Please Rafa....

[kopdan]

Luis is too hit and miss. Great sub though

[einar]

Agreed. We need an 'advanced playmaker' type. Some people reckon Luis is that sort of player but I don't see it that way. Yes he can play the odd neat ball 'round the corner', but generally his passing isn't consistently incisive enough. He's more effective at other things.

Alonso is a playmaker but a deep-lying, 'pivot' sort of player. We need an advanced string-puller, a creative player to prompt, probe and thread little balls through - someone in the mould of Aimar, though not specifically him.

Any suggestions for that kind of player?

I heard Steven Gerrard is pretty good at that.

[Shaggy]

I heard Steven Gerrard is pretty good at that.

Nah he's not that sort of player. At his best he's a driving force, full of powerful running and shooting. I'm referring to a "cuter" player than Gerrard...someone to float around, picking up balls in and around the final attacking third.

[kopdan]

someone like Berkovic

[einar]

Nah he's not that sort of player. At his best he's a driving force, full of powerful running and shooting. I'm referring to a "cuter" player than Gerrard...someone to float around, picking up balls in and around the final attacking third.

Ok, what are you looking for in this player that Gerrard cant do?

[Shaggy]

Ok, what are you looking for in this player that Gerrard cant do?

Mate, can't you differentiate between an all-action, driving midfield player and an 'in the hole' advanced midfielder/second striker sort? Surely you're not advocating playing Gerrard in the hole off one or even two strikers?

[Shaggy]

someone like Berkovic

That's the sort of player I'm referring to.

[kopdan]

oh yes

Berkovic is past it

[Shaggy]

oh yes

Berkovic is past it

Arrrgggh!!

I don't mean Berkovic himself!! I mean that type of player.

[kopdan]

I know you did

But I suggested we sign him about 3 years ago

I was laughed at

[einar]

Mate, can't you differentiate between an all-action, driving midfield player and an 'in the hole' advanced midfielder/second striker sort? Surely you're not advocating playing Gerrard in the hole off one or even two strikers?

Yes I can.

Yes I am.

This is IMO Gerrards best position. ( Best does not mean only )

.................Reina
............Carra.Agger
.Alves.......Alonso.......Riise
.......Momo......Kallström
.............Gerrard
..........Kuyt....Villa

Kakas position at AC

[Shaggy]

Yes I can.

Yes I am.

This is IMO Gerrards best position. ( Best does not mean only )

.................Reina
............Carra.Agger
.Alves.......Alonso.......Riise
.......Momo......Kallström
.............Gerrard
..........Kuyt....Villa

Fair enough. I disagree.

I hate seeing him ahead of the ball and wasted in a "behind the striker(s)" role. Hate it.

Kim Kallström?!?!?

[thesilverfoxlfc]

.....buy us some class strikers in the transfer window. I've been saying for months that we will continue to struggle to compete against the very best until we change this. The defending cost us again tonight, but our inability to take half-chances and hit the target in and around the box is still so, so evident.

The upside tonight was I thought Pennant had another decent game.

Most probably the summer before he signs a top class striker or two

[redblood]

oh yes

Berkovic is past it

Berkovic, Litmanen, Aimar etc are exactly what we are missing.
The last player we had like that was Jari except that we didn't play football to suit him and most of our players couldn't read what he was going to do.
I think if we had that type of player now we would win a lot more games than we are.

[Red_Polo]

Fair enough. I disagree.

I hate seeing him ahead of the ball and wasted in a "behind the striker(s)" role. Hate it.

Kim Kallström?!?!?

Agreed. He's at his best making runs from deep IMO. Don't quite understand why Rafa has him playing deeper than Xabi at the moment though

As for the kind of player we need, someone like Aimar would be good but I was thinking of someone more direct who can beat people and break through the line to open teams up. Man Utd have Rooney/Ronaldo/Giggs and even Saha to do it, Chelsea have Robben/Cole/SWP and potentially Shevchenko, Arsenal have a whole team of players who live to do it. We need more of that, we're too prosaic, predictable and easily managed by quality defences without it.