It took barely 15 minutes on Saturday evening for 95% of those of us watching at Anfield and at home to see that Steven Gerrard is – and never shall be – any form of defensive midfielder.
We’d witnessed similar scenes against Stoke the previous Sunday but the quality of Suarez and return of Sturridge had managed to dig us out of the quandary we’d gotten ourselves into.
Those suggesting to the contrary need only be shown evidence of those first 15 minutes a couple of times and it’ll make them cringe every time they see him near our own box.
Unfortunately, our own manager seemed oblivious to this, feeling that switching to 3 centre-backs (one of which was Glen Johnson) was the solution and things just continued to deteriorate.
None of this is Gerrard’s fault, of course. I’m sure he’d tell you himself that he’d much rather be more involved further forward. Whether that’s the place for him either is also open to debate, but seeing as the manager seems intent on shoe-horning a lampshade onto a fridge the current issue is how long it’ll take before he realizes it.
Sadly, it took 45 minutes too long for Brendan to realize his error and make the changes but the difference Lucas made within minutes of the restart was almost tangible (even from behind a TV screen) and the whole team looked boosted by his combative presence in midfield.
As the title suggests, you really don’t know what you’ve got sometimes until it’s gone and I don’t know whether it was naivety or a slight bit of arrogance/disrespect toward Stoke and Villa in our previous two games but I think the greatest disrespect was toward Lucas himself.
The inference in playing Gerrard (one of the finest players of his generation, but primarily an attacking player) in the ‘quarterback’ role was that anybody can do a job there. And haven’t we seen a similar kind of situation develop previously, with Spearing thrust into the defensive role?
There is a reason why players of Lucas’s kind are coveted almost as much as top strikers – they’re rare and it’s a tough position to master. Gerrard has played right-back, centre-mid, second striker, attacking midfielder, and right midfield and he’s generally excelled in all roles, or at the very least looked like he’s a better option to most other players there but his strength is not defensive.
Yes, he can make spectacular tackles, yes he can hound players on the ball and yes, he can pinpoint a pass from 50 yards but he used to have the engine to do all of that for 90 minutes plus, he just doesn’t anymore and I don’t think he’s ever had the right attributes to fill such a disciplined and thankless role.
During the first 15 minutes of the second half on Saturday, Liverpool looked an entirely different side and nobody benefited more from his presence than Gerrard who would go on to put the ball into Suarez’s path to win the penalty and, subsequently, score the equalizing goal.
Many would point to that – indeed, somebody did point it out to me – as evidence that Gerrard earned his stay of execution in the second half but had he started in his usual role, with Lucas just behind then you have to wonder whether we’d have been in the position to claw our way back into the game in the first place.
The bitter-sweet side to all of this of course, is that Lucas pulled up injured and is now out for at least 2 months. It’s typical that we’d see that he’s the only player at the club capable of filling that role, then see him hobble off and leave us missing him until almost the beginning of April.
Sadly, that now gives Rodgers the option to persist with Gerrard in this role, something which he has suggested he will. This would be a mistake that could see our entire season unravel, in the way our previously not-as-bad-as-people-thought-it-was defensive record has after conceding 5 goals in two games.
Personally, I think we’ve desperately needed cover – or an alternative – to Lucas for years and knowing that Yann M’Vila is available and probably perfect for the role, we’d be stupid to keep chasing attacking dream players when the chance is there to strengthen the midfield in an area we’ve desperately needed for years and ensure that we don’t start longing for Lucas in ways we’ve never done before.
Steve G is still top class but rogers continually misuse s him . A defensive mid player he is not !
Said like a true fan .Lucas always missed only when we lose him. Granted he hasn’t been but we have none better to replace him and st is nor never will be the answer
Lucas is ok but he will be missed . Anything is better than the Welsh wally. New signing please Brendan quick !!!
The engine room of any team is the midfield. 90% of a successful defence is having someone who can tidy up from the middle of the park and shield the defenders. Since Mascherano and Alonso left Anfield we’ve only had Lucas who was effective in that role. You can’t rely on him alone for a whole season. He gets his fair share of injuries and we need cover for him and also another defensive midfielder for tactical reasons against some formations employed by other teams. My prime candidates would be Victor Wanyama, Yann M’Villa, Benat Etxebarria, Sergio Busquets
get well soon lucas, u’ll be missed. mignolet n johnson are costing us points.
