What is Steven Gerrard's best position?

[Red Chilli]

Yes Paul, but "what is his best position?" not 'who is our best option for the right midfield?' or 'which position do we need him most?'.

What is HIS best position, nothing to do with LFC.

Example, if you were picking a world XI and Gerrard was in it, would you put him right midfield or central midfield?

[Dhav]

Playing as a box-to-box midfielder makes the most of his attributes. Whether the team as a whole benefits from him playing somewhere else is a different argument altogether which is why IMO the 'wherever Rafa wants him to play' comments are a bit churlish.

Of course those comments about Rafa playing him wherever he wants were tongue-in-cheek, but the implication is that he should be played in the position that most benefits the team, not necessarily the position that gets the best out of him (if the two don't coincide). At the moment, I feel it would be best playing him on the right and giving him a free role to drift inside and get forward (rather that tracking back perhaps), as that also gives us a strong central pairing of Momo and Xabi. I feel it is the best option especially as the alternative is playing Pennant on the right.

[paulcooper4]

Yes Paul, but "what is his best position?" not 'who is our best option for the right midfield?' or 'which position do we need him most?'.

What is HIS best position, nothing to do with LFC.

Example, if you were picking a world XI and Gerrard was in it, would you put him right midfield or central midfield?

right midfield

[Red Chilli]

Interesting. Funny how people see things completely differently.

[brikkis]

Central midfield.

[paulcooper4]

Central midfield.

might have ****in known awkward arse

[Kiwi]

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?

Because at times when on attack and goes tits up Stevie's head drops and he then ends up tracking back too slowly.
Thus Xabi has to rely on Pennant/Garcia and Aurelio/Zenden/Gonzales to help out with the defensive duties.

[dww]

I honestly think no matter where you play Stevie he will always want a free hand to get involved in whatever he sees fit. The trouble is the one position where this approach traditinally applies the withdrawn striker seems not to suit him as he likes to come from deep. Maybe he could play it at Arsenal where both wide midfielders have under Wenger always been tasked with getting into the box, however with genuine wingers or more withdrawn wide midfield players he doesn't support the striker enough and you end up with a more defensive 4-5-1 formation in effect.

[Morph]

Yes Paul, but "what is his best position?" not 'who is our best option for the right midfield?' or 'which position do we need him most?'.

What is HIS best position, nothing to do with LFC.

Example, if you were picking a world XI and Gerrard was in it, would you put him right midfield or central midfield?

Depends on what formation this world 11 is playing and if he would be be partnered with a eukelele type in the midle.

[brikkis]

might have ****in known awkward arse

[Anfield Mole]

According to Alex Curran, he's best position is the 69 .


As a footballer, I think Gerrard is a cracking full back by the way.

[Morph]

According to the email going round, it's nowehere near Alex while she's eating pancake.

[Shaggy]

'kin ell it's a tight vote...probably only serves to confuse matters even further when even the club's own supporters can't make their mind up about what his best position is.

[Red_Polo]

Of course those comments about Rafa playing him wherever he wants were tongue-in-cheek, but the implication is that he should be played in the position that most benefits the team, not necessarily the position that gets the best out of him (if the two don't coincide). At the moment, I feel it would be best playing him on the right and giving him a free role to drift inside and get forward (rather that tracking back perhaps), as that also gives us a strong central pairing of Momo and Xabi. I feel it is the best option especially as the alternative is playing Pennant on the right.

..and that's a fair enough argument. But we should also accept that it is perfectly reasonable that there may come a time when having Gerrard on the right is not the best thing for the team if it has an affect on the individual player. I'm not saying that time has come, although some are. Hopefully it hasn't as having a demoralised captain is no good thing. To change things because of that would be realistic, not pandering to a prima donna as some have suggested.