Play SG in the middle or sell him

[Mumsafan]

Yep sell him. In fact sell them all and rent a team every weekend.

[thesilverfoxlfc]

Sg is worth too much to have his talent wasted at RM.

As Rafa pointed out he had his best season last year playing on the right with 23 goals he just isnt playing any good nor are all of them

[Jayesh87]

IMO Gerrard is our best player and our team should be built around him and he is most effective in the middle so thats where he should play.

[dww]

I actually have come to the conclusion that our current formation is built around him too much and without Momo to balance it out, or really attacking fullbacks we rely too much on Gerrard. Not sure it would be solved by moving him to CM, but currently at least away from home anything is worth a try.

[alunevans]

As Rafa pointed out he had his best season last year playing on the right with 23 goals he just isnt playing any good nor are all of them

half of those were from centre mid, but even so your argument is only valid when Momo is fit. Not when its a choice between Gerrard and Zenden.

Would you REALLY opt for Bolo Zenden in central midfield over Steven Gerrard?

[Diego]

I think Keane at his peak was better than Gerrard. I also think there is potentially more to come from Gerrard but he needs to think more tactically. Maybe from the current crisis he can blossom into the fully fledged world beater, we all know he can be on his day, more regularly. I think he is a truly exceptional talent who is yet to find out exactly how to utilise it best.

disagree completely different players, kean a holding midfielder who played a major defenecive role the mancs whilst gerarrd is an attacking force of nature...

they would however have been one of the best midfield pair on the face of the earth...

[thesilverfoxlfc]

Would you REALLY opt for Bolo Zenden in central midfield over Steven Gerrard?

No and it shows me that he doesnt want to play Stevie in the centre for what reason i dont know and that he doesnt think Pennant is any good to play him regulary on the right and Stevie in the centre

[alunevans]

No and it shows me that he doesnt want to play Stevie in the centre for what reason i dont know and that he doesnt think Pennant is any good to play him regulary on the right and Stevie in the centre

I don't know the reason either.

He's either an idiot, too clever by half, or is trying to force him out of the club.

[Diego]

I don't know the reason either.

He's either an idiot, too clever by half, or is trying to force him out of the club.

doubt he's an idiot mate

but i don't think that pennant is poor has anything to do with him being on the right, in his own words he's trying to get the most out of him, and an inform gerrard is as effective in the middle as on the right...

[thesilverfoxlfc]

He aint an idiot but i think the players he has arent good enough for what he wants to do. The players he had a Valencia were more technically better then whats at Liverpool, so maybe Rafa needs to back up the truck and get to thinking about playing a better way that suits us. But you dont win a Champs league by been an idiot even though Jose proved that theory wrong!

[Shaggy]

half of those were from centre mid, but even so your argument is only valid when Momo is fit. Not when its a choice between Gerrard and Zenden.

Would you REALLY opt for Bolo Zenden in central midfield over Steven Gerrard?

When our alternative is Jermaine ****ing Pennant, yes, I would.

I see where you’re coming from Al but Benitez picked the same midfield I “selected” yesterday. Gerrard is, usually, a fantastic right-sided midfielder. Zenden is (or was) an international midfielder who can list Barcelona and Chelsea amongst his former clubs and was coming off the back of a good performance in midweek.

Pennant, the only option for RM had Gerrard played inside, will never, ever be an international footballer and was coming off the back of the most abject of displays against his former club – in circumstances in which he should have thrived; against weaker opposition and his former club to boot.

As Bascombe said so succinctly, if Gerrard’s position was the only reason we aren't competing for the title, Benitez's problems would be solved within a minute.

[dww]

disagree completely different players, kean a holding midfielder who played a major defenecive role the mancs whilst gerarrd is an attacking force of nature...

they would however have been one of the best midfield pair on the face of the earth...

I agree they are different types of players but Keane and Vieira are the only two players who I have seen who single handedly dictated the pace and direction of games completely. For this reason they both qualify to my mind as having been genuinely the best CM's I have seen in the PL.

Stevie has at times driven us forwards and done all of this but he has failed to consistantly dictate in games against Man Utd, Chelsea and Arsenal.

I would say that it is probably a problem with comparing apples and oranges as central midfield is a label which can cover a multitude of specialist positions.

[Morph]

I think Rafa picked Zenden to cause the least disruption to the team, a simple in out swap without trying to change the shape of the team that has done so well in recent home games.

Let's also not forget Sissoko and Garcia, two important players in our lineup didn't play, thats a bit like taking Ronaldo and Rooney away from Man U, in terms of workrate and creating chances.

[dww]

I sort of agree but actually replacing Momo with Zenden changes the way the team operates quite a lot. The partnership of Zenden and Alonso requires a lot more cover of the wings by the wide midfielders defensively. Gerrard in particular seemed to not change his game at all to take this into account.

I think it is hard to say what the best team to select was but what is certain was that all options necessitated changes to the way certain players approach the game. This didn't happen. Not sure whether this is a series of individual problems or a systematic problem with the way Rafa has faith that players will understand what is needed from them.

[alunevans]

doubt he's an idiot mate

but i don't think that pennant is poor has anything to do with him being on the right, in his own words he's trying to get the most out of him, and an inform gerrard is as effective in the middle as on the right...

that leaves too clever by half or forcing him out of the club. which one do you reckon?