The obligatory Stevie G thread

[El Jefecito]

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?

Given where have quailty 4231 is the way to go. It doesn't meet all of your criteria, but it does allow us to use our best players in their best positions.

[Kopite_Colin]

"Once again"

Yes - ONCE AGAIN - he changes the course of the game from through the middle, and we had a late chance of scrambing an equaliser.

Funny how such facts get lost in the midst of such hysteria.

[Morph]

Why the **** was Mascherano playing today, i'm still trying to see the reasons for this, and failing miserably

[El Jefecito]

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

While having played crap through the middle for the rest of the game. Very few tackles, hardly any hero balls finding their targets. He needs to be in a role other than Rafa's idea of a CM. Simple as.

[naitizeh]

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.

The way I saw it, SG disappeared too fast (up to the opposition's half) whenever Hyppia or Carra got the ball. To be fair, Masher didn't really played too well in that area either. Put Alonso there and you will see the difference immediately.

[Shaggy]

Yes - ONCE AGAIN - he changes the course of the game from through the middle, and we had a late chance of scrambing an equaliser.

Funny how such facts get lost in the midst of such hysteria.

I just don't get it. He hasn't scored since the first day of the season. "Once again"?

He's been in the middle for weeks and weeks, and has been ****e and not scored any goals. I don't see the point you're making.

The biggest factor in the goal was Crouch's introduction about 10 seconds earlier.

[kurtangle01]

LIVERPOOL’S Scouse contingent are in unison - the five-time European champions cannot afford a repeat of their performance in Porto.

A bemused Anfield outfit returned from Portugal with a fortunate Champions League point after a poor display in the Estadio do Dragao, where somehow and under constant pressure they managed a 1-1 draw in their opening Group A match.

Skipper Steven Gerrard, who looked as if he was suffering from his two-match England exertions last week and was playing despite his fractured toe, was disappointed with the performance.

"We just did not match up to our own standards," he said. "A point away from home in the Champions League is a good result but we're disappointed with the way we played. We didn't start well and never really recovered.

"We had 10 men for the last 35 minutes so we had to grind out, and work hard for the result.

"We normally start well in Champions League games and we're usually a really good side away from home in Europe, but we did not match those standards against Porto.

"We've built a successful team in Europe on starting well, making it difficult for the opposition, being good in possession and very good on the counter-attack. All these things did not go well this time.

"We've been in two finals in the past three seasons but we never reached those standards in Porto. Before the game, maybe we would have taken a point because Porto are a good side with really dangerous attacking players.

"But they can expect a different Liverpool when they come to Anfield, and if we can take four points off them, it will stand us in good stead in the group stages."

Defender Carragher was upbeat even though the overall performance must have surprised Europe's other big guns. He said: "There is no need to panic. We showed a lot of character to get ourselves back in the game and probably had the better of the chances in the second-half with 10 men.

"We would probably have taken that result before the game."

Talk's cheap, eh?

[Morph]

Talk's cheap, eh?

we've got 1 ****ing point, and we didn't even deserve it, we're an absolute ****ing disgrace

[El Jefecito]

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.

The problem is that Rafa does not use his CMs as impact players. He sees them as enablers for the wingers and strikers. If all that he wants SG to do is spread the play then that is a waste of his skills and mentality.

SG needs to be on the end of plays, not the guy that sets others up. That's why I think we need to be 4231, so that SG can be freed up to be a force of nature rather than the facilitator that he is being shoe-horned into at the moment.

[Frank Leroux]

While having played crap through the middle for the rest of the game. Very few tackles, hardly any hero balls finding their targets. He needs to be in a role other than Rafa's idea of a CM. Simple as.

...And Benitez doesn't do 'impact players' as we now call them, too unpredictable.

So.......

[Slinky Skills]

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.

Agree with this in the most part (apart from that he's not smart enough). Stevie G is by far our best player and tonight he showed that, he's slowly coming round to his best, he DOES however need to be playing in the final third, just behind the strikers or behind one striker because this is where he can really damage teams. We need to pack the midfield with Stevie just in front, it's the way to go.

I think Stevie will play a belter on Sunday against Arsenal, he will be well up for it on the weekend I guarantee.

[El Jefecito]

I just don't get it. He hasn't scored since the first day of the season. "Once again"?

He's been in the middle for weeks and weeks, and has been ****e and not scored any goals. I don't see the point you're making.

The biggest factor in the goal was Crouch's introduction about 10 seconds earlier.

The problem is that SG doesn't realize that Rafa's idea of a CM does not match his skills. Rafa's CMs are basically passive. If SG would smart up, he would realize that he is better off at RM or in the hole, or in a 4231.

SG is not smart though

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

The problem is that Rafa does not use his CMs as impact players. He sees them as enablers for the wingers and strikers.

Good news: Torres is top class.

Bad news: the rest of our strikers and wingers are alehouse.

And anyway I don't agree with your analysis. Fact is Benitez is a negative manager, and we play dull lifeless football.

[naitizeh]

The problem is that Rafa does not use his CMs as impact players. He sees them as enablers for the wingers and strikers. If all that he wants SG to do is spread the play then that is a waste of his skills and mentality.

SG needs to be on the end of plays, not the guy that sets others up. That's why I think we need to be 4231, so that SG can be freed up to be a force of nature rather than the facilitator that he is being shoe-horned into at the moment.

Agree mostly. But am also thinking that 442 ain't so bad if the CMs step up. Or it could be just me not wanting to pander to a single player.

[El Jefecito]

Agree with this in the most part (apart from that he's not smart enough). Stevie G is by far our best player and tonight he showed that, he's slowly coming round to his best, he DOES however need to be playing in the final third, just behind the strikers or behind one striker because this is where he can really damage teams. We need to pack the midfield with Stevie just in front, it's the way to go.

I think Stevie will play a belter on Sunday against Arsenal, he will be well up for it on the weekend I guarantee.

SG is not smart though. Wish he were, he'd be the best in the world, no doubt, if he had the brains of a Xabi.