Steven Gerrard: Paying the price for his versatility

[TheBajan]

Steven Gerrard: Paying the price for his versatility | Liverpool - Times Online

 

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard says his versatility means club and country don’t get the most out of him

 

Steven Gerrard ought to be the Bryan Robson de nos jours. Instead he is in danger of becoming a new Paul Madeley who, with Don Revie’s Leeds and England, was so proficient in a number of positions that he never settled in the one he wanted. The Liverpool captain regards himself as a central midfielder, full stop, and has come to regret the versatility that has seen him shunted into different roles, for club and country. He offers a startling statistic: in 68 appearances for England he has patrolled his preferred beat just five times. He could not recall Robson or Paul Ince playing wide on the left.

 

After undergoing groin surgery that has put him out of the World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Croatia, Gerrard had time on his hands and was happy to chew the fat on a broad range of subjects, from the effect of Croesus-rich owners on the Premier League to Liverpool’s need for more “bottle” against Manchester United and Chelsea, his disappointment that the planned new stadium to replace Anfield had been delayed and his unavailability for England.

 

We met on the day the Arab takeover at Manchester City dominated the sports agenda. Such is the new-found wealth at Eastlands that the Daily Telegraph printed a stellar team that Mark Hughes could now afford to buy, featuring Gerrard in central midfield, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Lionel Messi. He loved that, particularly because he was in his “proper” position, and said: “Can I keep your paper?”

 

On a more serious note, he felt more competition at the top would enrich the Premier League but that there were worrying implications for English football. “For the past few years we’ve had the established top four, then a middle league, then the teams fighting relegation,” he said. “More wealthy owners coming in will make things more exciting because more teams will get stronger, but the other side is that foreign owners are going to buy even more foreign players, which will give the English lads less chance."

 

Liverpool have overseas owners in George Gillett and Tom Hicks, but the transatlantic takeover has hardly been an unbridled success, with enmity between the two partners leading to damaging divisions between the manager, Rafa Benitez, and the chief executive, Rick Parry, and leaving the new stadium on the back burner. Gerrard said: “We’ve been taken over by the Americans and it hasn’t all been rosy. It’s important foreign owners coming into our game realise it’s not all about them. The club is the priority, and our clubs are going to be here when they have gone. If they don’t understand that, there will be problems. There was a stage when it was worrying here, and when the infighting carries on for such a long time it affects players. You can’t help but worry about your club and think, ‘What if this or that happens?’ For the moment, the owners have put their differences behind them. The manager has been given money to spend, and the situation is better than it was a while ago. We’ll have to wait and see if the bad days are behind us.”

 

Benitez bought Robbie Keane (Tottenham), Albert Riera (Espanyol), Andrea Dossena (Udinese), Diego Cavalieri (Palmei-ras) and David Ngog (Paris St Germain) this summer for a total of more than £40m. Was it enough to improve on last season’s fourth place? “Time will tell,” Gerrard said, having experienced too many false dawns to be anything other than noncommittal. “The performances so far haven’t been that good, we’re still only in second or third gear. A few of the lads haven’t been 100% and I’ve been nowhere near it myself. We played well in preseason, but come the real deal we weren’t at the level we wanted. The promising thing is that the results have been good [Liverpool lie second with seven points from three games, and scraped past Standard Liege in the Champions League].”

 

By his own admission, Gerrard had not been at his best. Was the problem entirely physical? “I had a good rest in the summer and felt great when I came back,” he said. “Then, as soon as I went into training, the groin started niggling. One day it would be the right, then the left, and over a month’s preseason, it started to be a real worry. I strained both sides, which is a separate injury from the main groin problem I’ve got. The strains came about because I was training and playing differently to reduce the pain further up the pelvic bone.

