Benny The Noon » Tue Sep 10, 2013 3:55 pm wrote:aCe' » Tue Sep 10, 2013 11:15 am wrote:Suarez, Gerrard, Sturridge.. in that order, are our best players today imo. If we were talking about our most important players I'd have Lucas ahead of Sturridge.
Regardless, the point being argued here has more to do with the lack of depth in the midfield and wide positions rather than our chances of continuing our good start to the season. Thats about the only point in this thead argued by either side that I agree with. We're 2 players short of having a squad that can consistently get results to elevate us to a CL spot. Atm, we're doing well defensively and I'd hope that Suarez's return will only make us stronger upfront. If Aspas can get a rhythm going and contribute a bit more and one/both of Sterling and Ibe can elevate their game when given the chance then I think we could potentially overachieve and get that 4th spot come end of the season.
Would you not include Coutinho in the top 3 then mate ? He seems to be the creative link we currently have ? He seems to be the main point when it comes to creating chances ? I think if we lose him the team would suffer a lot more than if we lost Gerrard.
I wouldnt have him ahead of the top 3 I mentioned in either category. He's a good player and he'll only get better but so far this season, he hasnt been at his best. In terms of ability, Gerrard and Suarez get the top 2 spots without a question. The 3rd spot is between:
Sturridge: who would have thought he'd elevate his game this much with us! Scores, leads the line well, and his general linkup play has been good. Without him, we WOULD have struggled to score the goals that gave us the 3 wins so far this season.
Coutinho: He creates chances. That seems to be the first argument put forth by everyone with regards to Coutinho. I agree. He's excellent at creating chances in the final third. That elusive last ball that many sides struggle with, he picks more often than not. However, a huge part of his game and one of the most impressive aspects to his game was the fact that he didnt lose possession much going for that last ball or creating the space needed to pick that pass. This season, he has largely been disappointing imo in both regards. For me, it's the absence of Suarez and that increased responsibility and scrutiny by defenses that has led to this dip in form so I expect him to get back to producing top stuff in the next few weeks.
Agger: I've never been his biggest fan and I still think he's largely overrated by our own but he's the best CB at the club. The system we play fits his style like a glove. He gets way more touches than he previously would have under different managers and I think that has added to his confidence. If he can form a good partnership with any of the CBs we have now (Sakho, Skrtel or Toure; who are all on a similar level to each other and perhaps a small step behind Agger) then he could very well take his game to a new level with us.