David Pleat's verdict on Liverpool and Gerrard

[Cunny]

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2006/10/..._gerrard_a.html

 

How Benítez shackled Gerrard and hobbled Liverpool's verve

 

Rafa Benítez's use of Steven Gerrard on the right is hindering both the player and his team.

 

David PleatOctober 23, 2006 12:02 AM

 

Steven Gerrard was used on the right of midfield in a 4-2-3-1 and was wasted there. He did not get enough of the ball and the system rendered him anonymous. An action man needs to get among the action.

 

When Gerrard plays from the right of a 4-4-2 he has licence to come inside, get possession and dictate play. Yesterday he would have unbalanced Liverpool by doing that, with Momo Sissoko and Xabi Alonso used as holding players, Mark González on the left and Luis García loosely infield off Dirk Kuyt.

 

If Rafa Benítez wanted only one centre-forward he would have been better deploying Gerrard as a support striker, closer to Kuyt, which would have mirrored Manchester United's system. In the set-up Liverpool used for 70 minutes Gerrard worked more defensively than as an attacking threat.

 

When Kuyt received the ball the support was not close enough. It was paramount in this formation that Steve Finnan and John Arne Riise joined in but a pedometer would have shown United's full-backs did more running. When Liverpool got the ball to the left, González did not have enough players to work with.

 

Liverpool were nowhere near cohesive enough in the final third and I think Alonso or Sissoko, and the full-backs, should have driven forward more and Benítez should have altered things to let Gerrard come off the line. Liverpool had few shots or crosses and they never looked dangerous enough.

 

With Michael Carrick the deepest of United's midfield and Ryan Giggs and Darren Fletcher wide when their team had possession but tucking in when the ball was lost, United had better balance.

[Cooldude]

All these moronic responses from moronic "experts" are too predictable

 

You just know that when we start losing, the first thing that's gonna be blamed for is Gerrard being "played outta position"

 

FFS

[DazzlaJ]

All these moronic responses from moronic "experts" are too predictable

 

You just know that when we start losing, the first thing that's gonna be blamed for is Gerrard being "played outta position"

 

FFS

 

I think his points are valid meself.

[Cooldude]

I don't think most of them are valid

 

1. Gerrard was the player of the season last year being played on the right. Why's he suddenly being played outta position now, eh?

 

2. Gerrard has generally been very poor when being played as a support striker

 

3. The only points I agree with is the cohesive in final third stuff

[DazzlaJ]

I don't think most of them are valid

 

1. Gerrard was the player of the season last year being played on the right. Why's he suddenly being played outta position now, eh?

 

2. Gerrard has generally been very poor when being played as a support striker

 

3. The only points I agree with is the cohesive in final third stuff

 

1. But he wasn't always on the right. And last season we had players capable of passing the ball out wide. I wish they'd come back.

 

2. But still would have been better than Garcia

[Berger]

I don't think most of them are valid

 

1. Gerrard was the player of the season last year being played on the right. Why's he suddenly being played outta position now, eh?

 

2. Gerrard has generally been very poor when being played as a support striker

 

3. The only points I agree with is the cohesive in final third stuff

He's done a very good analysis. Gerrard is far more effective as supporting striker or at central( proven by Isntanbul and Tottenham when he moved to center more).

[Gilps]

I don't think most of them are valid

 

1. Gerrard was the player of the season last year being played on the right. Why's he suddenly being played outta position now, eh?

 

 

He's not saying playing him on the right is a problem per se. He's saying that it doesn't work as well in a 5 man midfield as it does in a four man midfield.

[Cooldude]

1. But he wasn't always on the right. And last season we had players capable of passing the ball out wide. I wish they'd come back.

 

2. But still would have been better than Garcia

 

1. We don't have players capable of passing the ball out wide because no one's playing out wide, he's drifting inside too much, which he didn't do last season even when he was playing on the right

 

2. Bottom line is we would've been better off playing a second striker anyway.

Edited October 23, 2006 by Cooldude

[DazzlaJ]

 

2. Bottom line is we would've been better off playing a second striker anyway.

 

nail on head

[John am Rhein]

Gerrard's best position's on the right side of midfield, but I agree with the point that in a five-man midfield he's better being the 'inside' rather than 'outside' right.

 

We could have put Pennant outside him which might have been quite effective.

[Guest tezza]

I don't think most of them are valid

 

1. Gerrard was the player of the season last year being played on the right. Why's he suddenly being played outta position now, eh?

 

 

You had limited options on the right last season, thats why you bought a genuine winger in Pennant.

Why not give him a proper run?

[Cooldude]

You had limited options on the right last season, thats why you bought a genuine winger in Pennant.

Why not give him a proper run?

 

Because Pennant's been absolutely s****house the past month

[Gilps]

We could have put Pennant outside him which might have been quite effective.

 

I'm still trying to get my head round Penant on left. I was sure he was coming onto attack Evra with Luis Garcia going left and Gerrard coming inside.

[Rich Gobey]

Pleat is a superb analyser of tactics and the best co-comentator on telly, for my money.

[Stevie H]

He's not saying playing him on the right is a problem per se. He's saying that it doesn't work as well in a 5 man midfield as it does in a four man midfield.

is correct, and he's right.

 

Pleat is a superb analyser of tactics and the best co-comentator on telly, for my money.

think he's excellent on tactics in print but on telly constantly sounds like he's trying to eat 5 dry jacob's cream crackers while inhaling helium.

[Dule]

The support of the strikers when we had the ball in the final third is the only thing he has gotten right, also throw in the fullbacks not attacking at all.

 

All this crap about Gerrard being out of position is absolute BS, because everyone was raving about him out there last year with 23 goals and PFA player of the year??

 

Gerrard and a few other players need to pull the finger out. For some reason they all look like they dont need to play this year because of the succes in the last two seasons. Gerrard before anyone else needs to take responsibility as captain to say HEY!! lay off the coach, us the players are not performing, simple as that.

[Rimbeux]

The support of the strikers when we had the ball in the final third is the only thing he has gotten right, also throw in the fullbacks not attacking at all.

 

All this crap about Gerrard being out of position is absolute BS, because everyone was raving about him out there last year with 23 goals and PFA player of the year??

 

Gerrard and a few other players need to pull the finger out. For some reason they all look like they dont need to play this year because of the succes in the last two seasons. Gerrard before anyone else needs to take responsibility as captain to say HEY!! lay off the coach, us the players are not performing, simple as that.

 

 

Many of those 23 were from the central midfield, especially early in the season

[Bootle Buck]

Stevie hasn't been playing like the skipper of our team this season. His form has been off and he hasn't been the driving force we have seen form him before. I think his form does have a big effect on everyone else and they seem to thrive on his inspiration. Unfortunately, it hasn't been there yet.

[Senrab_nhoj]

Many of those 23 were from the central midfield, especially early in the season

 

 

Think Tomkins did an assessment of SG's and Liverpool goal to game ratios:-

 

When SG was on the right Liverpool's goal to game ratio was higher than when SG was in the middle

When SG was in the middle his personal goal to game ration was higher.

 

so we scored more as a team when he was RM

he scored more as an individual when he was CM

[WillG]

Pleat is a superb analyser of tactics and the best co-comentator on telly, for my money.

 

Hi David