Liverpool FC Forum

[Bad Bob]

Yeh I was thinking I didn't know he could cross the ball that well maybe when we play gerrard and masch in midfield play alonso right mid maybe he could turn into a bit of a beckham ?

I knew as soon as it happened that someone would suggest this.  I'm surprised it took this long, mate!

[JoeTerp]

Yeh I was thinking I didn't know he could cross the ball that well maybe when we play gerrard and masch in midfield play alonso right mid maybe he could turn into a bit of a beckham ?

I knew as soon as it happened that someone would suggest this.  I'm surprised it took this long, mate!

was thinking the same thing 

this way we could play 4-4-2 with Kuyt/Keane and Torres up front and still play Reira, Gerrard, Alonso, and Masch.  Just have Alonso and Gerrard share who goes wide right

[Sabre]

Yeh I was thinking I didn't know he could cross the ball that well maybe when we play gerrard and masch in midfield play alonso right mid maybe he could turn into a bit of a beckham ?

I knew as soon as it happened that someone would suggest this.  I'm surprised it took this long, mate!

was thinking the same thing 

this way we could play 4-4-2 with Kuyt/Keane and Torres up front and still play Reira, Gerrard, Alonso, and Masch.  Just have Alonso and Gerrard share who goes wide right

But are you talking seriously?

Alonso couldn't be 20% as good as Beckham in that position

Of course he can approach the wing to press a throwin or to support a corner, should not be a surprise that someone who has accuracy on the long pass and is a good FK taker will be able to cross a ball, but, the Beckham role?

Alonso is not as complete as Gerrard mates.

[Bad Bob]

Yeh I was thinking I didn't know he could cross the ball that well maybe when we play gerrard and masch in midfield play alonso right mid maybe he could turn into a bit of a beckham ?

I knew as soon as it happened that someone would suggest this.  I'm surprised it took this long, mate!

was thinking the same thing 

this way we could play 4-4-2 with Kuyt/Keane and Torres up front and still play Reira, Gerrard, Alonso, and Masch.  Just have Alonso and Gerrard share who goes wide right

But are you talking seriously?

Alonso couldn't be 20% as good as Beckham in that position

Of course he can approach the wing to press a throwin or to support a corner, should not be a surprise that someone who has accuracy on the long pass and is a good FK taker will be able to cross a ball, but, the Beckham role?

Alonso is not as complete as Gerrard mates.

Agreed.  There's no doubt he'd be shown up as a very limited wide player, Sabre.  Nice as the cross was, he was in acres of space and he's got a sweet right peg on him so, as you say, it should be no surprise he can whip one in.  In the regular course of play, though, he'd be eaten alive and the Alonso we've seen these last few months would disappear.  If it's to be a CM pushed out wide right, it has to be Gerrard.

[Toffeehater]

Would be nice to get a few goals and win convingicly but i won't be complaining if we keep grinding out 1-0 victories

[LegBarnes]

Yeh I was thinking I didn't know he could cross the ball that well maybe when we play gerrard and masch in midfield play alonso right mid maybe he could turn into a bit of a beckham ?

I knew as soon as it happened that someone would suggest this.  I'm surprised it took this long, mate!

was thinking the same thing 

this way we could play 4-4-2 with Kuyt/Keane and Torres up front and still play Reira, Gerrard, Alonso, and Masch.  Just have Alonso and Gerrard share who goes wide right

But are you talking seriously?

Alonso couldn't be 20% as good as Beckham in that position

Of course he can approach the wing to press a throwin or to support a corner, should not be a surprise that someone who has accuracy on the long pass and is a good FK taker will be able to cross a ball, but, the Beckham role?

Alonso is not as complete as Gerrard mates.

Agreed.  There's no doubt he'd be shown up as a very limited wide player, Sabre.  Nice as the cross was, he was in acres of space and he's got a sweet right peg on him so, as you say, it should be no surprise he can whip one in.  In the regular course of play, though, he'd be eaten alive and the Alonso we've seen these last few months would disappear.  If it's to be a CM pushed out wide right, it has to be Gerrard.

