lol, he's lead legged, and would get the run around by anyone with more pace than me dead Nan. Go head Brendan, stick him in there for the derby
so time to drop him then? he's past it.. that is quite obvious. we shouldn't be taking passengers for this season, not if we want to do as well as we did last season
Get a grip all of you. Johnson back in the team? Not a chance. Also one striker? Every single time Rodgers has played a single striker system we have played like ****. In his first season? We did two wide forwards and a single striker. ****. Second season? We played two strikers. Good. When we played one striker? ****. This season we play one striker? ****. Notice a correlation between the two? One striker is a great system for Chelsea who love to scrape by via one goal and a tight defence. One striker doesn't rely on running behind the lines, he relies on the strength of the possession football around the box by his midfielders. We have never played that way and are unlikely to with Gerrard in a DM role. Gerrard does not play well there. He does not have the legs required to break up play and tackle opponents, harass them into mistakes. He doesn't press. He tries to bypass the CM's and dictate offensive play himself. This is a textbook definition of a poor DM. On the other hand, Lucas cannot play CM! He cannot prevent himself from drifting to his natural DM position and as such he crowds around Gerrard - passing to him constantly as that is what he is used to in the other direction. Henderson therefore becomes isolated and can't do it himself. Let Lucas play DM BY HIMSELF WITHOUT THAT STUPID DOUBLE PIVOT. Let him sit behind a midfield duo that is responsible for attacking play. That duo should be Henderson and Can. If Gerrard can't play in CM then its time to phase him out. You wouldn't play Zlatan in defence just to prolong his career. Which brings me to my next point. "Can is young and needs time to adapt". That's not a given. That's a possibility if he is playing like **** but he has actually played quite well. He can't adapt on the bench in favor of Joe "I look good because everyone else looks crap" Allen. This is Allen's third season for us and he hasn't done enough to warrant a spot for me. Even if he's been okay for a week or two. As for Markovic, he's young. He hasn't had much of a chance to play yet. Slot him in for Sterling or Coutinho or move Sterling up to the attack and play both of them. I'm frustrated too but listen to yourselves a little.
It's a bit challenging getting a grip in a s**tstorm. 1) GJ - No one is advocating that he come into the team except me and Lucaas I think. 2) One striker - No one is advocating that. Most here were even willing to field Fabio Peakaborini (as was BR) in order to partner Balotelli. 3) Gerrard's a good DM - No one is advocating that either. And all here would've welcome Lucas back to DM had he shown any vital signs. Maybe he just isn't arsed no more after what BR did to him. If so, BR should go down on one knee and beg him to be arsed one more time. Allen and Can are both out for one more month. I think we should be asking questions about the Everton game, in addition to those about our best 11.
what do you lot think ofr my 4-5-1 idea then.... put lovern who go and comes to the ball and is young and mobile at dm and put moreno at lw and put enrique in at lb... then sterling can play rw.... the idea is first dominate midfield.. as we are seeing WEST HAM ffs dominate us
For me, I would like to see Can, Allen and Hendo midfield. Full of energy, strength, pressing. The only downside is the range of passing and creativity we could lose, but I think it would be offset by us improving our defence and shipping less goals. In terms of playing Gerrard as a centre back - may be in a 3 man defence as the sweeper because he is good at reading the game in front of him. However, we really shouldn't be trying to shoe horn him into the team. Play him as an impact sub for the past 20 mins and then you can have the opportunity to play him anywhere on the pitch (hopefully as an attacking mid). Either Can/Allen as the DM with Hendo and Can/Allen as the CM's. I know people don't rate Allen as a DM but that's where he was playing when he first joined and he was arguably our best player in that position for a few months. He's not big but there's more to that role than just tackling and being physical. Tactical and positional awareness are crucial as well pressing, and he is able to pick the ball up from deep, turn and release quickly. And I would even rather have Lucas as the DM than Gerrard at the moment - I've lost faith in Lucas however I think he is a lot better when he is the sole DM and not playing in the CM or with Gerrard in a double pivot.
