Roy is certainly searching for his best midfield combination at the moment. He is trying players out in different positions to see who will play best where. Meireles started his first game against Steaua Bucharest in a holding midfield role alongside Jay Spearing before being moved further forward versus Manchester United, while Cole has been moved from an attacking midfield playmaker to wide left; a move I believe is detrimental to his game.
Steven Gerrard meanwhile has alternated from attacking midfield to central midfield according to who is available, but I think it is probably set in stone that he will be a central midfielder mainly this season, a position he must become aware is the central passing role which is crucial to Liverpool playing quick flowing attacking football. Like everyone else, Gerrard is adapting and after generally playing in a more advanced role under Benitez while Alonso provided service to him; he now becomes the service provider and he has to be consistency personified to play the role; something that hasn’t been apparent this season.
The only real constant in the midfield so far this season is a defensive midfielder, and it looks like Christian Poulsen is now ahead of Lucas in the pecking order. For me, this is the most troublesome position for against lower class opposition at home, the role should be irrelevant. On Saturday against Sunderland, the team looked a lot more effective after changing to 4-4-2, just like when they changed against Manchester United. Whether either playing Cole centrally with Meireles and Gerrard in central position, or pushing Joe out wide to accommodate David Ngog, Hodgson must recognise the need for Poulsen in such games is not required, especially when a victory is essential. In regards to the wide midfield roles, I will leave that for another article, the problems we have in that area would take up a fair few paragraphs themselves. In any case, for me, this midfield confusion needs to be resolved if Roy is going to make Liverpool compeititive this season.
Follow us on twitter @live4Liverpool
Live4Liverpool is recruiting columnists. For further info contact the site editor at editor@live4liverpool.com
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.