Will the real SG please stand up?

[AFII]

I think a part of it down to rotation.

If a player plays excellent then he may be dropped the next game. That means that the players really are not fighting for a place, that means less motivated players.

If a player plays excellent the he should play the next game, end of.

Give the players a chance to make a place their own and you will get more motivated players.

[Pacman]

All our army of central midielders have been ****e this season:

Gerrard- mind looks like it's somewhere else, apart from the Villa game.
Xabi - same as Gerrard
Momo- utter ****e
Mascherano - passing has been as bad as Momo but he can usually control a ball.

All absolute donkey ****. Who's fault is that?

They need to look at themselves.

The Gerrard one pisses me off because it's clear he came back too quick from his broken toe. Xabi is missed more than I think people realise. He controls games without being flamboyant he doesn't give the ball away and he just plays it simple and keeps the ball. Mascherano has been to more far away countries than Judith Chalmers this season and I think that is having an effect. As for Momo well he was gash last night plain and simple. I have been a big fan of Momo's but last night he looked like he has gone backwards.

[Red_Polo]

A lot of this thread is hysterical, and I don't mean it makes me laugh. Gerrard is still our best player, and he's still best as one of two CMs. He didn't score 23 goals from RM, he's not better played just behind a striker, he doesn't need selling, and I've only seen Mash and Xabi play a very small number of games together so to say they are our best CM partnership is just bizarre. He's just playing ****.

[El Jefecito]

All our army of central midielders have been ****e this season:

Gerrard- mind looks like it's somewhere else, apart from the Villa game.
Xabi - same as Gerrard
Momo- utter ****e
Mascherano - passing has been as bad as Momo but he can usually control a ball.

All absolute donkey ****. Who's fault is that?

I know this is all subjective, but you seem to be giving SG the benefit of the doubt but none of the others.

SG scored a free kick against Villa. That was all.

Prior to yesterday, Momo had been playing and passing better than SG has. Go watch the games and you'll see what I mean.

On Xabi, I think most people don't understand his game and hence underrate his performances. Do you think our midfield would have been as over-run as it has if Xabi were playing instead of SG? I don't. Oohhh, hold on a minute wasn't SG out for a couple of games and Xabi has to step in, and we scored, 10 goals, and we all believed that we could win the league.

"xabi same as Gerrard", godzilla ****!

[El Jefecito]

A lot of this thread is hysterical, and I don't mean it makes me laugh. Gerrard is still our best player, and he's still best as one of two CMs. He didn't score 23 goals from RM, he's not better played just behind a striker, he doesn't need selling, and I've only seen Mash and Xabi play a very small number of games together so to say they are our best CM partnership is just bizarre. He's just playing ****.

That's your opinion. A lot of peoples opinions are changing. From what I've seen recently I can understand. Can you not?

I'd also draw attention to what Les said. It's becoming apparent that SG is an impact player and that in Rafa's formation you need to be more than just an impact player as CM is where the game is controlled from.

So is he our best player. Maybe.
Our best impact player. Definitely.

[Red_Polo]

That's your opinion. A lot of peoples opinions are changing. From what I've seen recently I can understand. Can you not?

I'd also draw attention to what Les said. It's becoming apparent that SG is an impact player and that in Rafa's formation you need to be more than just an impact player as CM is where the game is controlled from.

So is he our best player. Maybe.
Our best impact player. Definitely.

Yeah, but the point is a lot of people's opinions seem to be changing dramatically based on a handful of **** games he's had during a time when everyone else is playing **** too, and he's not been fully fit.

[El Jefecito]

Yeah, but the point is a lot of people's opinions seem to be changing dramatically based on a handful of **** games he's had during a time when everyone else is playing **** too, and he's not been fully fit.

I think it's a little bit more than that. Obviously his poor form is the catalyst, but assumptions are starting to be questioned. I'm starting to think things like. Last season he under-performed, but that was because he hit a run of bad form. Xabi is not the right partner for him etc etc Now I see him under-performing again and I see the other CMs playing well alongside Xabi.

I start thinking I need reevaluate my opinion.

:drumroll: And my new opinion is that SG can't do what Rafa needs to be done in CM. Not SGs fault, not Rafa's fault. Just an issue that needs to be addressed.

[Red_Polo]

I think it's a little bit more than that. Obviously his poor form is the catalyst, but assumptions are starting to be questioned. I'm starting to think things like. Last season he under-performed, but that was because he hit a run of bad form. Xabi is not the right partner for him etc etc Now I see him under-performing again and I see the other CMs playing well alongside Xabi.

I start thinking I need reevaluate my opinion.

:drumroll: And my new opinion is that SG can't do what Rafa needs to be done in CM. Not SGs fault, not Rafa's fault. Just an issue that needs to be addressed.

What assumptions are starting to be questioned? That he's our best player? That he's best in CM? Neither of those 'assumptions' actually being false are the reasons he's underperforming so horribly, that is clear.

[El Jefecito]

What assumptions are starting to be questioned? That he's our best player? That he's best in CM? Neither of those 'assumptions' actually being false are the reasons he's underperforming so horribly, that is clear.

I questioned my own assumptions. Some of those being:

That Gerrard's under performance last season was a form thing.
That it was because of Xabi that their partnership didn't work.
That SG had the mindset to be able to control a game from the middle.

I believe I mentioned them in my previous post.

[AFII]

I think the reason to why Stevie hasn't been good since he played for England is that he was totally knackered after that two games, he needed a rest but he couldn't get one because Alonso got injured.

Stevie's game is very much about energic runs. He can't make them when he is tired. The team plays with more energy when Stevie is in form.

A Stevie with less energy means a team with less energy.

He needs a rest but we can't afford to give him one.

[El Jefecito]

I think the reason to why Stevie hasn't been good since he played for England is that he was totally knackered after that two games, he needed a rest but he couldn't get one because Alonso got injured.

Stevie's game is very much about energic runs. He can't make them when he is tired. The team plays with more energy when Stevie is in form.

A Stevie with less energy means a team with less energy.

He needs a rest but we can't afford to give him one.

See, I'm not buying into that, he wasn't up to much before the internationals

[Pacman]

See, I'm not buying into that, he wasn't up to much before the internationals

He'd only played on league game before he broke his toe.

[Red Chilli]

I think he's a bit baffled and bemused that he was dropped for the Pompey game and he's starting to question Rafa's sanity, as are the rest of the squad.

We thumped Derby 6-0 and Rafa drops him. What's that all about?

[mersey86]

People can bang on about him being a world class centre midfielder all they like but for me he's an impact player

That's the way he drives his car, anyway.

[El Jefecito]

I think he's a bit baffled and bemused that he was dropped for the Pompey game and he's starting to question Rafa's sanity, as are the rest of the squad.

We thumped Derby 6-0 and Rafa drops him. What's that all about?

SG didn't play against Derby.