Are the current Liverpool team carrying Gerrard...?

[captainfog]

Henderson's strengths would be negated if asked to mainly sit and protect the back four. He's not a DM. We need a specialist....Rodgers hasn't bought one since he got the job. Not one!

We never replaced Masch.

[captainfog]

As well as his lack of pace I also think moving Gerrard further forward will hinder our pressing. We're already keenly missing that part of Suarez' game and Balo is definitely not going to give us that. Adding Gerrard into that mix would be a poor decision.

[G]

Pressing is an issue, nobody is doing it right now let alone Stevie.

[danperkins]

Very true, opposition way too much time on the ball. Seems easy to play against our midfield.

[captainfog]

Pressing is an issue, nobody is doing it right now let alone Stevie.

and he's not going to be the solution to that issue either.

[Pablo]

Henderson's strengths would be negated if asked to mainly sit and protect the back four. He's not a DM. We need a specialist....Rodgers hasn't bought one since he got the job. Not one!

I think it's madness that we don't have one given our style of play. I'd make it the priority (along with a keeper if Valdes doesn't join) in January.

In this formation though it needs to be a DM who is adept at dictating play and is also extremely mobile. That's tough to find. Anyone got any suggestions?

[Fierce]

Lars Bender

Or a cheaper version, Neustadter @ Shalke

[Assassin]

Lars Bender

Or a cheaper version, Est's Bender

[DannyMan2006]

I've said it before, but Rodgers came into this job with a clear vision of where players were going to play. He was going with the 433 at Swansea and brought in Joe Allen to specifically play in the role he did at Swansea, between a DM and an AM. The Welsh Xavi as he said..... Accept the Welsh Xavi never played in the role he was meant for.

First off it was Lucas who was going to be the DM. I remember how Rodgers talked of watching games with him, telling him how he wanted to operate. He expected the Lucas that flickered all too briefly under Hodgson and Dalglish, the monster that swept all before him in a League Cup semi v City until injury. As he awaited him, Joe Allen stepped in and did okay, starting well before eventually getting found out. He has the intelligence, but not the strength.

Gerrard was meant to play the Gylfi role as an AM. Get the goals and cause havoc. Accept it ended up in our first games that we couldn't get him on the ball enough. So what does Stevie do? He drops deep to get the ball and influence play and leaves a gap between midfield and attack. He is not disciplined in his positioning and in one sense is a managers nightmare. Systems mean little if players don't stick to positions. But with Gerrard it's all about trust. If he doesn't trust others to do the business, he wanders aimlessly around the field.

He hardly ever dropped deep when we had Alonso. And he didn't bomb forward frequently when we had Suarez and Sturridge doing the business. Trust. But now he has to understand that he can't be the Roy of the Rovers saving our skin. If things aren't happening, he just has to stick to his own job and hope others pull us out the fire.

Anyway, in the end Rodgers put him at the back. He kept dropping anyway, so we may as well as put him deep. Poor old Joe Allen still never got his role because we ended up having to play two exceptionally talented strikers. For me I probably agree with others. Stick Henderson in the DM role with Joe Allen knitting the play and allow Gerrard further up the field. As we rest him we have enough players like Lallana and Coutinho to step in, so it's hardly like we are building a team around him. Just back to basics.

[Big-Red-Ed]

The thing to remember is that Gerrard always starts slowly in a season and gets better. Besides the whole team from front to back is totally dysfunctional at the minute.

I put this down to a combination of things. The psychological blow of not winning it last year, the loss of Suarez and the large influx of new players needing to be integrated in to Brendans ways.

All of these things, including Gerrards form, will improve.

[DannyMan2006]

Btw, does anyone remember how well Lucas did when Gerrard was out injured last Christmas? We smashed Spurs 5-0 and were very unlucky v City and I think Chelsea. Controlled both games for the most part.

But we were also great under Gerrard in the same system. I think it was evident last year that the whole key to our strength was Suarez / Sturridge / Sterling. Also, notice how our best came when Sterling stepped up a level? Three top attacking players at their best. Hopefully we'll better with Balo / Raheem & Studge.

[Lecter]

Is Christoph Kramer any good?

[frank the tank]

I've said it before, but Rodgers came into this job with a clear vision of where players were going to play. He was going with the 433 at Swansea and brought in Joe Allen to specifically play in the role he did at Swansea, between a DM and an AM. The Welsh Xavi as he said..... Accept the Welsh Xavi never played in the role he was meant for.

First off it was Lucas who was going to be the DM. I remember how Rodgers talked of watching games with him, telling him how he wanted to operate. He expected the Lucas that flickered all too briefly under Hodgson and Dalglish, the monster that swept all before him in a League Cup semi v City until injury. As he awaited him, Joe Allen stepped in and did okay, starting well before eventually getting found out. He has the intelligence, but not the strength.

Gerrard was meant to play the Gylfi role as an AM. Get the goals and cause havoc. Accept it ended up in our first games that we couldn't get him on the ball enough. So what does Stevie do? He drops deep to get the ball and influence play and leaves a gap between midfield and attack. He is not disciplined in his positioning and in one sense is a managers nightmare. Systems mean little if players don't stick to positions. But with Gerrard it's all about trust. If he doesn't trust others to do the business, he wanders aimlessly around the field.

He hardly ever dropped deep when we had Alonso. And he didn't bomb forward frequently when we had Suarez and Sturridge doing the business. Trust. But now he has to understand that he can't be the Roy of the Rovers saving our skin. If things aren't happening, he just has to stick to his own job and hope others pull us out the fire.

Anyway, in the end Rodgers put him at the back. He kept dropping anyway, so we may as well as put him deep. Poor old Joe Allen still never got his role because we ended up having to play two exceptionally talented strikers. For me I probably agree with others. Stick Henderson in the DM role with Joe Allen knitting the play and allow Gerrard further up the field. As we rest him we have enough players like Lallana and Coutinho to step in, so it's hardly like we are building a team around him. Just back to basics.

I like your post.......EXCEPT the point you made of playing Henderson as a DM. In reality we have the squad now. I personally think that we need to play Sturridge with Balotelli to be most effective. Sturridge's movement is excellent and he often ends up out wide anyway...... we will also need to integrate Sterling into that team. So i would stick with the diamond, play Lucas or Can as the defensive midfielder, with 2 of Henderson, Allen, Gerrard in front (maybe sometimes Coutinho as well against the ****e teams at home. Coutinho could also the sometimes play instead of Sterling, as could Lallana.

That is why i can't see the point of the Markovic signing!!! (unless rodgers sometimes wants to play sterling and Markovic wide)

My fear is that Rodgers will become a manager that doesnt know what his best team is, what his best formation is, who his best defensive partnership is.....etc etc...

Getting back to gerrard, I can't see Rodgers dropping him. If he had a slight injury for a few weeks, i don't think it would be the worst thing in the world right now..... would force Rodgers to put sentiment to one side.

[danperkins]

but he hasn't got the legs to get up there either

True but Rodgers isn't going to drop him and it's the lesser of two evils.

Gerrard does seem to start slowly and surely will improve but his weakness in the DM/HM position is pretty evident.

[baitman]

Stick Henderson in the DM role with Joe Allen knitting the play and allow Gerrard further up the field.

not sure henderson could be that DM we need. i know he can run, likes to intercept or run alongside someone and nick the ball but he is almost afraid of a head to head tackle. i have only seen him make about three or four crunchers.