Liverpool FC Forum

[greenred]

I notice Stu is appearing as a "guest".Is he banned?

[Big Niall]

I cant agree that Keane wasnt much of a passer.His pass completion rate was consistently amongst the highest in the premiership.Sissoko was only just behind Gerrard for MOM on saturday and finally showed the world what a uniquely agressive athlete he is.Next season people will be talking about him as one of the top six of seven midfielders in England no doubt.But Liverpool fans knew that already.

The reason that Keane's pasing rate was so high was because he did exactly what I said. Kept it simple and gave it to a creative player 5 yards to his side while making himself available if the other player needed an outlet. Don't let statistics form your views. Do you think he was a good passer? could he create a goal like SG did for Cisse in the final?

Come on Greenred!

[red37]

you watch sissoko when he advances with the attack..he may not be the most graceful of fella's on the ball. but see the times he produces a great final link...be it a killer 5 yard poke through or a lofted lob over the last mans head to the most sublime cross played with the outside of his right boot, from the left wing!  twice, and with both attempts resulting in goals....

im very impressed with the guy and rather than jump on the 'vieira' bus id say, that momo in 2 years time (at the most) is going to be massive..comparing him to vieira is futile IMO. the lad will be his own man and a d.amn fine player in his own right.. he aint far from achieving it already and i for one believe he has been instrumental in this campaign. he will only get better.

[bigmick]

Keane was a fantastic player and a good passer of a football. Through balls over the top weren't his thing but a threaded twenty yarder pinged into the feet of a cole or Yorke certainly were.
Sissoko isn't alas another Keane or indeed a Vierra. He has an edge to his game which is absolutely unique in football at the moment in that he is a ball-winner and back four protector who is willing to hunt the ball in all areas of the pitch. He wins it deep behind enemy lines, in areas which quickly become goalscoring opportunities and for this reason alone he is already in the "top six or seven" midfielders in the country in my view.

As for Stu's ban, it was some time ago and he has reappeared as "Stew" rather than "Stu".

[stmichael]

He's certainly one of the fittest players i've ever seen. His stamina levels are inhuman. A piece of play in extra time the other day was the highlight for me when he was laying in agony on the ground with cramp, suddenly the ball came close and he leapt up like a tiger, bravely bombed into a tackle (prob still suffering from cramp) won the ball, and then distributed it, and collapsed again with the pain.

The kid just needs a bit of fine tuning. There's no point bogging him down and formations and tactics, just let him play his game. Ok he needs to work on his distribution but it's reassuring to know that we now have a situation whereby we can't leave any of him, alonso or gerrard out the team for the big games.

All he needs now is a goal

[73-1141222089]

Momo's gonna be a gem for us...... I am however a little worried bout how he'll fit into the team on a regular basis once we get ourselves a proper right winger..... he's probably 3rd choice central midfielder for us and opportunities will be fewer in the coming season once we have the right side sorted out... at his age, he's gonna need games to hone the skills he already possesses well and to work on his passing.... If we continue to play a conventional 4-4-2, likely he'll miss out...... If we decide only to play 1 upfront, then more opportunities will come....

Damn, gave myself a headache just thinking bout this...... The gaffer'll figure it out...... Doesn't stop me worrying though....

[stmichael]

Momo's gonna be a gem for us...... I am however a little worried bout how he'll fit into the team on a regular basis once we get ourselves a proper right winger..... he's probably 3rd choice central midfielder for us and opportunities will be fewer in the coming season once we have the right side sorted out... at his age, he's gonna need games to hone the skills he already possesses well and to work on his passing.... If we continue to play a conventional 4-4-2, likely he'll miss out...... If we decide only to play 1 upfront, then more opportunities will come....

Damn, gave myself a headache just thinking bout this...... The gaffer'll figure it out...... Doesn't stop me worrying though....

i was going to post exactly the same thing earlier but didn't get around to it. if we bring in a top striker who can play upfront on his own and a quality wide man on the right, then we've got the perfect players to play a 4-3-3.

