Aquiliani or Lucas?

[The_Positive_One]

I seriously doubt that. The team this year was unlucky with injuries and under performed. With no massive CL games I think we will be better placed to finish higher in the league.

[I]f the team stayed injury free it is probably good enough fo finish on about 80 or so points, maybe more. But staying injury free looks a long shot with the players we have. Agger and Torres to name but two seem to be made of paper maiche. I'd add Aurelio but I think it is safe to say he is off.

While I agree the team is good enough injury free, our depth is killing us...

If the other 6 above us, and a few below us strenghten and we don't, we will fall further, especially if we have another injury plagued season....

I personally think we will improve on this season next season, but it will really hinge on our transfers...

[DannyMan2006]

While I agree the team is good enough injury free, our depth is killing us...

If the other 6 above us, and a few below us strenghten and we don't, we will fall further, especially if we have another injury plagued season....

I personally think we will improve on this season next season, but it will really hinge on our transfers...

Well that goes without saying. If we have the same squad and same problems next year we will once again be looking at 7th, maybe lower if other teams improve. We can count ourselves lucky in one sense that Everton had an even worse injury crisis, otherwise we'd be looking at 8th.

If on the other hand, we got very luck with injuries, it would look very different.

[The_Positive_One]

It was (thank God it's over!!!) a bad season all round, Injuries no luck or bad luck etc...

I just hope things are sorted sooner rather than later, so we can concentrate on hitting the ground running...

The longer uncertainty lingers in the air the worse off we will be...

[DannyMan2006]

It was (thank God it's over!!!) a bad season all round, Injuries no luck or bad luck etc...

I just hope things are sorted sooner rather than later, so we can concentrate on hitting the ground running...

The longer uncertainty lingers in the air the worse off we will be...

Definitely. And player feeling uneasy about the club will want things sorted before the world cup, they don't want teh same old questions thrown their way by the media when they are trying to concentrate on the biggest tournamnet they will ever play in. This will likely be Gerrards last world cup, he doesn't want it interrupted with club speculation.

Whilst the club need to identify transfer targets and go out and sign them, before a good world cup for a player.

[The_Positive_One]

Definitely. And player feeling uneasy about the club will want things sorted before the world cup, they don't want teh same old questions thrown their way by the media when they are trying to concentrate on the biggest tournamnet they will ever play in. This will likely be Gerrards last world cup, he doesn't want it interrupted with club speculation.

Whilst the club need to identify transfer targets and go out and sign them, before a good world cup for a player.

this is true, but until a manager and money are sorted, we can do nothing...

[Exiled_red]

Aquilani for me, they are different types of player and I'd prefer a more attacking edge to the team we lack creativity and Aquilani is more likely to provide that than Lucas IMO. That said his best play has been in the 'Gerrard role' off the striker with Gerrard behind him, and that is where his best position is from what I've seen. If Gerrard rediscovers his form of previous seasons, it would remain to be seen how effective Aquialni would be in centre mid.

That said I'm not saying Lucas is a bad player, he isn't he's been getting alot of stick this season which is unfair IMO. He's a good player but I'd prefer a more attcaking line up.

[dww]

I suspect that we need a stronger squad and that both would have important roles within that. At the minute we don't have a squad around them that suits either. We need an extra central midfielder whether it be a deep lying one to give the option of Aquilani in the Gerrard role when Stevie is injured or another attacking one who offers something more like Gerrards mix of attacking and defensive qualities in that position. We also need at least one player, ideally two to stretch teams out wide but who are also capable of a good pressing game. Without at least one I think Aquilani and Lucas will both struggle to reach their potential (arguably as Alonso did after his first season until the arrival of Riera).

I'm not sure that while we have to make either or decisions about players who play fundamentally different styles of game that the club will be able to progress.

[SB]

Mark this day as the day you will return to my words and say

"Dalglish, on the day you said mark this day as the day you will return to my words I thought 'that day will never come as your comments this day are possibly the side effects of a stroke'however I was wrong and on this day I can confirm that on the day you said mark this day as they day you will return to my words you were correct, God like, prescient and very well hung"

[Mostar]

We're not in a position to improve on either of them and as they have both improved throughtout the season I would keep them both.Lucas is much, much better than a lot give him credit for but he suffers from idiots like Henry Winter picking on him for no reason and obviously suffered by being the one who replaced Alonso in the side even though he could never be considered a like for like replacement in style.
Aquilani appears to have benifited from being eased in and treated carefully after his injuries, we'll never know if he would have improved us halfway through the season when he was sub a lot.

Without any new updates on Masch contract renegotiations we will need to hold on Lucas as Masch may be on the move this summer (hopefully not). I agree that he improved but that is primarily due to number of games he played and confidence Rafa had in him. He is primarily defensive player and regardless of high % of passes (I think he had highest precentage this year in all EPL) we need much more attacking midfielder but all in all he was consistent and had a good season.

Imo Aquilani could not be properly judged given amount of playing time and lack of confidence Rafa had in him. He needs more playing time to truly exibit his true potential. Yes, he has been very inconsistent this year but with only what 10 starts this year and amount of pressure as being seen as Xabi's replacement to me that is not a surprise. Factor in also this was his first year in physical EPL and for that reason imo he did well. I personally expect him to settle nicely and if given ample of playing time next year we may see quite a different Aquilani (in the good way). Is he a very good player or classy one time will tell.

[Ben_Itez]

I think it's unfair to compare them directly as they are very different types of player who play in very different roles.

I can only really see Aquilani playing in the Gerrard role off Torres or AN Other.


---------Masch / Lucas--------Gerrard / Lucas

Kuyt / Maxi---------Aquilani / Gerrard----- Jovanovic /Babel/Turan?

------------------------Torres


It's a squad game and we really need to keep hold of as many players as possible cos if we sell them, as things stand, we wont be getting the money to re-invest.

Disclaimer: My graphics arent as good as Fierce's but i spent about ten minutes trying ......

[Big-Red-Ed]

Honestly, in an ideal world i would have neither. If pushed i would choose the more offensive aquilani.
They are not without their merits but would they command a place in any team in the top half of the prem?
I'll answer my own question.
No.

[Mattshark]

Honestly, in an ideal world i would have neither. If pushed i would choose the more offensive aquilani.
They are not without their merits but would they command a place in any team in the top half of the prem?
I'll answer my own question.
No.

Erm, yes, they would.

[Mostar]

Honestly, in an ideal world i would have neither. If pushed i would choose the more offensive aquilani.
They are not without their merits but would they command a place in any team in the top half of the prem? I'll answer my own question.
No.

it's pointless to speak about an ideal world of Utopia.

In terms of your question I'd answer it in agreement with Mattshark.

[Charly]

Why in the name of all thats holy did Benitez not buy in Gareth Barry. It was rumours of signing him that unsettled Alonso in the first place.

[TheElephantMan]

I'm not sure whether it's right to compare them, but I would say that Lucas is a better player defensively and can offer something offensively whilst Aquilani has potential offensively yet offers little defensively. On that basis I feel that Lucas is the better all round player. Maybe Aquilani has the potential to be a better creative player than Lucas has to be a great defensive midfielder. Lucas has improved dramatically over the last few years and I think he is probably the safer bet to emerge as a key player for us.