Liverpool FC Forum

by **dawson99** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 8:02 am

peewee in shock - try to ruin thread by slagging off kuyt in a kind of a jokey way but also kind of serious way, more serious than jokey way - shocker

so after all this, we all know that gerrard should be in the middle. good thread lads

by **Leonmc0708** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 8:42 am

bigmick wrote:
Leonmc0708 wrote:Gerrard is our best player in every position.

Perhaps it's that Scouse humour Leon but I can never really tell for sure if you're taking the p!ss or being serious. For my part, I don't know about "every" position, but he's certainly our best central midfielder by a distance. He's probably our best right midfielder by an even bigger distance, and unquestionably if he was selected there, our best right back as well.

Keane will settle in a play much better than he currently is, and if and when that happens he may well challenge Gerrards position as the best we've got by a distance at playing off Torres. Though I think it's a crime to see him play there, he's a far better bet than Yossi Benayoun or Ryan Babel at left midfield, although you would hope that Riera with the fact that he's actually left footed maybe able to become an improvement.

I've no doubt that Reina is a better goalkeeper, and I wouldn't have thought Gerrard would make much of a left back. He could almost certainly though play centre half, and may well do so when he gets older. If he were to do it now (not that he will obviously), he would probably challenge whoever is currently our best centre back for the right to be called that. He isn't better than Torres either as a centre forward.

So in conclusion, definately our best central or right midfielder or right back, with losts of options and possibilties throughout the team. Top player at the club by a country mile.

He is our best player in every position mate.

Up top, left, right, centre mid, centre half, left back, right back, wing back.

No question.

He is the most talented footballer at our club ad I include Nando, Mascherano, Carra et all in that.

by **tubby** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 8:51 am

For feck sake why do you lot always have to ruin a good thread by slinging insults at each other. We are all fans here so there is no need for this.

by **bigmick** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 9:01 am

Leonmc0708 wrote:
bigmick wrote:
Leonmc0708 wrote:Gerrard is our best player in every position.

Perhaps it's that Scouse humour Leon but I can never really tell for sure if you're taking the p!ss or being serious. For my part, I don't know about "every" position, but he's certainly our best central midfielder by a distance. He's probably our best right midfielder by an even bigger distance, and unquestionably if he was selected there, our best right back as well.

Keane will settle in a play much better than he currently is, and if and when that happens he may well challenge Gerrards position as the best we've got by a distance at playing off Torres. Though I think it's a crime to see him play there, he's a far better bet than Yossi Benayoun or Ryan Babel at left midfield, although you would hope that Riera with the fact that he's actually left footed maybe able to become an improvement.

I've no doubt that Reina is a better goalkeeper, and I wouldn't have thought Gerrard would make much of a left back. He could almost certainly though play centre half, and may well do so when he gets older. If he were to do it now (not that he will obviously), he would probably challenge whoever is currently our best centre back for the right to be called that. He isn't better than Torres either as a centre forward.

So in conclusion, definately our best central or right midfielder or right back, with losts of options and possibilties throughout the team. Top player at the club by a country mile.

He is our best player in every position mate.

Up top, left, right, centre mid, centre half, left back, right back, wing back.

No question.

He is the most talented footballer at our club ad I include Nando, Mascherano, Carra et all in that.

.......................yeah.... I'm still not entirely sure your not taking the p!ss Leon but I'll tentatively agree, as I think in most positions he is. Thats partly as a result of the fact that he's a fantastic footballer and athlete, and partly because some of our other players aren't actually that good when it really comes down to it.

Anyhow, it you are taking the p!ss then b0ll0cks to you

You aren't are you

Ah feck it that's what I think anyway whether you are or not

. Are you though

by **Sabre** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 10:12 am

If I promise that I won't defend rotation all the season, will you promise that you'll write more posts like the one you compare Stevie to other players like Scholes? I'm even ready to publicly say rotation doesn't work if it's necessary.

That was a very good post Bigmick.

On pattern plays or automatisations.

Like I say, I'd be very surprised if we don't spend time on it.

I'd be very surprised if any Championship side didn't spend a lot of time on those patterns, both with and without the ball! -- let alone us.

That's one of the things that we know doing better than most teams.

by **bigmick** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 10:58 am

Hey thanks for the "good post" mate, appreciate it. We wuz just talking about you tonight me and the missus. We was watching a repeat of an old Rick Stein mediterranean TV cookery show (oh how those long winter nights fly by over here) and they were in Catalonia. I said, don't worry one day when we're back in England we can go there and Sabes'll show us the ropes. Got all misty eyed just thinking about it. Mind you, it might have been the Pinot Gris I've got down me Gregory as well come to think of it.

by **stmichael** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 11:04 am

I'll tell you what, if Steven Gerrard wasn't a local lad, he'd be getting absolutely slaughtered by a lot of fans for what he says in that interview.

by **bigmick** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 11:18 am

Absolutely totally disagree with you Mike. If he wasn't a local lad, and Liverpool stumped up the 75 million or whatever it would take to buy him, he could say anything he wanted and frankly, the fans wouldn't give a sh!t. They'd just go on about him being the best midfielder in the World, how many goals he scored and made, how many times he single handedly dragged us out of the sh!te, and what a legend Rafa was for buying him. They wouldn't mention his "body language", or call him "Stevie me" once.

