Liverpool vs Sunderland post match

[Lecter]

If we play Gerrard off Torres then we have to play either Lucas or Poulson in centre mid alongside Meireles. For me that's a no-no unless we have to.

It should be Cole off Torres, Gerrard and RM in centre mid, Glen Johnson right midfield, and I'd use Kuyt on the left like Holland do. There's plenty of bite and creativity in that midfield.

That attacking 6 looks pretty decent to me.

The only thing is you are again stifling your best attacking midfielder and the guy who has contributed nearly 60 goals in 3 seasons from the position just off the front man

Cole wont score near that amount hes a half a dozen goals a season man at best

Far better to play Gerrard where hes best and were hes most effective, and let Cole weigh in with his half a dozen goals a season from the left (like he did at Chelsea)

[Shaggy]

Me too!!

He starts a sentence with utterly no idea where he is going with it and gives the impression of a man going downhill on a runaway unicycle.

Exactly, it's totally hilarious.

[alunevans]

Front 6 and the shape picks itself IMO, a no-brainer.

-----Lucas-------Meireles

Kuyt-----Gerrard------Cole

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

The shape is straightforward and I'd agree with that but I wouldn't be playing Lucas in midfield. He's just not good enough for what I consider to be the most important part of the pitch.

Gerrard is a better bet in there, and Cole can play off Torres more than capably.

Kuyt's workrate would be just as effective on the left as on the right (not quite as much but we wouldn't lose much with him swapping sides).

Then convert the £18million right back who can't defend into the midfielder he clearly is, thereby playing Johnson right mid.


---------Gerrard------Meireles----------

Johnson----------Cole--------------Kuyt

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

[alunevans]

Exactly, it's totally hilarious.

The eyes begin to dart and stare too as the terror kicks in six minutes into his sentence.

[alunevans]

The only thing is you are again stifling your best attacking midfielder and the guy who has contributed nearly 60 goals in 3 seasons from the position just off the front man

Cole wont score near that amount hes a half a dozen goals a season man at best

Far better to play Gerrard where hes best and were hes most effective, and let Cole weigh in with his half a dozen goals a season from the left (like he did at Chelsea)

We've lost 2 world class central midfielders though in two years. That position needs quality. Poulson and Lucas can't be playing there for us week in week out.

Gerrard will still score goals from midfield as he showed yesterday. My guess is that Gerrard and Cole will score much the same between them that Gerrard and Mascherano scored between them last season, but we'll have a better chance of controlling games with two quality central midfielders.

Its the one area of the park that you can't just make do.

[Lecter]

The shape is straightforward and I'd agree with that but I wouldn't be playing Lucas in midfield. He's just not good enough for what I consider to be the most important part of the pitch.

Gerrard is a better bet in there, and Cole can play off Torres more than capably.

Kuyt's workrate would be just as effective on the left as on the right (not quite as much but we wouldn't lose much with him swapping sides).

Then convert the £18million right back who can't defend into the midfielder he clearly is, thereby playing Johnson right mid.


---------Gerrard------Meireles----------

Johnson----------Cole--------------Kuyt

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

I'd play Meireles in that position

Gerrard goes to sleep lets players run off him hes no longer a central midfielder

As I said also Cole is not going to contribute anywhere near the same goal threat from that position as Gerrard does

Hes a half a dozen league goals a season at best and he'll get you that from the left

Gerrard will contribute 20 goals a season from that position, but he'll score nowhere near that from central midfield

Frankly I think we can ill afford to lose those goals

IMO we have no choice but to play one of Lucas / Poulsen alongside Meireles

With Gerrard off Torres

I'd be surprised if Roy did this though and thats why I dont see thing changing

[DannyMan2006]

Ill trust what my eyes have seen rather than a pessmistic villa fan every fan is over critical of their own team.

And how would O'Neill be out of the pan into the fire? he got a personality, charisma and understands the modern game a lot more than Roy. Roy even though he seems like a lovely man, couldnt inspire a kleptomaniac to steal. And we have seen the tactics he prefers....

We havent had a manager with charisma or that certain something that makes people listen and keeps their attention since dalglish. Is it a coincidence that we havent won a league title since dalglish?

Disclaimer: This is all obviously just my opinion and you dont have to agree

I'd be happy with O'Neil. Done a good job wherever he has been.

I don't think any club has done better after he has left. He plays with wingers too, something I like to see personally.

Dream manager would have to be Mourinho or maybe even Joachim Lowe.

[dww]

The shape is straightforward and I'd agree with that but I wouldn't be playing Lucas in midfield. He's just not good enough for what I consider to be the most important part of the pitch.

Gerrard is a better bet in there, and Cole can play off Torres more than capably.

Kuyt's workrate would be just as effective on the left as on the right (not quite as much but we wouldn't lose much with him swapping sides).

Then convert the £18million right back who can't defend into the midfielder he clearly is, thereby playing Johnson right mid.


---------Gerrard------Meireles----------

Johnson----------Cole--------------Kuyt

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

I think it is better to think of the central midfield as potentially a triangle with Gerrard at the point. I don't see us loosing anything that way.

