Will the real SG please stand up?

[El Jefecito]

The simple fact is that Gerrard misses Xabi.

But quite a few are wondering, whether Xabi+SG is as good as Xabi+El Jefecito.

Gerrard, for probably the first time in his career, has a real fight on his hands.

[Red Chilli]

I see where you are coming from but from everything I'm seeing Gerrard is not the asnswer in midfield. If he wants to have a future at Liverpool then he is going to need to realize that.

Rafa has bent over backwards to find a role for SG and he found the right palce for him, on the right, Rafa moved SG up a level. He scored more goals than ever before. And what thanks did Rafa get. NOTHING, all SG did was spend all his time moaning to the press, telling Redknapp, that he was thinking about leaving unless he played in the middle.

The situation with Stevie is clear, he needs to play @ 150%, wherever Rafa tells him to and it's looking increasingly likely that that may not be in midfield.

SO, what do we do if Rafa moves him out right and he does a strop again?

Sell him?

100% disagree that Rafa has moved Gerrard up a level, if anything, Gerrard's game has suffered under Benitez's chopping and changing.
In my opinion, Gerrard played his best stuff for LFC and England under Houllier and I am amazed that anyone could think otherwise.

[SRR]

The problem last night was not Gerrard, but Momo. In effect Gerrard was doing what Mascher or Alonso would normally do - playing the defensive roll. Obviously this does not explain performances since the international break

It may have worked better last night if Momo had managed to hold onto the ball and not give it away, but that never happened and to a point this did restrict Gerrard as if he had been going forward then we would have been caught out.

Gerrard and Momo do not go together, best combo's are:

Alonso/Mascher - like people say Alonso plays better when Gerrard is not alongside him
Gerrard/Mascher
Momo/Mascher

[El Jefecito]

I thought that Xabi would have been great for us last night, at least he would have got th passing going.

Xabi has this ability which is difficult to appreciate because it's more a combination of things both technical and mental. It's the ability to control the game! Xabi can read the play, change the tide, slow it down, speed it up etc.

The last player we had that could do that was Souness.

None of our other midfielders are able to do what Xabi does and that's a large part of our problems right at the moment.

[El Jefecito]

100% disagree that Rafa has moved Gerrard up a level, if anything, Gerrard's game has suffered under Benitez's chopping and changing.
In my opinion, Gerrard played his best stuff for LFC and England under Houllier and I am amazed that anyone could think otherwise.

I'm talking about the first season SG played on the right when he scored 20+ goals and before he started his infamous strop.

[El Jefecito]

The problem last night was not Gerrard, but Momo. In effect Gerrard was doing what Mascher or Alonso would normally do - playing the defensive roll. Obviously this does not explain performances since the international break

It may have worked better last night if Momo had managed to hold onto the ball and not give it away, but that never happened and to a point this did restrict Gerrard as if he had been going forward then we would have been caught out.

Gerrard and Momo do not go together, best combo's are:

Alonso/Mascher - like people say Alonso plays better when Gerrard is not alongside him
Gerrard/Mascher
Momo/Mascher

But SG has been playing just a **** alongside El Jefecito. Is it his fault as well?

[CAD]

I'd like to make a withdrawl from that bank! How many times have you seen Alonso playing in other than the holding role? How do you know he can't drive forward, when he's never been asked to play that way (apart from against Derby)?

There you are

I've seen him play there for Spain and it's never really worked.

Other than that it's pure commonsense. He has no pace. He can't dribble. He will be way too easy to shut down for the opposition.

Too much of a one trick pony to play at CM.

How much would you like to deposit?

[carheex]

The simple fact is that Gerrard misses Xabi.

[Red Chilli]

I'm talking about the first season SG played on the right when he scored 20+ goals and before he started his infamous strop.

Still wasn't his best form, goals or no goals. In my mind there is no doubting it whatsoever. Gerrard was in better form and was much more inspiring under Houllier.

[SRR]

But SG has been playing just a **** alongside El Jefecito. Is it his fault as well?

No Gerrard is just playing **** at minute and nobody but himself is to blame.

I suppose what I meant to say is that Gerrard (when on form) should partner Mascher. Gerrard and Alonso does not work, and as proved last night Gerrard and Momo does not work.

[El Jefecito]

No Gerrard is just playing **** at minute and nobody but himself is to blame.

I suppose what I meant to say is that Gerrard (when on form) should partner Mascher. Gerrard and Alonso does not work, and as proved last night Gerrard and Momo does not work.

However I do think that there is a very real chance Xabi+El Jefecito will prove to be our best partnership.

[El Jefecito]

Still wasn't his best form, goals or no goals. In my mind there is no doubting it whatsoever. Gerrard was in better form and was much more inspiring under Houllier.

I still don't agree but I will say SG was the best in that team. But the TEAM was ****e.

[SRR]

However I do think that there is a very real chance Xabi+El Jefecito will prove to be our best partnership.

Agreed. I'm a big Gerrard fan, but we seem to play better when Alonso and Mascher are in the middle.

[Red Chilli]

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?

[Neil Young]

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?

We've got the worst midfield in the world. FACT.