Rafa puts Gerrard in his place

[Morph]

i can see rafa's logic in playing him wide right

playing him on the right gives the team more balance

if pennant or anyone else had established themselves on the right this wouldn't be an issue

Exactly, if Pennant had been doing the business we wouldn't be having this discussion. Sure Rafa might have opted to play Stevie there on a few occasions even with a good RW, but only for tactical reasons.

We'll be able to put this debate to bed, hopefully in the summer when Rafa signs someone who isn't Pennant.

[Kopite_Colin]

I personally do not object to Stevie playing on the right occasionally. Last season he was so effective from there because he was given pretty much a free role and he seemed to flourish - if he was hugging the touchline and just trying to get crosses in and covering the full back then he really would be wasted. Remember Houllier played him on the right as well, although perhaps not as much as Rafa does - it's always been clear that he is very capable there. It's not a bad option to have.

It's not a bad option - but it's not his best position. It's an old addage but "You play your best players in their best position." TBH, Rafa's really beginning to piss me off with this one. He's becoming "Houllieresque" in his insistence on playing SG out of position. I sincerely hope we get a decent right sided player next season so we can put him - and leave him - exactly where he belongs (and is most influential on games) - in central midfield.

If there's one thing I could change about Rafa it would be his stubborness on this issue. There's self-belief, confidence, then stubborness, then outright stupidity. Houllier went through the full range on a number of issues, and Rafa seems stuck in the 3rd category on the subject of SG.

[Morph]

It's not a bad option - but it's not his best position. It's an old addage but "You play your best players in their best position." TBH, Rafa's really beginning to piss me off with this one. He's becoming "Houllieresque" in his insistence on playing SG out of position. I sincerely hope we get a decent right sided player next season so we can put him - and leave him - exactly where he belongs (and is most influential on games) - in central midfield.

If there's one thing I could change about Rafa it would be his stubborness on this issue. There's self-belief, confidence, then stubborness, then outright stupidity. Houllier went through the full range on a number of issues, and Rafa seems stuck in the 3rd category on the subject of SG.

How is he stubborn, he sees Stevie as our best Right sided player and plays him there when needed, because we can cope in the middle without him because we are blessed with a strong selection of CM's.

[Kopite_Colin]

So the issue is that he's our best option at RM AT THE MOMENT because we lack quality at RM, but he is also our best (and most effective) central midfielder in an attacking sense and we look bereft of bodies in the box when he's crossing from the right.

He needs to play where he can be most effective for the team and that's CM. Rafa needs to sort RM and fast. To be fair he's known this for a while (hence his interest in Alves), and he couldn't forecast that Pennat would have been so poor, and that the rest of the MF's goals output would be so crap.

But the bottom line is we need SG in th middle where he can do more damage and grab games by the scruff of the neck, and continue to do those lung-bursting late runs into the box. We lack that so much with him out wide.

[Morph]

So the issue is that he's our best option at RM AT THE MOMENT because we lack quality at RM, but he is also our best (and most effective) central midfielder in an attacking sense and we look bereft of bodies in the box when he's crossing from the right.

He needs to play where he can be most effective for the team and that's CM. Rafa needs to sort RM and fast. To be fair he's known this for a while (hence his interest in Alves), and he couldn't forecast that Pennat would have been so poor, and that the rest of the MF's goals output would be so crap.

But the bottom line is we need SG in th middle where he can do more damage and grab games by the scruff of the neck, and continue to do those lung-bursting late runs into the box. We lack that so much with him out wide.

I agree that I would prefer him in the middle if we had something decent out on the right, but we don't. So I think depending on which team we play will decide where Stevie is atm. Today for instance I think we'll see Pennant play, because they don't like defending against pacy wingers, who whip crosses in. But it isn't stubbornness, it's using the players he has available. Lets see what happens in the summer.

[Morph]

Oh and look at this ace piece of reporting from sky:


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Rafa Benitez insists Steven Gerrard will be back on the right for Liverpool (funny it doesn't say that anywhere in the article), despite a superb midweek outing in the middle for England.

The Reds ace was inspirational against Andorra in Spain on Wednesday, netting twice in England's crucial Euro 2008 qualifying win.

However, despite impressing in the middle, Benitez will continue to utilise his versatility and has hinted he best position for Liverpool is wide right.

"He can play well in a number of positions, but as a manager you have a responsibility to use the player in the position you think is best for the team," explained Benitez.

"Steven scored 23 goals playing mainly on the right wing last season, so maybe after 23 goals playing in the middle we can talk more about this.

"I don't have any problem with him at all. Steve is happy when he is just playing.

"If I feel it is best for him to play on the right side then he understands this. To keep the team winning is the most important thing for keeping the players happy.

"He prefers to play in the middle but we know this. We're not stupid and we've talked about it with him many times."

[Parm]

I want him in the centre, but can see why Rafa plays him on the right. With any luck we will get a quality RW in the summer leaving Stevie G to battle it out for a central position and Pennant and the new guy battling it out for a RW position.

exactly. if Rafa had got Alves or pennant had shown top quality this year, then SG wold have stayed in the middle by and large. It was no coincidence that our best run of form this year was when Momo was injured and SG moved back into the middle.

[Parm]

Oh and look at this ace piece of reporting from sky:


-----
Rafa Benitez insists Steven Gerrard will be back on the right for Liverpool (funny it doesn't say that anywhere in the article), despite a superb midweek outing in the middle for England.

The Reds ace was inspirational against Andorra in Spain on Wednesday, netting twice in England's crucial Euro 2008 qualifying win.

However, despite impressing in the middle, Benitez will continue to utilise his versatility and has hinted he best position for Liverpool is wide right.

"He can play well in a number of positions, but as a manager you have a responsibility to use the player in the position you think is best for the team," explained Benitez.

"Steven scored 23 goals playing mainly on the right wing last season, so maybe after 23 goals playing in the middle we can talk more about this.

"I don't have any problem with him at all. Steve is happy when he is just playing.

"If I feel it is best for him to play on the right side then he understands this. To keep the team winning is the most important thing for keeping the players happy.

"He prefers to play in the middle but we know this. We're not stupid and we've talked about it with him many times."

Sly sports for you mate!

[Jayesh87]

So why the fook do we need a new right winger when where gonna play Stevie out there all the time?

[NICKZS]

God, I hate this debate. Of course Stevie is better in the middle, he's the best central midfielder in the world (IMO). However, he is still also one of the best right-sided midfielders in the world and if we don't have anybody there to provide us with width, yet we have two perfectly capable CMs who can do a job for us then he should be playing on the right.

If/when we sign a right-sided player of suitable calibre I am positive that Gerrard will be shifted back to centre, but in the meantime it would be nice if he bit the bullet and got on with the job in hand.