 

“The decision about surgery was taken after our game against Standard Liege. I had a meeting with the club doctor on the day of the game and said the discomfort was getting to the stage where I couldn’t continue. I’d had to double, then treble, my dose of painkillers to train and play, and I was having to take them during games. You get to the stage where you can’t grind it out any longer. I told the doctor, ‘I can’t find my level, I can’t get to 100% because I’m missing training sessions and I don’t feel right in games. I don’t feel I can go to the max’. I couldn’t sprint flat out, couldn’t pass more than 30 yards and couldn’t shoot properly and, as much as you want to be out there for every game, there are times when you have got to forget about England and Liverpool and get yourself right.”

 

Benitez says he expects Gerrard to be fit in time for Manchester United’s visit next weekend, but the player doesn’t agree. “That’s a bit soon,” he said. “I’ve a decent chance for the Champions League game in Marseilles [september 16]. I’ve spoken to the manager and told him I’d like to do a certain amount of training before I come back. I don’t want to go into a big game only having had one session with the boys.”

 

Gerrard found it necessary to spell out such things to Benitez without equivocation. His position in the team, for example. “In the summer I looked him in the eye and told him where I want to play, which is centre midfield,” he said. “I told him that the way I like to play, you get the most out of me when I’m box-to-box, defending at one end, throwing in tackles, then getting my passing game going and getting to the edge of the box for shots. I find it difficult to play how I want to in the other positions.

 

“I love it when a manager says to me, ‘You’re playing in the middle, I want you to go and run this game’. That’s music to my ears. Rafa told me, when the Robbie Keane deal went through, that his plan was to play Keane behind [Fernando] Torres and to drop me back to play centrally. I know Rafa Benitez better than most people now and in some games he’ll ask me to play different roles, but he knows what I prefer.”

 

England, to his frustration, played him right or left, but rarely in the centre, and Gerrard believes this is because in the middle he requires a more defensive partner than Frank Lampard – a Didi Hamann or Nicky Butt type. He said: “When I played for Liverpool with Jamie Redknapp, I was the more defensive of the two, but when Didi came here he was an absolute dream for me. He helped take my game to the next level because he gave me the licence to go and express myself. You get the best out of me when I’m playing with a disciplined midfielder who gives me that freedom to play box-to-box. I can operate in a deeper role - I did it for England against Brazil at Wembley and got man of the match - but it’s not something I really enjoy.”

 

Ideally, he would have a Butt-type figure, rather than a Lampard as his partner. He explained: “Nicky’s strength wasn’t getting into the box and scoring goals, it was breaking up play. He was a stopper. He suits the type of player I am - as it would suit Frank Lampard or Paul Scholes.”

 

For England, and to a lesser extent with Liverpool, he had become resigned to playing everywhere but where he wants. “I’ve paid the price for being able to do a decent job in other positions,” he said. “Other players don’t get shunted around because they can’t do it. I can’t go and play on the right or the left and become Kaka or Robinho, I just go out there, give 100% and do a steady job. I’ll work hard, do my bit defensively and help the team. That’s why managers do it to me, but it is affecting me. My game suffers when my position is changed. I’m a central midfielder and in the big games I want to play in the middle and show that I’m one of the very best in that position.

 

“For Liverpool, I’ve played everywhere bar in goal: centre-half at Coventry, left-back at Maine Road and right-back nearly 40 times. Five or six years ago, I used to hate playing on the right or the left with a passion, so much so that I couldn’t prepare properly for the game. It really used to destroy me but as the years have gone by, because it has happened to me so many times under different managers, I’ve got to the stage where I block it out and do the best I can. There are two options: you can go out there and give it your best shot or go up against the manager, in which case there’s only going to be one winner.”

 

He estimates that 65% of his 400 appearances for Liverpool have come in the centre of midfield. And England? “Much less. I’ve played in my favourite position for England five times in 68 games. What can you do? I go into training with England and try to prove myself every day. Every England manager I’ve worked under knows where I want to play, but they pick the formations and I play where I’m told.”

 

Of Liverpool’s prospects for the season, their captain said: “This time we’ve got to be in the title race with 10 games to go. Rafa knows that this is a big season for us, as far as the league is concerned. The fans are screaming out for it, the players want it and we need to deliver. If we’re out of the race again come January or February, there will be a lot of unhappy people around here, myself included.”

