by stmichael » Tue Jul 27, 2004 12:17 pm
I can see what you're saying and I agree with most of it. I haven't seen any of the game from last night but I was slightly bemused by the starting midfield quartet. Again, we seemed to put out a team with little or no width but something obviously went ok for us to win by such a margin.
I think it's fair to say that Diouf has been discounted by Rafa so we can rest easy on that front. I've no doubt that Diao will be found out for the lumbering liability he is and I would be surprised to see Smicer getting too many games given the structure of the team and our other attacking options.
That leaves Biscan and Murphy.
IMO, Murphy is not a first team player. However, he has done enough in the past to show that he can be a useful squad player. If he can return to his BEST form under Benitez then I would say he would be decent cover for a midfield slot should any of our bigger names get injured. We should never underestimate the impact that injuries can have if we don't have sufficient cover. Whilst I would not oppose his sale, I would want to see a suitable replacement before he was offloaded.
Biscan. The object of many a thread at the moment. I have to say that I haven't jumped on the Biscan band wagon just yet but I am not blind to see a good performance if there is one. Whilst I think it's clear that you have made your decision on Biscan brendan, the jury is still out on him as far as I'm concerned.
I cannot recall a time when he was given more than a couple of consecutive games in the position he was bought for. So far under Benitez' regime he has had two chances and by all accounts he is grabbing his opportunity. Igor's confidence was sapped by a clueless Houllier to the point that he actually looked scared when he played. He was cruelly employed by Ged in a position with which he was completely unfamiliar. I don't buy the 'if you're good enough you'll adapt' argument. This is top-level football and any hesitancy (which is inevitable if the position is not natural for you) will be exploited.
It is one thing being shifted left or right within a defence/midfield/forward line but moving forward or backward to a different line altogether requires a lot more experience than Biscan has thus far. Benitez has said that NO-ONE is guaranteed in the starting eleven. This is a breath of fresh air IMO. I am not going to start advocating Biscan's inclusion but if in Rafa's estimation he proves himself worthy, I will not shoot him down for it. Biscan's LFC career so far has been surrounded by negativity and disappointment. Perhaps a little optimism on his behalf will bring out the best in him.