Friday, February 01, 2008
Steven Gerrard. Better at right midfield?
I really don't know about this. In Rafa Benitez's first two seasons, he preferred to employ Steven Gerrard on the right of midfield. He would not be a winger however, but more like a right-sided attacking midfielder, who would be allowed to cut in. This would allow Benitez to put the likes of Momo Sissoko, Dietmar Hamann or Javier Mascherano to partner the more consistently picked Xabi Alonso. Gerrard then scored around 20+ goals during Benitez's first season, and scored pretty much in the second. However, during the course of those two seasons, many criticized Benitez for doing so, including myself, for putting Gerrard on the right, when he was definitely one of the best central midfielders.
But now, I guess that it's probably better putting Gerrard on the right, instead of the center of midfield. Benitez has been trying to fit Gerrard in, by playing him just behind the main striker in a 4-5-1, which has clearly not worked on several occasions in which he attempted so. With Gerrard on the right, he's allowed to bomb forward more and can choose between a central or wide position to start from or end to. And in doing so, two defensive minded players like Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano can hold the midfield. Mascherano can just sit in front of the back four whilst Alonso plays in a more forward playmaking role. Alonso will be able to play his passes and split open the tightest of defences. Gerrard's defending prioritise will be minimized as when he goes forward, Alonso or Mascherano can pull to the right a little bit to cover for him and the right back. This in turn allows Gerrard to fully utilize his ability.
Putting Jermaine Pennant, Yossi Benayoun or Ryan Babel there on a regular basis is not working. Pennant is too poor a winger, so there's no point in having a winger currently. Benayoun and Babel will cut in most of the time. So by putting Gerrard there, there would not be much of a difference, but the efficiency and skill level there will be much higher than having the former three playing there.
Momo Sissoko moves to Juventus
Unfortunately, Mohamed Sissoko's Liverpool career had to end like this. What a bright start he had, to be honest. Blazing the Premiership and playing superbly well in his first season. He's hustle and bustle, ruthless tackles and sublime stamina made him a fan's favourite. But after his eye injury against Benfica, he had not looked the same. He's decent passing deserted him, and he kept giving the ball away cheaply. So I guess a £8 million move to Italian giant Juventus might be a good move for him. But by the way he's performing now, I don't know why Juventus wants him or what they see in him currently. A good business deal for Liverpool, who can now tie up the Javier Mascherano deal on a permanent basis. There are rumours it's a done deal, but Liverpool themselves deny it.
Liverpool vs Sunderland
Anfield
Saturday 2 February 2008
1.15am (SG, GMT+8)
Channel 27 (Football Channel)
Liverpool Line-Up (Probable):
25 Jose Manuel Reina
23 Jamie Carragher
__ 4 Sami Hyypia
3 Steve Finnan
______________________________________ 6 John Arne Riise
14 Xabi Alonso
____ 20 Javier Mascherano
8 Steven Gerrard (
C)
______________________________________ 11 Yossi Benayoun
15 Peter Crouch
______ 9 Fernando Torres
Substitutes (Probable):
30 Charles Itandje _ 37 Martin Skrtel _ 12 Fabio Aurelio _ 19 Ryan Babel _ 18 Dirk Kuyt
So what a week for Liverpool. Losing to West Ham United in injury time just because of a penalty, and Jose Reina also almost saved it too. Now Liverpool fans have established Share Liverpool FC, in a bid to get up to 100,000 fans to fund a takeover from co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillette. An annual £30 million interest payment must be paid also, which is quite crappy, just to get £350 million loan funding from the bank. So now the title for this year is over again, and the fight is now on for fourth place. Disgusting. Utterly disgusting.
Reina should start in goal again against Sunderland. Steve Finnan, Jamie Carragher, Sami Hyypia and John Arne Riise should play in defence. I just dunno when Daniel Agger will return, Liverpool badly need him. After the dismal showing of the likes of Harry Kewell and Jermaine Pennant, and that Ryan Babel can only be an impact substitute for the most of this season, I feel Steven Gerrard should be pushed to the right hand side of midfield to allow Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano to play through the center. Yossi Benayoun, the only decent winger in Liverpool currently, should start on the left, with Babel coming on in the latter stages of the game.
Please. PLEASE!! Let Peter Crouch get a run of games and he'll show you what he's made of!! Play him alongside Fernando Torres and I'm sure Torres will benefit from his height and knock-downs.
C'mon Reds!
Bye~!
my thoughts at 8:41 pm