In the hole?

[El Jefecito]

The fact of the mater is gerrard is the best holding midfielder, the best centre midfielder, the best right sided midfielder, best attacking midfielder etc we have. I see a huge dependance on his shoulders behind torres to create, which he did very well last season for a player learning the position, but you can tell he's not a natural there. Injury or suspension and we're lacking in creativity. Kyut, Voronin and Yossi aren't good enough. Very valid point about the long range passing. But it might encourage Carra not to hoof it, and pass it to Stevie and then Stevie could just pass it simple to the playmaker and get forword. He mightn't get 20+ goals but the team would score more with him at CM and a playmaker ahead pulling the strings.

Its all based on possibilities no? And if we are going to go 4-2-3-1 we need back up there. 4-4-2 may well work if Gerrard was allowed to play on the right by the press. The hacks don't say anything when Fabio has him out on the left for England. Soon as he hits a bit of paint on the sidelines at anfield, its all over the media and all the gerrard and rafa falling out nonsense starts. Villa would be a square peg in a round hole in 4-2-3-1 and i'm slightly dillusional after seeing himself and Torres in the euro's, but he'd fit in somewhere. He'd be better on our bench than anybody else's!

Sorry, not going to let that pass. El Jefecito pisses all over SG in those positions.

[billy_mac]

Sorry, not going to let that pass. El Jefecito pisses all over SG in those positions.

Course your not, given your user name.

[El Jefecito]

Course your not, given your user name.

If you don't agree that El Jefecito is a better holding midfielder than SG then you are crazy!

[Guest]

Gay thread.

[MrMichael]

Gay thread.

Constructive and unpredictable as ever Fredo

[billy_mac]

If you don't agree that El Jefecito is a better holding midfielder than SG then you are crazy!

Mascherano is a specialist in his position. I'll conseed that he is better at Gerrard at what he does, but he is limited to what he can do. I don't see a need for him to ever play at home. Away he'd be my first name on the team sheet. He is boss in the tackle and the hastle but his ability to pass the ball 10 yards sometimes deserts him, nowhere near as badly as Momo's. I seen macherano play in the world cup in germany and I said to all my manure mates, there's keanes replacement. He's not even 25 and I think he can be that good at what he does.

[El Jefecito]

Mascherano is a specialist in his position. I'll conseed that he is better at Gerrard at what he does, but he is limited to what he can do. I don't see a need for him to ever play at home. Away he'd be my first name on the team sheet. He is boss in the tackle and the hastle but his ability to pass the ball 10 yards sometimes deserts him, nowhere near as badly as Momo's. I seen macherano play in the world cup in germany and I said to all my manure mates, there's keanes replacement. He's not even 25 and I think he can be that good at what he does.

Not buying that. His passing on the whole is pretty good and towards the tail-end of the season he was getting forward far more often. To pull El Jefecito up for his passing and not comment on SGs hollywood balls is disingenious.

[billy_mac]

The fact of the mater is gerrard is the best holding midfielder, the best centre midfielder, the best right sided midfielder, best attacking midfielder etc we have. I see a huge dependance on his shoulders behind torres to create, which he did very well last season for a player learning the position, but you can tell he's not a natural there. Injury or suspension and we're lacking in creativity. Kyut, Voronin and Yossi aren't good enough. Very valid point about the long range passing. But it might encourage Carra not to hoof it, and pass it to Stevie and then Stevie could just pass it simple to the playmaker and get forword. He mightn't get 20+ goals but the team would score more with him at CM and a playmaker ahead pulling the strings.

Its all based on possibilities no? And if we are going to go 4-2-3-1 we need back up there. 4-4-2 may well work if Gerrard was allowed to play on the right by the press. The hacks don't say anything when Fabio has him out on the left for England. Soon as he hits a bit of paint on the sidelines at anfield, its all over the media and all the gerrard and rafa falling out nonsense starts. Villa would be a square peg in a round hole in 4-2-3-1 and i'm slightly dillusional after seeing himself and Torres in the euro's, but he'd fit in somewhere. He'd be better on our bench than anybody else's!

I'm all too aware of SG's ability to kick it nowhere and Carra's. Mascherano isn't the tidiest of passers.

[Woobus]

Away he'd be my first name on the team sheet. He is boss in the tackle and the hastle but his ability to pass the ball 10 yards sometimes deserts him, nowhere near as badly as Momo's.

