What is Steven Gerrard's best position?

[lfc4ever]

Many teams have and still do play with two central midfielders - one being a more defensive one than the other. Arsenal play with Gilberto Silva and AN Other, United with Carrick & Scholes...so why can't Xabi & Stevie work as a central pair? I think we all thought the same thing when we signed Alonso. On paper they ought to be amongst the best, if the not the best central midfield partnership in world football - yet it's never worked. Why?

And don't tscum sometimes run with three? As to why it doesn't work for us, might need a ten game run to bed down and for each of them to find their feet and their positioning and who is responsible for what, thing is, rotation and lack of confidence in the ability & discipline of others to do a job means square pegs for round holes for us at the moment.

Didn't most of us prob think Bellamy was a pillock for not playing where Bobby R wanted him to play on the day, out on the wing as he was the best option there, yet he whinged & whined like a baby, saying I'm a striker etc, so are we looking with red rose tinted specs when discussing SG, shouldn't footballers just do a job on the park wherever & however the boss wants?

Are all the forums & boards just over analyzing minutia because of the poor start, or is there something more fundamental that needs to be addressed, which might lead to a catalytic moment in time this season?

[Kopite_Colin]

Many teams have and still do play with two central midfielders - one being a more defensive one than the other. Arsenal play with Gilberto Silva and AN Other, United with Carrick & Scholes...so why can't Xabi & Stevie work as a central pair? I think we all thought the same thing when we signed Alonso. On paper they ought to be amongst the best, if the not the best central midfield partnership in world football - yet it's never worked. Why?

Of course it's worked - they have a CL Winners medal each to prove it. Although Didi had something to do with that. For me a CM partnership is about BOTH CMs being able to tackle, and have a good engine to get up and down as required. Alonso just needs to get forward more. ATM, I'd play SG & Momo ahead of SG & ALonso, esp if we're going to play with 2 wingers.

[Shaggy]

Didn't most of us prob think Bellamy was a pillock for not playing where Bobby R wanted him to play on the day, out on the wing as he was the best option there, yet he whinged & whined like a baby, saying I'm a striker etc, so are we looking with red rose tinted specs when discussing SG, shouldn't footballers just do a job on the park wherever & however the boss wants?

I agree with that totally. Said the same about Bellamy at Newcastle and I'm saying the same about Gerrard with us. Some, however, don't see it that way.

Anyway this isn't quite the same. Bellamy, while he should've played where he was told, patently isn't a right sided midfielder, whereas there appears to be geniunely polarised opinions as to what Gerrard's best position is.

[Shaggy]

Of course it's worked - they have a CL Winners medal each to prove it. Although Didi had something to do with that. For me a CM partnership is about BOTH CMs being able to tackle, and have a good engine to get up and down as required. Alonso just needs to get forward more. ATM, I'd play SG & Momo ahead of SG & ALonso, esp if we're going to play with 2 wingers.

Exactly, you just contradicted yourself right there. It "worked", you say? We were 3-0 down with that partnership. In my book, it didn't work - on the contrary in fact; it was a ****ing catastrophe. It took Didi to come into the middle and move Gerrard out of the engine room for us to turn it around.

[Red Chilli]

Bellamy refused to play on the right and feigned injury.
That's amuch bigger crime than what Stevie has done. all Stevie has done is lost his focus and lost his drive. I don't recall hearing him moan ONCE about being played on the right but everyone assumes he has.
Maybe Gerrard is mimicking the age old male tactic of doing something 'half-arsed' so you don't get asked to do it again (like the washing up or the ironing). Maybe he's trying to play worse than Pennant so Rafa drops him from the right wing?
Either way he's getting abuse for something he hasn't done, it's not his fault he's ineffective in that role.

[Shaggy]

Either way he's getting abuse for something he hasn't done, it's not his fault he's ineffective in that role.

You see therein lies the difference in opinion. I don't think he is ineffective in that role. He wasn't ineffective last season. The PFA (i.e his fellow players...and more pertinently, opposing players) didn't think he was ineffective either.

