so, like i said

[Mike]

until alonso is replaced and if you want 3 points at spurs.

as soon as he went back there we were significantly better and started to take control of proceedings. benayoun then came on and he started to find him again and again. it also provided the outlet for the centre halves and the aimless carragher hoof, which is, of course, why alonso would always take the ball from him. it also gives them further protection.

we had far more penetration with gerrard 10 yards further back providing dynamism from the middle and moving the ball quickly, combining with the excellent benayoun - all completely as predicted.

lucas did nothing wrong, but he offers no more than hard work and a 5 yard have it back pass which is fine, but not as the fulcrum for your game . spurs were completely in control because they controlled the midfield, something which rafa is obsessed with.

 

also, perhaps the foolish notion of many on this forum that you can't have another top striker because it breaks up the 'torres/gerrard' partnership has been put to bed. yesterday proved exactly why, even without injuries to either of them. the depth of quality of our bench was shocking, we simply have to buy another quality striker and centre half this window.

[Swipe]

Think you're right.

 

Not keen to move Stevie from his position, but we need him back in the middle til Aquilani is ready. Masch and Lucas offer nothing in an attacking sense.

 

Stick Stevie back, Reira on the left and Yossi behind Nando.

 

I expect Rafa to stick with Lucas though.

Edited August 17, 2009 by Swipe

[richwilks]

Benayoun played superbly behind Torres at the end of last season. Until Aquilani is fit I'd feel more confident with Gerrard dropped back and Benayoun in the hole.

 

That said to be in such a s*** position on the first game of the season is a massive worry. Squad is weak, hopefully Aquilani will be fit and stay fit but his injury record doesn't suggest that. Would love to see us bring Defour in to add more competition in there.

[RedHarvest]

I agree, especially for tricky away fixtures, Gerrard can do a job anywhere on the pitch so could certainly use the ball more effectively than Lucas and Mascher from his supposed favourite position. I hope we see this happen before Aquilani comes in.

[meepins]

Exactly how I see it. I never wanted to see Gerrard back in the middle but this is a lesser of two evils situation.

Edited August 17, 2009 by meepins

[Albertini]

Agree entirely.

 

Gerrard should be in the middle until Aquilani is fit.

 

And if we are skint then we should look to bring in someone like Negredo on loan to bolster the numbers.

 

The quality on the bench was shocking today.

 

Overall we have around 4 or 5 dead wood players in the first team which is already 2-3 players light on numbers anyway.

 

So we need over the next year or two to bring in 5-8 better players with at least 2-3 of those being top quality.

 

It's amazing when you consider how much has been spent in recent years how much we now need to spend to sort the squad out.

Edited August 17, 2009 by Albertini

[Stefano]

Can't see it happening now with any regularity. If anything Rafa is single minded and prefers the security of two designated holding midfielders, even if they barely function in an attacking sense, making any forward partnership redundant.

 

I think Benayoun helps in that regard, because he's busy and direct, which makes the choice to leave him out yesterday all the more bizarre.

[schmuckdonald]

What then Torres and Kuyt up front, then who do you put on the right? We're doing this all on the basis of one game. It'll take some time to get into our stride, but we'll be alright.

[CarraLegend]

we simply have to buy another quality striker and centre half this window.

 

Better get hoping Rafa can find £25m locked up in a massive cellar somewhere then

[Billy Talbot]

I thought the distribution of from our central defence was the problem yesterday.

 

For some reason Carragher doesn't want to trust Lucas with the ball... Well tough s*** Carra, he's the option... so use him.

 

Otherwise, I agree, the only two short term solutions are dropping Gerrard slightly deeper, or dropping Carragher. We'd have less of a need for this if Agger was fit.

 

It will be very interesting to see where Aquilani is going to fit into this team. IF he can forge a partnership with Gerrard and share the work going forwards, that will free Gerrard to come deeper in the long run anyway.

[Mike]

Better get hoping Rafa can find £25m locked up in a massive cellar somewhere then

 

i just can not believe we have been given effectively no transfer funds this summer cl, i'll be astounded if our business is complete.

[Swipe]

We'll probably get in someone on deadline day.

 

Who, i really don't know.

[Bailo]

i just can not believe we have been given effectively no transfer funds this summer cl, i'll be astounded if our business is complete.

