Which member of your team will you be relying on to deal with (opposition player X)?

Hi,

Just wondering how people react to the "Which member of your team will you be relying on to deal with (opposition player X)?" question in pre-match press conferences?

Do you just leave it with no comment, thinking that you don't want to give any tactical / teamsheet info, or do you name a player hoping to give him a morale boost due to your confidence in him (or inversely knocking his morale if he can't cope with the pressure?)

Whenever I answer that question the media jumps on me stating that I will have problems with player X. So now I just say that there are more to Team x than just Player x!

I usually admit if the other team have a quality player who's the main threat. I usually answer 'no comment' when they ask who'll be marking him though. Not revealing my plan/tactics in a presser.

I answer the best player in the position opposite to the player he asked about, for example if I was Man United manager against Stoke and they said "Who should deal with Crouch." I'd prob say Vidic, if I played against Barcelona and asked me "Who should deal with Pedro" I'd say Evra, catch my drift?

I answer the best player in the position opposite to the player he asked about, for example if I was Man United manager against Stoke and they said "Who should deal with Crouch." I'd prob say Vidic, if I played against Barcelona and asked me "Who should deal with Pedro" I'd say Evra, catch my drift?

yeah im exactly the same, even if i dont plan on playing the big players in a game i will use them, always seems to work out ok.

"Who do you intend to use?"

<player name>

Press Item - "under control" = player individual team-talk "expect a performance"

Press Item - "will struggle" = player individual team-talk "no pressure" or "you have faith"

I usually choose the player who would be most likely to have to deal with the "danger-man" in my tactical setup/expected team-selection

i usualy go with the best available, usualy Jamie carragher.