[73-1141222089]

Momo's gonna be a gem for us...... I am however a little worried bout how he'll fit into the team on a regular basis once we get ourselves a proper right winger..... he's probably 3rd choice central midfielder for us and opportunities will be fewer in the coming season once we have the right side sorted out... at his age, he's gonna need games to hone the skills he already possesses well and to work on his passing.... If we continue to play a conventional 4-4-2, likely he'll miss out...... If we decide only to play 1 upfront, then more opportunities will come....

Damn, gave myself a headache just thinking bout this...... The gaffer'll figure it out...... Doesn't stop me worrying though....

i was going to post exactly the same thing earlier but didn't get around to it. if we bring in a top striker who can play upfront on his own and a quality wide man on the right, then we've got the perfect players to play a 4-3-3.

Yeah.... that'll work....... and on days we need to defend a little more we could reign in the wingers and play a 4-5-1......... Gonna need a monster of a centre forward though..... quick, big, powerful and can hold up the ball..... can't see anyone on our books who can do the job though.......

Actually, I digress..... this may not be the appropriate thread to discuss the striker we need...... sorry.... got carried away..

[Cool Hand Luke]

I hate these constant comparisons to Viera, I don’t know why Rafa said that. Just let the boy be.

Viera is superior when it comes to technique, passing, strength and vision, and all these attributes cant be drastically improved over time, accept maybe strength, but I doubt it will happen. But he has more energy, stamina, mental strength, intimidating factors, determination.

He plays in a very different way to Viera, he plays in a unique way, the closest comparison I can put forward is Gattuso of AC Milan, but he doesn’t play like Viera and never will.

He is proving to be very good signing and I think he was superb just before and after his injury, he improvement has been drastic, next season he will continue to grow, an excellent signing.

[Cool Hand Luke]

Sissoko has had a very good first season. He has improved an awful lot since he first came here. He brings huge amounts of energy, stamina, drive, domination and strength to the central midfield area, and although Gerrard also brings these qualities, Sissoko does it in a more concentrated area of the pitch and with a very different objective, he allows us to control the game by dominating and frightening oppositions midfield players.

What has improved more than anything is the fact that he doesn’t leave gaps as much as he used to. Unfortunately some people think being a good defensive midfielder is purely about chasing the ball like a head chicken like you do when you’re a school kid, and putting in tackle after tackle. Thankfully they are not in charge of Sissoko’s development, Rafa is teaching him the art of central midfield defending, which means not leaving gaps by ball chasing, working as part of team with your central midfield partner and not over committing in the tackle.

For me Sissoko will eventually settle down as a secondary midfield player, someone who will compliment a more dominate central midfielder player, like the Makelele role but he will do it in a different way but severing the same purpose. I don’t see Sissoko as being a genuine box to box central midfielder who you build your team around, he doesn’t have the technical ability, passing range, goal scoring ability, etc, to play this role. He is a hunter of opposition midfielders, but even hunters must hunt intelligently.

An valuable player who should complete the biggest part of his learning curve next season and then settle down into permanent role in the first team.

[Bad Bob]

Momo's gonna be a gem for us...... I am however a little worried bout how he'll fit into the team on a regular basis once we get ourselves a proper right winger..... he's probably 3rd choice central midfielder for us and opportunities will be fewer in the coming season once we have the right side sorted out... at his age, he's gonna need games to hone the skills he already possesses well and to work on his passing.... If we continue to play a conventional 4-4-2, likely he'll miss out...... If we decide only to play 1 upfront, then more opportunities will come....

Damn, gave myself a headache just thinking bout this...... The gaffer'll figure it out...... Doesn't stop me worrying though....

i was going to post exactly the same thing earlier but didn't get around to it. if we bring in a top striker who can play upfront on his own and a quality wide man on the right, then we've got the perfect players to play a 4-3-3.

