Liverpool FC Forum

[aCe']

I don't think he is an excellent footballer, his crosses are not that good that most of them usually hit the defender when he tries to whip one. He has a bit of a heavy touch and doesn't overlap as much. His passes are ok, sometimes he misplaces them sometimes they come out really good. However, he is a very good defender, can tackle and can man mark really well, but he isn't dominant in the air and some players in the league win the header when they challenge him.

He is a good player, very solid, very consistent, but not as good as some people think he is.

yep... thats 9 out of 10 players we have u got spot on right there.. hehe

[stmichael]

Nobody's saying Arbeloa is a world beater but he's certainly our best option at right back. He's vastly under-rated, as was Steve Finnan in his prime.

Carra's game is all about reading the game and you don't get chance to do that at full back. As we don't play a proper right winger we need the runs of Abreloa.

[Owzat]

Good player but certainly not "our most important player behind Gerrard, Torres and Riena"

What about Alonso? Mascherano? (depending on your standpoint) Riera? I think there are plenty at the same level as Arbeloa, if not better, but in terms of our limited options at RB you could view him as important to the team. I get where Scottbot came from, I think a few others were thinking he was suggesting he'd rather have Carra at RB when I'm pretty sure he meant he rated Carra as more important - notice Carra isn't listed with Gerrard, Torres and Reina.....................

[DanAn]

Why not option 4? Aurelio Agger (or Skrtel) Carra Arbeloa   

He's definitely a better option than Carra at RB when fit and he can be a very useful player for us.  I do think he has limitations and that, at the very least, he needs some proper competition for the shirt and, at most, needs to be sat down for someone who offers a bit more going forward while still able to shut up shop defensively.  Of course, the same can be said at LB as well, with Dossena not up to it and Aurelio and Insua both in the Arbeloa category of solidly good not spectacular.  Given our difficulty breaking teams down and giving the fact that we have few natural wingers at the club, our fullbacks become much more important to our attack and I think it's an area we should be looking to improve in the medium term.

Of course it is best to have both Arbeloa and Carra in the team but when you are establishing who is more important wouldn't you logically look at a team with only that player missing?

I would not rank Aurelio and Insua at the same level as Arbeloa either. On Current ability I'd have Arbeloa ahead by some margin though Insua has more potential IMO. In fact i'd put Arbeloa in the category of Agger & Riera. IE: Someone capable of doing a job for the club with a lot of potential.

At left back I think it's a different story we need to replace both Aurelio & Dossena and Insua is still too years off holding down 1st place. Aurelio is useless to us IMO as he will never give us continuity while Dossena doesn't seem to be able to cut it. 

In summer I think we need to spend big on a left back to start but I am wondering if we could get by with a backup player at rightback.

[DanAn]

Good player but certainly not "our most important player behind Gerrard, Torres and Riena"

What about Alonso? Mascherano? (depending on your standpoint) Riera? I think there are plenty at the same level as Arbeloa, if not better, but in terms of our limited options at RB you could view him as important to the team. I get where Scottbot came from, I think a few others were thinking he was suggesting he'd rather have Carra at RB when I'm pretty sure he meant he rated Carra as more important - notice Carra isn't listed with Gerrard, Torres and Reina.....................

Well it was the first thread I've ever started so I had to put something controvertial but it's not that controversial when you think about it.

In isolation, no question Carra is more valuable but because we have very good cover at CB and very poor cover for RB where Carra is forced to shift to RB anyway. The absence of Arbeloa therefore hurts the team more than the absence of Carra.

In Arbeloa's absence we lose Carra from CB because he's the only other decent option we have at RB. So we lose the most effective CB (Carra) and gain a less effective RB (Carra). That's significant damage! While in the absence of Carra, we bring in Agger. Not ideal but the damage is minimal IMO. 

If we are to lose one player (and only one player) from the team in order for me it would be:
Gerrard
Torres
Riena
Arbeloa
Riera
Alonso
Carra
etc

[alanricouk]

He's a decent player, but we need to strengthen that area soonish. Micah Richards is rumored to be available for £5million. I'd take that in a heart beat.

[DanAn]

He's a decent player, but we need to strengthen that area soonish. Micah Richards is rumored to be available for £5million. I'd take that in a heart beat.

I'd take Micah Richards for 5m no question but I'd take him as a CB not a RB. If Agger was to leave Micah would be top of my list.

