Perspective

[Sydney Vicious]

A few articles have been doing the rounds about Gerrard's new found dominance in the middle of the park so lets have a look at the teams he's played centrally against...

Middlesbrough - D
Manchester City - W
Portsmouth - D
Wigan Athletic - W
Fulham - W
Charlton Athletic - W
Watford - W
Blackburn - D

Hardly the best teams in the country eh? Portsmouth are the toughest side there, they frustrated us, made us look ordinary and they showed why they're top 6 this season, even when offering so little in attack.

Blackburn were poor first half but harried and pressed all over the pitch 2nd half and we had no-one to bite back. So here's what we need...

1. Momo back ASAP.
2. SG back on the right side
3. SG to get with the program and play his heart out on the right... or **** off

It's all very well dominating games against the ****e of the PL but Gerrard is NOT the all-star we would like him to be, never has. He's great going forward but if he's part of the central partnership, he leaves us exposed against the top sides, and lightweight against the cloggers.

[Resu]

Ok, how are we supposed to get Momo back ASAP?
And when we get him back what is the best pairing in CM, Momo-Xabi, Momo-SG or SG-Xabi?
IMO Momo-SG would be a very good pair, but that would leave Xabi on the bench, and a weaker RM than if SG played there.
What also comes into the equation is the fact that Aurelio and Gonzo are back, so Garcia can compete with Pennant on the RM.
As for SG being to lightweight in CM is correct if he`s allowed to run. There isn`t many player in the world capable to macth him when he can run freely, but he`s often given defensive duties that prevents him from doing that.

I`d like to see 3-5-2 with Momo and Xabi doing the dirty work and SG given a license to run. Riise and Finnan would offer crosses into the box, and with SG coming in late to feed of Crouch/Kuyt would be very hard to stop.

[FatTony]

You seem to have missed the fact that we'd gone 7 games unbeaten (until yesterday), our best run of the season so far...

"leaves us exposed and lightweight" -> 11.5 hours and not 1 goal conceded

complete rubbish

[Howard_lfc]

You seem to have missed the fact that we'd gone 7 games unbeaten (until yesterday), our best run of the season so far...

"leaves us exposed and lightweight" -> 11.5 hours and not 1 goal conceded

complete rubbish

Wynne has a point. No matter how much we love SG - he's not the dominant force that we'd like him to be when played in the middle of the park. Argue all you like - but it's deffo worth debating.

[FatTony]

since Gerrard has played in the middle we've had our best run of the season, scored more goals and conceded less, so how is this justified?

[Sydney Vicious]

Ok, how are we supposed to get Momo back ASAP?

I said we need him back, not to get him back. We also need a CF, we'll get one when we can. We'll get Momo back when we can

And when we get him back what is the best pairing in CM, Momo-Xabi, Momo-SG or SG-Xabi?
IMO Momo-SG would be a very good pair, but that would leave Xabi on the bench, and a weaker RM than if SG played there.
What also comes into the equation is the fact that Aurelio and Gonzo are back, so Garcia can compete with Pennant on the RM.
As for SG being to lightweight in CM is correct if he`s allowed to run. There isn`t many player in the world capable to macth him when he can run freely, but he`s often given defensive duties that prevents him from doing that.

Best CM pairing is MS-XA with SG on the right.

[Sydney Vicious]

since Gerrard has played in the middle we've had our best run of the season, scored more goals and conceded less, so how is this justified?

Because the games in which he's played in the middle have been against total ****e. It's all very well beating Watford, Charlton and Fulham, but when a side with half a midfield turn up, we're left wanting because SG doesn't have the discipline to battle in midfield and know when to get forward. He just wants to get forward all the time, allowing the opposition more possession, mementum etc. That's where the game gets away from us.

[ElRobbie]

Momo giving the ball away with every other pass leaves us exposed, discuss.....

[redlancer]

I said we need him back, not to get him back. We also need a CF, we'll get one when we can. We'll get Momo back when we can


Best CM pairing is MS-XA with SG on the right.

prob with that is Stevie goes into a sulk.

if he wants to be the best CM he has to change, to be the best RM and have a free role he doesn't. Although when he is on the right the RB is often left exposed.

Stevie's best games are when we're chasing games and we effectivly have to take chances.

I'd put the recent success more to Bellamy's form than Stevie in CM.
YOu could tell from yesterday that we've been working on the angles balls to get Bellamy behind the defence

[ElRobbie]

if he wants to be the best CM he has to change,

See, that's where this topic is all wrong for me, Stevie is the best CM we've got, Momo is nowhere near as good as Stevie, from an attacking sense he offers absolutely nothing, he gives away posession far too cheaply, can't shoot, and even his tackle success rate is way short of Alonso and Gerrard's.

Alonso has played much better with Gerrard than he did with Sissoko, he's been otstanding.

[redlancer]

See, that's where this topic is all wrong for me, Stevie is the best CM we've got, Momo is nowhere near as good as Stevie, from an attacking sense he offers absolutely nothing, he gives away posession far too cheaply, can't shoot, and even his tackle success rate is way short of Alonso and Gerrard's.

Alonso has played much better with Gerrard than he did with Sissoko, he's been otstanding.

there is a very good saying the sum of the parts can be greater than the individuals.

I like Momo but don't think he's the long term answer.

We don't top the possesion stakes in most match's, hence the need for a Momo .
We should be looking at changing that and dominating match's like the scum do then there isn't the need for every match to have a Momo/Hamman style player.
This is where the wing player must do better and hence Stevie on the right gives us that and say a Kewel on the left

[Resu]

I might have started on a wrong note there, but the thing is I`m not sure that MS-XA is the best solution, espesially when we don`t need a pairing, but can play all three in CM. That would mean les time for Pennant and Gonzo, but would open up for Garcia as the CM without defensive duties.

[ronan]

it just happens that he plays there against teams id expect us to beat with or without gerrard...

[FatTony]

Because the games in which he's played in the middle have been against total ****e. It's all very well beating Watford, Charlton and Fulham, but when a side with half a midfield turn up, we're left wanting because SG doesn't have the discipline to battle in midfield and know when to get forward. He just wants to get forward all the time, allowing the opposition more possession, mementum etc. That's where the game gets away from us.

I don't think Gerrard is the problem here though, its the mediocrity of the players he's surrounded by and this is why we struggle against a half decent team.

If a team sits deep and tries to kick us about the field, I don't care if your Zidane or Ronaldinho, you won't be given the time in the EPL to orchestrate the game. The way to break down teams in the EPL like this is through pace, width and the ability to run rings around players, which is why you tend to see the likes of Ronaldo, Robben and SWP make all the difference and why the likes of Chelsea and Manu give some of the teams we struggle against a real thumping more often than we do.

Gerrard cannot control every game, not many players ever can, especially in the pace and pressure of the EPL and this is why you rarely see a central midfielder stand out as making the difference and why Ronaldo and Robben always do.

Of course, it also helps to have a top striker or two in the box to put those crosses away, and in this case Kuyt, Bellamy and Crouch have not been good enough, which again comes around to the mediocrity of the individuals we have at the club.

The problem is not Gerrard IMO.

[alunevans]

if we'd had anyone up there who could hit a cow's arse with a banjo we'd have been two or three up at half time. ultimately THAT is the reason we failed to win yesterday, not steven gerrard.