Gerrard on the right???

[CAD]

I think you are unfair on Alonso. He is not hugely dynamic but his positioning when freed by Mascher (and he is fully fit) makes up for it. With those two in the middle we can switch the point of attack quickly and play to our strengths much more. United have played with Hargreaves and Anderson both deep this season to great effect and played with the only intermittently more dynamic than Alonso Carrick most of last season.

The balance thing for me is a factor but you have to have other players who are flexible in their positioning too and we do in Yossi, Torres, Kuyt and Babel who will switch when he goes to far out of position.

While Pennant may well have more pace than Gerrard I am unconvinced his crossing is superior. He certainly offers less variation than Gerrard in the balls he delivers and is predictable as everyone knows his one move inside is to run uselessly across the pitch.

You have to have drive/pace and be able to carry the ball forward to be effective as an creative advanced midfielder. Othervice you become stale and predictable and way too easy to shut down. Alonso might be able to drop deep and dictate pace but he wouldn't present a real goalthreat and we would experience a total lack of urgency with Alonso instead of Gerrard.

You want other players to close the gaps when ever he abandons RM? It will never work for a number of reasons. That's too far out DWW.

Pennant stays wide. He clocked in 11 assists last year from his crossing. Best in the team. I would let him play and keep Gerrard at CM where he score a lot of goals.

Imho of course Dww









Nic83 :whatever:

[dww]

I have no problem with Pennant but for me he isn't the player we need to get ourselves playing well again. If we had someone on the other side I think I would be able to make a case for him but increasingly Kewell looks past it and without being able to stretch teams I think the lack of goals provided by Pennant makes us too easy to defend against.

I think that the point of having two deep lying players is to cover defensively so from that angle I see no problem with Gerrard at RM with Alonso and Mascher behind. The question then becomes would we become to narrow and it is a problem that happen a lot last season when Gerrard played right side I accept. I think though that in an attacking sense players like Yossi and even Kuyt should if they have any place in our team or squad look to get into the space he leaves.

I think that Mascher is good at times for urgency but he needs players who want the ball ahead of him and I think that is one of Gerrards best qualities he always shows for the ball.

I think there is a fair argument in what you say about attacking midfielders. However I think that you don't have to move players to move the point of the attack for me Xabi has the passing and shooting range to mean that with decent movement ahead and a solid base in midfield he will create a lot for others. Maybe not direct assists but certainly in terms of allowing us to break down defenses. Obviously what ever we do at the minute will involve some amount of compromise as we don't have enough players who are both good enough and on form enough to demand a starting berth no matter what tactics we use.

[The Glove]

If Rafa thinks his best position is on the right (which he does, and I agree with him) then just tell the sulking **** to play there, and stay out there.

If he doesnt like it, or gets his mates to go whingeing to the papers again, then he knows where the door is.

Im the man, my arse.

Here speaks the voice of reason again.


Gerrard will play where he is told and like it. ****s sake, he is supposed to be playing for the club he supports. If Rafa or any LFC Manager asked me to play on the left I would and Id ****in give my all. This despite the fact Douglas Bader would make a better left sided player than me.

[CAD]

Neither of those statements in bold are remotely true. Gerrard is one of the fastest players in our squad and is one of the best crossers of the ball in the league.

If Gerrard actually did what he was told and hugged the touchline I dont think there is any arguement he would be our best RM. The main argument is whether he is better of for the team in the middle of the park or out wide.

Academic. He doesn't stay wide and hug anything.

With the players avaliable we need him at CM more than RM.

[paulcooper4]

Here speaks the voice of reason again.


Gerrard will play where he is told and like it. ****s sake, he is supposed to be playing for the club he supports. If Rafa or any LFC Manager asked me to play on the left I would and Id ****in give my all. This despite the fact Douglas Bader would make a better left sided player than me.

[darkstar]

We have the tools to be playing 3-4-1-2


Gerrard could then be unleashed to go more or less where he wanted.

With the way cheap goals have trickled in with a back four, I'm not sure whether a back three would be the answer.

[Skillz]

I think if Rafa gets to add another quality striker/playmaker and LW (?) this summer he will revert to 4-2-3-1 for most games. 4-4-2 at home against poorer sides.

We need to give him one more year, IMO

[checkpoint]

I think if Rafa gets to add another quality striker/playmaker and LW (?) this summer he will revert to 4-2-3-1 for most games. 4-4-2 at home against poorer sides.

We need to give him one more year, IMO

So, what's the the best elevens in those two formations then? When injury free of course....

4-2-3-1:

Reina
Finnan-Carra-Agger-Riise
Mascherano-Alonso
Gerrard
Benayoun Babel
Torres

4-4-2:

Reina
Finnan-Carra-Agger-Riise

Benayoun-Gerrard-Mascherano-Babel

Torres-Crouch

LB is a tricky one, but Aurelio is a bit off at the moment. Finnan is close as well with Arbeloa pushing.