with alonso set to leave...

[floyd the barber]

....will it be easier to find a direct replacement for him or..............a 2nd striker to play alongside torres, thus shifting Gerrard back into central midfield..

 

I honestly think moving Gerrard back into central midfield is an option very likely being considered by Rafa.....though i dont believe its the best move, Gerrard and Torres have proved an exceptional partnership and im still not convinced Gerrard does his best work when restricted by a Central mid position..

 

anyway alonso is one we cant really replace...i cant think of many as good as he is in the way that he plays...

 

Our side in a way, is structured around having both alonso and mash sit....masch running around like an animal cleaning up, while giving alonso the space to find that vital final ball......not something easy to replace.

[fyds]

I doubt very much Rafa will want to move Gerrard back - he knows that better than any of us - it was his idea after all.

 

If Alonso finally goes, then getting the most money we can to replace him with is crucial - the more the money, the better and more the choice. We've lost players more important than Alonso before now and gone on to bigger and better things.

Edited August 1, 2009 by fyds

[New York Red]

----------------Torres--------------------

-------------------Gerrard---------------

Silva-----------Sneijder------------Kuyt

-------------Marscherano---------------

Insua--Agger--Carragher---Johnson--

 

 

--------------Babel---------------------

----------Benayoun------------------

Riera------Viera-------------El Zhar--

-------------Lucas--------------------

Auerilio---Skrtel--Kelly-------Degen

Edited August 1, 2009 by New York Red

[_00_deathscar]

That second team is particularly bad - especially as you've got only 10 players. Even with BEnayoun in there, it's still a pretty shyte team.

[New York Red]

That second team is particularly bad - especially as you've got only 10 players. Even with BEnayoun in there, it's still a pretty shyte team.

 

Christ, give me a minute!

[Tosh]

I wonder whether Rafa will go for a Sneijder type of player - an attacking minded central mid. And have him and Gerrard constantly swapping roles to feed/work off Torres - much like Rafa will happily switch Babel/Benayoun's flanks

 

My only reluctance would be that is sort of what Mclaren tried with Lampard and Gerrard and that was hardly a success

[Flanders]

I think this will entirely depend on the players he can actually bring here.

e.g I'd rather we signed David Villa and Gerrard dropped back to accomodate him than signing someone like Sneijder to allow Gerrard to retain position.

Ultimately we want as many World Class players as possible.

 

PS> I'm not foolish enough to think we will sign Villa, just making the point.

[goodrobotusses]

Every close-season we get this. Gerrard is not a great central midfielder (certainly in the sense of the role now that English football is no longer just a thoughtless, gung ho pinball match), but he is a devastating attacking midfielder. Let's leave the world class parts of our team alone if we can help it. Alonso going means that our next biggest strength (central-midfield) is going to have a hole in it - let's fill that one hole with as best quality replacement as we can, not tinkering with and potentially weakening two parts of our team unnecessarily.

[crisps]

Think Modric could be very good with better players around him...

[Metro]

Ideal signings this summer would be Silva and Sneijder, assuming that Alonso goes. On a brighter note, looks like the Mascher saga has finally been put to bed - Barca pleading poverty and withdrawing their interest.

[floyd the barber]

Think Modric could be very good with better players around him...

 

yes he would, but again i would say he isnt strong enough to sit alongside masch, with his ideal position behind torres...thus moving gerrard back into central mid.....and breaking up one of the best partnerships in the world..

 

Now heres a thought.......daniel agger, excellent passer of the ball, can tackle....good energy, can shoot.....honestly feel he`d make a great central mid alongside masch....also keeps us solid in the middle and will allow our full backs to push further forward

[John am Rhein]

Playing a center back in center midfield doesn't really have much of a history of making that area more solid.

 

Full backs tend to do better in such a role than CBs do.

[ManOfSteel]

Full backs tend to do better in such a role than CBs do.

 

Does anyone else remember Aurelio's excellent performance at central midfield against Portsmouth? I thought he was spectacular and I think if he's given a go there, he could be even better than he is for us at left back.

 

Granted... I'm judging off of one performance against a team that I feel is particularly poor. So perhaps it's not the wisest of ideas.

[fyds]

Does anyone else remember Aurelio's excellent performance at central midfield against Portsmouth? I thought he was spectacular and I think if he's given a go there, he could be even better than he is for us at left back.

 

Granted... I'm judging off of one performance against a team that I feel is particularly poor. So perhaps it's not the wisest of ideas.

He's proven he can do that very well if called upon in more than a few games since he arrived, which at times he will no doubt be called upon to do again - but he is not the long-term, full-time answer and frankly I'm not sure who is.

[Maldini]

I never thought I'd say this, but we need a Lampard.

[cymrococh]

I never thought I'd say this, but we need a Lampard.

I never thought I'd say this, but we need a Fletcher.

[fyds]

I never thought I'd say this, but we need a Lampard.

We really don't - we need an Alonso - failing that, someone more creative still yet able to tackle - that ain't Fw*** who is very workmanlike, not a great tackler and would get in Gerrard's way linking with Torres.

[fyds]

I never thought I'd say this, but we need a Fletcher.

Let's not lose our heads...

[Maldini]

We need someone who'll contribute more in and around the box. We won't get anyone as good as Alonso as what he does. I've already said I think Rafa wants someone who'll get double figures in terms of goals. With Gerrard now playing as a forward we need someone getting into the box from midfield.

[Stevie H]

We need someone who'll contribute more in and around the box. We won't get anyone as good as Alonso as what he does. I've already said I think Rafa wants someone who'll get double figures in terms of goals. With Gerrard now playing as a forward we need someone getting into the box from midfield.

agree, that's the next step in our evolution as a team. agger will carry the ball out of the back into the spaces vacated by alonso, so alonso's replacement should be someone capable of getting beyond gerrard and even beyond torres to be more of a goal threat. mascherano will be busy but that's what he's there for.

[cymrococh]

According to the 3 clips I've seen on youtube, Martinez is capable of this.

 

Aquilani on the other hand looks like more of a like-for-like replacement, spectacular long shots seem to be his MO.

[Stevie H]

According to the 3 clips I've seen on youtube, Martinez is capable of this.

 

Aquilani on the other hand looks like more of a like-for-like replacement, spectacular long shots seem to be his MO.

aquilani's injury record is a concern. if he's that injury prone in serie a he's likely to be worse in the faster premier league and we're already carrying one glassman.

 

plus aquilani sounds like the name of an aftershave.

[Falconhoof]

We need someone who'll contribute more in and around the box. We won't get anyone as good as Alonso as what he does. I've already said I think Rafa wants someone who'll get double figures in terms of goals. With Gerrard now playing as a forward we need someone getting into the box from midfield.

 

double figures ? Gareth Barry.

If you put the ball on the penalty spot maybe.

[MFletcher]

I never thought I'd say this, but we need a Fletcher.

 

How much will I be paid?

Edited August 2, 2009 by MFletcher

[Knox_Harrington]

We really don't - we need an Alonso - failing that, someone more creative still yet able to tackle - that ain't Fw*** who is very workmanlike, not a great tackler and would get in Gerrard's way linking with Torres.

Things changing is OK you know, fyds.