Liverpool FC Forum

[kirankara]

last night once the innitial period of pressure was exerted on galatassary we were brutally exposed in middle of the park at times, there seemed to be a huge gap at times between the men in the middle and fabio aurelio, who went missing a lot too. Can anyone else now see some of the reasoning in having momo there and gerrard on the right?when Gerard pushes forward at times when in middle of park we seem to be exposed there. I think theres going to be a fine balance between us playing attacking football and a stable defense.

[Sabre]

Yeh, we missed him, but I think it's important to note this, NOT because he's any better than Alonso or Gerrard. Meaning, if he was in the team, and one of the former players wasn't, our team wouldn't have been solid neither. That solidness is achieved when we have them all on the pitch.

It happened to us in Sheffield too, we had some troubles because we didn't play Momo and we played
a left winger and Pennant. People's conclussion was that Alonso was poor. No he wasn't. It's just that if you have 2 attacking wing men, 2 strikers, an attacking midfielder like Gerrard, and just a man to hold the whole thing, you'll take some risks defending.


Although to be honest, we were in danger even after Momo's appearance. I love fair play, but we are so noble and sportive sometimes, that it gets on my nerves:

a) When you're winning, the fúcking point is to not to lose possesion, yet we still were looking for the goal as if we were down in the score

b) Crouch, FFS, Min 90, winning, IF YOU ARE SUBBED at that point is to lose time, not to have a fresh pair of legs. Don't go to the wing jogging, go fúcking walking, clapping to Anfield and taking your time.

[kirankara]

yeah mate i agree , but i never suggested momo was better than alonso or gerrard, as that would be stupid lol, the G and Xabi are awesome players, i just felt that the balance inthe middle was not quite right, and we were left horribly exposed at times, sure rafa will correct this tho over time

[bigmick]

This is a much better topic than the Aurelio one. The simple answer is yes, though those of us who watch Liverpool with a modicum of objectivity would be less surprised than the pundits on the telly were. Sissoko is the most destructive ball-winning midfield player in the Premiership by an absolute distance (I don't watch enough european football to comment on how he would rank overall) so it's only natural we would miss him.
Because he doesn't score any goals, the likes of Andy Gray don't give him any credit. Nobody should be under any illusions at all however, he is one of the most important players in the team never mind the squad.

[kirankara]

I agree big mick and love momo to bits, i was just wondering if anyone else felt the same, as accomodatinf him means that gerrard will get moved around and most fans go nuts when that happens, whereas i personally am happy to see him anywhere as he can bring quality to any position, the team first always imo, ur oppinion please

[bigmick]

Well my opinion is and has been for the last couple of seasons that Steven Gerrard's best position is on the right-hand side of midfield. He is harder to contain there and easier to get into the areas where he can do most damage, namely in and around the opposition penalty area. He is probably the best right-hand sided midfield player in the World in my opinion and therefore if it was up to me, that is where he would play the majority of his football.
When he has a shot like he did last night and numpties such as Andy Gray say "that is what Steven Gerrard gives you when he comes from central midfield", when he scored twenty three times last last season and won the footballer of the year and the FA Cup final on his own playing from the right hand side it really baffles me. That the silly fecker gets paid half a mill' a year for coming out with such abject boll0cks is just about the only thing I can think of that surprises me more.

[kirankara]

andy gray is on my most hated list too lol, possibly even surpasses terry, lumplard and mourinho

[account deleted by request]

I think its obvious that Rafa picked a team last night to score goals (which they did) not expecting the battle we had second half. I thought he was slow to react to Gala's formation change but maybe he expected a bit more discipline from his senior players ,and the fact we scored again to make it 3-0 ,probably gave him the expectation that we could still score more than them!

We obviously missed Sissoko, you always miss your best players. As for Gerrard not being able to play central midfield, thats a load of cr*p. If the game had finished just after we went 3-0 up everyone would be saying how great our midfield was at creating chances without Momo

Sissoko and Alonso are perhaps the better balanced midfield but they also have the benefit of a world class player in Gerrard playing in front of them. Gerrard was very unlucky not to get a couple of goals  last night and once they start flying in again, I dont think he will mind where he plays.

My only major critism of our team last night, is when the going got tough not enough players got going! We needed to fight for the ball more and win a few more tackles.

One things for sure we like to score great goals this season.

We certainly missed Sissoko last night, but would we have been 3 - 0 up if he had played and Gerrard had not?

[kirankara]

saint mate we werent suggesting gerrard didnt play, its more a csae of where he played that was under scrutiny, as Gerrard doesnt stay central even when he plays central, similarly he doesnt stay on right when hes there, only difference being that when hes on right the gap he leaves when bursting forward is minimal, whereas in the middle theres a huge gap left by his going forward. Gerard is simply the most awesome player in the world i have no doubts about that, but hes not baove any criticism and at times yesterday his runs left us exposed. I was simply asking would momo have given us cover for stevie to make those runs that he would no doubt have made from the right too as he cuts in a lot anyway

[Ace Ventura]

Of course we missed Sissoko, Galatasaray had too much time and space in posession in the midfield, that wouldnt have happened if Momo was playing.
I was happy with the line-up that Rafa selected, but think once we went 3-0 up and they started taking chances with our left hand side totally exposed we should of changed things then.
I can see why Rafa didnt as we always looked like we would score more, but we hung on in a game that we were 3-0 up in, against one of the poorest sides we will face.
On gerrard playing centre midfield, i think the reason we were exposed is that he was too cavalier, he has been afforded the luxury the last year or so of drifting around the pitch so he can be our biggest attacking influence, but centre midfielders need to be more disciplined, and tbh Rafa should say to Steven....you say you want to play centre midfield...well with that position you carry a responsibility to not just go forward when you want, you also have to hold your position and help protect the back 4, would you still rather play there, or have the role on the right....where you can drift around the pitch and pretty much attack at will.

