Xabi Alonso and our lack of goals

[tomasjj]

Quaresma on the right makes sense to me. Or another out and out winger of high class. We don't have that player.

Many of the games we played with Gerrard on the right resulted in constipation at CM and us playing with no RM. Zero balance.

We need a class act like Ronaldo out there. Quaresma profile.

Gerrard has been far away from his best this season. We can only hope that he will start performing. If he doesn't get it right at CM then we can't win anything this season. We have nobody else who can take on his role.

Gerrard is key.

Gerrard sticking on the right will make us a better team.
Sulking Gerrard belongs on the bench.

Agreed on Quaresma though, either on the right or left. Imagine him and Babel switching positions and running at defences...

[Morten_nogamst_Pedersen]

I salute you, Skolebolde.

Schoolshagger!

[CAD]

Gerrard sticking on the right will make us a better team.
Sulking Gerrard belongs on the bench.

Agreed on Quaresma though, either on the right or left. Imagine him and Babel switching positions and running at defences...

And imagine some active Fullbacks overlapping as well!

Gerrard will never stick to the right. He will move towards the middle.

[Nic83]

I think some people (CAD) are forgetting that attacks are started from the back. So Xabi is a lot more important to our 'attack' than you realise.

IE: Masher plays, recieves the ball from the defenders and lumps it to Crouch only for the defender to win the ball.

Alonso plays, recieves the ball from the defender and spots Pennant making a run down the wing, plays a lovely ball to him and we are now in a promising attacking position.

This is what a lot of you just cannot see. You only see what happens, not what could happen if the situation was different which is why you don't think we miss him when he is out.

[Morten_nogamst_Pedersen]

We've had barren spells with XA playing too.

[dww]

I think some people (CAD) are forgetting that attacks are started from the back. So Xabi is a lot more important to our 'attack' than you realise.

IE: Masher plays, recieves the ball from the defenders and lumps it to Crouch only for the defender to win the ball.

Alonso plays, recieves the ball from the defender and spots Pennant making a run down the wing, plays a lovely ball to him and we are now in a promising attacking position.

This is what a lot of you just cannot see. You only see what happens, not what could happen if the situation was different which is why you don't think we miss him when he is out.

I think there is something in this but is important that you view the central midfield pairing rather than one player in isolation in my opinion. The problem for me is more that Mascher & Gerrard together are not suitable to start attacks from deep. Gerrard blands nicely with Alonso who has both good short and long passing which frees Gerrard to spring forward more readily. Playing with Mascherano means he has more to do in terms of starting attacks as Mascherano is good at short possession passes but lacks the ability to spot a ball as you have said and as a consequence will too often resort to a hopeful long ball.

For this reason I think we should try out Gerrard on the right which would give us twin benefits of possibly playing someone more suited to the more controlling aspects of the game in the middle and also having a goal threat on the wing. Last season Gerrard was lousy in this position seemingly determined to win back a CM place, however before that he has shown how effective he can be on the right. It is a gamble but IMO it is one that at least temporarily may be worth taking.

What we seem to lack at the minute is a cohesive unit with players having confidence in one another to do a job and be where they need to be. There is obviously an issue of personnel (particularly out wide) but I do feel this is largely psychological and one of the things that I feel Xabi brings is an intelligent footballing brain in midfield which Gerrard and others have confidence in when things are going against us.

[Tom]

we're desperately missing alonso. I can't believe anyone would be so thick as to not rate him (mind you this is the internet). He's our midfield metronome. The reason we're playing disjointed, alehouse football is because he isn't controlling the play.

[Morten_nogamst_Pedersen]

we're desperately missing alonso. I can't believe anyone would be so thick as to not rate him (mind you this is the internet). He's our midfield metronome. The reason we're playing disjointed, alehouse football is because he isn't controlling the play.

So we never enjoyed spells of playing disjointed, alehouse football with XA in the team?

[tomasjj]

we're desperately missing alonso. I can't believe anyone would be so thick as to not rate him (mind you this is the internet). He's our midfield metronome. The reason we're playing disjointed, alehouse football is because he isn't controlling the play.

Exactly.
It's like that old saying, you don't know what you got until it's gone.

The way we struggle to move the ball about, and out of defense, is hard to watch for me.
Agger being out only highlights this problem even more.

[Tom]

So we never enjoyed spells of playing disjointed, alehouse football with XA in the team?

mostly not, no.

Certainly not like we are at the moment.

[CAD]

mostly not, no.

Certainly not like we are at the moment.

So Alonso wasn't playing this time last season? Bring back Alonso and everything is fixed? How disappointing to see such simplistic view from you.

[kewellnthegang]

So Alonso wasn't playing this time last season? Bring back Alonso and everything is fixed? How disappointing to see such simplistic view from you.

everyone wants playing who cant play these days

simple

[Morten_nogamst_Pedersen]

mostly not, no.

Certainly not like we are at the moment.

I was sure we had. I remember bad spells were Xabi got lots of stick for being out of form.
But my memory ain't too great so I won't stick my neck further out.

[CAD]

I was sure we had. I remember bad spells were Xabi got lots of stick for being out of form.
But my memory ain't too great so I won't stick my neck further out.

You remember 110% correctly

[dww]

I think the thing is we have improved the personnel elsewhere and I do believe when we get the ball out of defence better we are a better team than last season. The problem is in my opinion two fold - 1/ the attacking players are not cohesive enough of a unit for us to have many options when players like Mascher, Carra or Hyypia are on the ball and 2/ we have neither Agger or Alonso in the team who can help circumvent that problem by their ability to make room and spot a pass when it is less obvious.