Liverpool FC Forum

by **god_bless_john_houlding** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 2:44 pm

Spot on StMichael, we need more creative players, and the 1 player we did have who was creative (Garcia) has been sold. I wasn't Garcia's biggest fan, but he was able to create chances, in tight congestered spaces.

If we are going to play with the ball around the 18 yard box, then we need one of the central midfielders in and around the box. I think it's vital the team contributes more goals this year.

by **Big Niall** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 2:59 pm

Garcia gave the ball away all the time - glad to see him gone. I'd love to see Deco come here, I hate the little sh*t but he has talent of a type that nobody in our squad has.

linked with Chelsea at the moment as unhappy at barca.

by **Wilhelmsson** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 3:30 pm

If Pablo Aimar was a few years younger than he’d be an ideal signing. His ability to beat his man/men and introduce his team mate(s) in build up play leading to an attack would have been beneficial to the club.

A 23 year old Pablo Aimar, fully settled into life in the Premiership would single handily slice open a majority of opposition defences.

by **god_bless_john_houlding** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 9:44 pm

Saviola was on a free at the start of the window, obviously can't get him now, but I would of liked us to go in for him. Aimar, never have been a fan of, but a young Aimar would of been a good signing I suppose. Hopefully we won't need anybody this year, because we'll win the league. No problem.

by **stmichael** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 12:49 pm

god_bless_john_houlding wrote:Spot on StMichael, we need more creative players, and the 1 player we did have who was creative (Garcia) has been sold. I wasn't Garcia's biggest fan, but he was able to create chances, in tight congestered spaces.

If we are going to play with the ball around the 18 yard box, then we need one of the central midfielders in and around the box. I think it's vital the team contributes more goals this year.

As I keep saying, rotation is not the main problem as far as I'm concerned.

The main problem for me is that Benitez may play too many of the less creative and technically apt players together, especially in away games. His weakest point is his overreliance on hard work. I don't have anything against players that work hard, and I respect the idea of every player working on defensive tasks, but not at the expense of neglecting quality.

The whole outlook has to change away from home and we have to go out to win every game rather than not getting beat. I'll give you a prime example. Last season away at Villa we had eight defensive minded players on the pitch. How do you expect to create chances and win games with that kind of team selection?

by **god_bless_john_houlding** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 2:47 pm

I've said several times that I think it's better to try and win games with the chance of losing than sitting back and accepting draws, because inevitablty you end up losing games if we just sit back. This year I'd like us to go for the throat in every game.

by **Wilhelmsson** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 2:50 pm

god_bless_john_houlding wrote:Saviola was on a free at the start of the window, obviously can't get him now, but I would of liked us to go in for him. Aimar, never have been a fan of, but a young Aimar would of been a good signing I suppose. Hopefully we won't need anybody this year, because we'll win the league. No problem.

I’ve not seen enough of Saviola, so I cannot discuss him in a detail, from the little I saw of him, he does seem like a nifty, little player, in the Aimar mould and someone who caused the defence a few problems.

He certainly didn’t have many suitors because there wasn’t many stories about club interests for him circulating around the SS or BBC sport.

It’s good to see a supporter believing Liverpool can win the league this season, last season you would have sounded normal and not delusional, but never say never.
:;):

by **Wilhelmsson** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 2:56 pm

god_bless_john_houlding wrote:I've said several times that I think it's better to try and win games with the chance of losing than sitting back and accepting draws, because inevitablty you end up losing games if we just sit back. This year I'd like us to go for the throat in every game.

You and St Michael make very good points, I think these points are correct, I just wanted to add that IMO the outfield positions should consist of five defensive styled players and five attacking styled players. It’s important to get the right quantity of each, too much of one thing is generally not a good thing.

by **god_bless_john_houlding** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 3:03 pm

Wilhelmsson wrote:
god_bless_john_houlding wrote:I've said several times that I think it's better to try and win games with the chance of losing than sitting back and accepting draws, because inevitablty you end up losing games if we just sit back. This year I'd like us to go for the throat in every game.

You and St Michael make very good points, I think these points are correct, I just wanted to add that IMO the outfield positions should consist of five defensive styled players and five attacking styled players. It’s important to get the right quantity of each, too much of one thing is generally not a good thing.

Untied had 7 outfield attacking players and 3 defensive minded players last year and won the league. Worked pefectly for them.

