Sissoko

[anfield]

When is he coming back. And more importantly when he does come back are we facing a serious selection problem? Now with Gerrard getting better and better in his CM role will having Sissoko back upset the balance? Others have said and so have I that playing Sissoko as well as having ALonso in a defensive role makes us distinctly toothless upfront. We need to give Gonzalez and Pennant more playing time. and SG and Alonso should stay in the center. Unthinkable as it is, I'm not sure we can play Sissoko on a consistent basis. Not because he isn't a great player....he's a fantastic talent but I'm not sure we can fit him into the team right now....

[John am Rhein]

I'd make Sissoko first name on the team sheet - once he's back to full match fitness.

[fred milne]

I'd make Sissoko first name on the team sheet.

I wouldn't go as far as that but I think he is worthy of a place in the side. We just need to make sure we have enough goal-threat elsewhere in the side to compensate.

 

Reina

Finnan Carragher Agger Riise

Gerrard Sissoko Alonso Gonzalez

Bellamy Kuyt

 

That looks like a strong, well-balanced side to me.

[Guest RedIsMyColour]

Play Sissoko away and against the big sides,

 

Alonso at hme.

 

Can't move Gerrard IMO.

[M4TTA]

you know what, this is exactly the headache Rafa wants. He has so many "possibilities©" that this is good.

 

he can play pennant right, Gerrard right, garcia right (not as good..)

 

there's so many players that Rafa can play in many a position, although i think Momo should be first on the sheet on an away trip, or playing Bolton, ManU, Arsenal, chelsea, maybe even pompy for reasons obvious.

[fred milne]

Play Sissoko away and against the big sides,

 

Alonso at hme.

 

Can't move Gerrard IMO.

The player who can't be moved is Alonso. Gerrard showed last season that he is eminently capable of moving between RM and CM.

[Ombudsam]

I wouldn't go as far as that but I think he is worthy of a place in the side. We just need to make sure we have enough goal-threat elsewhere in the side to compensate.

 

Reina

Finnan Carragher Agger Riise

Gerrard Sissoko Alonso Gonzalez

Bellamy Kuyt

 

That looks like a strong, well-balanced side to me.

 

I agree with all that but I'd probably have garcia ahead of gonzalez. The team won't stay the same anyway

[Benzo-13]

Think he's third choice myself. Gerrard and Xabi are killing teams at the moment but he'd be in a narrow three against the big sides. We dis miss him against Arsenal.

[fred milne]

I agree with all that but I'd probably have garcia ahead of gonzalez.

Garcia is a useful player to have on the bench, but he is too erratic to play on a consistent basis in midfield.

[M4TTA]

I agree with all that but I'd probably have garcia ahead of gonzalez. The team won't stay the same anyway

 

i think thats the way he like it thought, to be fair

[Ombudsam]

Garcia is a useful player to have on the bench, but he is too erratic to play on a consistent basis in midfield.

 

I think gonzalez is a long way from offering more than Luis does to be fair. I do think we need some unpredictability in the team. We can't send out a team without any flair, 9/11 changed all that.

[Romario]

He walks back into the team. It just so happens that we're finally playing to about 75% of what we can while before we were at about 40% regardless of who played.

We've finally woken up. Problem is yet again it's too late to make a difference this year in the league as usual.

[Guest Kev]

As much as I like Momo and rate him it's not a co-incidence that our recent record has come when Gerrard and Alonso have both started regularly in the middle.

[lawrie]

you know what, this is exactly the headache Rafa wants. He has so many "possibilities©" that this is good.

But maybe having so many possibilities was the cause of the slow start to the season in the first place??

[M4TTA]

As much as I like Momo and rate him it's not a co-incidence that our recent record has come when Gerrard and Alonso have both started regularly in the middle.

 

although this is true, and very evident Kev, how many peple where saying the two of them couldn't play together in the middle and that, last season, they were poor together.

 

thats not my take on it fwiw just an observation..

[Paddy 66]

When we have started to play well then nobody should walk back into the side. The best CM for us at the mo is Stevie and Xabi, no question.

[Benzo-13]

As much as I like Momo and rate him it's not a co-incidence that our recent record has come when Gerrard and Alonso have both started regularly in the middle.

 

Exactly what I was getting at. As mush as we like Momo for his physical presence and work-rate. The other two Xabi/Stevie are World Class in their positions and it's really beginning to show.

[fred milne]

I think gonzalez is a long way from offering more than Luis does to be fair. I do think we need some unpredictability in the team.

Gonzalez may not have Garcia's ability to produce a goal out of nothing but he is quicker, stronger, gives the ball away less cheaply and holds his position better out wide. He's also shown he knows where the goal is. To me, he looks the better bet.

[Romario]

As much as I like Momo and rate him it's not a co-incidence that our recent record has come when Gerrard and Alonso have both started regularly in the middle.

Not true. All of our big players have finally hit form full stop. It's 3 months 2 late but it's got zero to do with Gerrard playing in the middle rather than on the right where he played his best season ever for us. It's just the way things panned out. We had to start playing well at some stage judging by the players in our squad and rack up points as we were becoming a joke with the talent at our disposal.(thats a compliment btw.)

[CarraLegend]

As much as I like Momo and rate him it's not a co-incidence that our recent record has come when Gerrard and Alonso have both started regularly in the middle.

 

So was our highest ever Premiership points tally with Alonso and Sissoko mainly in the middle and Gerrard wide a fluke then or something? We should be t***ting the s**** we've been beating in the last few weeks whether Gerrard is right or centre

[Guest Kev]

But maybe having so many possibilities was the cause of the slow start to the season in the first place??

 

I agree to a certain extent. I think Rafa looks too much into the future and picks his teams at the start of the season with the end in mind (if you can follow that). He hasn't got the balance right yet, all our starts under Rafa have not been the best, but we've played great stuff at the end of them.

 

I think he should put more emphasis on the start of the season and pre-season training/friendlies. There's not much point if firing on all cylinders at the end of the season when there is no target to aim for.

[Romario]

Exactly what I was getting at. As mush as we like Momo for his physical presence and work-rate. The other two Xabi/Stevie are World Class in their positions and it's really beginning to show.

Don't agree at all.

[Swipe]

Can't see Rafa moving Gerrard away from the centre. He's been fantastic since moving back to his position.

 

Might play all three centrally, certainly against big teams.

[fred milne]

As much as I like Momo and rate him it's not a co-incidence that our recent record has come when Gerrard and Alonso have both started regularly in the middle.

I think its more the case that Carragher, Gerrard and Bellamy have (finally) hit their stride. Pity it didn't happen two months earlier.

[Benzo-13]

Don't agree at all.

 

Maybe, but those are looking the part now. I wouldn't move SG to the right for anyone.

Edited December 17, 2006 by Benzo-13