Play SG in the middle or sell him

[Howard_lfc]

I still have images in my mind of carra dancing around whilst Henry walks past him and slots a goal from a couple of years ago. I wouldn't dream of pulling a centre-half out to full back - just to cater for the opposition. We went down that road with Houllier - playing people out of position and it invariably doesn't work.

It wasn't the shape of the team that was wrong on Sunday; neither was it having Zenden in the middle with SG out wide. It had everything to do with the application of the players. We can discuss it all we want but once the first goal went in - we lacked the drive, determination and appetite to double our efforts in a bid to get back into the match.

[dww]

I still have images in my mind of carra dancing around whilst Henry walks past him and slots a goal from a couple of years ago. I wouldn't dream of pulling a centre-half out to full back - just to cater for the opposition. We went down that road with Houllier - playing people out of position and it invariably doesn't work.

It wasn't the shape of the team that was wrong on Sunday; neither was it having Zenden in the middle with SG out wide. It had everything to do with the application of the players. We can discuss it all we want but once the first goal went in - we lacked the drive, determination and appetite to double our efforts in a bid to get back into the match.

Sadly very true.

[alunevans]

I still have images in my mind of carra dancing around whilst Henry walks past him and slots a goal from a couple of years ago. I wouldn't dream of pulling a centre-half out to full back - just to cater for the opposition. We went down that road with Houllier - playing people out of position and it invariably doesn't work.

It wasn't the shape of the team that was wrong on Sunday; neither was it having Zenden in the middle with SG out wide. It had everything to do with the application of the players. We can discuss it all we want but once the first goal went in - we lacked the drive, determination and appetite to double our efforts in a bid to get back into the match.

Thats true Les.

Still think if you pick a weak spine you're asking for a spanking, but you're spot on there.

Beyond the Gerrard v Zenden debate, its that lack of determination and attitude and urgency in the face of going just one goal down is what has characterised the games against both Man U and Arsenal and which has dismayed me most.

This from a team who didn't surrender at 3-0 down against AC Milan. What has happened to them? Why is capitulation just one goal away.

Its this more than anything that terrifies me.

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

Thats true Les.

Still think if you pick a weak spine you're asking for a spanking, but you're spot on there.

Beyond the Gerrard v Zenden debate, its that lack of determination and attitude and urgency in the face of going just one goal down is what has characterised the games against both Man U and Arsenal and which has dismayed me most.

This from a team who didn't surrender at 3-0 down against AC Milan. What has happened to them? Why is capitulation just one goal away.

Its this more than anything that terrifies me.

Perhaps that team - which was mostly made up of Geds players - just had more belief and resolve than Rafa's buys.

But since Istanbul you look at the likes of Sissoko, Crouch, Reina and Agger, which have been signed, they are all winners.

I'm at a loss as well mate. But Rafa's got to sort it out.

Maybe Rafa's too distant from the players - as has been suggested - perhaps he needs to get closer to them, show them he has confidence in them. After all they are only human, a little encouragement wouldn't hurt.

[alunevans]

The one thing that did emerge from Guillaume Ballague's book Season On The Brink (which I didn't enjoy as much as I hoped as it struck me as pro Benitez propaganda too much, and it contained irritating factual innacuracies) was that Rafa is not good or particularly interested in man management.

I think thats a major flaw. Its not all about stats and formations. If Rafa had a flaw in other areas I feel he'd do his best to bridge it eg if he felt he was tactically deficient, my belief is that he'd do something about it somehow.Read, study, discuss whatever.

I think he should bridge this deficiency too. He seems such a nice bloke. He could probably get more out of his players if he let that side of him out with his team a little more.