My feeling is that thinking of any particular area of the pitch as 'the most important' leads you down the wrong direction tactically. The balance of the team has to be struck holistically.

Not convinced of Johnson on the wing. His best play comes running on from deep. I still have hope that he can adapt defensively. His real problem is one of concentration when one on one. He is a player I expect to benefit from a period in which Roy limits his bursts forward - if he picked when to go and stay more judiciously I think he would come in for less criticism at the back.

[Lecter]

We've lost 2 world class central midfielders though in two years. That position needs quality. Poulson and Lucas can't be playing there for us week in week out.

Gerrard will still score goals from midfield as he showed yesterday. My guess is that Gerrard and Cole will score much the same between them that Gerrard and Mascherano scored between them last season, but we'll have a better chance of controlling games with two quality central midfielders.

Its the one area of the park that you can't just make do.

Fair points but Meireles can play that position all you are asking Lucas & Poulsen to do is HOLD and give it simply to the players around them

The Gerrard thing makes no sense imo

Gerrard got 20 goals in that position
Add half a dozen from Cole from the left and a few from Meireles

You could be talking nearly 30 goals

Cole wont get near Gerrards total in the hole, and Gerrard wont get near 20 goals from central midfield. At best you will be getting 20 goals between them

You'd be better playing my system getting the max goals out of Gerrard and getting Cole to weigh in with his half dozen or so from the left

The type of football we are playing bypasses midfield anyway which kind of makes the need for a quality passing midfield player defunct anyway

[DannyMan2006]

I'd play Meireles in that position

Gerrard goes to sleep lets players run off him hes no longer a central midfielder

As I said also Cole is not going to contribute anywhere near the same goal threat from that position as Gerrard does

Hes a half a dozen league goals a season at best and he'll get you that from the left

Gerrard will contribute 20 goals a season from that position, but he'll score nowhere near that from central midfield

Frankly I think we can ill afford to lose those goals

IMO we have no choice but to play one of Lucas / Poulsen alongside Meireles

With Gerrard off Torres

I'd be surprised if Roy did this though and thats why I dont see thing changing

I think people have to remember that Gerrard takes all our set pieces and will get plety of goals and assist from them.

I'd like to see how many goals he's scored from open play.

That said, Meireles looks good in midfield so I'd probably move Gerrard up off Torres. I'd keep him there until we signed a player of similar quality.

[Havors]

Fair points but Meireles can play that position all you are asking Lucas & Poulsen to do is HOLD and give it simply to the players around them

The Gerrard thing makes no sense imo

Gerrard got 20 goals in that position
Add half a dozen from Cole from the left and a few from Meireles

You could be talking nearly 30 goals

Cole wont get near Gerrards total in the hole, and Gerrard wont get near 20 goals from central midfield. At best you will be getting 20 goals between them

You'd be better playing my system getting the max goals out of Gerrard and getting Cole to weigh in with his half dozen or so from the left

The type of football we are playing bypasses midfield anyway which kind of makes the need for a quality passing midfield player defunct anyway

cole is an impact player and would do better coming off the bench.... mouringo knew this, ancelotti knew this. i personally dont thing hes good enough over 90 mins, he goes missing and has stamina issues.

[Fernandinho]

I think Cole has looked so much better when he comes into the middle, thus the gerrard/cole in behind debate.

[alunevans]

Fair points but Meireles can play that position all you are asking Lucas & Poulsen to do is HOLD and give it simply to the players around them

The Gerrard thing makes no sense imo

Gerrard got 20 goals in that position
Add half a dozen from Cole from the left and a few from Meireles

You could be talking nearly 30 goals

Cole wont get near Gerrards total in the hole, and Gerrard wont get near 20 goals from central midfield. At best you will be getting 20 goals between them

You'd be better playing my system getting the max goals out of Gerrard and getting Cole to weigh in with his half dozen or so from the left

The type of football we are playing bypasses midfield anyway which kind of makes the need for a quality passing midfield player defunct anyway

I don't believe in asking a central midfielder to just hold, but that's a personal view. One goes, the other stays, and vice versa. That's how I grew up watching the game and it doesn't seem hard to coordinate. I'd rather have 3 quality midfielders in that triangle than 2 quality and one way below par.

[DannyMan2006]

cole is an impact player and would do better coming off the bench.... mouringo knew this, ancelotti knew this. i personally dont thing hes good enough over 90 mins, he goes missing and has stamina issues.

He used to start under Mourinho.

[dww]

cole is an impact player and would do better coming off the bench.... mouringo knew this, ancelotti knew this. i personally dont thing hes good enough over 90 mins, he goes missing and has stamina issues.

There were long periods when he was a key started under Mourinho. The thing was though that Jose seemed to literally tell him constantly what to do (and play him on the wing). Cole seems to have no tactical understanding at all, he is however a flair player who is less of a physical weakling than Benayoun which should allow him to be a key asset to our team. We do need to find a way to give him less responsibility in terms of play making though as he couldn't run a game if his life depended on it.