Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 4:42 pm
It's a cracking post Stu. When Stevie was first moved out on to the right he stated that he was doing it for the team and was happy to muck in untill a new RM was shipped in. He repeated this a few times but i haven't heard him talk about his desire to get back in the middle just recently and wonder if he is really warming to the freedom the new role has given him.
I've got mixed views on his best position. I love the way he is popping up all over the place right now and it must be a nightmare for full-backs to settle with Stevie swapping flanks with Garcia and more recently Kewell for ten minute spells each game. Having the captain on the right certainly gives us a lot of fluidity and appears to bringing the best out of Finnan in an attcking sense. However, there have also been a few occasions when we haven't got hold of the game and Stevie has been marginalised out on the right unable to get into the game. During the first half against Luton i was screaming for Stevie to be moved inside because (the goal aside) he wasn't seeing enough of the ball.
I see Alonso has got a lot of credit this thread and several posters point out that his performances have allowed the boss to move Stevie out wide. We certainly play with a lot more width when Xabi is in the team but i feel Sissoko is perhaps the real reason Gerrard can play on the right (and wherever else he wonders) For me, Gerrards biggest assets in the middle of the park are his energy, his tackling, the drive and his prescence. Any team would miss those assets but our Momo pretty much matches the captains workrate and he tackles as ferociously (and as clumsily!) as the captain did when he was the same age.
I notice the press don't seem to be linking us with too many right-wingers since all the Simao talk has died down so maybe the boss has decided to keep the captain on the right for the time being. As for England, i'm sure we all know Sven's team (it pretty much never changes) but maybe he will have a look at Gerrard on the right with Beckham's considerably slower legs in the middle of the park?
I've got mixed views on his best position. I love the way he is popping up all over the place right now and it must be a nightmare for full-backs to settle with Stevie swapping flanks with Garcia and more recently Kewell for ten minute spells each game. Having the captain on the right certainly gives us a lot of fluidity and appears to bringing the best out of Finnan in an attcking sense. However, there have also been a few occasions when we haven't got hold of the game and Stevie has been marginalised out on the right unable to get into the game. During the first half against Luton i was screaming for Stevie to be moved inside because (the goal aside) he wasn't seeing enough of the ball.
I see Alonso has got a lot of credit this thread and several posters point out that his performances have allowed the boss to move Stevie out wide. We certainly play with a lot more width when Xabi is in the team but i feel Sissoko is perhaps the real reason Gerrard can play on the right (and wherever else he wonders) For me, Gerrards biggest assets in the middle of the park are his energy, his tackling, the drive and his prescence. Any team would miss those assets but our Momo pretty much matches the captains workrate and he tackles as ferociously (and as clumsily!) as the captain did when he was the same age.
I notice the press don't seem to be linking us with too many right-wingers since all the Simao talk has died down so maybe the boss has decided to keep the captain on the right for the time being. As for England, i'm sure we all know Sven's team (it pretty much never changes) but maybe he will have a look at Gerrard on the right with Beckham's considerably slower legs in the middle of the park?