But thinking back bob I remember alonso doing quite a few good crosses he would need help from a striker comming out wide or the full back but I feel he is smart player and could make space for him self.

But i am getting ahead of my self here I can't see rafa doing it tbh but was a nice idea while it lasted. 

[LegBarnes]

Hey think of this if torres don't play on monday Try this team out 

                 Riena
Arba    Carra    Agger   /god knows who but not dosser.

Alonso     Masch      Riera

              Garrard(playmaker)

         Babel    Kuyt(targetman)

[Sabre]

We come to discuss things like that no? it's nice.

But bear in mind how much Rafa likes styling. If it was a viable option he would have been tempted already (I was talking about the Beckham role).

About the formation you propose, Alonso has taken part at some point of Spanish international games in a midfield without a wide right man and well, it wasn't working very well. In order it works, you'd need to have a very powerful RB that can go up and down all the game, and you'd have to play posession football. Our style is a bit more direct.

[bunglemark2]

Hey think of this if torres don't play on monday Try this team out 

                 Riena
Arba    Carra    Agger   /god knows who but not dosser.

Alonso     Masch      Riera

              Garrard(playmaker)

         Babel    Kuyt(targetman)

Still no place for Robbie Keane ?
I can't decide if I'd prefer Keane or Babel on the pitch: Babel is a whining little git who throws his soother out of the pram; Keane gives it all but can't hit the net.

Hmmmmmm.....decisions, decisions....

[Owzat]

Still we did score a goal against a better side than Fulham and only played one upfront.

Hmmm...unfortunately, it wasn't "the one" upfront who scored.

But you don't expect the solo striker to score every goal in every game, or else Kuyt and Gerrard wouldn't have FIFTEEN goals between them compared to Torres and Keane's nine.

Man Utd's top scorer last season wasn't a striker, a good side can score goals from all over the pitch. Point being the effectiveness of a formation isn't solely measured on the goals scored by the striker(s) since that would clearly favour two strikers.

We may have to revert to one up front if Torres is going to get recurring injuries, that or put Kuyt back up front with Keane/someone else and have the RM problem again. Or play Babel or N'Gog or Pacheco or Nemeth or any of the names being suggested that are quite unlikely. We could recall Voronin but I guess that call will get the usual jeers, as if Babel or N'Gog or any of the other suggestions are genial by comparison.

We were doing ok while Torres was out, if the team can stop missing chances then I see no reason why we can't cope without for a while. It's not as if Torres has been on fire and knocking them in for fun all season, although he did seem to be picking up some form just before the injury and some people decided that (brief spell of games) was opportune time to suggest Keane and Torres were starting to gel.

[tonyeh]

If we're playing 4-5-1 with Torres up front, then yes, I'm expecting Torres to score. Because odds on, it ain't coming from anywhere else, except perhaps Gerrard or a fluke.

Whether we like it or not Liverpool playing one striker up top puts an EXTREME limitation on their goal scoring ability and that should be a cause for worry. It just compounds the struggle for goals that Liverpool's been having.

It's no secret that I prefer 4-4-2 over 4-5-1 any day of the week, except against the sides Liverpool know are stronger. Play the latter formation there and hope for a lucky knock in, like the Chelsea game.

Other than that, we need more options up front, whoever the partnership is.

Doing "OK" is not good enough and it's bound to turn around and bite Liverpool on the a*se. If "OK" is what Liverpool is aiming for and banking on lucky deflections and the chance of a tap in every so often, then they can forget any hopes of a title this year.

I can only see a 4-5-1 working as long as it's instilled in the midfield that they rush forward when the ball is knocked onto the lone striker. Then and only then will there be a chance of bodies in the box for the forward to cross to, when he enevitably runs into trouble as has happened with mind numbing frequency this year. Of course the trick then is watching for a counter attack, but football is about making and taking chances.

But a number of times I've seen the lone striker forced either left or right of the box by 4 or 5 defenders with NOBODY to knock it to and they end up having nowhere to go. This has happened clearly with Keane as a single striker. Keane's movment has been good, but I feel he needs to have someone to play off of.