FSG need to fix up and look sharp, we need class quality players to maintain our top 4 pursuit all the way through the season. Luckily we have not been in Europe, but we are still struggling with injuries. Now Man United have been knocked out of most cup competitions, they will be able to concentrate solely on champions league and league. And with the likes of Van Persie, Rooney back in side with the signing of Mata and i am sure a few others. We needed class , quality players in desperately.
FSG need to stop using their pathetic excuse about K Dalglish’s terrible transfers, yeah he spent 115M on transfers. And only Enrique and Suarez were successes to be honest and are worth the value they were bought for. But club brought in 80m on player sales( Torres, Babel, Bennayoun, Meireles, Poulsen, Koncheskey and Ngog)
We need 4 class quality players in: Two Defensive Midfielders:
2 Defensive Midfielders: For 16M Cheaper than what club spent on J Henderson(23): M’Vila(23) Of Rubin Kazan for 8-12M and Fernando Reges(26) Of Porto for 1-4M as his contract is up in the summer.
So Porto would get something instead of nothing, these two players would allow the likes of Allen(24), Coutinho(21), Gerrard(33) and Henderson(23) to compete for the AM Position in midfield trio and solely work on their pressing without the ball. And to attack, create and score goals with M’Vila(23) and Fernando(26) dominating centre midfield behind either of them.
And Two Goal scoring wingers:
How FSG did not bring M Salah(21) to club for 8-14M, when we spent 15M on J Allen and 18M on J Henderson(23) is beyond me.
We need class quality players at club not abyzmal cheap players with potential who end up being loaned out as they are crap ( Assaidi, Borini, Llori) Alberto, Aspas, Coates, Cissokho, B Jones and V Moses are all not good enough for club and B Rodgers should get rid of all them as soon as possible.
I Ayre needs to stop waffling we are trying this and that , just bring in some top class quality players, players that clubs want to keep this transfer window , we have to pay top dollar for: So Ayre and Transfer Committee: Stop trying to offer teams derisory figures when they want to keep their player, we haggle for weeks over signing and then teams come in day and sign player. When we need the players more than others do, Salah has Hazard, Oscar, Ramires, Schurlle, Willian to contend with whilst at Liverpool, theres Pathetic abyzmal V Moses(22) who we should send back to chelsea now now and Young Sterling who is always improving but his finishing is diabolical. Understandably he is young. What a waste of time that is.
Now we have lost M Salah(21) to Chelsea
B Rodgers should bring in:
1: RW / RWF: Yevhen Konoplyanka(24) Of FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk for 12-18M to compete and Cover Sterling
2: LW /LWF: D Capel(25) Of Sporting Clube De Portugal/ Lisbon for 5-7M, So we can send waste of space/ average joe V Moses(22) back to sly cocky ignorant Mourinho as soon as possible,
B Rodgers needs these 4 players brought into club in next few days or we are not making Champions league
Injuries: G Johnson out RB indefinately
Lucas Leiva DM Out for 2months
J Enrique LB Out for at least two to three weeks left
Those three layers are crucial to our side: Even though G Johnson(29) for last 12-18Mths has been poor and pathetic, he is better than what we have and still Englands number 1 right back.
FSG Back B Rodgers well we need class, quality players in now.
Chelsea are 3rd and have brought in Matic 20.6m and now Salah 11M, they will bring in a few more
Man United are about to bring in J Mata(25) for 37M and maybe a few other players
FSG Give B Rodgers 40M to bring in the 4 players i have mentioned and we will maintain our top 4 suit as this is where everyone else’s squad: Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City, Man United, Tottenham will start to show their mettle. As we have abyzmal pathetic squad. 25 man squad, 12/13 good players 2 good Youngsters ( Ibe and Sterling) and the rest are dead wood average or injury prone.
Looks like we won’t know what we could have had now it’s gone…. If the Salah reports are to be believed.
Yawn . Trolling again. Boring fool aaron