Gerrard

[barnes10]

Is our captain having a draining effect on our team?

We saw it a few seasons ago where when he was out injured, the rest somehow grew in confidence and stepped up to the plate. and when he was back in, they sat back into roles almost only to get him the ball.

we've seen him not at his best this season. many reasons suggested. injury comeback, mentally not right, deliberately putting in below par performances to get rafa sacked etc etc.

whatever the reason (i believe its fitness only), he's not what we need him to be.

Is a below par Gerrard inhibiting our team and if so do we rest him?

[-V-]

Gerrard was poor again last night but its not completely his fault. The 2 guys behind him offer him absolutely no support in attack. His job is made twice as hard when he is surrounded by defenders while the 2 defensive mids behind him don't get forward to help him. If he had Aquilani making runs from behind then it would free up space for him and he would have a better impact

[Craig_H]

Gerrard was poor again last night but its not completely his fault. The 2 guys behind him offer him absolutely no support in attack. His job is made twice as hard when he is surrounded by defenders while the 2 defensive mids behind him don't get forward to help him. If he had Aquilani making runs from behind then it would free up space for him and he would have a better impact

[barnes10]

who did we have making runs from behind last season? benayoun was for a bit i guess. can't think

[Icon]

The blokes needs resting for 2 reasons

1 - He's not fully fit and knackered

2 - He needs to wait 3 years until the rest of the squad are ready to help him

I feel sorry for him.

[-V-]

Last season we had alonso spraying passes around quickly and thus freeing up space around the park. Lucas and Mascher are too static, and they don't create anything for him. Im not a fan of the Gerrard/Torres combo unless we have more creativity in central midfield and i'll never be a fan of a Gerrard/Kuyt as thats just ridiculous

[Paul12]

I didn't see the game but when I saw the team sheet I just knew we would be having this sort of discussion this morning. I am really really surprised that Rafa thinks it is worth including Gerrard in the team when his contribution to it (for, I agree, fitness reasons) is so slight. This is not hindsight; it had been slight before his Reading injury and it seemed to me to be obvious that it would be slight bearing in mind his very quick return. Indeed, because it was so obvious and Rafa is not stupid, I can't help think there is something going on that we do not know about. Is Rafa trying to make some sort of point to Gerrard for example? And, if he is, why?

My instinct has been right from when he first did his groin in the England game that Rafa is making a point to Gerrard (and the other players) that liverpool come before their national team. But the cost of making such a point (all those dropped points) seems so high that it would surely be perverse for Raf to be doing it. I just don't get what is going on.

[Icon]

I wonder if Rafa does it to appease the fans...

[Carras_Shin_Pads]

The blokes needs resting for 2 reasons

1 - He's not fully fit and knackered

2 - He needs to wait 3 years until the rest of the squad are ready to help him

I feel sorry for him.

He's an excellent player in a bog standard side. You wouldn't like to have all that potential and know there's **** all you can win with it!

[Maxiedge]

He's over elaborating way too much at the moment. I don't agree that the rest of the squad need to improve to help him as he's trying to play fantasy football at the wrong times. I thought everyone around him did ok and he was the main cause of moves breaking down.

But at the end of the day this is Steven Gerrard we're talking about not Christopher Wreh so he'll improve and smooth his game out over the season. Nothing to worry about.

[frank the tank]

i agree that gerrard isnt as effective when lucas and mascher are playing behind him.............but that isn't lucas's fault - and it's not mascherano's either..... Rafa is the one that picks the team and selects the tactics - i actually reckon if lucas was let off the leash a bit he might be ok going forward.....

At the end of the day, we have reached the point of the season where we need to start setting up to win games as opposed to not lose games........

I would like to see gerrard played alongside either lucas or mascherano - with aquilani playing the supporting role as opposed to gerrard.........i think gerrard knows when to get forward, is better defensively than aquilani and also has more overall power in being a box-to-box player.........


oh yeah........and sack rafa

[Mattshark]

I think Gerrard is just playing very poor, his movement has been poor and he is over elaborating, that is Gerrard's fault and he needs to make his game simpler as he has not had a real positive effect since we played Hull.

And Gerrrad in CM? Daft idea.

[Icon]

oh yeah........and sack rafa

Is the only way.....

gerrard played alongside either lucas or mascherano - with aquilani playing the supporting role

...is going to happen...

[andrewces38]

i agree that gerrard isnt as effective when lucas and mascher are playing behind him.............but that isn't lucas's fault - and it's not mascherano's either..... Rafa is the one that picks the team and selects the tactics - i actually reckon if lucas was let off the leash a bit he might be ok going forward.....

At the end of the day, we have reached the point of the season where we need to start setting up to win games as opposed to not lose games........

I would like to see gerrard played alongside either lucas or mascherano - with aquilani playing the supporting role as opposed to gerrard.........i think gerrard knows when to get forward, is better defensively than aquilani and also has more overall power in being a box-to-box player.........


oh yeah........and sack rafa

I really like that Idea and it makes more sense because of the deeper work Gerrard can do

[Craig_H]

I wonder if Rafa does it to appease the fans...

If Rafa did things to appease fans, we'd have skillful, quick and technically sound passers in the side. We'd move the ball quicker and attack with genuine threat. We'd also stop playing with such a woefully negative mentality.