Is this issue settled?

[Guest prophet]

Appears since we were forced to play him in the middle when Momo was injured, plus the fact that we played with two strikers, we have been battering teams and at the same time having the best defence in the league.

 

Are we now agreable that this is the best postion for Stevie wrt results as well?

 

i would play Momo on rite wing just to have Stevie in the mid!

[Rimbeux]

Far from settled. It's not as simple as where the players is best and most comfortable

[Guest prophet]

Results dont lie as they say?

[Frosty Jack]

Results dont lie as they say?

 

Blackburn did

[Billy Dane]

Didn't we play our toughest games when Momo was fit, ie Utd/Chelsea/Arsenal away etc?

 

Quality of opposition also dictates the outcome of who plays where.

[Guest prophet]

Results dont lie as they say?

a blip

 

We battered them to death.........

 

1 goal let in in 10 games. Before that we were having a hard time getting them goals?

 

Now Stevies scoring togther with the strikers. Is that not an indication of good result?

[Chili Palmer]

IMO Stevies return to form will carry on even when he moves to the right when Momo returns to the side.

 

Momo is important to us.

[Frosty Jack]

a blip

 

We battered them to death.........

 

1 goal let in in 10 games. Before that we were having a hard time getting them goals?

 

Now Stevies scoring togther with the strikers. Is that not an indication of good result?

 

We battered loads of teams earlier in the season and still couldn't score, hit the woodwork 5 times a game etc.....it's about players coming into form not where they're playing.

[Gilps]

It's still more about whether Sissoko or Pennant brings more to the team than anything else.

[anfield]

We battered loads of teams earlier in the season and still couldn't score, hit the woodwork 5 times a game etc.....it's about players coming into form not where they're playing.

 

Its about Momo being an amazing player but offering absolutely nothing going forward.

[Earl Hafler]

It's about balance, form...loads of things. What's blatantly obvious is that Gerrard is much happier now than he was 2 months ago. Carra is also playing much better.

 

What's also pretty certain is that Sissoko would not have been in Gerrard's position against Bolton to score the volley. That side of Sissoko's game needs much improvement and he is still raw - until he's more polished i don't think he should be such a cert for centre mid.

[Guz]

The team will be even better when Momo comes back and Gerrard plays from the right again.

[wacko]

I'll admit that Gerrard and Xabi in the middle together seems to be working much better than it did before, but you have to consider the quality of the opposition.

 

In the end, it comes down to Momo vs Pennant and Momo wins hands down, given that his inclusion means Gerrard on the right, whereas Pennant's inclusion means no Momo.

 

Pennant is a great option, but not first choice.

[anfield]

Time and again we have seen that Momo's inclusion means zero threat from the center. Gerrard out wide means, he does not play as an actual wide player and keeps cutting in. End result.....not width/no threat from center

[Guest spk]

i think it's working alot better as we now have width down the right and are going forward in the middle. momo doesn't offer us that and gerrards discpline see's him drift inside more often than not. on top of that other players are now getting goals and making better chances. we've been making a lot throughout the season but not hitting the back of the net. we've improved a lot there but still have a way to go.

[mooks]

Time and again we have seen that Momo's inclusion means zero threat from the center. Gerrard out wide means, he does not play as an actual wide player and keeps cutting in. End result.....not width/no threat from center

And how many goals does Pennant get from out wide?

 

Time and again we have seen that Momo's inclusion means zero threat from the center. Gerrard out wide means, he does not play as an actual wide player and keeps cutting in. End result.....not width/no threat from center

Let me guess, you were saying this during our amazing second half of last season, right?

[Guest spk]

both pennant and sissoko are pretty poor when it comes to knocking them in so i dont really see your point.

 

pennant

momo

 

theres an argument that pennant is creating a lot of goals atm, but equally you could argue sissoko provides cover for the defence in our bigger games so we can push forward without creating too much space. to be honest i think that pointing a finger at the use of gerrard being played in the middle being the reason for our recent change in fortune is a little simplistic.

