“I like the three positions in midfield and I feel comfortable. As a player I am a team worker, not a star or an individual player. My message (to the fans) is I will work a lot to win titles at this club. All the supporters want to win trophies and I want to help this team – and this team can help me.”
This is great to hear from our new midfield star Raul Meireles. On Sunday against Birmingham City, he came on to play just behind Fernando Torres with Steven Gerrard reverting to play in central midfield. Described as a combative box to box midfielder, it looks certain that he will also be comfortable in central midfield either in a holding role or in a more advanced position. It is an adaptability that will surely serve him well during his stay at Anfield and will give him a great deal more starts.
With Meireles, Roy Hodgson now has a player he can call on in many different situations. In difficult home games against lower quality opposition where they are difficult to break down, it will allow Roy to deploy Raul in a holding midfield role, allowing him to play both Joe Cole and Steven Gerrard in central positions. In other matches against more challenging opponents where a combative midfield is needed, he can play him alongside either Christian Poulsen or Lucas Leiva, but unlike those pair, as well as providing protection for the back four, he could also utilise his passing range to provide service for Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres. If both Steven Gerrard and Joe Cole are unfit to play, he can also be deployed just behind the striker as he can offer a goal threat.
Without criticising the abilities of Alberto Aquilani though, who I believe is a top class midfielder, there is a stark contrast between the pair in regards to adaptability. Aqua did struggle with an injury that made it hard for him to really settle in England, and it was only in the second half of last season where we began to see his true colours. There was still a big question mark though as to where he would fit into the Reds team. The Italian was a style of player who liked time on the ball and desired space to work in. The frantic pace of the Premier League then was not conducive to such play, and he initially found himself out of the team under Rafa Benitez when he returned from injury. In central midfield particularly he found it difficult to really get time to pass the ball around.
The switch to a more advanced role behind the striker however really benefited his game and he seemed to enjoy playing the position in the last few games of last season. It was clear though that he wouldn’t be as effective in central midfield and when Roy Hodgson brought in Joe Cole to play in Aquilani’s newly found position, it was clear he would have less game time. Roy therefore purchased a different style of player in Meireles. A player who says he is happy to play all three midfield roles once occupied by Mascherano, Alonso and Gerrard. For this reason alone, the Portuguese international is more likely to succeed than Alberto Aquilani. They maybe of similar technical ability but Meireles adaptability really makes him a greater bet to succeed on Merseyside. It will be interesting to see where Roy plays Meireles if he plays tomorrow night against Steaua Bucharest or at the weekend against Manchester United.
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One of the few games that Aquilani started last season was against the central midfield pairing of ‘hatchet-man’ Brown and ‘man-beast’ Diop of Portsmouth, and he barely got touched all game. There’s not many more physical central midfield pairings in the Premiership than that. Just a random thought…
Jay wright random thought is a very good point!! Aqua wasnt fit and needed time. I hope he isnt sold and comes back after his loan spell in Italy getting back to peak fitness. I doubt it though!
Liverpool are the only team that would buy an injured player, get him fit, have him play in 8 games set up 6 assist then let him leave on loan when we need creative players with an option to sell. what a joke. cant believe the hype Raul has caused in his 10 minute cameo. i thought he looked average and missed a great chance to win it at the end.
He is playing along side Spearing tonight. Also Kelly Kyriagos Babel Ngog. The rest as you would expect
bring aquilaini back… sell lucas. lucas suck.
Agreed with Bruce lee and most of other fans. When can this Lucas thing end. Just cannot fit in Liverpool style. I wonder why Roy keeps playing him. I hope he’ll be gone come this January. Couldn’t even hear his name, makes me vomit every time.