Liverpool FC Forum

Thommo's perm wrote:One of the only redeeming things about Rafas last season was the aquisition of Aquilani

and I thought many condemned him for buying aquilani...

jacdaniel wrote:Do we really need any DM against some lower opposition?

Scottbot wrote:

stmichael wrote:

bigmick wrote:He can play Gerrard style off the front man, but the problem for me here is he won't score often enough, or influence the game often enough to make it work. Neither will he tackle anybody, so the feeling you'll end up with is why don't we just play a genuine striker in there and have done with it?

But I don't want my number 10 to be tackling back anyway. I want him to be influencing play in the final third of the pitch, that is it. Ok you get players who are en exception to this rule such as Rooney, or even Dirk if he plays there but that's just in their nature wherever they play to be honest.

To be honest I haven't seen him play in the role often enough to make a proper judgement yet imo. When he has played there (Spurs at home for example) he was excellent and linked up really well with Dirk who was playing the lone striker. I think to say that he wouldn't be involved enough is harsh. With the right players around him he'd excel, especially if they pass and move to the best of their ability.

You may have a point about his goalscoring though. I don't relly see him being proloific, but then Gerrard was hardly prolific in thet position last season either, especially by his normal standards.

I'm still not convinced Alberto can do the job in the hole consistently, I don't think he has the pace or mobility to do it week in week out. He's a bit of a stroller for me, clever enough to do it but I'd want a player who can dribble a bit, attack space for the ball over the top when necessary as well as pull the strings. I suspect he'd be brilliant one game and then invisible the next, not unless we can find a couple of fantastic wingers with dribbling ability, pace and movement. He could do the role as the furthest forward in a 3-5-2 but we won't be playing that system anytime soon. I still think his best chance is to get in the gym, get stronger and get stuck in otherwise we've probably got another Deco on our hands.

Owzat wrote:Did Aquilani play enough to play for Roma in any system?

stmichael wrote:mmm, well the thing is, roy is very much a 4-4-2 man as far as i can see. if that's the case i just can't for the life of me seeing him playing aquilani and gerrard in a central two unless we are playing a "lesser" side at home. the thing is we've got some fans saying he can't play in the hole whilst others say he's not a central midfielder. what exactly is he then. what system did roma play? as i recall they played quite a strange system which meant packing the midfield and basically playing without an out and out striker. totti was the furthest forward most of the time.

maybe he'll try and change gerrard's game a bit? i only say this because at fulham he essentially turned murphy and bullard into more defensive lying ball players with the attacking threat coming more from the wide players.

Owzat wrote:

jacdaniel wrote:Do we really need any DM against some lower opposition?

Extend that thought to :

- home matches (except maybe Chelsea, Arsenal and Man Utd)
- matches away to bottom half sides
- cup games

And maybe you could make a case for needing an out and out DM in 6-12 matches a seasonm that out of 50-60 matches in a season

The real question is are we looking to win or to not lose? I'm all for having a midfield general who can win the ball, but not at the expense of other qualities

bigmick wrote:Come on Alberto lad, prove us doubters wrong, make us eat our words.

In and Out wrote:

bigmick wrote:Come on Alberto lad, prove us doubters wrong, make us eat our words.

There is no doubter of him behind this keyboard.

I know but there is behind this one 

bigmick wrote:

In and Out wrote:

bigmick wrote:Come on Alberto lad, prove us doubters wrong, make us eat our words.

There is no doubter of him behind this keyboard.

I know but there is behind this one 

BOOOOOOOOOO!

Lando_Griffin wrote:

Owzat wrote:

jacdaniel wrote:Do we really need any DM against some lower opposition?

Extend that thought to :

- home matches (except maybe Chelsea, Arsenal and Man Utd)
- matches away to bottom half sides
- cup games

And maybe you could make a case for needing an out and out DM in 6-12 matches a seasonm that out of 50-60 matches in a season

The real question is are we looking to win or to not lose? I'm all for having a midfield general who can win the ball, but not at the expense of other qualities

You need your Mascheranos against a lot of the so-called lesser teams - he's been very important against the bitters in recent seasons, and especially the Boltons of this world. You need some steel in the team or you'll get bullied off the ball - just like Roy Evans' side of the '90's - that's the main reason we signed Paul Ince, remember?

wow a rarity... someone who talks sense on here...


Arsenal's invincibles had Viera, The mancs had Roy Keane. These are key players in championship winning sides. We don't need to play 2 DM's example Masch and Lucas, but we need to play 1 very good DM which is Masch.