A lot of people getting on his back, me included at times. He has disappointed so far especially with his work rate, he has to understand that he must up his game. He is no longer the key to the team like he was at Blackpool but just another member of a team and he has to contribute more in the way of effort.. He also needs to improve his fitness and give us 90 mins. Where has the dead ball delivery gone? Most people would praise his dead ball skills but they are nowhere to be seen. There have been flashes of the player from last season and we have to give him time as some players just take a while to settle. Having Gerrard back with allow this. I don't want to get on his back too much as I still believe he will come good and be invaluable to us once he gets his eye in from corners and free kicks. Although unless he gets his fitness correct he will be a player for home games and used as a sub. I also think he will play in the same team as Gerrard at times with Gerrard playing as a 2nd striker with Suarez. The movement in front of him should allow him to pick passes.
I have always thought that Adam was a poor fit for Liverpool and desperately wanted Aquilani to stay and take this second midfield slot (notwithstanding his lightweight frame and want to leave). Adam tends to misplace too many ambitious passes, his tackling for a midfielder is only so-so and his physique was and is suggestive of Jan Molby past his best... I remember watching Jan, and it was not for nothing he was called Fat Jan. Adam has the same characteristics without the superior technical ability and acute footballing intelligence. He needs to up his game and secure that second midfield berth, he needs to improve his fitness and cut down on the overambitious passes - keep it simple and move it quicker. I feel that Gerrard may find a better fit in that role in the immediate future. Charlie might fit it better as Steve winds down...
I'd personally like us to think about how to line up to use these guys. I would have thought a 4-3-3 might work but we're not going to do that it seems. reina johnson carra agger enrique gerrard lucas adam suarez carroll downing that would be my way of using adam, if we link adam enrique and downing down the left it becomes a nice little triangle. same for gerrard, johnson and suarez on the right..... however kenny started of 4-2-3-1 and is not playing 4-4-2 so i really don't know what we'll do to get a more effective use from adam. he's certainly not got the engine for 4-4-2 against a side like utd. I am figuring right now we'll go 4-5-1 v utd. gerrard behind suarez.
I reckon he's better in a midfield three than he's in a midfield two. The reason why he looked okay against Everton was down to Dirk Kuyt. Kuyt works damn hard for the side and gets involved and is also active and does tuck in. When Henderson is in there, he tends to disappear and get lost and isn't involved as much. If it were me against Man United, I would go with a Gerrard Lucas Adam trio with Downing and Kuyt flanking them, for the simple reason Ferguson will go with a 4-4-2 and the key to over-running them is having the spare man.
Thought it was a poor signing, Adam failed at Rangers under 3 different bosses, if we wanted a quality player in the Alonso mould, it shudda bin Banega,younger,cheaper,better.Kenny needs to take his British blinkers off, both his best signings so far are hispanic spaekin.Stick to Spanish speakin lads and he wont go far wrong
I like Adam, my main worry is his inability to tackle. If I'm completely honest he's probably one of the worst tacklers in the EPL.
Exactly right. Problem is, if we play five in the mid, unless it is gerrard as the link man then suarez will be awfully isolated.
I think he's been a decent signing, im actaully happy we have him and I think we got him for a good price, you say where has his dead ball delivery gone? He has two assists from dead balls this season and has scored once from open play, not too bad really.
Exactly. We have the luxury of having Gerrard that can play the duel role. Either tucking in beside Lucas or bombing forward with the spare man tucking in. How many sides can say they have such a player?, and the main ability that such a player must have is the ability to tackle. If Gerrard and Adam play in the same side, one drops off, one bombs knowing they have the security of the other sat in front of the back four. This was used against AC Milan in 2005 in the second half with the 3-5-2, Gerrard was allowed the time and the space in the midfield five because Didi Hamann was sat in front of the back four.
The problem is no one makes the right movement infront of Adam for him to pass into. Carroll's movement is woeful, Suarez drops deep and wants quick one-two link up play (he'd work great with gerrard when he's back), Downing likes to cut inside and kuyt has no pace to break the offside and turn a cross in. So blame the rest of the team as much as Adam. He tries to force passes because there's nothing on. I think if we actually had a pacey, line hugging right winger and Carroll's movement was better, Adam would really stretch the opposition...
a lot of ifs there jj.... in the end adam needs to adapt to the liverpool style just as much as carroll does. that means he needs to get his ass moving a lot more, do more defensively and positionally and just keep the ball moving nice and quick, crisp and over 10-15 yards. If he does that he'd be far more rated by the fans
hasn't been dependable, thats what I think his biggest failure is. He is a liability card wise and I felt he'd see red if he stayed on the pitch. Delivers in fits n starts and disappears for a while and makes a pass and disappears. No tackly on him, not afraid but not too quick footed. Offers less than his worth in that position at the moment, neither defensively nor offensively random shots apart. That bastard needs to train like thomas the tank engine and get his sheite together. What choice does he have.
--------Lucas---Adam Suarez----Gerrard---Downing ----------Carroll Our best side IMO Suarez and Downing could swap flanks as well.
disagree 4-2-3-1 doesn't expose the flanks as the holding players shift on counters to cover the flank when needed
Well I disagree with your disagreement. The problem is, for 4-2-3-1 to work well you need wingers to stick to their positions, do suarez or downing fit that bill?
i actually agree with redconn here. The best we've had in a 4-2-3-1 have been mascherano and alonso and i can say for an ironed on fact both of those guys covered their full backs, maschernao on the right and alonso on the left. in terms on wing discipline well... i might not have agreed with it but rafa set up to pull his guys in 10 yards from the sideline (garcia or benayuon or kuyt) and the only one who really held any sort of station was rieira. in the end the line up redconn suggests is in fact our best possible on paper... but its not the attacking issue i'd question but the premise of the whole article. That being would charlie adam bother his hole covering the left side full back... not like alonso i feel.
