Pires keen to repay Houllier

[UsualSuspect]

That sums our season up

Relying on a washed up 37 year old to save us from relegation

[WikiVilla]

Eastie agree, but if you play Pires you have to weigh up the downside aswell ie. slow on the ball, cant tackle, head or track back. He's a luxury player, can we afford to play him ahead of a Delph or an Albrighton ?

[eastie]

We may need pires to unlock the likes of Stoke and Wigan and he still has that quality if he performs as against Blackburn, I think he will play a part in our home  games , I don't see him competing against albrighton as they are different positions .I would go with

                       Friedal

 Walker.      Dunne.    Cuellar.      L young

              Delph.           Makoun
                         Pires

Downing.          Bent.              A young

Against Newcastle.

[Concrete John]

That's too weak in central midfield for me - we need either NRC or Petrov in there!

[eastie]

Makoun and delph should be ok against Newcastle John, I agree with nige and makoun away from home but we need creativity at home and pires just may be the man to thread those balls into bent with ash and downing out wide, Newcastle are no great shakes and with Nolan out we should be too strong for them.

[Concrete John]

We'd still be facing an in form Joey Barton with no specialist defensive midfielder in there - I can see it going quite wrong.

NRC, Makoun & Delph for me!

[eastie]

Disagree, makoun can play a holding role or a box to box role , he has both in his locker, id have no qualms with reo-Coker or delph , but I feel pires will be the key to unlocking them and can thread the balls that bent thrives on , put ash and downing wide of bent and I think we would have lots of attacking threat and makoun and delph , or nige and makoun to hold the midfield, Barton is a good player but we can't be afraid of him, we should be playing to our strengths and let them worry about us.

[Concrete John]

I understand your reasoning, but where I differ in opinion is that playing Pires is playing to our strengths.

As for Makoun, I think he'll be a good player for us, he's too new to the PL to be relied on as that midfield shield just yet, especially when playing with someone who's legs have gone and a relative rookie.

[eastie]

Pires is undoubtedly past his best but I saw enough in his display against Blackburn to suggest he still can be a big player for us in home games against the lesser sides, I just hope we revert to ash out wide rather in the hole again.

Makoun is versatile and will be a huge asset , he can play varied midfield roles and is a good signing , he needs to adjust to this league and once he has done will be great for us.