The "Momo is nearly fit again/Gerrard at CM" thread!

[Howard_lfc]

We should stay true to the 4-4-2 formation and perfect it.

If the squad is better suited to 3-5-2 then that's what we should do.

[puredale]

Are we coming to the conclusion that Momo is actually Gerrard's understudy ?

Like Souness when he first arrived from 'boro, and SteG in his early days, Momo is all action with little or no end product ?

Remembering that Momo started out as a centre forward and therefore has some attacking talent. He's still young (just turned 22 i think) and needs time to reach his true potential.

[Tee]

For me the main point is that we have played well since Stevie moved back to his natural CM position. Why change a winning formula?

Pennant at RM is in better form, as is Gonzalez on the left.

Momo will get his chance again, but I sincerely hope it is not at the expense of losing Stevie in the middle.

[dom9]

[QUOTE=puredale;205677]Are we coming to the conclusion that Momo is actually Gerrard's understudy ?
[QUOTE]

I'm not coming to that conclusion. They are completely different players for different jobs. I don't think Rafa has come to that conclusion either.

[bazza76]

For me, if we have to accomodate all three midfield players, we should still be allowing Gerrard to play a central role, albeit an attacking role. Just ahead of Momo and alonso.
IF I had to play all three it would be predominantly like this:
Reina
Finnan Carra Agger Riise
____Alonso __Momo___
_______Garrard_______
Mixture of three wide/attacking players.

[CAD]

I would agree with the above formation normally, but I dont think Riise and Finnan give us true width, I think they run the line, overlap and cutin when they can, but they are not wingers, who can create true space and opportunities by creativity and speed.

If Alves came 3-5-2 might be an option.

I think Riise would be comfortable on the left. I think that Finnan would suffer. I worry about Sami at the back as well. The 3-5-2 calls for offside traps and the pace to close gaps. I don't think that Sami is the solution in a 3-5-2 formation. I'd rather have Riise in the backline and Gonzo at LM.

I doubt that Rafa would change to that format though.

[CAD]

If the squad is better suited to 3-5-2 then that's what we should do.

But it's clearly not. You think it is?

[captainfog]

The question is not whether Momo is better the SG in the middle, but whether SG is better than Pennant on the right.

SG is miles better than Pennant and because of that Rafa will revert to sticking Stevie on the right - and quite right so!

I would rather play 442 and I would rather include Momo ,Alonso and Stevie than Alonso and Stevie and Pennant.

Especially in the big games, Rafa has to play his best players, and until we get a world class right winger that will mean SG on the right.

[El Jefecito]

Let me throw a few points out there.

If you think Momo is over-rated then I'd suggest that you are just rating him on different criteria than Rafa and those of us who think he is indispensable. This is borne out by you only considering attacking stats. At this point that is not his primary function.

Stevie said himself the reason that we are playing well was due to a) Him, Carra and Xabi coming into form at the same time and b) that there was a massive improvement from Pennant and Bellamy. He doesn't share the implied view that it is only because SG has been moved into CM.

The other thing that I think people are missing is that Rafa's idea of a CM and the way SG has played in the past are not the same. If you've seen how SG has played recently he has been much more subdued than he would have in the past. He has spent a lot of time deeper than he would normally do. He has got forward much less than he would like and TBH I think it constrains him and hence he has less impact on the game.

Where should he start? Like I said I don't think Rafa's idea of a CM suits SG. I think he needs to start in whatever position would allow him to play the free role. He should be able to turn up on the left if that's where there is space, he should be able to come deep if he sees an opportunity for a hollywood ball.

In short Stevie needs to play the free-role. Xabi and Momo together provide the discipline, ball winning skills and compactness that allows Stevie to play exactly to his strengths.

This is almost becoming a religious issue and there is no need for it.

[CAD]

The question is not whether Momo is better the SG in the middle, but whether SG is better than Pennant on the right.

SG is miles better than Pennant and because of that Rafa will revert to sticking Stevie on the right - and quite right so!

I would rather play 442 and I would rather include Momo ,Alonso and Stevie than Alonso and Stevie and Pennant.

Especially in the big games, Rafa has to play his best players, and until we get a world class right winger that will mean SG on the right.

I don't think that's the question at all as I have stated above

[CAD]

Let me throw a few points out there.

If you think Momo is over-rated then I'd suggest that you are just rating him on different criteria than Rafa and those of us who think he is indispensable. This is borne out by you only considering attacking stats. At this point that is not his primary function.

Stevie said himself the reason that we are playing well was due to a) Him, Carra and Xabi coming into form at the same time and b) that there was a massive improvement from Pennant and Bellamy. He doesn't share the implied view that it is only because SG has been moved into CM.

The other thing that I think people are missing is that Rafa's idea of a CM and the way SG has played in the past are not the same. If you've seen how SG has played recently he has been much more subdued than he would have in the past. He has spent a lot of time deeper than he would normally do. He has got forward much less than he would like and TBH I think it constrains him and hence he has less impact on the game.

Where should he start? Like I said I don't think Rafa's idea of a CM suits SG. I think he needs to start in whatever position would allow him to play the free role. He should be able to turn up on the left if that's where there is space, he should be able to come deep if he sees an opportunity for a hollywood ball.

In short Stevie needs to play the free-role. Xabi and Momo together provide the discipline, ball winning skills and compactness that allows Stevie to play exactly to his strengths.

This is almost becoming a religious issue and there is no need for it.

I think that the free role argument is wearing thin. If the free role means little or no support from a two man DM Center midfield when we're going forward then Gerrards working conditions are not improved at RM. Au contraire. With Gerrard at CM and an attacking RM/RW we add an extra player when we're going forward. As a bonus we get Gerrard in th middle where he scores more goals than anybody else.

Gerrard only managed six goals from RM last season. There is a reason for that.

[captainfog]

I don't think that's the question at all as I have stated above

However, the answer to my question will give you the answer to yours

[El Jefecito]

I think that the free role argument is wearing thin. If the free role means little or no support from a two man DM Center midfield when we're going forward then Gerrards working conditions are not improved at RM. Au contraire. With Gerrard at CM and an attacking RM/RW we add an extra player when we're going forward. As a bonus we get Gerrard in th middle where he scores more goals than anybody else.

Gerrard only managed six goals from RM last season. There is a reason for that.

We got our highest ever points total last season. There is a reason for that too. Look at it from the perspective of creating the right balance rather than where SG plays best. You should at least question your postion.

BTW Why is the free role argument wearing thin?

The goals thing is also a bit of a bum steer at least 7 of those CM goals came against, to quote DJS "pub teams" in the CL qualifiers.

[Guest]

When is momo due back ??

[Maestro]

When is his come back due ?

His target is the Chavs on Jan 20th. He should start running again this week.
Or so I heard.