Central midfield

[Arn]

Hopefully our Captain will be back a lot stronger after his injury problems.

Everyone know that I moaned at him a lot but this is just an honest question.

In which position would you play him? Central midfield? Attacking midfield? Behind one or two strikers? Out right? Out left?

Another honest question. In which position do you think KK will play him?

Lucas is our best defensive midfielder and should play as our defensive midfielder in most games. That is what I think and I believe KK will do that.

We are linked with a lot of central midfielders and may get Aquilani back. Points to three in the middle and not 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1. That means a better chance to play Gerrard in central midfield.

I can honestly not see him as one of the two in a two man central midfield in most games. If we play 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1 then I think he will play behind Suarez with Carroll on the bench or out right in a free position with Carroll and Suarez upfront. He could play central midfield against the teams we are expected to dominate against at home. That means five six or seven games.

KK have a nice problem to solve. How to fit Gerrard into the starting XI.

I can see it being Meireles or Gerrard in many games. I don't think we will see both of them play at the same time that often.

What about Meireles? I can't see him getting many games in a two man midfield. It also points to that we will strengthen our wide positions so no place for him there. I doubt that he will start more than 20 league games. He will act more as a backup player to Gerrard and Lucas IMO.

Lucas then? He will probably start most games. You know that he will do a good solid job. A very safe defensive midfielder. If you want to dominate the games more then you could bench him and play Meireles instead. Lucas will most probably miss the first month or so of the season because of the Copa America. He will need a rest after that and will need to do pre-season training after the rest.

Spearing? What was really the point to give him a new deal when it looks like we will sign at least one more central midfielder? He did a good job last season but I can't see him getting any games at all if we don't get big injury problems. Not even in a three man midfield.

So will Aquilani stay or not? If he stays then he should play as one of three in a three man central midfield in the attacking position.

Then we have Shelvey. We should loan him out. He won't get many games for us this season now when we missed out on European football. He need to get playing time in central midfield. It is a waste to play him out wide.

It will be a crowded central midfield. I wonder how KK will solve that? If you don't play the players often enough then they won't be 100% match fit when they play and because of that play worse.

I didn't mentioned Poulsen because it is more or less guaranteed that he will be sold or loaned out.

We also have some young talents that could play in the attacking position in a three man midfield in a few or couple of games.

[-V-]

......Lucas......Gerrard
.............Meireles
Kuyt....................Suarez
.............Carroll

[DannyMan2006]

Without reading your whole post, here's my opinion on Gerrard, and later any star player for that matter.

Gerrard is the complete footballer. We could put him in most positions on the pitch and he'd be the best player in our squad in that position.

In days gone by I would have said stick Gerrard in the position I think he's best and then build a team around him. But as Gerrard is getting older, but mainly because the game has moved on and players can no longer play every game in a season, I think it has to be a compromise.

So in effect, the place I put Gerrard would be determined by who we buy. For example, I may think gerrard's best position in a 433 is as the right sided attacker, but if we say carroll in the middle, we sign Mata who can play on the left, then we would stick Suarez on the right and move Gerrard elsewhere.

But then I may think Gerrard is best in central midfield somewhere, but if we sign Adam, and can't get any decent wide attacking players, I may decide that it would be better to play Adam and stick Gerrard in a wide attacking role.

Gerrards greatest attribute down the years has been his ability to adapt. It's also been his worst nightmare. At England and Liverpool down the years lesser players have played in his more favoured roles because of his ability to adapt and other players lack of that.

Unlucky Mr Gerrard. I think we'll see Gerrard in CM somewhere next season FWIW.

[Craig_H]

Gerrard in a CM three.

[JBOX]

......Lucas......Gerrard
.............Meireles
Kuyt....................Suarez
.............Carroll

No chance, we'll never get Suarez an Carroll will be too expen... oh ...

On a serious note, we'll need a lot more width in the side and unfortunatly, Kuyt might lose out and just be our 3rd choice striker.

[el matador]

dont think meirles will be a starter next season and i wouldnt be surprised if they palmed him off to some continental club and looked at bringing in another youngster to replace him.

I think the midfield will be a 3 and gerrard will be the furthest forward of the lot. the two central players will probably lucas and another new signing be it henderson or cattermole or whoever comes in.

