Our midfielders and midfield set ups.

[Guest Kaizer]

So back again to the everlasting problem, we need to get our midfielders to support out strikers better.

 

When we play Alonso and Sissoko together in CM we do not move enough people into the box to be on the end off things.

I became aware of how poor our record is with Momo in the side in the league this season a couple of days ago, I really did not know it was this bad, 11 matches, 4 wins, 1 draw and 6 losses.

 

Why is that?

 

It could be that we have played the supposedly better teams, but it could also be that we don't get enough midfielders to support our strikers.

This is one off my main criticisms off Pennant as well, he does not get enough into the box to be an option neither when the ball is on his side or when the cross comes in from the left, I have said I think both Gonzalez and Riise are better options than Pennant because off this, they have a lot better off the ball movement, something that is vital for a team that wants to win things.

 

Lets take a look at out midfielders.

 

Gonzalez: is a trier, he works hard and he has got good off the ball movement and gets on the end off crosses from the right and he gets in behind the defense when played through from CM.

All in all he has got a lot off good qualities, but so far he lacks the technique to take advantage of his raw pace and good off the ball movement.

 

Alonso: Our playmaker in midfield, good reader of the game, great passer, great tackler, superb football brain etc, etc..

But he is slow and he needs to get more forwards to support our strikers.

 

Gerrard: Great stamina, , good movement, great shooting, good passing, good tackler.

The only thing I see as a negative is that he often goes missing against big teams, its not possible to understand why, but he does and he always have done.

 

Sissoko: Great engine, good tackler, decent technique, good pace, poor passing, non existant shooting, poor vision, needs to get into the box more to be on the end off crosses and passes, but he is still young.

 

Pennant: Great technique, poor off the ball movement, poor shooting, needs to get into the box more to be on the end off crosses from the left, crosses a lot but not very good, needs to improve his decision making and he is a bit slow.

 

Mascherano: Good passing, good off the ball movement, good reader off the game, great tackler, good technique, a bit slow and new to the team.

Maybe his introduction can release Alonso from his deep lying position and get him going a bit more forward.

 

Riise: Works hard, good off the ball movement, gets on the end off crosses and often finds himself in open spaces outside the box, has got a hard shot and is a threat, poor technique lets him down and he has only got one foot.

 

Aurelio: Injured a lot, good technique, good passer of the ball, good crosses, but a bit too static for me to play as a midfielder.

 

Zenden: Decent all round player, with decent positioning, decent passing, decent workrate, poor shooting.

he will be gone next season so I will not use time on him.

 

Garcia: Excellent technique, our most creative player, great movement, good vision, superb header of the ball, get on the end off things and score goals, support our strikers superbly, his flair makes him give away the ball at times but I think its better that he tries things than just go for the safe pass. Seen as lightweight by some but he is not afraid to get stuck in.

 

Kewell: Lets get back to him when he plays 10 matches without getting injured.

 

If we had all our players available I would opt for a midfield including

 

Gerrard- Mascherano- Alonso - Garcia

 

This midfield would have balance both defensively and in attack, Gerrard and Garcia would be given freedom to roam and change positions while Alonso could support our attackers better since Mascherano would take away his defensive duties as the defensive anchor.

 

We need our midfielders to get more forward, we need them to score more goals and we need them to create more goals.

 

How shall we sort this out in the summer, well getting Kewell back would be a huge step forward, but we need another winger as well, hopefully one that can play just as good on both sides.

[Stevie H]

are you at work?

[Mike]

a post or a blog. let l4 lad decide.

[Guest Kaizer]

What I witnessed today is the worst CM constellation I have ever seen, I pray to God that I will never see it again.

 

In a match against an mediocre Villa team, Rafa decided that it would be a good idea to pair two players in CM that has got one goal between them in their professional club careers, if this was not bad enough we used an LB in LM midfield as well.

 

I asked the question before the match started, where are the goals going to come from and the only answer I could come up with was Gerrard, Kuyt and Bellamy, but our problem is that these player are not exactly free scoring either.

 

We started the match with 8 defense minded players against a team that had averaged 1 goal pr match at home this season and that had won 2 of their last 18 matches.

 

I think serious questions needs to be asked about our approach away from home, so far we have played 15 matches, lost 7, drawn 3 and won 5.

 

I cant believe it would have been any worse if we really had a go at these teams from the first minute, the tactics we are using at moment hardly takes us places.

[Nebraska Red]

it has been said before, but we do not need Sissoko's style of play in every game.

 

we all knew that Villa would be negative today and they would be looking at a draw being a good result.

 

Masherano and Sissoko offered nothing in the way of forward play or crativity. Gerrard, after a bright start, faded away, and Aurelio is not the answer on the left.

 

We had no pace getting forward with the ball and we let Villa take the point they were after without much of an argument.

 

Today cried out for a 4-3-3, or even 3-4-3. Like Kaizer said, Villa have been woeful at home and were there for the taking.

 

Perhaps Rafa is looking ahead to PSV and also looking to help out the international managers.

 

The daft thing is that with a little more effort, we could have been ahead of Arsenal with them coming to Anfield for our next game.

[Bootle Buck]

I think Rafa is trying to keep all the CM's happy and by doing so he is selecting very unbalanced teams. Today he should have started Alonso and Gerrard in the middle and when we had a goal or two subbed in Masch and Sissoko to tighten it up. Rafa also needs to leave Kuyt up front on the last man if he continues to pick him. He is too slow ands ineffective playing like a 5th midfielder.