Agreed, once the wide right player and forward(s) are sorted, Rafa will likely change the formation to accommodate Momo, Xabi and Stevie in the centre of the park most games.  Not one of this midfield triumvirate are droppable on current form and so the formation will change to suit so long as all 3 are injury free and eligible to play.

[66-1112520797]

Is Rafa still looking for a Right Midfielder ?

A bit of a tongue in cheek question, only because I cannot see our current Liverpool side playing without Sissoko in it. What a fantastic season he's had, and has got better and better with every game played. Definatley Rafa's buy of the season when you take into consideration the price we payed for him, compare that to the price Moriniho payed for Essein, need I say more more ?

As much as I can't see our side without Sissoko in it the same is also said for Gerrard and Alonso. So will this mean Rafa plays five in midfield with those three being the Center trio, or does he stick with four across the park and keep Gerrard out wide ?
Sissoko has given Rafa problems with his performances (good ones), if he didnt have such an impact this season I could of seen Rafa sticking with Gerrard and Alonso in the middle and using Sissoko as prodominatly a sub to replace either, but that hasnt been the case.

At the begining of the season Rafa played one up top and it didnt get the results we were looking for, we seemed toothless in attack,(remembering Crouchy's barren run co-existed with this) but Rafa eventually  heard the calls of 4-4-2 from the Newkit forum   and reverted back.

Rafa doesnt have a recognised RM so he pushes Gerrard out wide to solve his problem, and brings Sissoko into the center of the park. Suddenly a pattern is emerging, we're picking up points and are looking pretty formidable again,with two up top.

Now Rafa must look back and acknowledge the 4-4-2 worked with Gerrard out wide, but I think he personally prefers 4-5-1. What I'm trying to say is, Sissoko has played so well this season he is almost forcing Rafa to play with five across midfiled with him, Gerrard and Alonso being in the engine room and two wide players on the flanks or keeping a four man midfield and Gerrard out wide.

What's he gonna do though ?

[48-1119859832]

Momo's gonna be a gem for us...... I am however a little worried bout how he'll fit into the team on a regular basis once we get ourselves a proper right winger..... he's probably 3rd choice central midfielder for us and opportunities will be fewer in the coming season once we have the right side sorted out... at his age, he's gonna need games to hone the skills he already possesses well and to work on his passing.... If we continue to play a conventional 4-4-2, likely he'll miss out...... If we decide only to play 1 upfront, then more opportunities will come....

Damn, gave myself a headache just thinking bout this...... The gaffer'll figure it out...... Doesn't stop me worrying though....

Rafa will more than likely use squad rotation for that position. But the centre mid partnership does look likely to be Alonso & Gerrard, leaving Didi Hamann and Momo Sissoko on the bench.

[JC_81]

Is Rafa still looking for a Right Midfielder ?

A bit of a tongue in cheek question, only because I cannot see our current Liverpool side playing without Sissoko in it.

Another good point Bamaga man.

I have said it before that when Sissoko and Alonso have excellent seasons playing centre-mid and Stevie wins player of the year and scores 23 goals starting mostly on the right side then how can you change that?  Surely it is best for the team and even if Gerrard would prefer to play centrally more often, surely he can also see it is best for the team.

I still think we'll try and sign a right mid, because I can't see Gerrard playing on the right for every game next season.  But I think Benitez's priorities have changed.  I now think he'll spend big in the striking department, which is our weakest area, and buy a right mid who may not necessarily start every game - someone like Pennant or Prieto - who won't break the bank.  Although I'd love us to sign SWP, I think this scenario is more likely.

But I agree, for the big games, Gerrard, Sissoko and Alonso cannot be dropped and therefore we don't need to spend silly money on a Joaquin or someone like that this summer imo.

[Livor]

[/quote] Is Rafa still looking for a Right Midfielder ?

Yes Villarreal playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme, but reports say that he is mostly intrested in joing manchester united, with a fee of 17.5 million, but i dont see rafa having that kinda money honestly.