 

Winning the league would mean even more to Gerrard than the European Cup triumph of 2005. “The memories of Istanbul will go to the grave with me,” he said. “There isn’t a day goes by that I don’t think about it, but I want more memories. I want to get on another open-top bus and see another million people on the streets of Liverpool, acclaiming the league title. The city will explode if we win the league, and I don’t want it to happen when I’m retired. I’m 28 and realise the years are flying by. In November I’ll have been a first-teamer for 10 years and yet it seems like I only made my debut two or three months ago, I’ve enjoyed it that much. I want from 28 to 35 to be even better, and I feel my best years are ahead of me. I don’t want to retire and have just Istanbul and a couple of FA Cups to remember. It will be a disaster, personally, if I don’t win the league here.”

 

To do it, Liverpool have to be more positive, he felt. Manchester United and Chelsea had been afforded too much respect. “When we play them,” he said, “we’ve got to get the right balance between being organised and strong defensively, yet having the bottle to go and win. Going into these games negatively and too defensively, you can still lose, as we have done.

 

“Against Chelsea in the cups, we’ve ‘done’ them more than they’ve ‘done’ us, but in the league we have to be a bit more attack-minded to win. Over the last couple of years we’ve gone into games against United and Chelsea very organised tactically - defensive if you like - and still lost 1-0. Have the same sound defence and show more bollocks going forward, and it could be 1-0 to us. In these matches the first goal is massive; if you concede it, nine times out of 10 you don’t get back. It’s important a few risks are taken to try to score that goal against these teams because it gives you such a psychological boost.”

 

Mix and match: players famed for their versatility

 

STEVEN GERRARD By common consent, Gerrard’s best position is in central midfield. Celtic manager Gordon Strachan describes Gerrard as the best allround footballer he has ever seen, saying he would play him in central defence, midfield, on the wing or up front, all positions he has occupied for Liverpool. Gerrard himself says that most of the games he has played for England have been out of his favourite position

 

JOHN CHARLES One of the most gifted strikers of his generation but for reasons best known to themselves, Juventus frequently asked Charles to play centre-half. It did not stop the Welshman from scoring nearly 100 goals during his five years in Italy

 

GARY MABBUTT The Tottenham player won 16 England caps but was never able to establish himself at international level in either the back four or midfield, despite performing well enough in both roles - though after more than 600 games for Spurs few at White Hart Lane doubted he became a better player when he moved to central defence. Mabbutt himself didn’t care where he played

 

PHIL NEVILLE Perhaps even Neville doesn’t really know his best position. The Everton captain can play on the right or the left side, and although he made his name as a defender at Manchester United, he is regarded as an accomplished man-marker in midfield

 

RUUD GULLIT The Dutchman with the sublime skills and dreadlocks scored goals wherever he went (Feyenoord, PSV, Milan, Sampdoria and Chelsea) but wasn’t regarded as an out-and-out striker. He played much of his career in midfield and, latterly, was asked to perform as a sweeper

 

LUCAS RADEBE The epitome of versatility. The South African played in midfield, all along the back four and even in goal in a matter of weeks for Leeds United, and said he would play up front if asked to do so - since he failed to find the net in 200 games during his time at Elland Road, it’s probably just as well he never took the field as a striker

 

PAUL MADELEY The ‘player-without-portfolio’ during Leeds United’s glory era of the 1960s and 1970s. Madeley's prowess as a ‘utility’ player meant he was selected by manager Don Revie in all 10 outfield positions during his long Leeds career, often ahead of a specialist in that particular role. His versatility also brought him 24 England caps, but it really should have been more

 

Gerrard’s Premier dream

 

- Steven Gerrard says he would consider it a personal ‘disaster’ if he finished his Anfield career without a Premier League winner’s medal. ‘I don’t want to retire and have just Istanbul and a couple of FA Cups to remember’