I think we should look at either a gun player at a smaller club like Srna or Rafinha or else a young up and comer similar to Rafael at ManU.

[metalhead]

I don't think he is an excellent footballer, his crosses are not that good that most of them usually hit the defender when he tries to whip one. He has a bit of a heavy touch and doesn't overlap as much. His passes are ok, sometimes he misplaces them sometimes they come out really good. However, he is a very good defender, can tackle and can man mark really well, but he isn't dominant in the air and some players in the league win the header when they challenge him.

He is a good player, very solid, very consistent, but not as good as some people think he is.

yep... thats 9 out of 10 players we have u got spot on right there.. hehe

Hehe, which played I didn't agree with you then?

[alanricouk]

He's a decent player, but we need to strengthen that area soonish. Micah Richards is rumored to be available for £5million. I'd take that in a heart beat.

I'd take Micah Richards for 5m no question but I'd take him as a CB not a RB. If Agger was to leave Micah would be top of my list.

I think we should look at either a gun player at a smaller club like Srna or Rafinha or else a young up and comer similar to Rafael at ManU.

Micah at CB? He's been appalling this year. He's best on the right, where he's always been strong.

[metalhead]

Nobody's saying Arbeloa is a world beater but he's certainly our best option at right back. He's vastly under-rated, as was Steve Finnan in his prime.

Carra's game is all about reading the game and you don't get chance to do that at full back. As we don't play a proper right winger we need the runs of Abreloa.

Not the same as Finnan, sorry, but Finnan was better than arbeloa, even a better footballer. Finnan is a better crosser of the ball, one of his strengths and technically better than Arbeloa.

[alanricouk]

Nobody's saying Arbeloa is a world beater but he's certainly our best option at right back. He's vastly under-rated, as was Steve Finnan in his prime.

Carra's game is all about reading the game and you don't get chance to do that at full back. As we don't play a proper right winger we need the runs of Abreloa.

Not the same as Finnan, sorry, but Finnan was better than arbeloa, even a better footballer. Finnan is a better crosser of the ball, one of his strengths and technically better than Arbeloa.

Agree.  was when he  was forced out the team, and sold.

[Bad Bob]

Why not option 4? Aurelio Agger (or Skrtel) Carra Arbeloa   

He's definitely a better option than Carra at RB when fit and he can be a very useful player for us.  I do think he has limitations and that, at the very least, he needs some proper competition for the shirt and, at most, needs to be sat down for someone who offers a bit more going forward while still able to shut up shop defensively.  Of course, the same can be said at LB as well, with Dossena not up to it and Aurelio and Insua both in the Arbeloa category of solidly good not spectacular.  Given our difficulty breaking teams down and giving the fact that we have few natural wingers at the club, our fullbacks become much more important to our attack and I think it's an area we should be looking to improve in the medium term.

Of course it is best to have both Arbeloa and Carra in the team but when you are establishing who is more important wouldn't you logically look at a team with only that player missing?

I would not rank Aurelio and Insua at the same level as Arbeloa either. On Current ability I'd have Arbeloa ahead by some margin though Insua has more potential IMO. In fact i'd put Arbeloa in the category of Agger & Riera. IE: Someone capable of doing a job for the club with a lot of potential.

At left back I think it's a different story we need to replace both Aurelio & Dossena and Insua is still too years off holding down 1st place. Aurelio is useless to us IMO as he will never give us continuity while Dossena doesn't seem to be able to cut it. 

In summer I think we need to spend big on a left back to start but I am wondering if we could get by with a backup player at rightback.

Some good points, mate.  IMO, though, I don't think Arbeloa is streets ahead of Aurelio in terms of quality (if at all).  The only real difference, as you've mentioned, is that Arbeloa is more dependable and consistent because he tends not to break down after a run of 4-5 matches like the Brazilian does.  Arguably, that makes Arbeloa more valuable, I agree, but that doesn't mean he's a better player in my book.  In an ideal world, we'd have both as back-up to truly quality fullbacks but that's not likely to happen any time soon.

I do think your provocative point about Arbeloa's importance to the side is being slightly misunderstood.  From what I can see, you're suggesting that Arbeloa's status as our only truly battle-tested RB makes him much less expendable than some of our lads--even some of our top quality lads--who play in positions where we have greater strength in depth.  Of course, Arbeloa's not a better player than Carra or Masch or Alonso but he is somewhat less expendable.  It's a good point of discussion anyway, mate.