Liverpool FC Forum

by **stmichael** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 1:18 pm

With Kewell out for ever... Gonzalez out with possibly a stress fracture and Garcia out with a knee injury...

Q: Where does that leave us on the left side of the field in an attacking sense?

A: Devoid of any real options. I'm quite frankly worried.

At the moment we have three players...Riise, Aurelio and Warnock to fill two spots, LB and LM. A few weeks back it seemed almost certain that Warnock may be sold in the window but this can't happen now surely? Even though I wouldn't be his biggest fan, we need him at the moment. We cannot afford any more injuries to the aforementioned trio..... Thankfully we didn't suffer these injuries in the first week of February or we'd be really screwed... at least we can address our immediate concerns and try and to fill the current void.

The problem is, I don't see either Riise or Aurelio as having the skill to play wide left in a midfield four. Yes I know Riise played very well there two seasons ago but even the most loyal fan would admit that he's not a natural there and that he's having a poor season form wise anyway. Aurelio has been injured but he strikes me as more of a wingback in a 3-5-2 than a natural left sided player. Warnock's probably the best of the three from a defensive point of view but I can't see him being a first team regular. Blackburn want Warnock as part of the Lucas Neill deal (if that happens) but I'm not sure if that would benefit us at.

The question is, as an emergency measure, and if the money is available, do you think Rafa needs to go out and sign a left sided midfielder, and if so who? Preferably someone who isn't CL cuptied.

by **LittleHobo** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 1:21 pm

i think auerlio must be given a chance

the boy has ability, and is more of a left mid than a left back.

and to be honest gonz aint done much so far so he cant possibly be more inept than gonz.

by **Kopjon** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 1:30 pm

I'd personally like to see us use Bellamy out wide on the left and keep fowler in. I thought Fowlers movement was very good last night and he won several free kicks on the edge of the box, so still a very clever striker. What a class goal from him as well hey!

So if we went with Riise at Left back (lets just keep him playing as we know he has quality, just in a rough patch at present), with Bellamy ahead of him, and Fowler up front.

The reason i mention fowler in this thread is that his movement is superb and he is clever at dropping deep for an overlapping Bellamy, or switching wide left and playing one-twos with bellamy, whilst we will still have Kuyt in the box ready to pounce. I personally think it would work well.

Tongue in cheek, it would also mean bellamy wont be caught offside so much either!

Also Bellamy galloping forward on the counter with the clever link play and movement of fowler and movement and pace of Kuty and Gerrard and Pennant would be frightening?

Any thoughts? Thanks.

by **puroresu** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 1:30 pm

I dont want to see strikers being played out of position.

by **Kopjon** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 1:35 pm

I'm personally not a fan of players being played out of position, but i'd like to see us be a bit more direct and quick, like arsenal last night and at present we dont have a left sided player with pace and quality movement, whilst Aurelio and Riise are too prone to playing the 'same old same old' ball into the box that gets cleared all too often.

I like to see the old pass and move style rather than the pass and cross it style if you know what i mean - though i very much doubt rafa will go with my idea!

by **LittleHobo** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 1:40 pm

i do think fowler should be on the bench more BUT as for him starting no thanks.

hes way to slow these days

by **Kopjon** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 1:47 pm

I'm not a regular these days but i thought he was looking pretty good this season when he's played. Is he really that poor these days?

by **puroresu** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 1:50 pm

Kopjon wrote:I'm personally not a fan of players being played out of position, but i'd like to see us be a bit more direct and quick, like arsenal last night and at present we dont have a left sided player with pace and quality movement, whilst Aurelio and Riise are too prone to playing the 'same old same old' ball into the box that gets cleared all too often.

I like to see the old pass and move style rather than the pass and cross it style if you know what i mean - though i very much doubt rafa will go with my idea!

I agree. Since King Kenny left Roy Evans has had us playing the best style of football.

Fowler will always score when given a chance. However his not really shap enough. Larsson at 35 can still do it week in week out as he really looked after himself.

by **stmichael** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 2:04 pm

FWIW I think it'll be Riise at left back with Aurelio in front of him. I've been impressed with Aurelio in the last two games (I think he's one of the few players last night to come out of the game with any great credit) and I think he's showing far more of what he's capable of.

by **woof woof !** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 2:18 pm

Gonzalez has not impressed me at all , in fact him being out may actually work in our favour with Rafa being forced to employ Riise and Aurelio down the left (as Saint Mick suggested ) . Also in the short term Bellamy could be played out wide with Crouch and Kuyt up front .

by **Sabre** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 2:43 pm

If we have to use Zenden, once he's available, the left side would be the correct place, not the middle of the park. That would be his last chance to show something here

by **RUSHIE#9** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 2:56 pm

Using Bellamy out on the left would be akin to footballing suicide for us at the present time IMO. He is our only striker who looks like he's gonna put the ball in the net at the moment. Kuyt is being forced to come deep in search of the ball an awful lot. As for crouch, well he is finding the net but he's missing way too many easy chances for me and I just feel that Bellamy is our best shot at either scoring or creating goals upfront (who'd have thought anyone would be saying that 12 months ago? :suspect:

).

At the moment without adding to the squad I'd probably say that Aurelio and Riise combining down the left side is the way we'll have to go. Surprisingly (or not) we have REALLY missed Kewell on the left hand side this season and we have looked very weak down that side without him.
Rafa's hand may be forced with the injuries incurred last night and we may see him going cap in hand to the board for some transfer funds so that he can strengthen the team on the left to ensure that our season doesn't totally implode in on itself which is a very real danger at the moment.

by **cornetto1** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 2:58 pm

Aurelio was one of the players that impressed me last nite, he put in a lot of excellent tackles in. We've obviously got a problem right now in terms of the injuries, personally for the more physical games I'd have Warnock in at left back, he's a tough tackler and going on current form i'd have aurelio left midfield. I'm a big admirer of riise but as we've come accustomed to over the past few seasons, he can blow in and out of form from time to time, i dont think it'll be long before you see him bang on form again

by **SouthCoastShankly** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 2:58 pm

stmichael wrote:FWIW I think it'll be Riise at left back with Aurelio in front of him. I've been impressed with Aurelio in the last two games (I think he's one of the few players last night to come out of the game with any great credit) and I think he's showing far more of what he's capable of.

I agree. if anything Aurelio has shown his attacking abililty is far greater than his defensive abilities.

I also would not be at all surprised if Rafa looks to loan or even sign a left sided player to address the problem?

Stuart Downing?

by **stmichael** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 3:20 pm

SouthCoastShankly wrote:I also would not be at all surprised if Rafa looks to loan or even sign a left sided player to address the problem?

Stuart Downing?

Never been a huge fan of Downing. He's a decent crosser but he can't beat a man. I'd prefer Ashley Young from Watford but you can guarantee that both him and Downing would be ridiculously overpriced. It makes it even more baffling that we didn't try harder to sign Duff. At £5m he would have been an absolute steal.

Or could we instead go for someone already in the ranks, someone who has been highly touted by the coaching staff. Someone young and hungry. Someone apparently with bags of pace and skillful. Someone like Adam Hammill. That would be a huge risk though.

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