ConnO'var » Fri Jan 17, 2014 5:35 am wrote:RBG.... Cheers mate....
Been tied up with work and the family has since relocated to Singapore as we are winding down the project here in Qatar so been a bit swamped. II'll be joining them soon for the next assignment... but till then, I'm a temporary single.
On the Gerrard issue, I guess we have to agree to disagree. Yes he is not the player he once was and playing as a box to box midfielder is no longer a viable option nor is it feasible to expect the same kind of output playing behind the strikers.
But he still has tonnes to offer and i for one think that he still has more than enough in his locker to make the new role BR envisages for him a reality.
I don't quite agree with all the stats showing lucas loses possession less readily than Gerrard. Gerrard loses possesion trying to acheive something going forward instead of lateral or bacwards passing in attempt to retain possession. In other words he is trying to make things happen.
Its complicated and I'm struggling how to put this into words. (This new editor non scrolling thing is a pain... I'm trying to type blind!)
I am just saying that the standards that Gerrard has set over his career may have been his own worse enemy. Now that he is not at the peak of his prowess, there is a perception thathe is no longer any good, where the truth of the matter is that he is still an outstanding midfielder... just no longer a world class one.
you know what I mean?
Gerrard has been an outstanding player for us, in my humble opinion the best that has ever pulled on a red shirt, but the modern game in this country is as much about mobility and athleticism as it is about ability on the ball.
Certain players blessed with really good positional sense (for example Xabi Alonso) can get by without being the second coming of Daley Thompson but gerrards problem is that in his prime he was an athlete so he never had to hone his positional skills, his legs always got him there in time.
In his pomp gerrard was probably the quickest CM I've ever seen, I've even seen him run down Christiano Ronaldo in a sprint but these days whenever he's trying to catch someone he chugs and wheezes behind them like an old diesel.
Gerrards lack of positional sense is hurting our pressing game, yes he is excellent on the ball but this isn't 2006, back then if gerrard didn't create something then no one would, but these days we have the likes of Suarez, sturridge, coutinho and sterling to make something happen.
A recent article in the echo mentioned that our strike force has just equalled the much vaunted Barnes, Beardsley, Aldridge 87/88 side's club record for goals scored in the first half of a season, it also said that you had to go back to Dixie dean to find a strike rate similar to the one Suarez has weighed in with between august and January.
These days we need different things from our midfield, we don't need them to put chances on a plate for our forwards anymore, we just need them to build a solid platform from which our forwards can work from.
we need them to screen and protect the back 4, put the opposition under pressure when they have the ball and we need to win the ball back high up the pitch.
The team has evolved and if gerrard doesn't evolve his game to suit he's going to end up like Andy Carroll - a square peg for a round hole.
Btw good to see you posting again mate, your posts are always thoughtful and well put together.
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