On a side note, i thought Pennant who played on the right had his best game in a red shirt.

[account deleted by request]

I realised that mate I was just making the point that the team was set up to be attacking, that Gerrard was instrumental in our going 3 - 0 in front.Ie his pass to Aurelio for the first goal. That while I have always said I prefer Gerrard on the right, to say he cant play CM is rubbish.

Both Gerrard and Alonso were included in my senior players lack of discipline comment, they both seemed to be a bit too adventurous when we were 3 - 0 up (visions of a 5 or 6-0 perhaps)

I thought Sissoko should have come on for Pennant after our third goal, but perhaps thats more my problem with Pennant rather than great tactical thinking.

[account deleted by request]

Of course we missed Sissoko, Galatasaray had too much time and space in posession in the midfield, that wouldnt have happened if Momo was playing.
I was happy with the line-up that Rafa selected, but think once we went 3-0 up and they started taking chances with our left hand side totally exposed we should of changed things then.
I can see why Rafa didnt as we always looked like we would score more, but we hung on in a game that we were 3-0 up in, against one of the poorest sides we will face.
On gerrard playing centre midfield, i think the reason we were exposed is that he was too cavalier, he has been afforded the luxury the last year or so of drifting around the pitch so he can be our biggest attacking influence, but centre midfielders need to be more disciplined, and tbh Rafa should say to Steven....you say you want to play centre midfield...well with that position you carry a responsibility to not just go forward when you want, you also have to hold your position and help protect the back 4, would you still rather play there, or have the role on the right....where you can drift around the pitch and pretty much attack at will.

On a side note, i thought Pennant who played on the right had his best game in a red shirt.

Agree with everything you said Ace apart from the Pennant bit.

[Ace Ventura]

Of course we missed Sissoko, Galatasaray had too much time and space in posession in the midfield, that wouldnt have happened if Momo was playing.
I was happy with the line-up that Rafa selected, but think once we went 3-0 up and they started taking chances with our left hand side totally exposed we should of changed things then.
I can see why Rafa didnt as we always looked like we would score more, but we hung on in a game that we were 3-0 up in, against one of the poorest sides we will face.
On gerrard playing centre midfield, i think the reason we were exposed is that he was too cavalier, he has been afforded the luxury the last year or so of drifting around the pitch so he can be our biggest attacking influence, but centre midfielders need to be more disciplined, and tbh Rafa should say to Steven....you say you want to play centre midfield...well with that position you carry a responsibility to not just go forward when you want, you also have to hold your position and help protect the back 4, would you still rather play there, or have the role on the right....where you can drift around the pitch and pretty much attack at will.

On a side note, i thought Pennant who played on the right had his best game in a red shirt.

Agree with everything you said Ace apart from the Pennant bit.

Dont you think Pennant had a good game ?

He still needs to be a bit more positive at times but he worked hard and produced far more of the penetrating runs i was hoping we would see from him.
Its Luis Garcia that i'd of taken off at 3-0, he didnt bother tracking his man at all, and seemed only to think about attacking, thats great if you can get away with it, but Arellio was getting exposed 2 v 1 all of the time, i dont think Finnan was.

[kirankara]

i agree with both of you as a whole, but i think i agree that pennant played well as a whole last night and seems to be grwoing into the role slowly but surely, i thought he was prepared to run at ppl far more than he has in early games he played for us. Still not perfect, but getting better. I think hes learning a lot from rafa and those around him, and will get better still, on negative side, he gave ball away a bit too often and some crossing was bit dodgy, but ive seen Gerrard make mess of crosses too, so not going to get too down on lad, and ppl seem to forget hes only really had handful of games with us, so im not expecting miracles, rather see him as a work in progress.

[zarababe]

Well my opinion is and has been for the last couple of seasons that Steven Gerrard's best position is on the right-hand side of midfield. He is harder to contain there and easier to get into the areas where he can do most damage, namely in and around the opposition penalty area. He is probably the best right-hand sided midfield player in the World in my opinion and therefore if it was up to me, that is where he would play the majority of his football.
When he has a shot like he did last night and numpties such as Andy Gray say "that is what Steven Gerrard gives you when he comes from central midfield", when he scored twenty three times last last season and won the footballer of the year and the FA Cup final on his own playing from the right hand side it really baffles me. That the silly fecker gets paid half a mill' a year for coming out with such abject boll0cks is just about the only thing I can think of that surprises me more.

Sorry BM, not following you around..  (just posted in the aurellio thread too) but this is the point that I was just making in there. Gerrards position on the right enables the holding position to protect the back four and start attacks.

Of course tactically I an totally unawares, but I think I'm 'gettin it'  now .. 

Rafa will play the video of that game to the squad, showing them why Gerrard plays where he does and how the rest fit in ..    Oh and rest assured we won't see another game like that again 

The Daliy Mirror describes last nights game quite aptly:

"A quite ridiculous Champions League tie saw Liverpool romp into a stunning three-goal lead last night, thanks to another goal of the season contender from Peter Crouch that matched even Xabi Alonso's 70-yard stunner here against Newcastle a fortnight ago.."

Precisely it was "quite ridiculous"