 

- Gerrard admits that to make his dream a reality, Liverpool must be more positive against their biggest rivals Manchester United and Chelsea, saying that their record against the Big Two just isn’t good enough n Man Utd have beaten Liverpool in their past four encounters. Liverpool have not scored against United since February 2006 when Peter Crouch hit the only goal of an FA Cup fifth-round tie

 

- Liverpool have met Chelsea 20 times in the past four seasons, but under Rafa Benitez they have yet to score a league goal at Stamford Bridge

 

Interesting Read. So, Robbie was bought to play Gerrard's position in the 4-2-3-1 or as a striker in the 4-4-2, and not as a left winger. Music to my ears.

[Liam]

Good read that.

 

Hopefully as captain, Gerrard will do his part to ensure we do have a more positive approach in the big games. Carragher said something similar recently so lets hope we see it next weekend.

[23_Carra_Gold]

He's not Bryan Robson or Paul Madeley, he's better than that, he's Steven Fucking Gerrard.

 

Premiership winning captain 08/09

[SpeedyG]

“In the summer I looked him in the eye and told him where I want to play, which is centre midfield,” he said. “I told him that the way I like to play, you get the most out of me when I’m box-to-box, defending at one end, throwing in tackles, then getting my passing game going and getting to the edge of the box for shots. I find it difficult to play how I want to in the other positions.

 

Guess, it will always be "Stevie Me".

 

No SG we got 20/20 out of you last season not in CM. The other time we got 20/15.

 

If SG spends this season in CM and under performs..........

[Paul]

Guess, it will always be "Stevie Me".

 

No SG we got 20/20 out of you last season not in CM. The other time we got 20/15.

 

If SG spends this season in CM and under performs..........

 

I think that's harsh. He quite clearly says that he now knows he has to play in different positions even if it's not his favourite, and that he can't go up against a manager over it. He is entitled to an opinion, though. In my view the issue is that he's been misinformed about what his best position is. He needs to be told that he's not a central midfielder, but rather he's a forward and he should look at his goal tallies when playing in a more advanced role for proof.

 

I think he's bang on the money in his assessment of what the problem is when we face the big two, as well.

[Guest TK-421]

It's also the second goal against the big four that is crucial, unless the first comes right at the end. We've seen how easily 1-0 can be taken away against Chelsea with Rob Styles, or even at Arsenal away last year. 2-0 next week please.

 

Gerrard is never going to be the best choice as part of a two man holding midfield as it's a complete waste of his other talents. He can play there against some of the weakest teams we face but against more organised teams he serves the team better playing further forward.

[chrisbonnie]

he`s dillusional if he thinks his best position is in the centre of midfield, he doesnt track back enough, Stevie Wonder can see that

 

sounds like a classic act of book passing for when he has a shit game

 

i dont think its the biggest loss with him being out the for the Utd game, he`s generally pretty poor against them anyway, mind you, so are the other 10 wearing a liverbird on their chest :(

[RSM]

In my view the issue is that he's been misinformed about what his best position is. He needs to be told that he's not a central midfielder, but rather he's a forward and he should look at his goal tallies when playing in a more advanced role for proof.

 

I blame that fuckin "expert" Jamie Redknapp!

[Glen C]

I prefer him in the middle myself. Either way everyone has their preference of where they like to play and gerrard's is in the middle.

[gkmacca]

That's the kind of thing that makes me a little bit sorry for Benitez. Lovejoy makes out that Rafa said Gerrard will be back for the mancs and that Gerrard has put him right, when all Rafa actually said (like any manager) was that it's a possibility but we'll have to see how it goes. Characters like Lovejoy are always twisting tiny details like this, and it has a cumulative effect.

[zigackly]

Wherever you play Gerrard he will give you more than most players you could put there. He's not the most skilled in close-control of the ball, but his drive, vision, stamina, acceleration, passing and tackling are all up there with the best in the game at the moment. That means unless you have a Kaka in the team, he's going to be the best option just behind the striker, and I believe he is still the best player in the squad in that position.