[Guest Kev]

Alonso has been looking tired in the last few games.

 

But I will always say that Gerrard must start in the middle with one of the others.

[meepins]

Perhaps Rafa is looking ahead to PSV and also looking to help out the international managers.

 

Yeah don't worry folks, forget about this game.. we'll really start playing properly next game.

 

[Dule]

Good post i think in the assessment of the players. We definanlty need to start playing more without Momo (till he ups his game) and we need to buy 2 f***ing quality wingers on each side, who will run and destroy defences, get behind them and put quality balls into the box.

[eskton]

Alonso and Gerrard must play in the centre of midfield as often as possible

 

Sissoko is ok but only ok he does not give us anything going forward

[John am Rhein]

we need to buy 2 f***ing quality wingers on each side, who will run and destroy defences, get behind them and put quality balls into the box.

 

I thought we did that last summer?

[Dule]

Gonzalez and f***ing Pennant are hardly quality, they were both stop gaps.

[Bailo]

Gonzalez and f***ing Pennant are hardly quality, they were both stop gaps.

Yet whenever either plays (more so Pennant) we look much more threatening going forward. Go figure.

[Magic8Ball]

we need to give up on the 2 strikers idea if we want to best use Gerrard and invest in top quality wingers - play as CM trio

Mash, Alonso, Gerrard, Allow Gerrard to ATTACK and let the wingers ATTACK thats 3 attackers - then with a top Quality striker watch us improve as a team

 

The midfield trio allows Gerrard to be used to Best advantage and with some of the Holding responsibility off Alonso he can move forward more - anything other than that will not use the talents in the team to best advantage

[tomasjj]

For me the solution is a 4231.

 

Masch and Alonso holding, with Alonso more forward going.

Gerrard as one of the 3 attacking mids.

 

The Valencia formation.

Let's get back to it. We had more players in the box then, even if we only played with one striker.

[surfaris]

with 4-2-3-1

 

masch alonso

 

 

alves bellamy

gerrard

 

eto'o/villa

 

 

-cracking passing footy on the roll there!

[Earl Hafler]

I'd like to see a midfield 3 of Xabi, Mascherano / Momo and Gerrard, with Gerrard playing his ' swashbuckling ' role of bursting forward and switching with the wide players / forwards. Sometimes playing Gerrard and one of Mascherano / Xabi with Pennant and Gonzo outwide and Bellamy and Crouch upfront.

 

Also, a ban on Gerrard taking set pieces. He's not very good at them and is a much more potent threat in the box than most of the side. Carra's scored one goal in about 9 years and our forwards aren't exactly brilliant at heading a ball.

 

 

 

We have to be more original with our set pieces, less predictable in our attacks and it means having creative players on the pitch. The side / set up against Villa was a joke.

[Benzo-13]

I'd go 4-4-2 for the rest of the league games and play our strongest 11.

 

Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Agger, Riise/Aurelio, Pennant, Gerrard, Alonso, Gonzalez/Kewell (if fit), Bellamy and Kuyt.

 

When the summer comes I'd like to see the wide areas filled along with two strikers, one of them being a split-striker.

[_00_deathscar]

I'd like to see a midfield 3 of Xabi, Mascherano / Momo and Gerrard, with Gerrard playing his ' swashbuckling ' role of bursting forward and switching with the wide players / forwards. Sometimes playing Gerrard and one of Mascherano / Xabi with Pennant and Gonzo outwide and Bellamy and Crouch upfront.

 

Also, a ban on Gerrard taking set pieces. He's not very good at them and is a much more potent threat in the box than most of the side. Carra's scored one goal in about 9 years and our forwards aren't exactly brilliant at heading a ball.

We have to be more original with our set pieces, less predictable in our attacks and it means having creative players on the pitch. The side / set up against Villa was a joke.

 

Our three best 'headerers' of the ball are Garcia, Kewell and Gerrard ~ go figure that one of two are injured and the other takes set pieces, whilst our best crosser of the ball Finnan watches....

[RafaShanks]

Alonso has been looking tired in the last few games.

 

But I will always say that Gerrard must start in the middle with one of the others.

 

That's the only downside with Xabi. His stamina levels are not that great.

 

He's hasn't had that many games this year and been rested a few times.

[_00_deathscar]

Our three best 'headerers' of the ball are Garcia, Kewell and Gerrard ~ go figure that two are injured and the other takes set pieces, whilst our best crosser of the ball, Finnan, watches....

[G Richards]

Kewell Alonso Gerrard Alves

 

One needs to get fit and one needs to be signed, but that will be the midfield that brings home no.19.

[Guest Kaizer]

I was not impressed with our CM combination today either, I hope we dont see this combo very often.

 

Mascherano is to defensive minded to play alongside Momo since Momo does not offer much going forward , but fair play to Momo for his pass to Kuyt, that was a great ball in only denied an assist because of a piss poor finish from Kuyt.

 

But I really dont see it as the way forward at all, Alonso-Mascherano on the other hand, thats something to build on.

[hideNseek]

I'm sort of guessing they we're picked to give Alonso a rest. Its good we've got players good enough to enable us to rest others.

[Shirohana]

Alonso took a knock on his shin before the match, that's why he didn't feature.