by mynameisred » Tue Sep 21, 2004 11:01 am
Good post no bandwagoning here then. Yeah agree there was alot of positives from last night and although it was strange but didi and alonso did have a dynamism that the gerrard-alonso partnership lacked.In the short term I think these two would provide a solid midfield pairing as it will allow alonso to be the main ball player and take a bit more responsibility which based on last nights performance was what he needed. IMO alonso looks like another leader on the pitch and you can already see the influence of training with Gerrard on his style of defensive play. I know its sacreligious but IMO he is a more intelligent footballer than Gerrard and technically is perhaps the best ball player Ive seen since Molby. However Gerrard will always be the main man due to his standing in the game his attitude on the pitch and the fact that he can do everything so we will miss him but we should be covered in the middle. Another positive was the performance of both Josemi and Finnan down the right, ok Finnan isnt ideal there and when Nunez comes back I expect him to move in there but Finnan is playing his heart out at the mo and they have a good understanding and look solid (Giggs was relativly quiet). Didi well what can we say, whenever he plays for us whoever the boss he makes us look a better team his decision making is top drawer and brings a composure to our midfield, Risse looks like he is chomping at the bit at the mo and whilst his defending could be better his pace is invaluable to our back four. Garcia could turn out to be our zola so we have to accept the games when he works and the games where he doesnt but im sure over the course of the season it will be more of the former.
However we have problems and Im loathed to criticise good players so early but we need a GK, you can now plainly see Dudek doesnt inspire confidence in the back four and perhaps it would be good for both parties if he moved on as he should be a good keeper. Cisse will become a good player but he is not a target man and will not hold the ball up he is not that type of player (Rafa would have played Heskey right up top with him I reckon if he hadnt gone). The main problem is Baros, good pace and skill and great finisher but poor touch, poor awareness and is too greedy around the 18 yard box. Im not sure if he will be about after xmas as I think you need to play to his strengths in the way GH did with Owen and Im not sure if Rafa plays in the same mould. Most importantly we need a centre half who is big, strong, quick and not scared to pick upthe odd card, we lack a meaness and presence at the back bigtime. Ayala should be the ticket and he wouldnt have played any champs league by jan as he is injured.
Regarding last nights game we looked overawed in the first halfbut the scum where well up for it and it was to our credit that we kept the score at 1-0. In the second half we, especially towards the end, had them on the back foot and remember this is at old trafford where attacking them often ends in giving them late goals but they didnt really have any clear cut chances. For Rafaits only been seven games and my priorites havnt changed. I wanted to see a better standard of footballespecially at Anfield as I believe we will have good enough players with additions at jan sales to make sure of champs league football again. If we continue to improve and our football continues to flow better we will be happy fans at the end of the season no question. Last night we played Man Utd, bouyed up with Ferdinads return and the return of others coupled with having a point to prove and the fear of dropping even more points behind Arsenal. We can play alot better and we will so lets just relax a little and keep the faith.
Peace
The man who came to merseyside from Newcastle, the man who says he's part of Liverpool as much as the Liver building. When he was needed Alan Kennedy was there. And with now just 8 minutes to go it could be that Alan Kennedy has made a little history.