 

However, when Keane settles into our team, he should provide an option nearly as good as Gerrard in that position, albeit with slightly different attributes. Keane is a more natural second striker, and he's proved he's got it in this league. He should improve, in fact, from his performances at Spurs, since the players around him are a little better than the players he has been playing with.

 

Putting Gerrard alongside Mascherano behind him should also give us more than our other options there. Gerrards passing and vision isn't far off that of Alonso, but his mobility and acceleration will allow him to join the attack more quickly when we have the ball, and get back more quickly when we don't. Against most teams it should not diminish his ability to get forward and latch on to balls just outside the box for a drive past defenders, a through ball or a long shot. For me those are the scenarios when he's at his absolute best, and whilst we will lose some of that through dropping him back, I don't think we will lose enough to not make it worthwhile, since Keane is a good option anyway.

 

It's all about the balance of the team. Putting a good option (not as good, but still good) in front of Gerrard will give us more of an attacking edge, since his natural inclination is to get forward anyway, and we can afford that against all but the top teams, where he will have to exercise more discipline.

 

I personally think this will be good for the team, and will allow us more opportunities to unlock packed defences and convert some of last seasons draws into wins. That's the gamble anyway, let's hope it pays off.

[SpeedyG]

“That’s a bit soon,” he said. “I’ve a decent chance for the Champions League game in Marseilles [september 16]. I’ve spoken to the manager and told him I’d like to do a certain amount of training before I come back. I don’t want to go into a big game only having had one session with the boys.”

 

Can you imagine Gerry Byrne or even John Terry saying this? Biggest game of the season FFS. If SG gives out quotes like that, it's difficult to paint it any other way surely.

[SpeedyG]

Wherever you play Gerrard he will give you more than most players you could put there. He's not the most skilled in close-control of the ball, but his drive, vision, stamina, acceleration, passing and tackling are all up there with the best in the game at the moment. That means unless you have a Kaka in the team, he's going to be the best option just behind the striker, and I believe he is still the best player in the squad in that position.

 

However, when Keane settles into our team, he should provide an option nearly as good as Gerrard in that position, albeit with slightly different attributes. Keane is a more natural second striker, and he's proved he's got it in this league. He should improve, in fact, from his performances at Spurs, since the players around him are a little better than the players he has been playing with.

 

Putting Gerrard alongside Mascherano behind him should also give us more than our other options there. Gerrards passing and vision isn't far off that of Alonso, but his mobility and acceleration will allow him to join the attack more quickly when we have the ball, and get back more quickly when we don't. Against most teams it should not diminish his ability to get forward and latch on to balls just outside the box for a drive past defenders, a through ball or a long shot. For me those are the scenarios when he's at his absolute best, and whilst we will lose some of that through dropping him back, I don't think we will lose enough to not make it worthwhile, since Keane is a good option anyway.

 

It's all about the balance of the team. Putting a good option (not as good, but still good) in front of Gerrard will give us more of an attacking edge, since his natural inclination is to get forward anyway, and we can afford that against all but the top teams, where he will have to exercise more discipline.

 

I personally think this will be good for the team, and will allow us more opportunities to unlock packed defences and convert some of last seasons draws into wins. That's the gamble anyway, let's hope it pays off.

 

Agree and we have three players that can score 20+ goals a season. They all need to be played in positions where they can get 20+ goals that would be balance, and that balance does not include SG in CM.

 

He's already proven time and time again that he doesn't have the discipline to play CM in a 4231 and leaves us weak defensively and his goal record is half what it is when played in the 3. I'm sorry I don't want to trade the 10 extra goals for a bunch of low % hollywood balls. I don't want him running at 6 players from 60 yds, when he could be running at 3 from 18yds.

 

And we make this trade for what? Vanity?

[Red_Jim83]

Agree and we have three players that can score 20+ goals a season. They all need to be played in positions where they can get 20+ goals that would be balance, and that balance does not include SG in CM.

