Aldridge calls for Kelly

[alunevans]

Just spotted in the Echo that Aldridge has just picked a team that's virtually identical to the one that I posted here the other day *gloat*.

Aldo is saying bring in Martin Kelly and play Glen Johnson wide right.

Then have Gerrard and Meireles at centre mid together.

The only difference is that he has Dirk off Torres with Cole on the left, whereas I'd switch them round.

I know I would say this, but I think he's spot on.

[dww]

I don't think Cole is intelligent or strong enough to play in the middle.

[cream]

Is this the Utrecht build up thread?

[dww]

I was taking it to mean as the team going forward.

Personally I'm not sure I think Johnson would make a very good winger.

[alunevans]

It could be cream if the mods want to merge it. Just spotted it in twitter and thought I'd post.

You may be right dww. I've always been a bit skeptical of Cole's final product, but I think Aldo is bang on about getting Johnson at wide right, and Gerrard and Meireles in the centre.

[alunevans]

I was taking it to mean as the team going forward.

Personally I'm not sure I think Johnson would make a very good winger.

Yet he's almost certainly the best winger we have shockingly. And I'm convinced he's better at going forward than he is defensively.

[alunevans]

I was taking it to mean as the team going forward.

me too

[dww]

It could be cream if the mods want to merge it. Just spotted it in twitter and thought I'd post.

You may be right dww. I've always been a bit skeptical of Cole's final product, but I think Aldo is bang on about getting Johnson at wide right, and Gerrard and Meireles in the centre.

I think it would be worth a try but I've said a number of times that I don't think that Gerrard is a top quality CM and would worry about him being the player in the centre asked to be the more defensive. I'm not sure replicating the Lampard - Gerrard problem England have is the way out of our problems but I may be doing Meireles a diservice in terms of his ability to be the holding player.

We need width so Johnson on the wing is a gamble I think should be investigated - even if as a change when the game isn't going our way. Personally my feeling is that his effectiveness going forward comes from the way he runs from deep.

I would like to hear a critique from the likes of Rafa (or even Roy actually who has always struck me as a great critic of teams and players) as to why they feel that Johnson is a right back. It would be interesting to see whether they agreed with our impressions of him and whether they ever felt right midfield was an option for him.

[cream]

Johnson needs to get back to playing the way he used to. He either doesn't like Roys tactics or there's something else bothering him, he doesn't seem to right at the moment.

I'm not sure what the english fascination seems to be in trying to prove that Gerrard is CM, just put him in the position where he does most damage, simple really.

[Fredo]

Width doesn't just come by having a proper winger on the right side, it can come from having a full back like Glen Johnson. I think he needs proper one to one coaching, which Roy isn't capable of giving him. Full backs are the archetypal modern wingers today.

Stick with Johnson, give him the proper coaching he requires to become a top class fullback. I'm sure that was Rafa's thinking initially.

[dww]

Width doesn't just come by having a proper winger on the right side, it can come from having a full back like Glen Johnson. I think he needs proper one to one coaching, which Roy isn't capable of giving him. Full backs are the archetypal modern wingers today.

Stick with Johnson, give him the proper coaching he requires to become a top class fullback. I'm sure that was Rafa's thinking initially.

But attacking fullbacks as the only source of width also doesn't work - see Scolari's Chelsea for evidence. They are more forward thinking than in the past and top teams definitely need them to contribute going forward but width higher up the pitch provides something space in areas that can't be opened up by defenders coming forward without them leaving you completely exposed at the back.

[Arn]

No manager has so far been able to get the best out of Gerrard by playing him as a central midfielder, no one.

Gerrard need to play in a totally free position because he isn't good enough defensively to play as a central midfielder. His passing game isn't good enough either. To many Hollywood passes and to many high risk passes.

When you play in central midfield then it must be safety first and that really don't fit with Gerrard's style of play.

[Fredo]

But attacking fullbacks as the only source of width also doesn't work - see Scolari's Chelsea for evidence. They are more forward thinking than in the past and top teams definitely need them to contribute going forward but width higher up the pitch provides something space in areas that can't be opened up by defenders coming forward without them leaving you completely exposed at the back.

I meant, width higher up the pitch when teams are defending deep doesn't contribute that much, you need more. You'll see that Kuyt's very effective when he's in form, whilst not being a proper winger himself. His movement and awareness helps in creating gaps for the full back and at the same time providing enough cover for when an attack breaks down.

There are specific patterns of play where you can use width to the right effect but it requires a completely different thinking when you're playing against teams playing deep. I think an attacking full back, coming from deep helps more than having one player who'll stick on the line.

[Rich]

You've only got to look at that sloppy headed backpass by Gerrard on Saturday that he's prone to making the odd clanger when he's asked to play so deep.

[DannyMan2006]

No manager has so far been able to get the best out of Gerrard by playing him as a central midfielder, no one.

Gerrard need to play in a totally free position because he isn't good enough defensively to play as a central midfielder. His passing game isn't good enough either. To many Hollywood passes and to many high risk passes.

When you play in central midfield then it must be safety first and that really don't fit with Gerrard's style of play.

Gerrard has no problems playing CM. The problem is that when you put him there you lose a lot of his creativity. Since we lack creative players it ends up with us lacking a cutting edge with him at CM. It's not that he can't play there, it's that our team lacks quality elsewhere.

On the subject of Lamps and Gerrard for Englands - both exceptional but both similar. Both have proved they can play central when paired with Barry who is more defensive minded. Our problem last season was two defensive midfield players, two attacking minded midfielders brings about different problems.

I think if we want the best out of Gerrard we either give him a free role, or we play a defensive minded player at CM with him and bring a creative player to take his position off the striker.

To me our best line up at present would likely be:

Kuyt---Meireles---Lucas---Cole
-----------Gerrard-----------
------------Torres-----------