Pace or lack of it

[Red Kent]

Thinking about this a lot, we have no pace from any of our midfielders. We have no-one who can dribble and get around the full backs.

 

Everything has to be through the middle and more often than not it's hit and hope.

 

This is poorest Liverpool side I have ever witnessed yet we had 13 players at the World Cup a few months ago.

 

Lack of investment and poor buys over the last 18 months has made us easy to play and predictable.

 

We are in a worst state than ever.

[Rimbeux]

We've been one of the slowest sides for years, part of it, just part of it

[magic melia]

Nothing moves quicker than the ball on the pitch , Jan Molby told me that .

[smithdown]

Stoke arent quicker than us, they just play 20 yards further up the pitch.

[Earl Hafler]

And generally look more of a threat when Babel plays. Go figure.

 

Meireles on the right and Maxi on the left - it's absolutely bonkers. Houllier at his worst never tried dodecahedron pegs in triangular holes.

[carrafan]

And generally look more of a threat when Babel plays. Go figure.

 

 

No we dont.

[Earl Hafler]

No we dont.

 

 

Yeah, we do. He may not give MOTM performances but the pace injected into the attack brings out the best in Torres. Different proposition to Maxi, Kuyt etc

 

Convinced he could have been a player under the right management. But one game in ten is not good for anyone and i can understand why his attitude has been questioned.

[johngibo YPC]

Meireles on the right and Maxi on the left - it's absolutely bonkers.

 

It is the way we play, we are deep and trying to break with players who can't run

I'd give Babel more of a go away from home if we must continue with a flat 4 in midfield. At least he can carry the ball

[tomas]

It's been true for a long time. Kuyt, Maxi, Meireles, Lucas and Cole are all very good players, but they really lack speed.

SiGn SpeEdy plAYerS nOw!!

[Davvo]

It's a very odd state of affairs. If you sit deep, then you need some pace in midfield to be able to break quickly, otherwise what is the point of sitting in ?

 

If you play high up the pitch to start with, then you don't necessarily need the quickest wide men in the world. The midfielders we have in our squad dictate that we must play high up the pitch, not doing so results in this dull stuff we've been watching this season.

 

The way Roy sets us up, he needs to utilise Jovanovic and Babel much more, however much he/we rate them or not, especially with Agger and Johnson either unfit or not used correctly.

[johngibo YPC]

It's a very odd state of affairs. If you sit deep, then you need some pace in midfield to be able to break quickly, otherwise what is the point of sitting in ?

 

 

Indeed. Roy can moan about the players he has inherited if he wants, but you should adapt your tactics to what you have in the short term, rather than the otehr way round

[Davvo]

Indeed. Roy can moan about the players he has inherited if he wants, but you should adapt your tactics to what you have in the short term, rather than the otehr way round

 

Football management 1.01 isn't it ? Adapt your tactics to what you have available to you, and if you want to play your own tactics, then you need to first make the necessary changes to the squad.

 

35 years in management should be enough to come up with a way of playing that would suit what he has at his disposal, it's not like the squad's full of complete s****, there's a very good matchday 18 here, it just needs setting up right.

 

 

 

[richwilks]

You don't necessarily need pace if you have midfielders who play quick direct passes, unfortunately we lack that as well. Aquilani gave us that last season.

 

Babel is s***, don't get me wrong but he offers more of a threat to the opposition. He gives them something to think about.

 

Merieles is pointless in the side unless he plays in the centre, complete waste of time playing him on the wing, would rather Amoo played there.

 

Why the f*** doesn't he play Kuyt on the right and partner Torres with Ngog?

Edited November 15, 2010 by richwilks

[Davvo]

You don't necessarily need pace if you have midfielders who play quick direct passes, unfortunately we lack that as well. Aquilani gave us that last season.

 

Babel is s***, don't get me wrong but he offers more of a threat to the opposition. He gives them something to think about.

 

Merieles is pointless in the side unless he plays in the centre, complete waste of time playing him on the wing, would rather Amoo played there.

 

Why the f*** doesn't he play Kuyt on the right and partner Torres with Ngog?

 

 

Agree with that, he's wasted wide. he could play to the left or right of centre if you played a narrow diamond or 4-3-3 , but not as a straightforward right mid or right wing. Had Aquilani stayed I'm sure he'd have been similarly wasted, and then dropped for not being able to play the role. You're right about not needing pace if you are moving the ball quickly, and in all honesty I do think we have the players for that, Maxi/SG/RM/Cole can all play that game, just not from a flat, deep 4.

[richwilks]

Agree with that, he's wasted wide. he could play to the left or right of centre if you played a narrow diamond or 4-3-3 , but not as a straightforward right mid or right wing. Had Aquilani stayed I'm sure he'd have been similarly wasted, and then dropped for not being able to play the role. You're right about not needing pace if you are moving the ball quickly, and in all honesty I do think we have the players for that, Maxi/SG/RM/Cole can all play that game, just not from a flat, deep 4.

 

Everything just needs to move 20 yards up the field. You sit back against any team and they'll pick you off, it doesn't matter if it's Chelsea, West Ham, Blackpool or Stoke. You can't just let them come at you.

 

For all the great work we did first half against Chelsea the second half was incredibly lucky, we sat off them and let them play but due to poor finishing, dogged defending and a bit of luck we were able to see out the game. The same performance any other time and they would have won it that second half.