 

He's already proven time and time again that he doesn't have the discipline to play CM in a 4231 and leaves us weak defensively and his goal record is half what it is when played in the 3. I'm sorry I don't want to trade the 10 extra goals for a bunch of low % hollywood balls. I don't want him running at 6 players from 60 yds, when he could be running at 3 from 18yds.

 

And we make this trade for what? Vanity?

 

I'd agree with you 100% on this point, I've been saying it for a long time that Gerrard isn't a centre midfielder (as have many other people), but the Sky brigade will always keep coming out and saying the opposite particularly after we've lost a game.

 

I've said it on here many time and I think i'll say it agin, for me Gerrard's best position for us this season woul be out on the right in the 4-2-3-1 formation. Keane is perfectly suited to playing where Gerrard did last season and hopefully Babel or the new lad Reira can fill that left sided role.

[zigackly]

I disagree. He played fine alongside Hamann in a 4-4-2, which is harder to play in the centre than a 4-2-3-1, and I don't see why he shouldn't play fine alongside Masch. He needs an anchor beside him to cover when he vacates his position, and we have possibly the best in the world. It's only against the very top sides that he will have to be more cautious. Otherwise this gives us one more player joining the attack, which is surely what we need against those teams who just park the bus against us.

[stringvest]

you don't need a two man 'holding' central midfield - as he quite rightly pointed out, you need one to primarily to break up the play and the other primarily to play on the front foot more.

[SpeedyG]

I disagree. He played fine alongside Hamann in a 4-4-2, which is harder to play in the centre than a 4-2-3-1, and I don't see why he shouldn't play fine alongside Masch. He needs an anchor beside him to cover when he vacates his position, and we have possibly the best in the world. It's only against the very top sides that he will have to be more cautious. Otherwise this gives us one more player joining the attack, which is surely what we need against those teams who just park the bus against us.

 

I'm not saying he can't do a job, but he's not going to get 20 goals and 20 assists from CM.

 

We need calm and composure in CM especially in tight games as we get close to 90 mins. SG does not have the smarts to make up for what we lose by moving him back.

 

To me the 4231 was the best we have played for at least 6+ years probably more, the 442 with Hamman never came close to that and if we end up sacraficing that to play a 442 with no real wingers, then well I'll be pissed. And all for what? Vanity? Narcissim? Because you can't make a rational case for it.

[SpeedyG]

you don't need a two man 'holding' central midfield - as he quite rightly pointed out, you need one to primarily to break up the play and the other primarily to play on the front foot more.

 

Dynamics change when your primary source of width is the FBs. More defensive work required from the CMs and that defensive work is usually way out on the flanks, you can't have 1 CM covering both. That's why you need CMs who know when to go and when to stay based on how the attack is developing and how and where a counter-attack might occur. That unfortunately plays to SG's weaknesses rather than strengths.

[stringvest]

I disagree. He played fine alongside Hamann in a 4-4-2, which is harder to play in the centre than a 4-2-3-1, and I don't see why he shouldn't play fine alongside Masch. He needs an anchor beside him to cover when he vacates his position, and we have possibly the best in the world. It's only against the very top sides that he will have to be more cautious. Otherwise this gives us one more player joining the attack, which is surely what we need against those teams who just park the bus against us.

 

exactly. With the players we have, I would actually prefer Gerrard on the right, but it looks like Benitez has settled on him playing in CM, so that's that. However, we shouldn't be worried about losing out defensively, FFS, if he plays in CM he should be spending most of his time supporting the attack. How much defending did Scholes ever do in midfield?

[zigackly]

I'm not saying he can't do a job, but he's not going to get 20 goals and 20 assists from CM.

 

That's not the point. Keane has shown many times he can be a 20 goal a season player, and Gerrard has shpwn he can get ten or more from further back. Alonso hasn't. Moving Gerrard back may mean he personally scores fewer, but the team should get more.