What a mess. A brand new defence. Totally unorganised and totally unprotected. Hate to say it but a few saw it coming pre-season. Lovren a great leader? Seriously? Moreno looks great going forward, not always great defensively......Hmmmmm.....heard that before somewhere!!! Gerrard is not a DM.....Play Lucas there until Can returns as he's slightly more mobile. We are leaving an inexperienced defence hopelessly exposed. Balotelli - hasn't played anything like what he has done for City before.....not sure if he will either! Hard to assess given the ever changing fookin' tactics of BR.... BR needs to get a defensive coach in and listen to him. We are a shambles and without a prolific forward line, we have to tighten up at the back or we will lose many, many more games this season! I can't even describe our style of football. When we were 2-1 down versus West Ham, we lacked any type of penetration, with little to no movement ahead of the ball so we had comfortable possession and passed sideways (Big Sam got it spot on btw)......We then invariably lumped it up to Mario and his midgets to win in the air. It was shocking to watch. Only Sterling, Allen and Sturridge can walk around Anfield with their heads held high. The rest need to take a good long hard look at themselves....including Rodgers. Settle on a back 4 and stick to it. Drop Gerrard, play Lucas now and maybe Can when he returns in that role. Don't play Balo up front on his own. It's painful to watch. I feel like we've returned to the early days of BR's reign....which is quite understandable, given that we've changed half of the squad!!! This is gunna take some time and patience I guess, which is hard to swallow when we hit such heights last year.
I also think Lucas only works as a single, central defensive midfield. Not one of two holding or box to box. He's not Hollywood, he keeps it simple. But he still does the jo. He actually has not played that role much over the last 18 months. I think he did it 2 or 3 times last season and did just fine. A Gerrard and Lucas pairing will never work.
I can't see anything other than a diamond with 2 upfront working. Whenever we play anything else we are ****. Gerrard is more than capable of playing DM and launching attacks as long as he has 2 infront of him who are very good at pressing, we have these types of players in Hendo, Allen, Lallana, Sterling - then the number 10 goes to either Sterling or Coutinho with 2 up top. If that means Borini and Balo then so be it, it will still cause problems.
Gerrard looks like he's past it tbh. He just doesn't seem to be influencing any of the games that he's played in so far this season. I agree that we need to play 2 up front and that will improve once Sturridge is back. Hendo has been average, Countinho is out of form and our defensive four are all over the place and Lovren, the great leader of men, looks like a donkey.....an expensive donkey at that!!.....If BR carries on with similar tactics and players, we'll be in deep doodoo quickly.
We've only created 6 clear cut chances this season. 5 of which when we play with 2 strikers, and 1 with 1 striker. We've not created ANY chances when Sturridge isn't playing.
Awful stats!! I'm not surprised though. We totally lack guile, movement and just about everything else. Some need a kick up the arse, including BR!!
Couple of questions, does anyone believe other than the league cup Rodgers will drop Gerrard? Even if he did: Does anyone believe a sizable section of fans and Red orientated press wouldn't scream blunder and demanding heroes immediate return if he tried to drop Gerrard and we lost a couple of games bedding in a new three? I mean I've read 3 separate pieces today that claim the WH Gerrard performance was because he was tired playing 3 games in a row....really? He had a short world cup, rested during international break and what was the excuse for the first two matches of non existence.....oh sorry he took a penalty won by one of our "rubbish" New signings busting his gut to rescue a game where our mighty captain trotted aroubd watching for most of it including their equaliser. Nope to either? Buckle down and prepare for this year. The policy is clearly, show how bad we are with him continuing in the team and wait for him to retire at the end of a crap year. If Gerrard cares as much as he says does he should he swallowing the ego and stating to BR that it's ok to make him a bit part player and buy someone in January and publicly backing that stance. He won't of course. And a majority of us fans will insure its suicide for BR to drop him. So we just have to wait.
I think rodgers' success depends on it but honestly frank i don't think he will. I do beleive however of gerrard was eased out there would not be such and outcry.
I make you right Frank I think it's telling that you've not offered him an extension to his contract yet, despite him making noises about it in the media after his high profile England retirement.