Defensive minded: Ferdiand, Vidic, Carrick
Offensive minded: Neville, Evra, Ronaldo, Scholes, Giggs, Rooney, Saha.

When we dominated both England and Europe our side was very attack minded. Our full backs, wheter is was Joey Jones/Alan Kennerdy at left back, and even later on Steve Nicol, were all very attack minded. Phil Neal was a very attack minded right back. Midfielders were all chipping in with goals, Souness, McDermott, Ray Kennerdy, Heighway, then later came Wark, Barnes, Beardsley. And our forward have always been goalscorers, up until the last 3/4 years when we've missed a natural goalscorer. So I think if you have more attacking players in the side than defensive, sides are more likely to sit back and allow your offensive minded players to come forward. At Anfield there won't be many teams who play with 2 forwards right up top, so there's no need for 5 players to be sitting deep marking 1 lone striker. Go for the throat this year, that's how we'll win the league. We've proven this when we attack sides, they are unable to cope with us, United, Chelsea, Milan and Barcelona last year. Problems with the United game is we couldn't score. We are one of the best sides around going forward, so we might as well make that work to our advantage. Go for the throat and we'll easily win the league. Come on Liverpool.

by **god_bless_john_houlding** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 3:05 pm

Wilhelmsson wrote:
god_bless_john_houlding wrote:Saviola was on a free at the start of the window, obviously can't get him now, but I would of liked us to go in for him. Aimar, never have been a fan of, but a young Aimar would of been a good signing I suppose. Hopefully we won't need anybody this year, because we'll win the league. No problem.

I’ve not seen enough of Saviola, so I cannot discuss him in a detail, from the little I saw of him, he does seem like a nifty, little player, in the Aimar mould and someone who caused the defence a few problems.

He certainly didn’t have many suitors because there wasn’t many stories about club interests for him circulating around the SS or BBC sport.

It’s good to see a supporter believing Liverpool can win the league this season, last season you would have sounded normal and not delusional, but never say never.

Since I've followed Liverpool on a regular basis and known about football, every year I've said we'll win the league. This year is no different. My heart rules my dicisions and not my head.

by **Wilhelmsson** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 3:15 pm

god_bless_john_houlding wrote:Untied had 7 outfield attacking players and 3 defensive minded players last year and won the league. Worked pefectly for them.

Defensive minded: Ferdiand, Vidic, Carrick
Offensive minded: Neville, Evra, Ronaldo, Scholes, Giggs, Rooney, Saha.

Liverpool do not play the same way as MU, therefore I am going by what I think will be best for the team. An equal balance between the two would be a much better option which is suited to Liverpool, currently.

by **god_bless_john_houlding** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 3:38 pm

We may not play the same was as United, but that's down to tactics not players. If Rafa decided to go for the throat in every game, I reckon we'd win between an extra 15-20 points than we did last year. We'd destroy sides like Everton, Villa and Blackburn and we'd take more points of the big sides. Accepting a draw before the game has started against the likes of Chelsea and United, is going to end up in defeat.

by **Wilhelmsson** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 4:04 pm

We are clearly getting our wires crossed here, I am in agreement with your point about taking the game by the throat, and this point shouldn’t need to be made. The point I was trying to make was that, there needs to be a balance within the team of attack and defence, so that when the team go for the throat, the team is still defensively aware.

by **god_bless_john_houlding** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 1:14 am

I agree with this but I don't think 5 is required. Steve Finnan is not an attack minded right back, despite what people may think. All our left backs like to get forward, so when a side attacks us on the counter, we will have certainly 3 defenders of the highest quality at the back to mark the lone striker because it will be up to the holding midfielder to regain the ball. If the ball is crossed in then it's up to Carra/Finnan/Agger to take it off the lone striker. If we had 5 players trying to mark one/two players it'd be a waste of an extra body.

by **Wilhelmsson** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 9:21 pm

I understand, formations and tactics are irrelevant to my point for the time being as all I wanted to do was stress the important of having an equal balance in key areas, if this can be achieved than half the battle is won IMO.

If I was a manager I’d play a standard 4-4-2 with 5 outfield defensive players and 5 attacking minded players. I’ve not said that the defenders cannot get forward, ideally this will be the case, but you want your defenders to do their job, defend anything else is a great asset; again it’s the same with the midfield and forward areas.

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