The club is right to address the central midfield area because its a weakness for us. we dont have enough bite in there nor enough passing ability. when we lose the ball we cant get it back quick enough and when we have it, its not always well used.

[JohnDoe]

Put Gerrard in CM, partner him with an excellent playmaker who can pass the ball and add a tough tackling defensive midfielder behind them. Ideally.

[Muddled]

Yup, three. It's the magic number.

I think we need a destroyer, a quarter back and ... errm, an attacking midifielder. It's imperative the width comes from the full backs and two of the three pronged attack, but as with Arn's initial post - we'll concentrate on the three midfielders.

The Destroyer

The player who breaks up the oppositions attacks, the one who harrasses, closes down and general causes a mischief. It was Mascherano, it's now Lucas with Spearing in the wings.

The Quarterback

The playmaker, the one who pulls the strings - potentially box-to-box, he's the one that can pick the ball up off the destroyer, can pull the strings and can initiate attacks but knows his way around a challenge. It was Alonso, it's now vacant. Gerrard could do this, but perhaps the wrong side of 30.

The Attacking Midfielder*

The one who is arriving late in the box, the player in the final third that can make things happen, he knows where the goal is, can strike a ball and can also see the clever final ball and really has a licence to roam with cover behind him. I could see Meireles doing this, but could see Gerrard doing this better.

To answer your question Arn, I see Gerrard in the top prong of a three man midfield with two midfielders behind him mopping up. It highlights a lack of a quarterback as well as the importance of getting the right personnel in this summer to provide the width.

* title needs more thought - open to suggestions.

[Arn]

Giving Spearing a new deal is what I really don't understand why we did when it looks like we will be signing at least one central midfielder that play in the same position.

It should have been Spearing or a new British central midfielder. Not both of them. We don't need both.

If we sign Henderson for example then Spearing should be sold or loaned out.

All the other players I mentioned have their place in midfield and could be used as backup or play in the starting XI but Spearing isn't good enough and play in a very crowded position in central midfield.

We have to many players in that central midfield position. We can't keep all of them. We won't be able to give all of them enough playing time.

[RichC]

depends what the deal with Spearing was worth and what he understands his role in the club to be - if he accepts he'll be our version of an O'Shea to come in and do a job when needed then that's a sensible contract renewal - we need to keep a core of players than aren't only starters but decent enough to come in and do a job which he's shown he can do.

Over quite some time now we've not had anywhere near the quality in depth at the club, he's a decent squad player for us and we should keep hold whilst shipping out the dead wood bought in by the previous 2 managers.

[wiw]

We seem to be looking at players who are adept in the centre and out wide - Henderson and Young have both played in the middle and out wide at some point - and the same for Gerrard. I think we will play with a 3 in the centre, with two being reasonably static (Lucas + a link player), with the furthest forward interchanging and moving with the wingers (as a 3 with Carroll up front, e.g Gerrard, Suarez and Young. Or Gerrard, Henderson and Suarez etc). So effectively a 4-2-3-1 of sorts, but with lots of movement and inter-changing with players who are comfortable drifting in or drifting wide

The alternative without Carroll playing is for Suarez up top and a similar 3 behind him - except this time all 4 will inter-change, as we've seen the last few games

[Sebastian Rooks]

8 players of the 25 man squad must have spent 3 years in England or Wales and been registered with an English Club between the ages of 16 and 21.

As it stands (before any incoming transfers) take Shelvey and Spearing out of last years squad and we don't qualify.

[Sebastian Rooks]

If we sign Henderson for example then Spearing should be sold or loaned out.

I've said it elsewhere, Henderson is actually a winger he was brought through as a winger, he played in central midfield last season because Sunderland had so many injuries.

[Mostar]

Yup, three. It's the magic number.

I think we need a destroyer, a quarter back and ... errm, an attacking midifielder. It's imperative the width comes from the full backs and two of the three pronged attack, but as with Arn's initial post - we'll concentrate on the three midfielders.

Pretty much the reason why we have been linked with Matuidi for DM position, Adam as a playmaker and Hazard as AM

[badpiggy]

His best position is anywhere except CM. There is absolutely zero evidence to suggest that as SG slows down and loses the explosive element to his game, that all of a sudden he is going to become a brilliant CM. If Kenny can get him to do this, fantastic. I doubt it though.