[RedBrian84]

That was a good read. I don't think there was too much of the "stevie me" thing that people have pointed out. He's entitled to have his opinion about where he feels he plays best and I think it says a lot about Rafa's man-management that players at the club can feel they can talk to the manager about such things. And in any case, Gerrard goes on to admit that there would "only be one winner" if you went up against the manager about where you play in the team.

 

Obviously the paper has an agenda in the way it dresses the piece- he isn't paying the price for his versatitlity; he's such a damn good player that it would be foolish not to utilise his versatility.

 

I think he's coming across as very serious about the club and what he wants and I find that a good thing. The drive is still there to improve and rather than the approach he took in 04/05, whereby he was looking elsewhere for clubs to match his ambitions, he's now talking about "the lads" and how "we" need to improve. He wants to do well for us so badly I think that's fairly obvious. He seems like he's matured a lot over recent years. That's how I'm seeing it, anyway.

[Captain]

Dynamics change when your primary source of width is the FBs. More defensive work required from the CMs and that defensive work is usually way out on the flanks, you can't have 1 CM covering both.

 

Good point.

 

If we're playing 4-2-3-1 I'd like to see Gerrard replace Kuyt on the right and have Keane play behind Torres. I think that would get the most out of all players involved.

[WhiskeyJar]

There many sides to SG game. He can drive into a box, shoot, make through balls, link up and beakr play, dictate the tempo and crosses well.

 

This is subject that will never end as when Rafa plays him in one position, critics and fans debate wherever it was the right position to begin with. He could play in any number of positions, but Liverpool was never about accomodating one player to play at his full potential, its about giving balance to the team given a certain formation.

 

You could argue that with his defensive capabilities that he could play as an RB but then again that does not take full advantage his attacking abilities so scratch that.

 

Playing as a CM he would be far more effective as he can dictate the play, track back, make drives from the midfield and link up with the fowards whilst scoring the odd long range goal.

 

Playing him behind the main striker, he cannot dictate the play as much but he gives you +10 goals and assits per season making him a very effective attacking player but deprives him of his defensive capabilities.

 

So in the end you are left with a decision, where do you play SG where you can take full advantage of his talents??

 

Personally, this is down to Rafa and how he wants to use him as part of the bigger picture. He knows what he did with Torres last season, and whilst this should not be overlooked, we have Keane now who can play this role.....wherever some of you agree or not.

 

Which leaves Steve G playing CM, which is his favourite postion. If the player is happy to play there and the managers see him fit to play in that role then I dont see why not. Rafa might get stick because of his decision but thats where he can accomodate him whilst giving balance to the team.

 

P.S: Whilst writting this it maybe worth mentioning that I had traditional 4-4-2 formation in mind, as that has been our starting formation this season.

[SpeedyG]

That's not the point. Keane has shown many times he can be a 20 goal a season player, and Gerrard has shpwn he can get ten or more from further back. Alonso hasn't. Moving Gerrard back may mean he personally scores fewer, but the team should get more.

 

How so, as soon as you move him back, you lose 10 goals and 10 assists. That's 20 goals you need to replace.

 

With Keane's arrival I was looking for SG to go out wide right again. SG in 20+goals from RM. But now in order to satisfy SG we have to play Kuyt there instead. So we can have 20 goals by playing SG RM or 3 from Kuyt.

 

This deal just makes no sense whatever way you look at it.

[stringvest]

Dynamics change when your primary source of width is the FBs. More defensive work required from the CMs and that defensive work is usually way out on the flanks, you can't have 1 CM covering both. That's why you need CMs who know when to go and when to stay based on how the attack is developing and how and where a counter-attack might occur. That unfortunately plays to SG's weaknesses rather than strengths.

 

Yep, but we bought Reira to provide the primary source of width on the left, and we should be playing Pennant to do the same on the right if Gerrard's not going to play there. This puts less pressure on the RBs to get up and down all of the time, and allows the CM (and the FBs) to operate a little further forward and compress the play in the opposition half.