Berberov to Anfield??

[Guido]

Originally Posted by Crazyhorse7778

God no, that partnership doesn't work.

Balls. It's perfect.

[gaz181]

Originally Posted by CWD82

I could see that changing though if he played for a bigger team with bigger players.

I agree mate but I still don't like that attitude

[Crazyhorse7778]

Originally Posted by Guido

Balls. It's perfect.

Yeah, perfect. Do you not remember some of the times we played it this season?

[Red Nick]

This could work in the majority of PL fixtures

Valencia------Masher´-----Stevie-----Mancini
---------------Berbatov--------------------
----------------Torres---------------------

Where we have to cream the opposition, obviously you could revert to a more defensive formation against the top 5 or so

[CWD82]

Originally Posted by Crazyhorse7778

Yeah, perfect. Do you not remember some of the times we played it this season?

The partnership in centre midfield wasn't the problem.

The balance in the rest of the team was more the issue then I thought.

[Guido]

Originally Posted by Crazyhorse7778

Yeah, perfect. Do you not remember some of the times we played it this season?

Nowhere near enough time given for the partnership to develop.
No reason at all why the best defensive and attacking central midfielders in the world can't play together given a few games to get used to it.

[Crazyhorse7778]

Originally Posted by CWD82

The partnership in centre midfield wasn't the problem.

The balance in the rest of the team was more the issue then I thought.

When we played it, I always thought that Gerrard was more restricted in his role. He kept dropping deeper and deeper to pick the ball up and pick a pass, almost playing as a less effective Alonso at times, whereas if we play Xabi and Masch behind Gerrard, he can be the one recieving those passes in dangerous areas.

I think we should leave Gerrard where he is at the moment, he seems to be enjoying it and his understanding with Torres is outstanding.

[Crazyhorse7778]

Originally Posted by Guido

Nowhere near enough time given for the partnership to develop.
No reason at all why the best defensive and attacking central midfielders in the world can't play together given a few games to get used to it.

Gerrard and Mascherano started 16 games as a centre midfield partnership in a 4-4-2 formation in the League and the CL and yielded an average points return of 1.88.

The Alonso & Gerrard, Alonso & Mascherano and Lucas & Mascherano partnerships all yielded more average points.

[Guido]

Originally Posted by Crazyhorse7778

Gerrard and Mascherano started 16 games as a centre midfield partnership in a 4-4-2 formation in the League and the CL and yielded an average points return of 1.88.

The Alonso & Gerrard, Alonso & Mascherano and Lucas & Mascherano partnerships all yielded more average points.

I suspect that's primarily when Torres was not a permanent fixture in the team, but i leave myself open to your superior statistical knowledge should i turn out to be wrong. However, points return stats are very limited as an indicator of how well a 2-man partnership within the team performed in those matches.

Btw, where you get your stats from?!!

[CWD82]

Originally Posted by Crazyhorse7778

When we played it, I always thought that Gerrard was more restricted in his role. He kept dropping deeper and deeper to pick the ball up and pick a pass, almost playing as a less effective Alonso at times, whereas if we play Xabi and Masch behind Gerrard, he can be the one recieving those passes in dangerous areas.

I think we should leave Gerrard where he is at the moment, he seems to be enjoying it and his understanding with Torres is outstanding.

I agree with that mate.

Gerrard is doing better than ever in that position. I read the Prentice piece where it says Gerrard has scored 20+ goals and got 20+ assists this season. We might seem mental to move him.

But IF we were to sign a striker like Berbatov he would be very good for the team. He can link play and spot a pass and although dropping Gerrard back would reduce his effectivness, we would be adding another class match winner to the team.

It would be a case of working out whether Gerrard playing off Torres with Masch and Xabi in midfield would win you more matches than Berbatov and Torres upfront with Gerrard and Masch in midfield. It's close but maybe Berbatovs added guile could open up a few more defences

I think the 442 fell down more this season because our forwards partnering Torres were either out of form in that position, out of favour or Voronin. Getting a top striker to help Nando might give him more space and see him score even more. That top striker could also maybe bring Gerrard into it a bit more in the final third if Gerrard was playing central in a 442

All if's and but's I know

[Crazyhorse7778]

Originally Posted by CWD82

I agree with that mate.

Gerrard is doing better than ever in that position. I read the Prentice piece where it says Gerrard has scored 20+ goals and got 20+ assists this season. We might seem mental to move him.

But IF we were to sign a striker like Berbatov he would be very good for the team. He can link play and spot a pass and although dropping Gerrard back would reduce his effectivness, we would be adding another class match winner to the team.

It would be a case of working out whether Gerrard playing off Torres with Masch and Xabi in midfield would win you more matches than Berbatov and Torres upfront with Gerrard and Masch in midfield. It's close but maybe Berbatovs added guile could open up a few more defences

I think the 442 fell down more this season because our forwards partnering Torres were either out of form in that position, out of favour or Voronin. Getting a top striker to help Nando might give him more space and see him score even more. That top striker could also maybe bring Gerrard into it a bit more in the final third if Gerrard was playing central in a 442

All if's and but's I know

If we did sign a striker like Berbatov, Gerrard might not like this but I'd move him over to the right hand side, as you said, it's all if's and but's.

Originally Posted by Guido

Btw, where you get your stats from?!!

Some lad on RAWK layed them all out, I shamelessly stole them.

[Moo]

Berbatov is the laziest, most half hearted player of recent times.
I honestly wouldn't want us to sign him even if we did have the money.

[WaltonRed]

Originally Posted by Paul14

I think he's an lazy, overrated bastard.

Did you learn that at coaching school?

[TheHitman]

I thought the strike partnership was dead in recent years its been Lampard Drogba, Rooney Ronaldo, Torres Gerrard, Pires Henry.

[Rashid]

We should sign a partner for Torres and move Gerrard just ahead of Macherano. We don't need two holding players when we have the best in the world already there - how many defensive players do we actually need?

The current champions or the two European Cup finalists don't play with two holding players... you can win trophies without then you know.

[Crazyhorse7778]

The current champions play with Pirlo & Gattuso

United play with Carrick & Hargreaves.

Gago & Diarra and Cambiasso & Vieira have won their respective leagues this year.

Seems to be a bit of a pattern there, hmm.

[SpeedyG]

Originally Posted by Paul14

Carrick/Scholes/Hargreaves

Makelie/Essien/Obi Mikel/Ballack

ha ha ha! New here, didn't understand the Rashid thing. But I do now!

[SpeedyG]

That is sad and inexcusable.

[Red Nick]

146 posts and already the worst poster on the site and thats quite an achievement

[Ronnie Whelan]

berbatov has world class ability but doesn't seem to have the best attitude in the world. personally, i would break the bank to sign benzema and lahm.

[Ronnie Whelan]

well with all this money that you said we'd get for our players in another thread, we should have a bit of dough. With the power struggle going on as well, thre may be more money available this summer hopefully.