Strongest 11 - Alonso or Masch?

[alias75]

With Stevie playing so well in the center it means we have 3 very good players competing for 1 position in most games, im a huge fan of Alonso but think on form it has to be Gerrard and Mascherano in the middle in the big games.

 

Because Gerrard does a lot of attacking from the middle it means whoever plays with him has to do a lot of the ugly things, at the moment i think Mascherano is much better at playing that way than Alonso.

 

For most games where we're going to be getting most of the ball you'd want Alonso in there for his ability to keep things ticking over and his superior passing, but yesterdays game was a prime example of where it should have been Gerrard and Mascherano.

 

Im not sure if Masch is being eased into the season, he did play the Copa America but his form for us has been superb, and in the one game hes played this year he was arguably MOM. I can't remember any poor performances from him so far and the team results when hes played have been very good.

 

Its a tough one for Rafa because Stevie has been so good from the middle it means effectively you have 3 players for 1 position (given that none of the other 3 are attacking midfielders) long term i can't help but feel we'll have to sell 1 of Sissoko or Alonso (or not take the option on Mascherano) and sign another right sided player because Stevie has to play in the middle for the majority of games and the central midfielders we have are too good not to play regularly and 1 of the 3 wont be playing too often.

[matty]

Mascherano. Alonso was not good yesterday. Gave it away, caught in possession, poor decision making. I'm concerned about him.

[lawrie]

  matty said:

Mascherano. Alonso was not good yesterday. Gave it away, caught in possession, poor decision making. I'm concerned about him.

 

Ditto - unfortunately

[Sion]

Completly depends on who we're playing. Mascherano is redundant if we're playing Derby at home for example, but would be great away at United.

[_00_deathscar]

Alonso.

[Guest Sabre]

Didn't think he was that bad yesterday. Some of his passing into the feet of the forwards was excellent. Got caught in possession twice but other than that I don't think he did much else wrong. I think it was his cushioned header that released Gerrard for the goal too

[fred milne]

Alonso

[Kvarme Ate My Food]

I'd still like us to play with all 3 in the centre

[yellow jumper]

both very good. with different strengths. do think alonso has been below his best so far. but early days still.

[Stevie H]

i don't see the problems that some do in xabi at the minute. of course he occasionally misplaces a pass, every player does. but he still sets the tempo of the game and plays colt seavers to gerrard's clint eastwood.

[alias75]

For me its not a problem with Alonso more that Mascherano is more suited to playing with Stevie, is better at doing the ugly things than Alonso and his form from last season and continuing into this season is better.

 

Id have no problem playing Alonso against most sides in the PL but if we're picking our strongest team at the moment i think Mascherano deserves to be in there.

[RedNik]

Yup we should try all 3 out against Sunderland.

 

Stick Crouchie up there, with Torres playing just off of him. Babel wide left, with Gerrard, xabi and mascher in midfield.

 

I think we'll also see Xabi play better then too.

[sean]

Depends on whom we are playing and where we are playing them. We need to stop thinking as idiots as fans and trust that this guy knows what he's doing, as he clearly does.

[Romario]

I used to care about team line ups in Geds day when Heskey would be wheeled out week in week out but these days regardless of who starts I always feel it's a starong team so I ain't fussed.

[RedNik]

  Romario said:

I used to care about team line ups in Geds day when Heskey would be wheeled out week in week out but these days regardless of who starts I always feel it's a starong team so I ain't fussed.

 

Zenden starting in the final last year didn't worry you even the slightest bit?

[fred milne]

  alias75 said:

For me its not a problem with Alonso more that Mascherano is more suited to playing with Stevie.

Even if that were true, just because its good for Stevie doesn't necessarily make it good for the team.

 

One advantage of pairing Alonso with Gerrard is that Gerrard trusts Alonso to start moves from in front of the defence and so he can take positions higher up the park.

 

When Gerrard plays with Mascherano, he has a tendency to drop deep to start moves himself. (This used to happen when he played with Hamann too.)

[mercury]

If we can play Alonso / Gerrard vs Chelsea, albeit at home, the partnership is alright for the majority of games! Maschareno is class though. Horses for courses are wise words. And I figure Alonso would need a rest here and there more than Gerrard, who is incredibly gifted athletically.

[sean]

  Romario said:

I used to care about team line ups in Geds day when Heskey would be wheeled out week in week out but these days regardless of who starts I always feel it's a starong team so I ain't fussed.

 

 

You catch a glimpse of Emile this weekend? Brilliant he was. Has the whole package to be the most devastating striker around. He just doesn't know it yet.

[sean]

  RedNik said:

Zenden starting in the final last year didn't worry you even the slightest bit?

 

 

Strength in depth just wasn't there, he knew it, we knew it. Otherwise he'd have tried to keep Zenden at the club, at least as back-up.

[Romario]

  RedNik said:

Zenden starting in the final last year didn't worry you even the slightest bit?

Haahaa! I was going to mention the final but decided not to. Zendens gone now so my blood pressure has finally dropped and I am at peace with the world.

Crouch not starting the final also annoyed but there ya go.

[Mike S]

alonso

[Romario]

  sean said:

You catch a glimpse of Emile this weekend? Brilliant he was. Has the whole package to be the most devastating striker around. He just doesn't know it yet.

[Stevie H]

  sean said:

You catch a glimpse of Emile this weekend? Brilliant he was. Has the whole package to be the most devastating striker around. He just doesn't know it yet.

he's going to get a f***ing shock when he's retired and 45 years old.

[G Richards]

I think our best central pairing will be Stevie and Mascherano. This is not to say that Xabi is not an excellent player. He clearly is, even though he has started this season slightly below his imperious best.

 

Stevie is the best midfielder at the club. He is at his best when marauding through the middle. He needs someone to give him a base to play from, and Mascher is the man. He offers bite in the tackle and is really tenacious. His strength is his positional awareness and ability to calmly snuff out danger. He is not as good as Alonso on the ball, but if he gives it simple (and he usually does) then we retain possession and build another attack.

 

As to where this all leaves Xabi I wouldn't like to say. If we play all three of Stevie/Xabi/Mascher then great, we shoe-horn them all in. But at what price? Where does the width come from? And will we then only play with one striker?

 

Mascherano is yet to play a lot of games for us (though when he has played he has been excellent), but if he is given that chance and takes it, then for me, much as it is unpalatable to say, at that point Alonso's future may possibly be elsewhere. Hopefully it won't come to that, but I can't for the life of me see how we can keep all of our central midfielders happy. The best pairing will be Stevie and Mascher for me, so if Momo and Leiva are understudies, that leaves Xabi (too good to be an understudy) a little bit vulnerable.

Edited August 20, 2007 by G Richards

[sean]

  Steve H said:

he's going to get a f***ing shock when he's retired and 45 years old.

 

 

Seriously, what more could you want in a striker? f*** me he's big and strong, he's very quick and with a lot of skill. An absolute waste, he really is.