I hope you're right, I really do. Just don't know why Rafa would hoard it waiting till the last minute to use it. We've started the season, surely you want the players in ASAP.

[RedHarvest]

I predict we'll get Turner or another CB for 6 or less plus a bargain basement striker.

[CarraLegend]

i just can not believe we have been given effectively no transfer funds this summer cl, i'll be astounded if our business is complete.

 

I hope it isnt the case mate but these two are filth. I reckon we'll get a centre half in the Agger/Skrtel price range, which is fine if Rafa continues finding gems but after that I think we are f***ed. Think the best thing we can get upfront is him finding a great loan deal or something.

 

Im just guessing mind, but a lot of the recent articles from Kay, Barrett etc havent exactly been postive regarding transfer funds.

 

"We'll be dining at the top table"

[sean]

My biggest issue with yesterday is that we were bullied, we lacked any intensity and Spurs gave us a bit of a chasing. I hate Harry Redknapp.

[Bo Benn]

What then Torres and Kuyt up front, then who do you put on the right? We're doing this all on the basis of one game. It'll take some time to get into our stride, but we'll be alright.

 

Don't think Mike suggested we go back to a 442 formation, but simply swap players around in the current formation. Agree that one game might be too soon to panic. However the attacking ineptness of the Lucas/Mascherano CM combo is quite predictable and yesterday the prediction came true.

 

Benayoun has been, if not our best performer since new year's, then at least up there with Gerrard and Torres. How he is not automatically in the started XI is beyond me. In fact sometimes he may be better in Gerrard's role that Gerrard himself when it comes to unlocking low and tight defences with his 'trickery'. After all it is his regular position for Israel isn't it? So it's not like he is a stranger to the position either.

[Billy Talbot]

My biggest issue with yesterday is that we were bullied, we lacked any intensity and Spurs gave us a bit of a chasing. I hate Harry Redknapp.

 

 

Ball retention is the most important thing against teams that press like that.

 

Unfortunately both our centre halves (after nearly knocking each other out) spent most of the game giving the ball away.

[Stefano]

Ball retention is the most important thing against teams that press like that.

 

Unfortunately both our centre halves (after nearly knocking each other out) spent most of the game giving the ball away.

 

So we should drop our best defender because the midfield lacks the ability and confidence to control our game?

 

If anything Spurs did their homework and had their forwards press right up on top of our back line, who weren't helped by the static movment of our midfield. I don't think Lucas dropped off once to get a move going, and even Rafa had a go at him at one stage in the first half for not showing for a throw in.

[McBain]

We'll probably get in someone on deadline day.

 

Who, i really don't know.

 

Our deadlne day record is not exactly stellar

[muleskinner]

Mikes opening post is bang on the money for me, Gerrard has to go CM and Benayoun higher up the pitch until Aquilani is ready. I'm not expecting it to happen but it should.

[yellow jumper]

there's a case for having gerrard in midfield only if we're going to play that badly, my suspicion is that that isn't the intention.

 

the problem yesterday wasn't a lack of penetration it was a lack of shape and ball retention, plus defensive errors. lucas was the only player who showed any inclination to keep the ball, which is what we needed more of in the centre of the pitch. the rest of the team were guilty of giving it away too cheaply, either by hoofing or poor ball control, which means it becomes impossible to build a platform. we never had that platform to attack from.

[muleskinner]

Huddlestone and Palacios made Mascherano and Lucas look second rate for long stretches yesterday. Thought they switched from holding to attacking excellently and they always had good outlets in Modric and Lennon. I was just relieved that Robbie Keane is s*** or we could have been on the end of a very heavy defeat.

[Stefano]

This obsession to defend Lucas and project him as something he's not is getting out of hand. He's not, and never will be, good enough for us or a team challenging with ambitions to win the league.

 

I doubt he'd get in the vast majority of teams in the league.

[Chili Palmer]

This obsession to defend Lucas and project him as something he's not is getting out of hand. He's not, and never will be, good enough for us or a team challenging with ambitions to win the league.

 

I doubt he'd get in the vast majority of teams in the league.

 

He may or may not be good enough for Liverpool, but that is b******s.

Edited August 17, 2009 by Chili Palmer