[lfc4ever]

Bellamy refused to play on the right and feigned injury.
That's amuch bigger crime than what Stevie has done. all Stevie has done is lost his focus and lost his drive. I don't recall hearing him moan ONCE about being played on the right but everyone assumes he has.
Maybe Gerrard is mimicking the age old male tactic of doing something 'half-arsed' so you don't get asked to do it again (like the washing up or the ironing). Maybe he's trying to play worse than Pennant so Rafa drops him from the right wing?
Either way he's getting abuse for something he hasn't done, it's not his fault he's ineffective in that role.

Did you miss his latest dig (ie moaning!) as quoted by one of his best buddies Jamie Redknapp only 2 days ago for instance about being played on the right, hence Rafa getting a dig back today by using the England managers use of SG as confirmation of who is right.

Little things like that grow into big things, something is amiss.

[Red Chilli]

Did you miss his latest dig (ie moaning!) as quoted by one of his best buddies Jamie Redknapp only 2 days ago for instance about being played on the right, hence Rafa getting a dig back today by using the England managers use of SG as confirmation of who is right.

Little things like that grow into big things, something is amiss.

I did miss that, but then I don't generally listen to anything Jamie Redknapp says

[CAD]

Hmm, I'm not really sure - I'll have to think about this

[Red Chilli]

You see therein lies the difference in opinion. I don't think he is ineffective in that role. He wasn't ineffective last season. The PFA (i.e his fellow players...and more pertinently, opposing players) didn't think he was ineffective either.

He didn't play on the right all season though did he? I remember several games where Cisse played on the right, I remember loads of champions league goals where he played in the centre. I remember Garcia playing on the right too.
The PFA think Lampturd is a good player :whatever:

He's clearly not happy about being played on the right, should we blame him for this? Stick Momo on the right, I'm sure he'd be unhappy about it too.
Rafa has had 4 transfer windows to sort out the right midfield and has failed every time. Gerrard is asked to bail us out everytime and I don't blame him for getting fed up.
Whatever people think about him, for the good of the club, we have to get the best out of him because he is our best player.

[Kopite_Colin]

Exactly, you just contradicted yourself right there. It "worked", you say? We were 3-0 down with that partnership. In my book, it didn't work - on the contrary in fact; it was a ****ing catastrophe. It took Didi to come into the middle and move Gerrard out of the engine room for us to turn it around.

Actually the factw e conceded 3 was more to do with the crap that was playing round themn that 1st half.

Alonso made more tackles in the Prem last year than any other CMer. We did OK without Momo last year, when he was out injured. Alonso and SG CAN play together - it's about who plays round them. Clearly with those 2 you're not going to play 2 wingers as well, which is why if you're going to play Pennant & Gonzalez with SG as CM, in a 4, I'd play Momo every time. Alonso sould get forard a lot more with his ability, and he wasted not using it. But there's no reason why Xabi shouldn't be able to play in that 4. As it stands, a 3-5-2 would suit the players we have a available better , which is why I believe RAFa wated ALves, so he could play Riise & Alves as wingbacks away and ALves / Gonzalez at home maybe in a 4.

[Shaggy]

He didn't play on the right all season though did he? I remember several games where Cisse played on the right, I remember loads of champions league goals where he played in the centre. I remember Garcia playing on the right too.
The PFA think Lampturd is a good player :whatever:

Yeah I realise that but Momo & Xabi started many more games than not in the middle, with Gerrard on the right.

Like I said, no-one complained cos we were winning and Gerrard was scoring for fun.

[Red Chilli]

I thought most of his goals were from central midfield, but I suppose last season is irrelevant now.
At the moment he is a shadow of his former self and we need to rectify it as soon as possible.

[Shaggy]

Yup. Depressing isn't it.

[Red Chilli]

Results hide a multitude of footballing sins. I remember no-one compained about Houllier's "hoof n' run" tactics when we were winning. Just because we're winning doesn't make it right, how I long for the days when we played attacking football. I think the last time was under Roy Evans, man his teams could play. His results weren't that special but he never finished below 4th, something Rafa and Houllier have both done. It was fantastic to watch, the 4-3's against the barcodes, the days we used to teach the mancs how to play.
If the results aren't coming LFC fans need to see good football.