic, Essien, or ______ out there? It'd be nice have Wayne Bridge right now.

Edited April 24, 200917 yr by loz

I can't find a link that would confirm it, but I remember reading it from somewhere that Malouda has played as a leftback. Not sure if it's true and if I'd want to see him play there, but he's one of the rare naturally leftsided players at the club. Ferreira would've been the obvious choice, but now that he's injured, I don't have a clue.

Bosi should be back for the game. Then Ivan can play at left back and try to keep Messi quiet. Which might not be to bad as Messi does like to cut in alot.

i'm frreee

I can't find a link that would confirm it, but I remember reading it from somewhere that Malouda has played as a leftback. Not sure if it's true and if I'd want to see him play there, but he's one of the rare naturally leftsided players at the club. Ferreira would've been the obvious choice, but now that he's injured, I don't have a clue.

Malouda has played quite well at LB when he was in France...but to be fair he played quite well on the wing there as well :D

A proper man to man marking job is a very, very hard thing to do. It takes a certain mind-set. Essentially, the player doing the role has to switch off from the rest of the game and focus solely on staying touch tight to his player. And he has to do that regardless of what is happening around him i.e where the ball is going, where other players are running. It takes very high levels of concentration and discipline to do that for 90 minutes. Especially on a player with the movement, touch and vision of Lionel Messi.

I'm fairly certain Florent Malouda isn't the answer.

At least we're all agreed... Belletti isn't the answer.

Hopefully dey dnt sacrifice essien for left back we need him in the middle e wood be a waste dr....

eh?

well dey have played him d other side jus hope dey dnt do somethin ridiculous lik dat......

well dey have played him d other side jus hope dey dnt do somethin ridiculous lik dat......

The point Mod is making is that your post reads like an extract from a teenager's text message. It is horrific and, as snobby as it might sound, we don't like it round 'ere!

Read rule 13.0 here

http://www.theshedend.com/index.php?act=boardrules

John toshack made a good point on ITV that a right footed player would be good against someone who predominantly likes to cut inside,it could take 3 to stop Messi,about the same as Barca need to stop Drogba... :D

Edited April 14, 200917 yr by Ballack & Blu

John toshack made a good point on ITV that a right footed player would be good against someone who predominantly likes to cut inside,it could take 3 to stop Messi,about the same as Barca need to stop Drogba... B)

Was gonna say...Ivanovic looks a certainty for left back i think. Has Bosingwas ever played left back before?? or Mancienne for that matter? playing on the wrong side is hard enough, but doing so with the world's best winger against you is a recipe for disaster.

Sorry i am new to this.

Didnt realise..!!

Sorry i am new to this.

Didnt realise..!!

Aww bless ya.

I'm pretty certain, if we put 6 men on Messi, he will only get 2 goals and set up 3, all right!

John toshack made a good point on ITV that a right footed player would be good against someone who predominantly likes to cut inside,it could take 3 to stop Messi,about the same as Barca need to stop Drogba... B)

Spot on; I think Ivanovic would be the perfect candidate as Messi is not a winger and would be trying cut on the left which is why left backs look foolish against him. I pray (God please no!) it is not Belletti. whoever plays there would be doubling up as a centre back. We might as well play Alex as a 3 centre back with the license to man mark Messi out of the game, giving Bosingwa or Ivanovic the freedom to go forward on the right and nullifying their counter attacks as we have 3 centre backs. I won't mind a 2-1 or a 1-1 to take to the Bridge as nullifying Messi would win us 50% of the March. Whoever marks him should make his presence felt in the first 5 mins (go in hard on him).

Btw Ashley Cole out is actually a blessing in disguise and the fact we have a thread on Messi solidifies the fact he is the best player in the world and not that guy that plays in red.

Sorry i am new to this.

Didnt realise..!!

Fair enough. You have to realise I am only being harsh to be kind - last thing you want to do is sound like a scouser in type! B)

Wouldn't it jus be unreal if he didn play by some miracle though...

I have a question. I remember there was a rule about previous yellow cards not counting in the competition after a certain stage. Whatever happened to that?

I have a question. I remember there was a rule about previous yellow cards not counting in the competition after a certain stage. Whatever happened to that?

That was discussd elsewhere. I think there was some confusion and that was actually in the Euros not the CL (I thought it was the CL as well).

Ah yes i no thanks...

Jesus i definetly don't want to sound lik a scouse anyway

Think is that Barcelona don't rely on Messi the way that other clubs rely on their best player. Hiddink can't put anything extra on Messi because then the likes of Xavi and Iniesta will get too much space.

I'm fearing the worst for the Barca game, they are the best side in the world by a long stretch.

Barcelona are fragile in defence. I think it is going to be a cracking tie and I doubt there will be much in it.

it's how many they put past us that I'm worried about.

Over 130 goals and counting this season for Barcelona.

I would think the most logical choice is to move Ivanovic to LB, and have Bosingwa in RB. I remember reading somewhere that Ivanovic is comfortable anywhere along the back line.