Two years ago, when Liverpool were competing closely with Manchester United, it was pretty clear who Rafa Benitez would choose as his best midfield. In all important games he would play Javier Mascherano, Xabi Alonso and Steven Gerrard in the centre of the park with Dirk Kuyt on the right and either Yossi Benayoun or Albert Riera on the left hand side. Although it wasn’t the most spectacular midfield in the world, and some would still complain about the lack of width in the team, every player had an important role to play in the team and they all knew their jobs inside out.
To contrast this with this season though, you would be forgiven for questioning whether Roy Hodgson actually knows his best midfield yet. After all, the amount of chopping and changing in the first few matches of the Premier League season seems to suggest this. A lot of this can be put down to the new manager finding out aspects of the players in his squad as well as trying to fit in new additions to the side. Firstly we started off the season against Arsenal with Javier Mascherano in the side who duly left for Barcelona. In subsequent games, new signing Christian Poulsen and Lucas Leiva were given the nod to start as Roy was without the suspended Joe Cole and was awaiting the arrival of Raul Meireles.
The signing of the Portuguese international has however changed the dynamic in midfield once again. At the start of the season, it was clear that Hodgson favoured Joe Cole in a more advanced role behind the striker with Steven Gerrard reverting back into central midfield. The signing of Meireles has however seen Cole pushed out wide on his return to suspension while the former Porto man has been given the role in the hole behind Torres. Meireles has stated that he can play in all three available central midfield positions and Hodgson has stated he is not quite sure where the Portuguese man best fits into the team as yet.
Continue Reading on Page 2 . . .
EA Sports’ New MMA Game Trailer!
Sort the wings out!!!
If you look at our old midfield, it was actually world class with respect to the centre and I think Rafa should be applauded for that.
Mascherano Alonso
Gerrard
Torres
meireles lucas
kuyt gerrard cole
torres
that is the best setup raul is not an attacking midfielder he is a ball playing holding midfielder/box-box and lucas as the destroyer though that needs an upgrade someone like lass diarra would be ideal if we had any cash
In the last two games we only looked effective when the third midfielder was taken off leaving Gerrard and Miereles. Before that on each occasion we looked confused and non creative.
I’d question that Hodgson actually knows what a midfield is.
He’s got to go.
Spot on, really. I can’t for the life of me understand why he wants to play Gerrard so deep. It’s Ludacris. And everytime we’ve gone over to
4-4-2 we’ve looked a much better side. Why not have a go and start with it?
Hopefully some new investors will be found soon, then if Hodgson is still at the Helm, he should sell Krygiakos for £1-£2m, Sell Lucas £7-£9m, Sell Ngog for £4-£7m, Maxi Rodriguez £3-£4m, lastly To sell Kuyt to Inter Milan for £10-£15m.
Hodgson should then buy Stephen Taylor Of Newcastle for £5-£7m. CB
And then Lassana Diarra Of Real Madrid Or to bring back Momo Sissoko Of Juventus for £8-£12m to be our 1st choice Defensive Midfielder. DM
Then our wings needs to be addressed:
Juan Mata of Valencia Or Arda Turan Of Galatassary should be bought for £8-£14m to play as out and out right winger at club.
Royston Drenthe Of Real Madrid( On loan at Hercules at moment) or Diego Capel of Seville should be bought for £7-£14m to be our out and out Left winger at club.
And lastly Gabby Agbonglahor Of Aston Villa should be bought for £12-£17m.
As a partner for Torres or to be his Understudy, Then we could have team again.
Reina
G Johnson Skrtel/Carragher Agger Konchesky
Diarra Meireless
Gerrard
Turan or Mata Drenthe or Capel
Torres
Subs: Agbonglahor, Babel,cole, Poulsen, Jovanovic, Taylor, Wilson, Kelly and Shelvey.
We have seen the effectiveness of Gerrard-Owen and Gerrard-Torrres combination in attack. Gerrard should play forward. No doubt that gerard is equally good playing deep but we lack creativity up front and good understanding which gerrard and torres have. Merieles should fall back and Gerrard should move up. Or, we can still play 4-2-3-1 witt gerrard and merieles in mid (gerrard moving forward leaving merieles to play mascherano’s role), Cole could be the supplier to Torres while Jovanovic and Kuyt manage the wings.
Reina as keeper
Johnson (RB), Agger and Skrtel (CB), Konchesky (RB)
Meireles and Poulsen (Holding)
Gerrard (center)
Kuyt (RW) Cole (LW)
Torres (Striker)
THE PROBLEMS..
in deffending option >> liverpool not have a man who can challanging in air.. only soto look good in air and blockking.. but not good in tackling. cara is supremo in deffender but he look low. the problem now still LB.. not good enough with kocesky.. his deffending carreer not so solid with new era system.
coentrao is MORE good option at LB.. he can run fast and crossing the ball.
……..caragher…..agger……
johnson…….skertel……coentrao
in midfield..>> gerrard must be abble at centre.. he is maestro up..down..right and left.. he must pair with mirales on his right and joe cole on his left.. more tought game for better look quality in centre..
…mirales…gerrard….cole..
in striker >> he have 2 option here.. look good with kuyt torres.. and second rank look quite with Ngog Babbel.. with we have 4 active striker and must add one more speedy, clinchy and prolific striker.. maybe we can brought from another europe league.. french,germany, spain or europe..
one player can play teamate with torres or kuyt..
and the last problem is >> owner
only mr.huang and mr.kirdi will trow his money to the new era… maybe banzema..klose..Llorente or another big name in world…
PLEASE.. YNWA… win a geme is a sweet present for a fan.. we not want much then winning the game…
I think Gerrard is good now and there is no way Torres could not be come back. Kuyt is coming back from injury and Everten will be the turning point. Moreover, the biggest Clubs have also loss in the weekends.Let us work together now.
I seriously would prefer Lucas to Poulsen after his performance against Sunderland he was awful and showed little emotion.
If the side is to spend money on wide attacking players then they must learn firstly to use them properly.
please fire roy hodgson,put raul and jay spearing as the two defensive midfielders.bench poulsen.then put steve g on the left side,shelvey on the rite side and cole behind tores.please sell koncesky becoz he is always injured,buy taye taiwo,sell kuyt and buy arda turan.buy gaby agbonlahor to partner tores and the team should be
reina
johnson cara skertel taiwo
raul steve g
arda cole
tores agbonlahor
I agree. The midfield is the most important part of any team; linking forward and defence, and vice-versa and at the moment, ours looks utterly clueless. With Gerrard and now Meireles and Cole you’d expect us to be a more attacking, technically cohesive side at the moment but things look even more messed up than last season. Roy needs to find a solution to this, asap.
Hodgson – not only confused – seems like pressure of being liverpool manager is eating him.
last 2 matches when he introduced Ngog only Liverpool came live and in the same time Gerrad was in more attacking possition…. with current squad best option could be
johnson cara skertle agger
raul
cole gerrad
kuyt tores babel
Or
johnson cara skertle agger
raul gerrad
kuyt Ngog torres cole
cant believe yeas the most important part of your team is defence. thats were you build your team from. Cara is finished the last 2 seasons,Agger thinks he is better than he is Average.Skertle couldent read the beano and last but not least JOHNSON TERRIBLE as terry the best defender in the world was asked what he taught of johnson said well hes not bad going foward,ie he cant defend,before we do anything it has to be defence.