Are the current Liverpool team carrying Gerrard...?

[5europeancups]

... Or does he still have something to offer?

Personally I am undecided.

I see more and more that he gives the ball away, but on the other hand he also sometimes produces that amazing defence splitting pass?

He is now 34 and not as effective as he was when he scored 23 goals in a season from midfield. He is iconic, he represents Liverpool, but is he what Liverpool FC need right now?

[cream]

No.

[Gibbo]

Nope.

/Thread.

[Norbs]

Nope

[baronvonskidmark]

Not in any way, shape or form. He was one of our better performers today in the role that he was playing.

[Rich]

I've written him off in the past and he's come back and performed but he's had a quiet start to the season. He's no longer our best player, no longer our most important player.

[wiw]

No i don't think so, but he cannot and should not play as part of a 2 man base of midfield. Diamond or 4-3-3 with him at the base, can't fault him, but as a 2? Really baffled by that today. Well, not totally, especially given what happened last season, he was trying to give Gerrard help, but i think it negates Henderson's strengths further forward, and really highlights Gerrard's relative weaknesses - he isn't the box to box player he once was, nor can he really shoot anymore. Sadly i think had Allen been available we would've seen the diamond today. ****ing internationals

[Charly]

No i don't think so, but he cannot and should not play as part of a 2 man base of midfield. Diamond or 4-3-3 with him at the base, can't fault him, but as a 2? Really baffled by that today. Well, not totally, especially given what happened last season, he was trying to give Gerrard help, but i think it negates Henderson's strengths further forward, and really highlights Gerrard's relative weaknesses - he isn't the box to box player he once was, nor can he really shoot anymore. Sadly i think had Allen been available we would've seen the diamond today. ****ing internationals

**** me, you posted exactly what I was going to say 30 seconds before I posted it.

Also, I don't think he provides adequate cover to the centrebacks at times, and his vision and passing would be put to better use further forward.

[wiw]

**** me, you posted exactly what I was going to say 30 seconds before I posted it.

Also, I don't think he provides adequate cover to the centrebacks at times, and his vision and passing would be put to better use further forward.

Haha

Agree on the centre back cover. I think it really suits him and the defenders when he drops deep and they split, but today everyone seemed a bit confused by it all. Neither Lovren or Sakho drove forward with the ball once, for fear of a nosebleed or because of instruction i don't know, but we needed to try something different to unlock Villa i felt and they never did it once.

The passing though..i'm not sure. I think he's better suited with the whole pitch in front of him. He isn't as cute or as inventive as say a David Silva is, or someone of that ilk. Even Pirlo when he plays further back. Little chipped passes or inventive angles aren't really Gerrard's thing. Not to say he isn't a fantastic passer but i think he's better further back personally. Something we disagree on

[Chazza]

But he didn't play in a 2?

[wiw]

I thought he did Henderson was noticeably further back in the first half. It looked like 4-2-3-1 to me. Second half we did change it.

[Chazza]

They interchanged more in the first half than the second.

I was encouraged by that as Henderson was picking the ball up deep and playing some lovely long range passes.

[CAD]

NO! (The thread title implies that we are succeeding)

[captainfog]

He slows our play down. It's time to start phasing him out of the team.

[S-RED]

For the past few years, he has started each season very slowly; I think by Oct you'll see his value to the side.

That said, I do agree that in some games he becomes a negative influence, but it's down to the manager/tactics to ensure he has enough runners around him & also especially at home, that he pushes 15-20yds further up the pitch.