Henderson came off for can..... But anyone else notice the club doc and others in close conversations with Hendo before the game in warm up? Do we have an issue coming here?
Probably was, the way our season is going it wouldnt surprise me if he never got over his earlier injury and hes being asked to play through the pain. Also it could have been a niggle that if he sat out tonight hed be over it but knowing us he played and will now be out for 7 years.
He was carrying a knock a couple of weeks back wasn't he? Either way - Real Madrid made us look tired. They completely schooled our midfield - I know Henderson gets a lot of praise for his high energy but he still lacks the technical consistency.
allen faded first in the first half.... the ref stopping play for a lad on the sideline to put his shirt on was bad BUT fans.... really was anfield ever rocking last night... really... i've seen it perosnally much better pregame than that and much better last year later in season when in run in... even in the first 20 I have to say i'd not call the place rocking.... after first goal it was quiet after second until 85th minute you could only hear the few faithful and the madrid fans. team let fans down, fans didn't give much to the team either.
Yeah, our entire midfield struggled - reduced to chasing shadows. It doesn't help that these two have an empty vessel in Gerrard playing behind them who offers literally nothing, especially now that you take away penalties and set pieces. But at the end of the day, Henderson and Allen are still two young lads and they outclassed by Modric and Kroos - 2 world class players. No shame in that, but it shows you that midfield needs beefing up further.
modric is not world class.... good but not that. kroos was good but its not really allen and henderson job to muscle him it was sterling, coutinho and balotelli's and they unfortunaltey all stopped pressing before first goal and it allowed kroos all the time in the world to pick passes. I would be wondering what can the two gys to when theyre's 3 guys up top not coming back enough and its leaving acres to play in.
I would consider both of them world class - they are seriously quality players that made us look silly. But I do agree - we simply didn't sustain the high press for long enough.
I would not put modric within a top 5 in his position so he'd not make a world 22 for me ergo not world class... thats all... thats doesn't menas he's not a high quality player. bales not world class either mind.
I used to look at it in terms of a world squad too but figured a player could be a phenomenal talent but be in a unlucky time period where there just happened to be four or five that were better than him. If C.Ronaldo had been another fives years older than Messi, there would never have been a debate about who was the best in the world, it would have be the former followed by the latter (we'd have still had the argument over who is the best ever though obviously) I change to 'would that player look out of place in any team in the world' instead which I think is a fairer way of looking at it. I think Modric could play for anyone and not look lost. He's not the greatest player around but he could play in any team and IMO, that makes him world class.
I don't really agree as it means a case can be made for so many lads then. I do feel players like ronaldo and messi stand head and shoulder over others and deserve the name. If ozil looked not out of place with real then was he and is he world class... not looking it with arsenal, not one jot.
If Ozil is played in the right position and used in the right way then yes, there is no one better. However, Wenger insist on playing him on the left and asking him to track back for some reason PS...I wouldn't want Ozil though because he doesn't work hard enough.
no-one better than ozil? not iniesta, jahmes or dimaria... or modirc and mentioned here? He's good but not that good and rarely played more than 70mins.