The obligatory Stevie G thread

[naitizeh]

But that's because we are trying to play him as a controller/playmaker. He's not one of them. He is an impact player. A bloody brilliant one. Setup up the team to expolit the best impact player around. That's all I am saying.

SG as a Rafa type CM is as you say awful!

yeah well... then either he remember how to play there or really learn to play there! I remember games where he played in the centre as a Rafa-typed CM as you say, and he still did a good job...

(e.g. the Arse game when Mellor scored the last minute goal; I'm sure there are other games, but somehow I usually remember Alonso, and later Sissoko and then Masher - Gerrard is usually in my memory for good reasons (goals) and bad reasons (being there but doing nothing much)

If not, Rafa has to make an unpopular choice I guess: drop him.... (and then,all hell will break loose)

[El Jefecito]

Once again he was far & away our best player. Only SG, Reina & Yossi gave exceptable performances.

SG is a man amongst boys at the moment, with Torres out we have only 1 goal threat and this is the man so many on here regularly criticise.
C'mon all those that said he's a big head, that lucas can replace him, etc etc, what have you got to say for yourselves tonight

The problem is that SG is not the best at the skills that Rafa is looking for from a CM. SG is not smart enough to bring the rest of the team into play and as a playmaker he can't pick the right pass and to be frank his long range passing is only average.

He needs to be positioned in the final 3rd where we need to rely on his short passing, which is good, and his abiility to steamroller past the defence and score himself.

I he doesn't play in the final 3rd then he is poor 3rd behing Xabi, El Jefecito and Lucas.

[Shaggy]

dreaming. he hardly passed it to a red shirt in the first half. at one point i counted 5 passes in a row where he gave it away. he was momo esque in his inability to keep the ball

Spot on.

[El Jefecito]

Spot on.

If we played him as an attacking player instead of a playmaker, we would be playing to his strengths.

[CAD]

I think Gerrard had some fantastic passes today. I think a lot of the passes he connected was wasted many many times by the talentless hacks he is surrounded by.

Gerrard was our best player by far today.

[Frank Leroux]

The problem is that SG is not the best at the skills that Rafa is looking for from a CM. SG is not smart enough to bring the rest of the team into play and as a playmaker he can't pick the right pass and to be frank his long range passing is only average.

He needs to be positioned in the final 3rd where we need to rely on his short passing, which is good, and his abiility to steamroller past the defence and score himself.

I he doesn't play in the final 3rd then he is poor 3rd behing Xabi, El Jefecito and Lucas.

Forgetting that Benitez would never countenance this - is there any way of getting Torres, Gerrard and Benayoun on the same pitch with none of them stuck out on the wing? I'm talking Torres with Gerrard & Benayoun behind him...can it be done? Realistically? Please?

[naitizeh]

Just a caveat: I'm really just annoyed with him because he's supposed to be Captain. That should mean something more than just doing hollywood passes and the occasional so-many-yards screamer/beauties.

That said, the whole team down to the manager is just going thru' a rut now - can't pass, can't move, can't make subs quick enough, and ironically, his players play hurried passes - And this is when I hope to see the snr players step up...

And having my dad and bro as manure supporters, I unfortunately have the displeasure of seeing more games turned around by a leader like Keane or even Scholes to a lesser extent. They ask for the ball, they get stuck in, and instead of whinging, they give a bollocking and get on with it. I just don't see that in Gerrard (as least in the last few games)

[CAD]

Lets be honest if we're talking ****e players:

Finnan, Hyypia, Riise, Pennant, Babel, Voronin, Kuyt, Carra

Mascherano only escapes because he was doing what he was told

[Kopite_Colin]

Once again...SG scores again...from through the middle.

[El Jefecito]

I think Gerrard had some fantastic passes today. I think a lot of the passes he connected was wasted many many times by the talentless hacks he is surrounded by.

Gerrard was our best player by far today.

BS. SG's hero balls we're impossible for people to deal with.

[Shaggy]

Just a caveat: I'm really just annoyed with him because he's supposed to be Captain. That should mean something more than just doing hollywood passes and the occasional so-many-yards screamer/beauties.

That said, the whole team down to the manager is just going thru' a rut now - can't pass, can't move, can't make subs quick enough, and ironically, his players play hurried passes - And this is when I hope to see the snr players step up...

And having my dad and bro as manure supporters, I unfortunately have the displeasure of seeing more games turned around by a leader like Keane or even Scholes to a lesser extent. They ask for the ball, they get stuck in, and instead of whinging, they give a bollocking and get on with it. I just don't see that in Gerrard (as least in the last few games)

You're right.

[tomasjj]

I thought Babel was one of our best

SG got better when he was released more forward.
He did waste a lot of possesion though, but he was one of the players to show some bottle.

[Shaggy]

Once again...SG scores again...from through the middle.

"Once again"

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

Has once more proven that he is too good to waste as one of Rafa's (defensive/playmaking) CMs.

FLMAO

That's right, our centre mids don't attack do they?

Put Alonso and Stevie in the middle and give the opposition something to ****in worry about. Why do we have to be so negative when other teams succeed by being positive?

Absolutely pissed off with it TBH.

[Morph]

Carra made a few very good late tackles, and playing next to Hyypia does him no favours