Just when I'd almost given up on the media.....

[honourablegeorge]

I think this is a great piece. You can agree or disagree.

 

 

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2007/10/...give_gerra.html

[Spiblish]

I think this is a great piece. You can agree or disagree.

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2007/10/...give_gerra.html

 

 

Was just about to post the same article - I agree!

[Hector McDougal]

I agree with most of that. I think it's time for Gerrard to play on the right once Xabi returns. Will Stevie get the hump if that happens?

[Magic8Ball]

I think this is a great piece. You can agree or disagree.

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2007/10/...give_gerra.html

The media's like an old girlfreind, you're ready to call it quits and then she does something unexpected but nice - this is not the article I expected but it's nice

[honourablegeorge]

The media is like an old girlfriend. Sometiomes you think about it in the shower.

[Leo No.8]

I also agree with a lot of that.

 

Gerrard isn't giving us anything in the middle, and Pennant's form has dipped in the last couple of games.

 

When Alonso returns I'd like to see Stevie out wide with licence to roam, which is the position in which he always looks most threatening going forward and means we can put pretty much all of our best players out in the same team..

Edited October 11, 2007 by Leo No.8

[Cooldude]

Completely agree with every word of it

[johngibo YPC]

I also agree with a lot of that.

 

Gerrard isn't giving us anything in the middle, and Pennant's form has dipped in the last couple of games.

 

When Alonso returns I'd like to see Stevie out wide with licence to roam, which is the position in which he always looks most threatening going forward and means we can put pretty much all of our best players out in the same team..

 

yes

[Kahnee]

Hard to disagree

 

Was mulling this the other day:

 

Reina

Finnan - Carra-Agger-Arbeloa

Masch-Alonso

Gerrard-Voronin-Babel

Torres

[honourablegeorge]

The one thing I would say is that composure-wise, Agger & Alonso are hugely missed. We're lookign to Gerrard to provide it right now, and he's coming up short - whether that's down to a run of poor form on his behalf (and the injury), or the hact that he's just not capable of it, I don't know. I kno whe can do better than he's doing at tthe moment though.

[Benitez]

's gotta be worth a try hasn't it! It's worked before Since that season he played mostly there, I think it's his best position for us. Wouldn't be saying that if we had inferior central mids, but the team is blessed with very good ones. And earlier this season we looked strong in that position without him. Rather than change the team to suit him, Rafa needs to find a way to fit Gerrard in to help the team. Playing right mid is a way to do that.

[Cooldude]

It was annoying last season when people kept saying he was played out of position on the right. It was simply f***ing untrue

 

The bloke's best for us on the flanks and will continue to be, particularly now that we've signed Masch.

[usualsuspect]

Absolutely spot on article. Especialy the observation on how fluid we looked b4 his return.

[Magic8Ball]

Hard to disagree

 

Was mulling this the other day:

 

Reina

Finnan - Carra-Agger-Arbeloa

Masch-Alonso

Gerrard-Voronin-Babel

Torres

that formation is crying out for overlapping fullbacks like Alves

[Hassony]

that formation is crying out for overlapping fullbacks like Alves

 

its also missing Kuyt

[Kahnee]

its also missing Kuyt

 

I rotated him

[The_Adder]

On the right when defending, free role when attacking. CARNAGE.

 

That article was a great read, nice spot.

[honourablegeorge]

It amazes me at times the way there's probably a dozen different national newspapers in England alone, each with maybe half a dozen sports writers each (if not more), and yet, there's so seldom an original thought put forward by any of them that it's actually a shock when you see one.

[cymrococh]

It amazes me at times the way there's probably a dozen different national newspapers in England alone, each with maybe half a dozen sports writers each (if not more), and yet, there's so seldom an original thought put forward by any of them that it's actually a shock when you see one.

How many people are registered on this forum?

[Rimbeux]

I've got a lot of sympathy with the view I think Knox put forward, that on form Gerrard is sensational in the middle, but off form he's less of a liability out wide away from the engine room, and his form is not something that you can call on consistently, therefore...

[jimmylibel]

I think that this was one of the issues that came up during Gerrard's contract talks. Not long after he signed his deal Rafa basically went and declared he'd be playing him through the middle this season. Bit of a turn around for Rafa.

[honourablegeorge]

I think that this was one of the issues that came up during Gerrard's contract talks. Not long after he signed his deal Rafa basically went and declared he'd be playing him through the middle this season. Bit of a turn around for Rafa.

 

I don't think Gerrard is above sulking a bit about it, but I'd hate to think Rafa would take any notice.

[fred milne]

I've got a lot of sympathy with the view I think Knox put forward, that on form Gerrard is sensational in the middle, but off form he's less of a liability out wide away from the engine room, and his form is not something that you can call on consistently, therefore...

That's a good point.

 

The other factor is the player who figures at RM if Gerrard plays CM. Its one thing dropping Mascherano/Alonso if your RM is Ronaldo, its another if its a player as ordinary as Pennant.

[Roscoe]

I think that this was one of the issues that came up during Gerrard's contract talks. Not long after he signed his deal Rafa basically went and declared he'd be playing him through the middle this season. Bit of a turn around for Rafa.

 

if this is in any way true, if any kind of commitment has been made to one player about his position in the team, then there really is something seriously wrong at the club and the manager is buggered.

 

fact is though that moving gerrard back to the (free role from the) right makes a great deal of sense at the moment, both with regard his form and the teams strengths/weaknesses. I supppose we will have to wait until Alonso is fit to see if Rafa is thinking along the same lines...

[owenthomas]

Hard to disagree

 

Was mulling this the other day:

 

Reina

Finnan - Carra-Agger-Arbeloa

Masch-Alonso

Gerrard-Voronin-Babel

Torres

is the team i'd play too.. i'd say great minds an all that but i reckon this is a one-off for you..