 

for me the good thing is we're not a team dependent on gerrard delivering 10/10 performances to win games. the only thing we seem to be lacking is a striker who can place the ball where he wants in the goal, rather than just somehwere between the posts.

[mooks]

both pennant and sissoko are pretty poor when it comes to knocking them in so i dont really see your point.

 

pennant

momo

That is my point. It makes no sense to select Pennant ahead of Momo because of the latter's lack of goals. You could make that argument for Garcia, except for the fact that even with Momo out, Pennant seems to be getting more starts than Luis.

 

I personally thought Momo was our best player until he got crocked. He was one of the few players to show up at Old Trafford and the other away games. Carra, Alonso and Gerrard were all p**s poor during this time. Momo will be eased back in and will start most of our games assuming he reaches the level he was playing at.

Edited January 3, 2007 by mooks

[Siang]

Appears since we were forced to play him in the middle when Momo was injured, plus the fact that we played with two strikers, we have been battering teams and at the same time having the best defence in the league.

 

Are we now agreable that this is the best postion for Stevie wrt results as well?

 

i would play Momo on rite wing just to have Stevie in the mid!

 

a certain Senor Rafa Benitez at Melwood may not agree with you!

[12twelve]

It's all about possibilities! Have you all forgot?

[Rimbeux]

I'll admit that Gerrard and Xabi in the middle together seems to be working much better than it did before, but you have to consider the quality of the opposition.

 

In the end, it comes down to Momo vs Pennant and Momo wins hands down, given that his inclusion means Gerrard on the right, whereas Pennant's inclusion means no Momo.

 

Pennant is a great option, but not first choice.

 

You could also make the valid point that this is the longest sustained stretch that Gerrard and Alonso have actually partbered each other in the middle, and it shows.

 

Momo/Pennant comes down to how the side needs to play for that game, how ambitious the oppo are, how good they are in possession etc. Looking at it in terms of goals each scores is simple and naive, as is looking at it in terms of how many we concede with either on the pitch. No substitute for actually watching the game and making a judgement, one you can't make with stats

[johngibo YPC]

You could also make the valid point that this is the longest sustained stretch that Gerrard and Alonso have actually partbered each other in the middle, and it shows.

 

 

Is it? I thought they played most of Alonso's first season together in the middle. I know they both had injuries. I think the difference is Alonso is much more accustomed to the premiership and Gerrard is alot more disciplined in the centre now. Choosing his moments to get forward better. I didn't have much faith in them as a pair before this run but now i think its a definite 'possibility'

[Rimbeux]

Is it? I thought they played most of Alonso's first season together in the middle. I know they both had injuries. I think the difference is Alonso is much more accustomed to the premiership and Gerrard is alot more disciplined in the centre now. Choosing his moments to get forward better. I didn't have much faith in them as a pair before this run but now i think its a definite 'possibility'

 

 

Gerrard was out for near three months before xmas, then Alonso for nearly four just after IIRC

[David Hodgson]

I thought it was forum lore that Gerrard and Alonso don't play well together in the middle ? Well, it certainly was 6 months ago.

 

Of course, that analysis was utter b*llocks, just as is the view that we're a limited team with Sissoko and Alonso in the middle.

[fred milne]

Gerrard is alot more disciplined in the centre now. Choosing his moments to get forward better.

That's the key point.

 

The only thing I'd add is that previously we've needed Gerrard as an attacking right-sided midfielder with limited defensive responsibilities because our forwards (Crouch and Morientes) were so lacking in verve.

 

Its early days still but Bellamy and Kuyt look like they may end up forming a useful striking partnership. That may mean that we can cope with Gerrard having a more restricted brief in center-mid.

 

Having said that, I'd be loathed to see such a forceful player as Sissoko left out of the side - particularly when his place is likely to be taken by someone as lightweight as Pennant.