Knox_Harrington

The day of Palace away that I reckon.

Sunday, April 27th Liverpool v Chelsea (14.05) - Sky Sports 1 Crystal Palace v Man City (16.10) - Sky Sports 1 That feels like an afternoon.

Completely agree. They should be disqualified if they ship another 4+. League table runs 1 - 19, Arsenal? DNF.

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We could do with Arsenal getting something off them this weekend. A point would do.

If he picks someone up and he runs off the back of him, it's his job. Can Agger do better? Absolutely. Flanagan? Yep. But Gerrard as well doesn't act as a defensive midfielder should. Similarly against Fulham the lad breezes past him without him looking for it. You said Lucas and Mascherano definitely wouldn't have stopped it. I really don't think it is that clear cut, they play looking to cover for others mistakes, anticipating them (c.f. the discussion above about Gerrard looking for the good ball from Joe Allen and not worrying about a bad one) and sweeping them up. But on the other hand Gerrard does a huge amount that they don't do.

Want them to get a result but would be amazed if they did.

I am thinking about little else. Three points closer to the promised land.

Really? I think both would have dealt with the second. They wouldn't have done lots of the other good things Gerrard did during the game, but Lucas probably would have closed the space off better and Mascherano probably would have got back in. But, say it again, they wouldn't have done lots of the other things. I think this is a nomencleture thing as well. We're using Gerrard as the deepest midfielder but we aren't using him as a defensive midfielder. He arguably isn't even quite a holding midfielder though I'd perhaps encourage him to hold a little more against better sides than Cardiff - he held against Everton as an example. This is a choice. It is a decision and it is one which is paying dividends. Those lambasting it lazily elsewhere are akin to people who say "the first thing I want my full backs to be able to do is defend" as though it is that simple now. The first thing I want my Steven Gerrard to do is have licence to be the best Steven Gerrard he can be right now. With Henderson and Allen (and maybe one more) ahead and around him, he has that.

Yep, we need The Ev involved in a battle for fourth with Arsenal so they have a load at stake against City. They also entertain Arsenal in a couple of weeks. Also, the most "conventional" sides who finish top four who don't finish in it this season the better for us.

Completely agree. I think there's a discussion about game situations here - we were collectively slow to realise what Cardiff were doing and how intense their first fifteen was. Maybe Gerrard should have been a bit more Everton at home for that opening but he most definitely isn't alone in that. I think adapting quickly to being a little more conventional in key moments would be no bad thing, again, first half against Southampton, first half against Villa as examples. Not Gerrard's job though and currently I'd much rather this than the alternative.

But that is the complete antithesis to how this team currently plays. They trust each other completely in possession.

The argument, as far as I see it, is that he should sit in till it is clear we are out of danger as a holding midfielder. I have more than a bit of time for that but... ...I've spent years watching Liverpool's better players presume they need to babysit their teammates. I'd rather, in this team, at this time, away at bottom of the league, Gerrard is thinking, "you know what? We're boss. Joe will get out of trouble, we'll counter and I'll play a great ball and we will score" than "best make sure here."

The second is a series of errors and one of those errors is Gerrard's. The quoted piece is right in that he isn't a mobile screener and he isn't great when people run off him and some times he over commits in attack - Southampton had a bit of that too until the second. However what it's also doing is acting as if that is the be all and end all when currently it definitely isn't. Essentially he's doing all this other stuff which is really, really helpful to the cause, the cause being "winning the league". The manager is making a decision which is predicted on the fact that we'll be much better than the opposition with Gerrard on the pitch meaning his strengths are magnified and his weaknesses minimised. And currently the manager is right. Be interesting to see what he does against City and Chelsea but only the yellow card thing concerns me with reference to Gerrard at the minute.

COME ON REDS

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Given the talk that his fitness comes primarily from playing now and the way Spurs are setting up, I'd be reluctant to do a full rest. But if we are comfortable in either game with 30 to go then Lucas makes sense for a load of reasons.

If it was one game I'd say take it. But I'd like him at West Ham. Better to try and get him through the three games he needs to get through. Taking him off on 60, sitting Henderson or Allen a little deeper, getting Andre Marriner to referee, that sort of thing.

I think their fragility is game by game rather than the big games. I'd be more optimistic if they were going to Palace.

Suspect they'll do United (though van Persie's injury helps) which means we're looking at Arsenal's bottle. I'd take them only getting four points if guaranteed to me now.

Lallana appeals but the money is the concern. One of the reasons I like him is I can see him playing somewhere in any of our shapes which allows us to try and keep the squad as small as possible. However the money. The money. Southampton's issues are Rodriguez and Lambert. Both are very much solid at best. Had you put Suarez and Sturridge in their side against Spurs they would have been 4-0 up at half time.

I don't think we'll get a procession or even the hint of a collapse, but am optimistic we can do it on that Sunday. We beat Sunderland, we are one behind Chelsea. Chelsea drop one more result before Anfield and we keep winning and beat Chelsea we are four ahead of them plus goal difference going into the weekend of Palace. I'm becoming more concerned about City. All the above could be broken biscuits. Usual disclaimers apply.

Does Lallana have enough goals in him?

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