the 370Z.com OFFICIAL football (soccer) thread

[phelan]

Originally Posted by Jon@AAMComp

I don't know really. Its hard for me to say that he should be left out of first team play, but at the same time you're right, he's a bit slower than the rest of the midfield. I think AVB will find a way to use him, and I think he may end up playing in more of a holding midfield/deep playmaker role. Players who can launch attacks from deep, like Andrea Pirlo or your Alex Song can be crucial to a teams success. Even Schweinsteiger, who models his play after Lamps, has been used deeper in the heart of Bayern than of previous seasons, where he was almost used as a winger.

I think they can still play a 4-3-3, but you could position Lamps like:

-------------- Cech -----------------
Ivanovic/Bosingwa --Luiz -- Terry -- Cole
------------- Lampard ---------------
Meireles ---------------------- Ramires
Mata/Anelka ---Torres/Drogz -----Sturridge/Malouda

So he's not exactly part of the midfield attack, but can link defense to attack, and break down the opposition. I think he could do well playing deeper, but who knows. We'll see what formation and starting 11 are called on tonight.

Very true, he can play in that holding midfielder role. However, it strikes me that Lampard has a more deliberate pace of attack than, say, Meireles. Meireles will shunt the ball forward as quickly as possible, whereas Lampard will bring it up himself, and if he can't find a good pass he'll play it to the side.

I think Meireles plays better in AvB's system that focuses so much on the almost blitzkrieg counter-attack with Mata, Meireles, and Torres.

I have half a worry that Lampard and Drogba, the two players I'm so used to seeing in Chelsea blue, aren't even in AvB's plans right now. Although Drogba is still an excellent player, and I hope to see him in plenty of games when he recovers from that really sickening clash of heads that left him in real bad shape.

[Jon@AAMComp]

Originally Posted by phelan

Very true, he can play in that holding midfielder role. However, it strikes me that Lampard has a more deliberate pace of attack than, say, Meireles. Meireles will shunt the ball forward as quickly as possible, whereas Lampard will bring it up himself, and if he can't find a good pass he'll play it to the side.

I think Meireles plays better in AvB's system that focuses so much on the almost blitzkrieg counter-attack with Mata, Meireles, and Torres.

I have half a worry that Lampard and Drogba, the two players I'm so used to seeing in Chelsea blue, aren't even in AvB's plans right now. Although Drogba is still an excellent player, and I hope to see him in plenty of games when he recovers from that really sickening clash of heads that left him in real bad shape.

Lamps time is coming, we all know it. Same with JT. Behind the scenes, they're trying to model Josh McEacharan to be a long term replacement for Lampard, product of Chelsea's youth academy. I do believe Drogba is happy in London, but sometimes I fear a move to another English club, or even possibly back to France as imminent. It would be a real shame to see him go too, but he'll always be a Chelsea cult hero no matter where he ends up. As far as them being in the managers plans, we would love to see them on the field as much as times past, but even more than that, we would love to see JT lift the Champions league trophy for the first time. If not winning the Champions league, winning the Premiership again.


Inter and Moskow have already played, and what a BIG 2-3 win for Inter on the road. Claudio Ranieri has started his career at Inter on the right foot.


We have lineups for Bayern/City:

Bayern:
Manuel Neuer
Jerome Boateng
Daniel van Buyten
Philipp Lahm
Rafinha
Luis Gustavo Dias
Bastian Schweinsteiger
Franck Ribéry
Thomas Müller
Mario Gomez
Toni Kroos

City:
Joe Hart
Kolo Touré
Vincent Kompany
Gaël Clichy
Micah Richards
Gareth Barry
Yaya Touré
David Silva
Samir Nasri
Edin Dzeko
Sergio Agüero


Anatoliy Tymoschuk and Robben on the bench. I wonder if Bastuber is injured, he's not even available for this match?