MITO's Block of Four...

Why rush Lucas, he's had some nasty injuries, Gerrard is playing great, ease Lucas in very gently. If he gets back to his very best then we have Brendan tinkering options, if not then he's squad.

Is this not what we want to get to, 2/3 slightly different players for each role so we are always hard to figure out and can respond to any opposition and don't force anyone back from injury too soon?

While competition between players is healthy to keep them focused, is it not really more from BR's point of view (& surely ours) he wants equally good players for diffrerent reasons, not proving one is worse than the other??

 

Maybe so but I have to wonder.... Oh and I still think you could make Henderson into a fabulous holding player. I really do

 

Think he's better at box to box. Too mobile for holding.

Allen could be okay but he isn't composed enough or enough of a physical presence.

 

Henderson is the perfect midfielder to play higher up in Rodgers system. Having the strikers closing down from the front with Henderson buzzing around behind them is EXACTLY what we need, they are our first line of defence. Playing a holding role would make absolutely no use of Hendersons best assets. Maybe later in his career but for now Rodgers will keep him just where he is. He'd be mad not to.

 

No way would I try to push Hendo into the holding role. He is perfect for one of the two box-to-box roles.

As for Lucas, I think he should be considered a squad player nowadays. He's no longer good enough to be a automatic pick but nor is he poor enough to be just a back-up. If we get one of the Benders then I expect Allen t join him.

 

Hendo's prime asset is his energy, his willingness to run his bollocks off for the cause.
Strait-jacketing him in a holding role would be crazy at this stage in his career, like putting an eagle in a cage.

 

Lads think Alonso you think energy is only needed higher up? No I am willing to bet you guys his energy and ability to pass would make him a great holding player

 

...... Just look at Martinez at bayern for a perfect example of what I mean, tactically it fit and Martinez also shows that I don't have to mean a permenant role standing for 90 mins, you can drop him in there to man mark messi if you wished for another example

 

Surely the "holding" role is exactly that. If it's not a permanent role standing for 90 mins then is it a holding role?? Martinez dropping in to man mark Messi is a centre midfielder man marking a player....not a holding player And I'm not sure of the relevance of Alonso to the argument....he was a stroller. The holding roll is all about positioning and knowing your opposition. The reason fellas like Hamann and Makelele made it look so easy was due to their intelligence not their energy.

Besides which it's all very well picking one player as an example (and a player who could fit into any midfield position) but that doesn't change the fact that Hendo is FAR better suited to elsewhere on the pitch especially in our current system. I have no evidence to suggest he'd be awful in a deeper role but the more I watch the lad the more it's blatantly obvious he's blossomed because his current position suits him to a tea.

 

A holding role is different to a box-to-box role, Lucas was good at the former, **** at the latter. Hendo, IMO, is become a very good box-to-box player, don't put the reigns on him. And Gerrard is fitting the deep holding/long pass distribution role at the moment quite well.

 

If you asked me to describe Alonso, energy wouldn't have been a word I'd have used. Not saying he was lazy, far from it, but he never had a engine like Mascherano, Hendo or Lucas.

 

I suggest you look back at opts stats for Alonso back in the day, he was consistently highest on distance cover for lfC.... There is a reason why when real bought him they said he was the only player in the world capable


Now let's be clear I am talking regista here not a dm stuck in front of two cbs and one full back staying back

A regista has to play in the centre of two split cbs with both full backs well advanced, he had to be able to tackle, retain ball, be strong, tactically aware and disciplined to allow others move forward (agger or Skertl), be able to pass long and short. In short this is not a Scott Parker or even carrick or even makelele. For me at least this is a role for a player like Gerrard WAS let alone what Gerrard is and I for one feel Henderson ticks all these boxes for me.

This is just my opinion but I see no reason to change it on the basis of just being told I'm mad seeing I've witnessed the guy do the job when Gerrard was out

 

This is a fair point, yes right now but perhaps if Gerrard is out or whatever I'd kind of think hmmmmm if I've Lucas Allen Henderson and coutinho I would be more interested in just seeing what positive outcomes could we get from coutinho and Allen box to box and Henderson behind rather than the safe route of Lucas behind and purely on the basis of 1. Is Lucas going to get fit like he was and 2. Having a guy who can pass long and short taking it from cbs and having a player like coutinho would be jnteresting

 

As a ball winner Lucas is still easily the best option we have. He doesn't need to have great pace because his positioning is generally very good. He's averaged more tackles and interceptions than anyone in the side this year, and probably every year for the last 5 or so. He reads the game defensively very well. He also wins a lot more headers in the middle of the park than anyone else in our midfield. The biggest problem I have with Lucas is the number of stupid fouls he gives away, but even accounting for that he's the safest option we have in the defensive midfield role for games where need to keep it tight.

 

so this all goes back to how rodgers wants to play.

1. i think he doesn't want to win the ball in fornt of his own back 4. he wants to win it higher up, this si why he used allen and Henderson pressing like mad to win it higher

2. rodgers wants a regista... not a defensive player. a regista is a deep lying playmaker.

ergo.. rdogers wants gerrard between two split CBs and he wants full backs higher up the pitch and the two CMs pressing hard.

He might "flip" one midfielder so the triangle in the middle has two deeper when he plays city and cheslea.. so it becomes mroe like real madrid with alonso and khediera... but right now rodgers has played allen and henderson pressing and frnaly to acomodate SAS he's gone for the diamond to get the two up top running in behind and stretching sides.

thats what i see at any rate.

If we were not rodger's lfc sure talk DMs. But everyhitng good about lucas is defensive duties that you've listed.. it has to be said. his former high % of complated passes should be noted also.

I propose henderson for regista as i feel he has displayed fine passing ability... my view is i'd rather him there as when his energy does win it back higher up he is a player i feel LFC can improve on when on the ball creating. The energy can be expended just as well in the regista role!

 

12/27

 

Bender

 

yeah but is he a DM, regista or box to box then... or are you just insulting me?

 

Maybe, but it doesn't affect his play.

 

oh insulting lucas then...