With Mascherano in the team it allows the full backs to get forward more knowing he can cover their position. No reason not to have him in the team at home as this allows us to use more width and stretch the other team. His passing is fine and when he gets the ball he can get it to someone more creative nearly all the time.

[Jan Molby]

The fact of the mater is gerrard is the best holding midfielder, the best centre midfielder, the best right sided midfielder, best attacking midfielder etc we have. I see a huge dependance on his shoulders behind torres to create, which he did very well last season for a player learning the position, but you can tell he's not a natural there. Injury or suspension and we're lacking in creativity. Kyut, Voronin and Yossi aren't good enough. Very valid point about the long range passing. But it might encourage Carra not to hoof it, and pass it to Stevie and then Stevie could just pass it simple to the playmaker and get forword. He mightn't get 20+ goals but the team would score more with him at CM and a playmaker ahead pulling the strings.

Its all based on possibilities no? And if we are going to go 4-2-3-1 we need back up there. 4-4-2 may well work if Gerrard was allowed to play on the right by the press. The hacks don't say anything when Fabio has him out on the left for England. Soon as he hits a bit of paint on the sidelines at anfield, its all over the media and all the gerrard and rafa falling out nonsense starts. Villa would be a square peg in a round hole in 4-2-3-1 and i'm slightly dillusional after seeing himself and Torres in the euro's, but he'd fit in somewhere. He'd be better on our bench than anybody else's!

the fact? are you sure mate? cos i'm not

[Jan Molby]

Course your not, given your user name.

i'm not sure it's anything to do with usernames, it's to do with your strange view of our players

[Jan Molby]

Mascherano is a specialist in his position. I'll conseed that he is better at Gerrard at what he does, but he is limited to what he can do. I don't see a need for him to ever play at home. Away he'd be my first name on the team sheet. He is boss in the tackle and the hastle but his ability to pass the ball 10 yards sometimes deserts him, nowhere near as badly as Momo's. I seen macherano play in the world cup in germany and I said to all my manure mates, there's keanes replacement. He's not even 25 and I think he can be that good at what he does.

please mate, put the shovel down and step away from the hole.

or actually maybe your right, he should only play away, will you tell that to rafa or will i, he probably knows that already, stupid rafa, playing mascha at home when clearly there's no need!
we could have him sorting the kit out when we play at home.
GET A GRIP RAFA

[redmacca]

if we played gerrard on the right we could let him do whatever he wanted, influence the game like ronaldo does for the scum. In order to keep the balance we should have been going for a top class right back who could raid down the right flank in gerrards absence on the right side. This woulnd't necessarily leave us short at the back as we'd have two holding midfielders in masch/lucas/barry to provide the cover.
This would free stevie up to roam around and not have to worry about losing shape on the right side as we would have someone in the alves/sagna/zambrotta role to bomb forward and put crosses in the box

[billy_mac]

I'll dig a little more Jan, I enjoy a good old fashioned hole digging. I don't think we should be playing 4-2-3-1 at home. We haven't got the full backs to be creative going forward nor do we have a forward thinking centre back with Agger injured. Playing 4-2-3-1 means we have 6 players stationed in our own half and we predominately play on the break rather than controlling possession and dictacting play. At home I'd prefer 4-4-2 with SG in the middle with one holding midfield. As things stand with mascherano, lucas and alonso, I'd leave mascherano out as he is the least forward thinking. If and when the personel change and we have marauding fullbacks overlapping, then mascherano is essential to fill in the gaps.

[billy_mac]

if we played gerrard on the right we could let him do whatever he wanted, influence the game like ronaldo does for the scum. In order to keep the balance we should have been going for a top class right back who could raid down the right flank in gerrards absence on the right side. This woulnd't necessarily leave us short at the back as we'd have two holding midfielders in masch/lucas/barry to provide the cover.
This would free stevie up to roam around and not have to worry about losing shape on the right side as we would have someone in the alves/sagna/zambrotta role to bomb forward and put crosses in the box

In full agreement with you on this. Would be great if Degen proved to be that full back for free. Only time will tell. I don't think SG will play back out on the right after all the media attention about him being unhappy playing there before. The press will jump on it again and try make a rift between rafa and SG.