Until Aquilani is fit

[Craig_H]

Play 4-4-2. Drop Gerrard back into midfield and play Voronin or Babel as an out and out striker, with Torres.

For games where the defence needs protection, play Mascher. For other games, play Lucas.

Because as a central pair, Lucas and Mascher will struggle to find a creative edge.

[saj]

Play 4-4-2. Drop Gerrard back into midfield and play Voronin or Babel as an out and out striker, with Torres.

For games where the defence needs protection, play Mascher. For other games, play Lucas.

Because as a central pair, Lucas and Mascher will struggle to find a creative edge.

I was thinking drop Gerrard in place of Lucas and then put Benni in the hole (the current Gerrard role). Stick Riera on the left. I don't care what anyone says, Lucas will never be good enough for us

[red g]

I was thinking drop Gerrard in place of Lucas and then put Benni in the hole (the current Gerrard role). Stick Riera on the left. I don't care what anyone says, Lucas will never be good enough for us

i like this option.

Better than a complete formation change.

[Tee]

We looked so much better balanced when Gerrard dropped into midfield yesterday, albeit briefly.

Neither Lucas nor Mascher have a natural attacking tendency and they can pass sideways and backwards all day long without any end product, whereas Gerrard is always likely to inject urgency in our attacking play from CM.

Time to play him in his natural position and get those *******s to get their chequebook out and sign Silva to play in the 'hole'. IMO.

Edit - or play Benni in the hole as Saj suggests.

[Craig_H]

I was thinking drop Gerrard in place of Lucas and then put Benni in the hole (the current Gerrard role). Stick Riera on the left. I don't care what anyone says, Lucas will never be good enough for us

Not a bad shout. I dont personally think blame lies with Lucas, he was pretty good yesterday, and better than a good few.

But yeah, Riera's width and balance on the left, Gerrard's power and creativity in CM and Yossi's intelligence and threat just behind Torres, does sound a good system.

[cream]

I was thinking drop Gerrard in place of Lucas and then put Benni in the hole (the current Gerrard role). Stick Riera on the left. I don't care what anyone says, Lucas will never be good enough for us

This.

Lucas is a good squaddie and should only be used to rest Masch.

[Leyton388]

I said this a while ago about dropping gerrard back in to the middle and was told to behave as gerrard is not a center half LOL.

[JohnDoe]

Lucas was fine yesterday, give him time.

Just play Benayoun instead of Babel and we'll look much much better.

[the rev leeroy brown]

as much as i HATE to say it, dropping gerard back into midfield is our only feasible option till aquilani is fit. mash and lucas were dire as a pair. as soon as gerard dropped back we looked more composed and had a far better time of it. i hate to split up the torres / gerard partnership but to give babel and torres a shot together would soften the blow.

[Craig_H]

I think our improvement had as much to do with Yossi coming on, as it did moving SG back.

Furthermore, i like the option of 2 strikers because when Torres is having a sulk, he's ineffective. Yesterday he was stroppy and not sharp.

[zimbo]

Play 4-4-2. Drop Gerrard back into midfield and play Voronin or Babel as an out and out striker, with Torres.

For games where the defence needs protection, play Mascher. For other games, play Lucas.

Because as a central pair, Lucas and Mascher will struggle to find a creative edge.

Agree re. Gerrard.

Problem is that neither Babel nor Voronin are remotely good enough to be anywhere near the first team and, as we know, other striking options are extremely limited.

I'm even toying with the idea of Kuyt playing behind Torres, with Degen bombing down the flank as a kind of old-style right winger cum overactive Tasmanian Devil on speed. I think he could be the answer. Now if I could only remember what the question was.

[Shaggy]

Well I know where people are coming from but I totally disagree.

We are more of a threat when Gerrard is closer to Torres. When he dropped deep yesterday, trying to do everything as he usually does in that position, I thought we were much less threatening than we would’ve been had he been playing off Nando. Yes at the time we improved but that was more to do with Yossi’s presence IMO.

He’s so much less effective in the middle of the park. I agree with John Doe – the key is getting Yossi in the side, and keeping Gerrard in tandem with Torres. They are a class pairing and capable of destroying anyone – we’ve seen it time and time again and you do not discard that after one rubbish performance.

[-V-]

Lucas will save us

[Guest]

Buy one quality striker and our 'depth' would be improved a lot. That would enable Gerrard to play in CM, letting Lucas fight it out with him for that position until Aquilani is fit, then also provide competition and depth to our central forward position. If we had bucketloads of money I would have been keen on a central defender too, but it won't happen, I mean, we won't sign a striker AND a central defender. Knowing Rafa, he's going to build from the back rather than from the front.

[red g]

Lucas played ok yesterday but him and Masher together are just not a good partnership.
Lucas just doesnt offer enough of what we need when he is paired with masher.


we desperately need Agger back as well, any idea when he is fit?