To continue on from an article last week about where Luis Suarez would fit into the Liverpool side, the question has become more immediate now with the return to fitness of Andy Carroll and the Uruguayan’s man of the match display playing ostensibly up front versus United. Interestingly when Carroll came on against United, Kenny chose to sub Raul Meireles instead of Maxi Rodriguez. Why is this interesting you may ask? Well, although I could be reading too much into it, Kenny opted to keep Suarez up front in a 4-4-2 formation when Carroll came on the pitch while switching Dirk Kuyt from his striking position to the right wing role which the departing Meireles vacated.
If Kenny had opted to substitute Maxi Rodriguez instead of Raul Meireles, it would suggest to me that the manager would be thinking of using Suarez from the left or right hand side. With Carroll up front, Kenny would then have been free to revert to 4-2-3-1 which has been advocated by many supporters; a ploy no one would have blamed him for doing with Reds already 3-0 up against Manchester United. He could have moved Kuyt wide right, like he did anyway, moved Meireles in field alongside Gerrard, and put Suarez on the left wing.
Considering Suarez’s excellent performance yesterday I have no doubt the Uruguayan could play reasonably well from the left hand side, after all he had played the role on occasion at his previous club Ajax as well as for Uruguay. He could have easily have made the same extraordinary run with the ball for the opening goal from his left wing position as he did up front on Sunday, but I have an instinct that Kenny is looking for a straight striking partnership between the Carroll and Suarez. With Suarez excelling both coming deep for the ball as well as being heavily involved in the opponent’s penalty area, I feel we will surely get the best out of him if Kenny’ plays him as a striker, but what are the consequences for the rest of the team?
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INTRODUCING THE WINDOWS PHONE 7!
Or maybe it’s because Meireless is just coming back from a niggling injury and we have another game to play this week?
Or Kuyt was having the one great game he has once a season so he couldn’t sub him?
Or because Maxi hasn’t played much in recent games?
The problem with this analysis is that we actually played 4-2-3-1 and not 4-4-2. Gerrard and Lucas sat deeper with Raul, Maxi and Suarez in front of them. Raul and Maxi switched sides occasionally and Raul was also given the freedom to get beyond the striker. Suarez was given a free roll to cone deep and find space behind the fullbacks. Kuyt spearheaded the attack. As you got the formation wrong the rest of the article doesn’t really make sense.
It is time Gerrard was sold in the summer, he was anonymous yesterday but Liverpool got away with it because Carrick and Scholes were even worse. Gerrard’s mistimed jump allowed Hernandez the easy goal he got and with Reina in goal it was doubly easy for Hernandez. Sell Gerrard for 15 million in the summer and replace him with Charlie Adam for 10 million if Blackpool get relegated.
If we are to play a 4-2-3-1 we need a player in the back and a DM that could play at a high Prem Level. I haven’t seen Charlie Adam’s name thrown out there as often, but seeing names like M’Villa (who says his fav team in the Prem as ManUtd-obviously don’t want) and Lass or Gago. There prices are overinflated. Adam is the key. Emilio Izaguirre or Taiwo should be considered for LWB because Robinson will be matured over the next couple of years! Just imagine, Chelsea actually paid £50m and Suarez (a better player by miles) only went for £23m. Suarez should be the support striker. He’s a bit like Tevez but with an enourmous skill level dribbling the ball in the box which creates opportunities for Carrol and Kuyt. Selling N’gog and may be playing Pacheco more will help! Maxi must go, but why spend so much on Young when Sterling only cost £1m and should be in the lineup, even as a teen! Johnson on the RW and this leaves Suarez as the attacking LW (for now) and Carrol and Kuyt up front. Coady’s not ready for Carra’s position, but to be honest, we desperately need a CB to replace him within 2 years. ‘Pool must be efficient in the back and Skrtel doesn’t cut it and Agger is too frail! Wisdom/Coady would be perfect but…Luis is the x-factor but Adam, a LWB and depth player (Park Chu Young-Monaco or Turan) is needed (as we’ve had with Yossi)
adam is not a defensive midfielder, he’s more of a deep lying playmaker…
even though he wud be a gud addition, we need a combative defensive midfielder in the ilk of mascherano..
suarez is better off playing in the hole behind the striker where he can wreck havoc…he wudn’t be as effective in the left wing..
if meireles plays in the right, he wud keep cutting into the centre and there wud be no real width…
LET THE KING DECIDE!!!
I only know that Liverpool have a great player named Luis Suarez…all the rest are average ones.
I really regret that Manchester United did not buy Luis Suarez.
We do not have any player like him but according to the press we will buy him next year no matter the price we have to pay for him.