Liverpool and our wingers

[Guest baronvonskidmark]

Watching the game last night, I was left wondering if we know how to use wingers properly. This is not a criticism at all, but as I watched the first half by far the majority of balls going out to the wing went to Gonzalez on the left. This got me wondering whether this is to do with the fact that last season we only had one proper winger - on the left - in Kewell, and Gerrard on the right who would drift everywhere, not really getting chalk on his boots. Is it then almost a habit to look to the left to widen the play?

 

In the second half, the opposite occurred, and Pennant was the winger receiving most of the ball, probably due to Rafa telling them to get it to him more at half time. What I am trying to say, badly, is that are we so used to only having one winger that when we play with two we find it hard to keep them both involved in the game?

[realtarragona]

In the first leg though Pennant had a lot of the ball. Maybe he was just being marked closer as a result so Gonzalez was the better option most of the time...

[Guest baronvonskidmark]

In the first leg though Pennant had a lot of the ball. Maybe he was just being marked closer as a result so Gonzalez was the better option most of the time...

 

Pennant did indeed have a lot of the ball in the first leg - but then we only played with one winger for most of the game, with Gonzalez coming on late to get THAT goal. What I am saying is are we so unused to playing with two wingers that we find it hard to keep them both involved in the game? We seem to take it in turns giving one winger loads of the ball, and the other comparatively little.

[Guest RedIsMyColour]

I agree with the point you are trying to make. I do however believe once we play teams who focus on their attack rather than their defence, unlike the teams we have played so far (Sheffield United, Macabi Haifa both teams played to prevent us from attacking) the two wingers, Gonazalez and Pennant will get a lot more space to exploit and therefore the distribution should be more even.

 

It also depends on If one side of a team is more attacking than the other, for instance a side consisting of Ashley Cole and Arjen Robben will allow more space to counter due to their own attacking tendancies than a Right side combination of Carragher and Gattusso.

[Guz]

We gave Gonzalez and Pennant the ball too early most of the time all night. They need to receive the ball further up the field and closer to the penalty area, not 10 yards inside from the half way line where they're forced to play it back or square or take on 2 defenders. Noticed a lot of the time that Xabi likes to sit deep and play the ball long rather than take the opportunity to travel with the ball further up the pitch and play it wide later on.

 

Definitley something to work on

[IgPig]

They'd obviously learnt the lesson with Pennant, most of the time he had 2 players near him when he got the ball. One of the few time he was 1 on 1 he set up the goal.

[Magic8Ball]

We gave Gonzalez and Pennant the ball too early most of the time all night. They need to receive the ball further up the field and closer to the penalty area, not 10 yards inside from the half way line where they're forced to play it back or square or take on 2 defenders. Noticed a lot of the time that Xabi likes to sit deep and play the ball long rather than take the opportunity to travel with the ball further up the pitch and play it wide later on.

 

Definitley something to work on

I think this is where a link player that can run with the ball comes in - they cold the ball up take it a further 10 yards commit defenders then play it wide to the wings - maybe Bellamy can do this, maybe Kuyt can do this - but right now Crouch can't

 

 

They'd obviously learnt the lesson with Pennant, most of the time he had 2 players near him when he got the ball. One of the few time he was 1 on 1 he set up the goal.

 

Also we really need someone who can take advantage of the fact that Pennant and maybe Gonzales will be double teamed - that shoud provide space for someone to run into - we cant alway rely on Alonso to pass into the space - its an opportunity for Bellamy and our other strikers to exploit

Edited August 23, 2006 by Fathom

[smokescreen]

I think this is where a link player that can run with the ball comes in - they cold the ball up take it a further 10 yards commit defenders then play it wide to the wings - maybe Bellamy can do this, maybe Kuyt can do this - but right now Crouch can't

 

Sign Aimar

 

Oh bugger, too late...

[Guz]

I think this is where a link player that can run with the ball comes in - they cold the ball up take it a further 10 yards commit defenders then play it wide to the wings - maybe Bellamy can do this, maybe Kuyt can do this - but right now Crouch can't

 

 

Good point. Watching spurs last night (only highlights mind), Lennon had a fantastic game but Keane seemed to be at the heart of everything Spurs did last night and loves to take up a deepish central role and look for the wide men. Their first goal was class