He gets all that nonsense precisely BECAUSE he's a local lad. Similarly, Carra has had zero criticism for having or allowing his book to be serialised in that Sunday newspaper. Gerrard got slaughtered by all and sundry for the same thing. Like I say, people won't realise what they've got (an indisputeably World class player who has never kicked a ball for another club, who has won us countless matches on his todd, and who has been fecked about by the current and previous managers without complaint) until he doesn't play for us anymore.

by **stmichael** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 11:38 am

I just don't like how he thinks he knows where he's better for the team, not the hugely successful manager who has deployed him elsewhere and tended to get the best results out of him and the team when he's done that.

by **bigmick** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 12:03 pm

stmichael wrote:not the hugely successful manager

Ah. It's probably in this bit where we disagree fundamentally Mick, and it's probably one we're going to have to agree to differ on.

by **stmichael** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 12:18 pm

Fo Dne wrote:Didi has more discipline in his game than Mascherano does.

Alot more infact, Mascherano is more like Gerrard.

Regardless of what Gerrard says, he needs a player like Scholes next to him who can pull the strings and sit in the centre circle aswell as provide the creativety and vision and help dictate the pace of the game.

When Liverpool played him in the centre with Hamann, we lacked creativety from that area, we were often flat and people completely forget this. Alonso is Stevie's ideal partner, but without us sorting the wide positions and having full backs Alonso can actually use to his advantage then we aren't going to get the best out of either of Alonso or Gerrard, which is a shame as they are two of our best players.

Did played further up for Germany (and Newcastle) at times, and looked pretty good there with more creative responsibility. Very little wrong with his passing - just not afraid to keep it simple and short when shielding the back 4.

If Didi had Mascherano's pace and energy, he would be an all-time world-class great.

by **Sabre** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 2:24 pm

bigmick wrote:Hey thanks for the "good post" mate, appreciate it. We wuz just talking about you tonight me and the missus. We was watching a repeat of an old Rick Stein mediterranean TV cookery show (oh how those long winter nights fly by over here) and they were in Catalonia. I said, don't worry one day when we're back in England we can go there and Sabes'll show us the ropes. Got all misty eyed just thinking about it. Mind you, it might have been the Pinot Gris I've got down me Gregory as well come to think of it.

I'd be glad to host most newkitters! the only problem is availability, I mean you can even bring the dog, the problem is where you come to. It's not the same if you come to Bilbao or Pamplona, which is very close, or Andalucia or some parts of Catalunia, with 13h or 8h trips, in those cases I'd need to be on holidays!

But otherwise if you drop by any spot close to where I am, you can count on me.

by **Zidane** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 6:09 pm

I think we'd be better off with Keane on the right and Kuyt playing behind Torres IF Steve will be playing in the middle. Kuyt is beyond worthless on the right it doesn't matter that he scored that one goal in the C. League that doesn't make up for the lack of attack on the right side. It is really a sad sight every time a ball gets played onto the right side of the field only to be played back again. If Rafa MUST include Kuyt in the starting 11 at least play him in an effective position.

Back to Steve, his best position is central but the team just makes him look bad in that position a lot of the time. Like it does everyone that plays mid on occassion. You have to rely on other people to make good attack minded decisions around you as well when playing in the middle and the wings rarely produce any bit of nice play. That's why you tend to see magic from Steve when he and Torres combine to spark something other than that the surrounding players are very boring and aren't very good options.

People talk about Lampard, Zidane, Deco, Scholes, Fabregas etc. beside the obvious point of Stevie and these guys not being the same type of player the biggest difference betweem them and Steve playing mid is that they have players making runs, getting into open spaces and just making themselves outlets for the playmaker on the team. The problem isn't him in central mid it's the players surrounding him, if he prefers to play there play him there.

by **banana** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 6:36 pm

I agree with Stu on most things.

Gerrard, although a good player, ain't no messiah.

He is first and foremost a physical player. Good heavy shot. Good upper body strenght. Good pace.

But his shortcomings are also obvious. Lack of calm, composure and coolness. Lack of creativity and the "zidane factor".

He ain't the best reader of the game and he is far from able to position himself or cover as much space or close down the opponent as the best box to box or defensive midfielders are.

I don't think he is good enough to play centrally in a 4-4-2 setup. If the system has 3 midfielder the there is room for him in a attacking role. For me a player like Paul Scholes is clearly a better midfielder. Both good at going forward, defending and keeping possession while being creative.

I hope Gerrard can improve his mental attributes with age. His skill level will probably not improve as he will never have amazing control, flair or technical skill.

To sum up; I like him. But he is far from being as good as some people think.

by **bigmick** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 8:54 pm

banana wrote:To sum up; I like him. But he is far from being as good as some people think.

Like I say, lets wait until he retires the we'll talk about him in comparison to whoever is playing for us at the time lol.

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Steven gerrard - Box to box central midfielder

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