Cup final week, its great isn’t it? What do you mean you’d forgotten?
So to get you all in the mood, we’ve not only recorded a Cup Final Special to be aired on CityTalk on Friday, we thought we’d have a bit of a laugh and get a few of the lads to draw up two FA Cup Final starting XI’s.
So armed with a pen and a few scraps of paper, the lads had a crack at not only trying to second guess Kenny, but also note down what their line-up would look like.
We were also lucky to get a submission from a proper, bona-fide football manager in Rochdale boss John Coleman.
Have a look and let us know what you think
THE LINE-UPS
PETER HOOTON
KRISTIAN WALSH
MIKE NEVIN
ANDY HEATON
NEIL ATKINSON
STEVE GRAVES
NICK O’PREY
JOHN GIBBONS
JOHN COLEMAN
John Gibbons’ team is the one for me.
Mine//
Reina
Glen Agger Skrtel Aurelio
Hendo Spearing
Bellers Gerrard Maxi
Suarez
Kenny//
Reina
Glen Agger Skrtel Enrique
Down Hendo Spearing Bellers
Suarez Carroll
Neil and Steve have it right.
Don’t understand most everyone choosing Spearing over Shelvey for their teams.
Mind-boggling, in fact. Jay puts in the effort, but just doesn’t have the ability to be even our 3rd option DM. Belongs in a lower league.
Dreading the team selection this weekend, to be honest.
My team
Reina
Johnson Skrtel Agger Enrique
Shelvey Gerrard Henderson
Maxi Suarez Bellamy
Hope to god kenny doesnt go with carra centre back. Drogba will have a field day if he plays.
Me and John Gibbons are on the same wavelength with what we’d like to see anyway.
Maxi-Gerrard-Bellamy-Suarez as a changable four would be akin to the Stamford Bridge league game where we terrorised them.
Reina
Johnson
Agger
Skrtl
Enrique
Spearing
Henderson
Gerrard
Suarez
Caroll
Maxi
That will be the team
Neil Atkinson’s Kenny’s line-up most probable.
Mine:
……………………Reina
……..Carra…..Skrtel…..Agger…….
Johnno……………………………….Enrique
…………………Henderson……………
…..Bellamy……Gerrard……….Maxi
……………….Suarez……………….
Kenny’s team
Reina;
Johnson
Skrtel
Agger
Enrique;
Spearing
Henderson
Suarez
Gerrard
Downing;
Carroll
My team
Reina;
Johnson
Skrtel
Agger
Enrique;
Shelvey
Henderson
Kuyt
Gerrard
Bellamy;
Suarez
I’d leave that useless bollocks Downing at home.
this is my team for the FA Cup
………………..Reina…………………
G.Johnson…..Carragher…….Agger……..Aurelio
……….Adam………………….Henderson
…………………Gerrard………………………………
Maxi…………………………………..Downing/Bellamy
…………………………Suarez……………………………….
4-3-3
1 RB
2 CB
1 LB
3 CMF
1 RMF
1 LMF
1 SS
I really like:
……………………………..Reina
Johnson………….Agger,,,,,,,,,,Skrtel,,,,,,,,,,Aurelio
……………….Henderson……Spearing
Bellamy……………………………………………Maxi
…………………………..Gerrard
……………………………Suarez
Seems so obvious, yet to see it!
Kenny:
……………………………..Reina
Johnson………….Agger,,,,,,,,,,Skrtel,,,,,,,,,,Enrique
Henderson………Gerrard…….Spearing…..Downing
…………………………Suarez
……………………………….Carroll
If Carra and Spearing start we’ll get battered.
If they don’t we’ll win
Reina
Johnson Skrtel Agger Enrique
Kuyt Henderson Gerrard Downing
Suarez
Carroll
Hoping Kenny goes with this line-up:
Reina
Johnson Skrtel Agger Aurelio
Henderson
Gerrard
Maxi
Suarez Bellamy
Carroll
Probable line-up
Reina
Carragher, Skrtel, Agger
Johnson Enrique
Henderson
Gerrard Bellamy
Suarez
Carroll
I typed mine up…
http://www.theanfieldwrap.com/2012/05/fa-cup-special-the-line-ups/jim-fa-cup-starting-x1/
Interesting that most of you put downing in your team when he is the player that goes missing most when playing a top team hasn’t scored or assisted enough to earn his place for me ! would give maxi his last run out for the club and tell him to go out with a bang instead. I also think Enrique will be determined to prove his worth after missing out on the semi final against Everton!
My team
REINA
JOHNSON,SKERTEL,AGGER,ENRIQUE
HENDERSON,GERRARD,SPEARING
MAXI,BELLAMY
SAUREZ
Subs would be
DONI
CARRA
KELLY
SHELVEY
DOWNING
KUYT
CARROLL
Come on the red men!
Gotta go with Neil’s team on this.
Peter has picked the team I picked on Monday. Very wise man.
Thinking now though that I’d rather see Dirk giving everything for one last time on the right than Downing.
If KD goes 442 with Hendo wide right again…. No way,please no way. Looks like Carra’s in tho……..
Andy Heaton writes like he sounds on the podcast. Mr ‘kin Angry underlining everything. Class.
What it does prove is that none of us/you can agree on the same xl……mission impossible for KD. Where’s Rommel’s team?
Good use of ‘Speo’ Gibbo!!
Things I’d want to see:
– Agger & Skrtel centre halves
– Speo > Shelvey (as a holding midfielder)
– Gerrard behind Suarez (or even behing Carroll & Suarez if we go with wingbacks)
Things I don’t want to see:
– Carra ahead of Agger or Skrtel in the middle
– Henderson on the right
– Gerrard in a holding role
Things I’m not particularly arsed about:
– Kuyt/Downing/Maxi/Bellamy (though I’d probbo keep Bellamy on the bench as I think he’ll have more impact coming on than starting.
– I’d probbo go with Maxi and Downing, as Downing’s played well at Wembley, and Maxi links up well with Suarez, but you always fancy Kuyt to bag one in the big games.
Reina : Kelly,Skirtel,Agger ,Aurelio : Kuyt,Gerrard,Henderson,Maxi : Suarez,Downing,
But,we’ll see!
Good Luck Boys!
I love carra, but I think an in-form Nando/Drogba would absolutely tear him to shreds. Looking at the team selections for Norwich/Fulham, I have a bad feeling Jamie will get a start. But I hope for….
Reina
Johnson Skrtel Agger Enrique
Henderson Shelvey
Suarez Gerrard Maxi
Carroll
The singular fact that Carra gets to play a FA cup final in the kind of form he has been tells me why we are where we are in the league. Why Drogba will emasculate him. After the kind of season Skrtel and Agger has had, they deserve to play together. Fuck off Carra…
Jesus Christ Henderson is putting a shift in in Carina’s team!