Liverpool FC Forum

[chiggz_likes_owen]

[mynameisred]

How about we play Owen at centre back, he must know all the tricks of a centre half by now, And with technology the way it is nowadays Im sure some form of spring soled boots could answer the height problem!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Hamza]

I reckon if owen dos nt start preforming drop him coz he always seems to get a place in the team and i think that it is unfair to milan that he will always get in GH would put michael in the team if he was in a wheelchair. Baros and Cisse would make a great partnership but if owen does begin to preform they Raffa will use squad roation as he always has and Real madrid would give baros an even less chance of starting coz he would be battling with 4 instead of 2 players for his postion they have Raul, Guti, morintes and Ronaldo

[adayinthelife]

If we sell Baros we are left with 2 class strikers and not alot else.

Pongolle is a good prospect but nothing more at the moment.

Diouf will never be good enough for us and we should cut our losses.

Mellor has a great record in the reserves but will have to improve alot to be good enough if ever.

[ivor_the_injun]

I'd love to see us play with all 3 up front. Cisse would obviously be the target man, while Baros and Owen could keep defenders guessing by swapping between being an out-and-out striker and one playing just off the front two, in a slightly more limited Litmanen-esque role.

And let's put it this way - imagine Stevie on the burst with 3 lightning quick strikers all making runs ahead of him. Defences would absolutely sh*t themselves.

As for the other point, I for one am really curious to see what becomes of Diouf this season. If nobody comes in for either of them in the meantime, I just wonder if Benitez won't just surprise us all and start against Spurs with Diouf and Baros. That'd certainly let Owen know exactly who's in charge, something which at times was a little unclear where team selections under GH were concerned.

[XSD]

With only 3 midfielders we would be far too weak ivon..we would need one of the forward 3 to play as a winger, which I don't think they can manage.

[ivor_the_injun]

If we got hold of a really good pacy centre-back, why not just play 3 at the back? Obviously we'd need a Hamman-style holding midfielder in the middle of the park for when we're caught short.

Sounds a bit Keegan-esque, but we've got such good attacking players at the club that I think it's ridiculous to not make the best use of them. Cisse, Owen, Baros, Kewell, Gerrard and a really good right-winger would rouse crowds more than Arsenal's attack, I reckon.

And once you get a reputation for pummelling teams into submission, most teams will put defensively minded teams up against you, with one up front hoping to catch you on the break. If you've got 3 against 1 at the back, there's not a great deal to worry about.

[simic_ie]

Nope 4-4-2 with wingers is the best formation for the English Premiership imo

[mynameisred]

As much as I would love to agree with you ivor there is no way that would or could ever happen.
[quote]'And once you get a reputation for pummelling teams into submission, most teams will put defensively minded teams up against you, with one up front hoping to catch you on the break'
You must be watching the A.rse too much and got excited, they pummell teams because their players have such an understanding and they have Henry, IMO its down to one thing managemnet. If Rafa can get our players playing anything like the way Arsenal do in the final third and get our defence away from the 18 yard box we will not have any probs at all. Your right about the players we have tho.

[ivor_the_injun]

Let's face it - we've underachieved up front because Owen was either injured or way off form for most of last season, and other than him we've not had a player that you'd trust to bang in 20 goals a season since Fowler's fitness took a dive.

Now we've potentially got 3. Owen we all know about when he's fit and firing. Baros has hinted at being a class striker without getting enough chances in the side to prove it. Cisse will frighten defenders in the way that Heskey should've done for us. I just hope Benitez gets the balance right to keep all three happy at the club - sitting on the bench for months at a time is no way for a class striker to spend their evenings and weekends. If we can sort out a midfield quartet that have the ability to pass sides to death and pick out the strikers at will, we'll be laughing.

And much as I agree with 4-4-2 being the choice formation, for those games when we're in a hole with 20 mins to go, I do like the idea of having all the big guns on the pitch putting teams under siege instead of us throwing possession away in midfield until the final whistle like we have done for the last two seasons.

[mynameisred]

I can see what you are getting at Ivor and I agree but I think cisse is the only one of the three which would be happy to be rotated. Owen will demand first choice, Baros, after his Euro performance will want the other. I def agree with you that he needs to keep all three happy but Im wondering if that is possible and thats why if a substantial offer comes in for Baros from Madrid we should at least think about it. IMO we will buy another striker , maybe an experienced target man type, even if we keep Baros.
OR maybe you are right about Owen, sometimes I do wonder if our loyalty towards him clouds our judgemnet but he does always seems to be there where it matters in the big games and his record speals for itself.

[taff]

Sorry Ivor but three forwards aint the answer mate
We need to make sure the midfield and the laeft and right backs work together as an unit to support the front two hence the need for a creative midfielder to supply the front two.

The most frustrating thing watching Liverpool has been the lack of support for the strikers and the over reliance on Gerrard.

Get support runners and different angles of attack and we will scare teams but with three midfielders in the premiership we will get sussed out and overrun in the middle

[ckay]

If Baros doesn't want to sit on the bench, them whats the point of him going to Madrid. If he can't get the nod ahead of Owen and Cisse, then he wont get it ahead of Raul, Ronaldo and Morientes!!

[ckay]

If Baros doesn't want to sit on the bench, then what's the point of him going to Madrid. If he can't get the nod ahead of Owen and Cisse, then he wont get it ahead of Raul, Ronaldo and Morientes!!

[hawkmoon269]

The question of who Rafa will play up front / middle of park is a good one - and one we await with baited breath.  But he also has to teach them to pass the ball accurately, and stop loosing possession as easily as the last few seasons.  Also, the new crop of players have to learn what it means to be a Liverpool player - there were too many lazy b@st@rds last year.