Assuming that everyone is fit, we now have the maximum five loan players that we can use in any matchday squad. Gerrard, Evans, Mannone and Amoo will presumably start, Hobbs will have to be on the bench, as he's our only back-up central defender, so what happens in the middle of the park? Will we possibly bring in another central midfield player on loan and only use four of the above? Are we desperately hoping that Etuhu is better than everyone says and can play central midfield? Does Pearson think that Harper/Evans is a strong enough partnership as it is? Or that Belaid will eventually prove himself there? For me, Belaid and Koren have talent but lack heart and Harper has plenty of heart, but lacks ability, Evans is the only nailed on starter in the middle at the moment.
I think Pearson needs to put a rocket up Korens arse and get him to work harder in the central position, Harper is being made the scapegoat by some but having watched Saturdays game again on Tigers Player I think he's making much more contribution to the team effort than people give him credit for and Evans is overloaded also.
Has Etuhu signed? It looks like for the rest of the season Mannone Rosenior Chester Gerrard Dawson Amoo Harper Evans Koren Fraytt McLean With Hobbs, Belaid, Cairney, Devitt, Barmby, Simpson, Garcia and Duke playing when needed Personally not what I would play but a solid team that will still do okay.
Koren is what he is, he won't change at his age. He is a good player in the right type of side. If we want to play him an we want him to be effective the rest of the team have to make up for what he hasn't got in his locker. "Putting a rocket up his arse" will do absolutely nothing.
Etuhu hasn't signed, he's supposed to be playing against Leeds for the reserves on Wednesday, before any decision is made(The Amoo signing must make his joining us less likely). Despite Koren's reputed desire to be playing in the middle, he's too light weight and has looked far more effective for us when played out wide(he's probably best playing the Geo role, sat behind two strikers but he's unlikely to get that role for us). Saturday probably killed any idea of a 4-3-3, so based on a 4-4-2 and no-one else coming in, it's likely to be Evans/Harper in the middle, Koren and Amoo out wide and Fraytt/Simpson or Fryatt/Mclean up front. Considering the amount of goals Amoo has scored playing as a striker for Liverpool reserves, maybe he'll end up playing up front, with Simpson or Mclean out wide(or that Aussie bloke).
If thats the case then he's more of a luxury player than anything else. I can't see the problem in trying to get him to work a bit harder.
If we sign Etuhu, it will be on a permanent, as he's a free agent. At least he is until his court hearing on March 21st.
An option we do have (but dont see happening) is 5-3-2 Manonne Rosenior, Hobbs, Gerrard, Chester, Dawson Harper (DM) Koren (AM) Evans (DM) Fryatt, Simpson/McClean Obviously Daws and Rosey as wing backs
While playing on the wing, he looked our most dangerous player and scored six goals. While playing in the centre, he's been largely anonymous and hasn't scored once. I might be talking bollocks, but bizarrely the stats would seem to back me up.
I hate to sound like I'm repeating myself, but the Pearsons look even dafter now for letting what should have been our first choice midfield pairing go in January. Harper is nowhere near good enough, Koren is lazy, Belaid is Ghilas, Cairney is too arrogant and Evans, despite being on loan from the mighty Man Utd has been largely anonymous in the appearances he's made. There's nothing coming out from midfield at the moment, our strikers don't have a cat in hell's chance of constantly reaching the ball when it gets lumped over the midfield, it needs to go through the midfield but we just don't have the quality to do that. I also notice the inside information that Greening was set to sign was correct, again.
Very critical, but I definatelty agree on your main argument TWF. I still hold the opinion that Ash shouldn't have been allowed to leave in those circumstances. Evans has been good and filled that role well, but I have a feeling Evans and Ashbee could have had a decent central midfield partneship. Harper wouldn't have got a look in, which is best for all concerned. Bullard did need to be moved out however. The masters of knowledge on here assured us that we would snap up Greening, but that never materialised. Suppose there's still a chance, but with 5 loan players in already (and 4 of them pretty much nailed on starters) I doubt we'd be willing to bring in anyone else
What inside information? If you're referring to me, I said I thought we'd be trying to sign him, I haven't seen anyone on here suggest we'd got anywhere near succeeding.
