Liverpool FC Forum

by **stmichael** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 2:00 pm

Most reds I know who were there during the glory days of the late seventies say that Liverpool were like a machine much like the great AC Milan sides of Arigo Sacchi (a man who is much admired by Rafael Benitez). So what does this machine entail and what type of line up can we expect from Benitez? Others in the nineties always relate the 1988 season as epitome of the ‘Liverpool Way’ of playing but although that appears to be our most attacking side it certainly was not the way we ‘had always played’. From videos I have seen we always played with pose and composure, we passed and moved, we defended well and we were winners. We peaked in 1988 and had we been in Europe surely we would have won the European Cup.

In 1987 after losing Ian Rush, Kenny bought Beardsley from Newcastle, Aldridge from Oxford and Barnes from Watford for a combined fee of about £3.5M – it was a statement of intent that after losing one of our most influential players we could still survive. It also rekindled the link man forward line ala Kenny and Rushie with a new duo of Beardsley and Aldridge – a style that Benitez has favoured at Valencia with Aimar and Mista.

Valencia used solid center backs who were comfortable on the ball, two full backs who could defend better than they can attack but to balance that they used two out and out attacking wingers in Vicente and Rufete. The center midfield duo of Albelda and Baraja not only provided strength it had composure and attacking intent.

So what of Liverpool now Benitez has arrived? From what I have seen of him this past 2-3 years he:

1. Always has players in their natural positions.
2. Likes strong players at the back and in center midfield.
3. Plays 3 attacking midfielders behind one front man.
4. Likes him teams to have a solid base from which to attack from, i.e. – if the team cannot win it certainly will not lose mentally.
5. He likes to rotate his teams but the same line up always play the big games (discounting Aimar being dropped due to loss of fitness for the Uefa Cup Final).

Very much like how Houllier tried to get Liverpool to play but his cautious nature and need to play certain trusted players at all cost meant that he tried too hard to fill round holes with square pegs.

These are very exciting times to be a red and I am so looking forward to seeing a style of play as Benitez said “a combination of Liverpool and Valencia” so a team like this would be no surprise.

Kirkland
Finnan (New CB) Hyypia Carragher/Riise
(new RM) Gerrard (new CM) Kewell
Owen Cisse

Which leads me to my last point in that I think Owen could well be our very own Raul and play just off the front man. Scoring goals but also creating things, running at players, being a little more deeper and behind the electric pace of Baros or Cisse. It would be a new role for the boy wonder but one I feel could well be the making of him as Owen has far more to his game than just as a striker. Can you see Owen playing in this way?

we wait and see.

by **Mustapha Parp** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 2:18 pm

he was manger of Iceland

Always has players in their natural positions.
Likes strong players at the back and in center midfield.
Plays 3 attacking midfielders behind one front man.
Likes him teams to have a solid base from which to attack from, i.e. - if the team cannot win it certainly will not lose mentally.
He likes to rotate his teams but the same line up always play the big games (discounting Aimar being dropped due to loss of fitness for the Uefa Cup Final).

by **blind** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 2:43 pm

i think we can expect a total contrast to the very defensive line up across the 18 yrd bow and deffend then get the ball to sg and to owen goal, although it worked we where easy to shut down if you had the players able to handle gerrard and owen if they where shut out there was no other threat.

Now we can expect to have a side that is not just comfortable and capable of defending but also one that is able to attack at will from any where( that is why Arsenal are so good at the moment danger comes from everywhere not just Henry) we muct adopt this approach and have a strong attacking midfield with two propper wingers. I think Diouff has been a little hard done by as i think Houllier wanted to use him like Wenger has Wiltord but Diouff is just not able to do it.

if we can attack matches and win those average games we will be top two as we are able to win the really big games it's those average games against the relagation candidates that we have struggled with.

We also need to find that killer instinct to put games out of reach by throwing on and extra striker like baros and get another couple of goals.instead of defending the lead. A an old coach of mine once said "they cannot put the ball in your net if they are picking it out of their own."

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Liverpool's style of play - What can we expect?

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