Riise

[D.Boon]

Easily the best left back at the club.

[Swipe]

Think we'll have to get a new LB in the summer, but Riise was very good today.

 

Was strong, agressive and got a few good crosses in.

[Cooger]

Easily the best left back at the club.

 

Defensively - yes.

 

Attacking-wise - No.

 

For me Aurelio offers more going forward, as does Arbeloa when they play at left back.

 

Riise is solid - Good in the air, not many wingers get the better of him. However his distribution is not the best, his shot is eratic, doesn't have a good cross and offers very little to our attacking game.

[MFletcher]

Today's performance was the exception to the rule in recent months I'm afraid.

 

However, if he could maintain this level of performance until the end of the season then he could make a case for staying.

[Guest Kaizer]

Think we'll have to get a new LB in the summer, but Riise was very good today.

 

Was strong, agressive and got a few good crosses in.

 

He got an outstanding cross in once, how Babel managed to not score, only God knows.

[lfc003]

of course he is but he'll never get any credit for it

[Mikey]

of course he is but he'll never get any credit for it

He might well be the best LB at the club, but none of them are good enough so it matters little.

 

I'm losing confidence that Rafa will sign fast, attacking fullbacks when he plays Carra there who is possibly the wrost attacking player at the club.

[McBain]

Good today. Still deffo gone in the summer. And Aurelio is a better all round lb

[Foo]

Easily the best left back at the club.

 

O dear, it's that bad is it?

[Cooger]

I'm losing confidence that Rafa will sign fast, attacking fullbacks when he plays Carra there who is possibly the wrost attacking player at the club.

 

I can understand why Carragher was used in that position today as Everton are a big side and you can see that Rafa wanted more height for the set pieces.

 

However Benitez has used Carragher as right back quite a fair amount over the years when he's had options for centre back. When Pellegrino was here Carragher would be used at right back often. Now with Skrtel and Hyypia doing well, Carragher seems to be used more at right back.

 

With Agger coming back next season, I can see it happening more and more. This is worrying as he surely can't be the long term answer for right back. He'll stop the opposition, no doubt, but he's going to offer very little going forward.

 

Riise left back, Carragher on the right = Hoofball.

[Kuyt-fever]

Without question. It's become common practise just to criticise Riise even if he's playing well , to the extent that Riise is held in higher esteem by Everton fans than he is by Liverpool fans. He would easily command a fee in the 7m region and he's so much better than Aurelio.

 

*Awaits someone bringing up Man City away*

[Cobs]

played very well today

[Guest keygone]

Very solid defensively today, but quite poor with his distribution of the ball (as always). Aurelio is the better footballer and the better left-back in a more expansive system.

[D.Boon]

Very solid defensively today, but quite poor with his distribution of the ball (as always). Aurelio is the better footballer and the better left-back in a more expansive system.

 

Would be interesting to see the stats for goals conceded when Riise is at LB compared with when he is not.

 

We look much more solid with Riise there and we hold a much better line as a back four unit. While i agree Aurelio is a better footballer i dont remember him setting the left side alight with his silky skills.

 

Riise for me everytime out of the current squad.

[Cobs]

but quite poor with his distribution of the ball (as always).

 

not today it wasn't

[Earl Hafler]

I can understand why Carragher was used in that position today as Everton are a big side and you can see that Rafa wanted more height for the set pieces.

 

However Benitez has used Carragher as right back quite a fair amount over the years when he's had options for centre back. When Pellegrino was here Carragher would be used at right back often. Now with Skrtel and Hyypia doing well, Carragher seems to be used more at right back.

 

With Agger coming back next season, I can see it happening more and more. This is worrying as he surely can't be the long term answer for right back. He'll stop the opposition, no doubt, but he's going to offer very little going forward.

 

Riise left back, Carragher on the right = Hoofball.

 

 

He pushes Carra to right back because he doesn't want to drop him.

[MFletcher]

He pushes Carra to right back because he doesn't want to drop him.

 

Carra's form in recent months has been shocking.

 

He shouldn't get in ahead of Sami or Skrtel at centre back.

[HL5]

Hats off to him, he played very well today.

[muleskinner]

Carra at RB, Kuyt at RM, Lescott didn't get a sniff today. Worked perfectly.

[Guest Kaizer]

Carra at RB, Kuyt at RM, Lescott didn't get a sniff today. Worked perfectly.

 

Lescott?

[Earl Hafler]

Carra's form in recent months has been shocking.

 

He shouldn't get in ahead of Sami or Skrtel at centre back.

 

But he does when Rafa has given Sami his run-out.

[muleskinner]

He pushes Carra to right back because he doesn't want to drop him.

 

A very wise approach to bringing a new player into the side. If Carra is getting the a*** about it he just needs to look at Hyypia's attitude to new defenders coming to the club.

[Ben 23]

He got an outstanding cross in once, how Babel managed to not score, only God knows.

 

It deflected... it was going no where near Babel when it left Riise's foot.

 

He was alright today to be fair. Aurelio wouldn't have had any trouble defensively today (as they offered f*** all in attack) but hopefully he'll be fresh for Aresnal now.

[Guest keygone]

Would be interesting to see the stats for goals conceded when Riise is at LB compared with when he is not.

 

We look much more solid with Riise there and we hold a much better line as a back four unit. While i agree Aurelio is a better footballer i dont remember him setting the left side alight with his silky skills.

 

Riise for me everytime out of the current squad.

 

Aurelio is often used at the distributor from the back when he plays. This usually results in the ball being kept on the ground and finding a Liverpool player. The same can't be said for Riise/Sami/Carra..

 

Riise was good today though. It's just that our system requires one ball playing fullback with excellent distribution (Aurelio) and one pacey fullback who overlaps at every opportunity (Arbeloa, at present) in order for us to be fluent in attack.

 

Whilst I have absolutely no problem with us playing a less expansive game against our bitter rivals in a derby match, I think that in order to challenge for the league, we need to be on the front foot against most other teams in the league. And In order to do that, we need Arbeloa and Aurelio in the team (until/unless we purchase better fullbacks).

Edited March 30, 2008 by keygone

[johngibo YPC]

A very wise approach to bringing a new player into the side. If Carra is getting the a*** about it he just needs to look at Hyypia's attitude to new defenders coming to the club.

 

IFFFF!!!!

Carra is getting far too much stick for this with no evidence whatsoever. Thought he played very well today

So much rubbish in this thread i can't remember where to start. Maybe with this garbage

 

"However Benitez has used Carragher as right back quite a fair amount over the years when he's had options for centre back. When Pellegrino was here Carragher would be used at right back often"

 

He has barely played there at all. Pellegrino used to play centre half with Carra at the expense of Hyypia. A couple of times they played with all 3, but in a 352.

Riise played well today. As did Carra. Which is why they never looked like scoring