New York Red Bulls @ Toronto Sa-June 30, 2012 at 7PM [R]

That was one helluva game vs the Scum yesterday! The Bulls are now tied for 1st. Toronto has won one game so far this season and was only able to tie NE 2-2 at home this past Saturday after leading 2-0 for most of the game. So the Bulls can continue to ride at the top of the conference with a good performance vs TFC. Game will be on MSG and Galavision.

Here is the lineup I would like to see:

Meara
Barka Marquez Conde Pearce
Dane Ballou Dax Lade
Titi Cooper

Solli played well yesterday so he may play instead of Dane and Marquez may be hurt again. Miller also hopefully will be hurt and won't play.

Damn if we get Kaka this team will be tough to beat!

I know we all have been less than satisfied with Rafa Marquez and his time here but to be objective I have to say he played very well last night. I thought he paired extremely well with Pearce and gave us loads of composure from the back. His presence and inventive passing allowed RBNY to dominate possession in the first half. This team could be special if a CB pairing of Marquez and Conde could get enough time together to gel.
I'm OK with the above lineup, maybe I would substitute Lindpere for Balluochy. That's a small quibble though.
Dax continues to impress me. Please Hans do not remove him from the D-mid role again. It's obvious that we are a far superior side with his buzzing around from that spot.

Game is in Canada, so no Ballouchy.

haha this.

It all depends on the formation. If Dax is at DM and Miller is on the bench I think we'll be able to dictate the game. I think Solli needs to start, he's starting to find his form

I'd go with something like this
-------Cooper-----Henry
Lade------Lindpere------Solli
------------Dax
Pearce--Conde--Marquez--Barklage
----------Meara

Let Solli get another start as I think he's starting to find his stride. Use Dane as a sub to give Toronto nightmares with his blistering speed. But I think Solli would start on the left with Dane on the right though..

That is the same line-up I propose against the DC and the same I propose for now on until the new reinforcements arrive and see, but I say too, that if I have a chance I will switch Barka for Solli, and the result you can image seeing Barka yesterday when he was all way up, two chances, to shuts, two goals, that is a effectivity like no par in our team....

Henry Cooper

Lade or Solli Lindpere Richards

Dax

Pearce Conde Holgersson or Marquez Barklage

This should be 3 points. TFC have improved under Mariner but they are still awful, especially defensively. They have blown 2 leads in stoppage time in the last two games. They also have a midweek game this week, which is following a week in which they had 3 games so they are really gonna be fatigued for the game against us. We shouldn't underestimate them but we should get it done. You can't let points slip in these types of games.

The big risk here is that the Wizard is in love with Holgerslush, he thing is the best signing after Nemanja Vidic and he will look one way or another to play him, for that he will send back Marquez to the Center Field and by consequence will play McCarty out of place and Lade to the bench.... like this:

Meara
Barklage....Holgerslush....Conde.....Pearce
Marquez
Richards....McCarty....Lindpere
Cooper....Henry

De defense will not suffer to much if we have present that the change will be even, Holgerslush for Miller.....But the midfielder will have a big impact, Rafa isn't no good any more over there and McCarty is a hogwash playing attacker, so there you have....

I want6 to believe we will keep Dax at D mid and place Rafa next to Conde and Pearce at LB if all healthy as all can see Miller and Statue are the weak links in our defensive line. If Clueless can not see this then maybe Petke or Halvorson can wake the man up.

And this is part of the reason I say Backe is a shit coach. We all see the weakness, but he continues to put them out to play. We all know what the best, most competitive lineup is. How can he not see it?

I am pretty sure Hans will play Holgersson if he is fit so I would like to see him playing at right back with Barklage at right mid. Move Solli over to the left and use Lade and Richards as subs. Rafa needs to stay at CB and Dax at DM.

The problem isn't that Backe don't know the league or this or that... The problem is that he came with the "Raf Syndrome" 0f "Mr High and Mighty", that he will show us how futbol has to be played and that he will give us all the cups in 2011 that the team participate and so, and so....Well, he don't show or give us not a freaking sh*it so far.... I will give him his does when he deserved and , when he start playing the players that deserve to play and in the spot they suppose to play... Like McCarty that off hand because Backe insist to play him as a CAM last year always when Marquez was able to play and that is why last year his performance was par to "zero" and that is why several people here was asking for his head, the guilty party in this affair was Backe and only him....

About players like Holgrslush, Miller, Solli, Richards isn't that they are not good at all, they are average players, but the team grow faster than they develop they play on the team and for consequence they are behind and therefor or they advance or they go, easy as that..... Like I say before, see what happen when a player like Barka have the chance to go forward, last game against DC was his first time because Richards wasn't there and if is the defensive line that has improve 300%, because Solli isn't there, and that is what we have to analyse, why the team is more productive when some body is playing or isn't on this or that spot....

Holgersson would be terrible at right back.

Why move people from positions they are comfortable at? Barklage is doing great where he is. Richards should be starting at right mid.

Don't play people out of position unless you are forced due to injury circumstances. Don't be like JCO and play people out of position willingly.

This. Barklage has been excellent so far at RB and I think his skill set is probably better at RB as well. Holgersson will get torched at RB unfortunately.. If we thought Miller gets burnt Holgersson will be just as bad if not worst.

Dane and Solli are a great combo to have on the right side.

Statue will return to the lineup this weekend

Thanks Mr Kill-joy......

There should be zero discussion of removing Barklage from right back, name one fullback who has clearly played better than him this year. If anything Backe would force Rafa back into the midfield to accommodate Holgersson but with Rafa now hurt again we don't have to worry about that.

Hans will include him in the team so he needs to go somewhere and I would prefer Marquez and Conde at CB. He played right back for Helsingborgs who are a good side so I think if he is going to be in the team, he should be played at his best position. It's a case of where he fits best and it isn't at CB.

Incidentally, I wouldn't choose to move Barklage from right back, I just don't want Marquez moved into DM in place of Dax. He is much better at CB.

Giving the circumstances that Backe will not sit Marquez any sooner, and playing him at MCF has been less than garbage and, that this oblige Backe to play McCarty out of position I will prefer Marquez as a CB....If Backe want to play Holgerslush he can play him in his original position RB and move Barklage to RW that I think he will do better than Richards and Solli together....

His best position is on the bench or not on the team. He will get blown away at RB. Toronto for their 2nd win?

I just don't see how Holgersson would work out at fullback in this league... His speed and ability on the ball are limited even for a CB, what makes you guys think he'd do any better our wide where those two attributes become all the more important? Not to mention that Barklage as a fullback is Backe's discovery, surely he will want to keep him there so long as he's healthy.

Of course, this whole discussion is pointless because is anybody actually confident that Marquez and Conde will stay healthy for more than 2 weeks at a time?

I'm not one for mindless Miller bashing, but he got burned badly on both goals by not being able to track a simple run. I hope Pearce can take over that spot full time although he's still great at CB.