Would Kelly have been good enough to contain Giggs? If so, then Johnson should start as RM: he's a terrible defender anyway, and tends to get further forward than whoever starts as RM, so I can't see how pushing him forward can make him worse.
But, yes, defensively we certainly miss Kuyt. Having said that though, we could afford to defend a higher line so that our forwards and midfielders are not so far apart; I believe we've been standing way too deep. I would also urge Roy to try a game with neither Poulsen nor Lucas in the starting XI - we need Raul and Gerrard as our midfield engine and the sooner they get used to one another the better.
----------------Reina--------------------
-----Kelly--Greek---Agger----Konchesky---
--Johnson-Gerrard-Poulsen-Meireles-Cole--
----------------Torres-------------------
Gerrard and Raul to roam, and Poulsen to come off when we need to attack, shuffling Cole if necessary. This is a departure from what I have suggested before on these forums, and that is simply because I've realized we don't have the midfielder and wide player combinations to play any other formation other than 4-4-1-1 with Gerrard behind Torres. If we start Poulsen then Cole must be on the wing or the bench, unless we go for a diamond 4-4-2 with Babel and Torres up front (I do not think N'gog is suited to 4-4-2 unless he plays off the last shoulder, as his hold-up play still needs work). If Kuyt is fit then he replaces one of the wide players (probably Cole), which just goes to show how weak we are because he's not a player I really want in my line-up.
My most prominent thought though is that Gerrard or preferably Meireles must replace Poulsen in the starting line-up and Lucas must go play for the reserves. That will allow players like Shelvey, Pacheco, Suso, and Amoo space to move into the side; right now there is no room for them, and there will be less when Kuyt is fit.
