At 27 years of age, Liverpool midfielder Raul Meireles already has experienced a great deal in his career. Becoming the lynchpin in the Porto midfield, he has progressed over the last two seasons to become an essential member of the Portuguese national team. Directing play from the centre of the park for club and country, Meireles has many things in his locker: tackling, passing and shooting from long range. Yet, it has been surprisingly difficult to see the best of the Portuguese star’s abilities since his arrival in August.
Coming from a team in Porto who had been near the top echelons of their domestic league and being a significant force in Europe for a number of seasons, Meireles wanted a new challenge after spending the best part of 6 years in Porto. His contract was running down and the club had brought in Sporting Lisbon attacking midfielder Joao Moutinho to replace him in the side. Meireles was aware it was time to move on and when Liverpool offered £11.5million for his services, the ambition of achieving success in one of Europe’s top leagues with a historic club was too hard to resist, and he started life out at Anfield with great expectations.
Oh, how he probably wishes he stayed in Portugal now though. Liverpool have had their worst start in over 50 years and the club has been embroiled in a takeover saga which has taken up the best part of the first three months of the season. On top of that, personally he has clearly found it difficult to settle into life at Liverpool with the team playing as bad as they are. Moving to a new country and a new league is not easy at the best of times, but it is especially difficult when the club has been in crisis both on and off the pitch. The fact that he has played out of position for most of his time so far at Liverpool is probably the most important factor as to why he hasn’t shown his best qualities yet.
Continue Reading on Page 2 . . .
STELLA ARTOIS WORLD DRAUGHT MASTERS
He will shine when that clown Hodgson starts playing him in his natural position in the centre
Agree 100%. He is class and will show it when played in his natural position. Until we get some class in during the January transfer window, I would play Jovanovic up front with Torres, Cole and Johnson on the wings with Gerrard and Meireles in the middle in front of a back four of Kelly, Agger, Skirtel and Carra. We need to play our strongest eleven week in week out now. YNWA
he playd him out of position his a fantastic player and he will come good for us even maschirano is cant be him self yet in barcelona his new give him some time you sould be talking about joe cole who play in england all his life and look lost in the game we need pulsen carra johnson and cole out then liverpool will be good
Could not agree more David. I would play Lucas with Meireles in central midfield; Gerrard behind Torres to rekindle what was described as a “telepathetic” understanding between our two stars under Rafa; and Cole out wide on the left (which is where he played under Mourinho). Meireles can play the role Alonso played to such deadly effect in the wonderful 2008-9 season, which will hopefully also bring out the best in Lucas. I do not see a role for Poulsen in the team unless one of the above is injured.
dont play raul with lucas..it didnt spark! just play gerard with meireles..SG cant play behind torres anymore cuz look at his age now…its better for SG to sit and play as a playmaker with miereles. on the flank, its jova and babel..i think martin kelly will suit at the right back. give aurelio a chance at the left..if u look at lucas, he’s just ordinary midfield not extraodinary like Jan Molby or Rednapp..he’s more like igor biscan!! man…
I agree with Voland.
Well if Hodgson can’t see the best team then we are in trouble. Long live the King
wtho is kiling me is johnson and carra and pulsen they are not good put kelly in the right and ageer next to skytel
Go back to 4-4-2 roy you godforsaken clown! Everytime we brought ngog on with nando we’ve looked much better. I like the idea of jova as a striker too, that is his natural position, wise up. And glenn on the wing – when was he ever good at defending?
seems that the fans once again can see where the problems are in the formation – why the hell cant our second rate manager see them, I’m sorry but I run a large company and this guy is not up to the job at hand – were Liverpool for F**KS sake we shouldnt settle for second best and the new owners need to invest in an inspirational leader.
Johnson is not a solid right back but offers something worthwhile on the right wing, Cole should be started on the left. Babel should be given a chance just behind Torres – he needs to start a couple of matches in a row to prove whether he has the goods or not, he simply hasnt been given a decent chance to prove himself. Gerard and Meireles bossing the central midfield.
I think we need to bring in someone like Gary Cahill as Carra as much as I love him is showing the signs of trench fatigue. Also need a world class right back to replace Johnson.
Will be interesting to see if Aurelio can plug the left back problem as Im not sure about Konchesky for the big games.
One more wide player and a world class striker/attacking midfielder to play behind Torres and we are starting to look solid – but thats only if the manager sets a formation that goes out to win. Pass square, pass square, pass back is not the Liverpool I know and love. Attack attack attack.
But one thing for sure no matter what I will never ever give anything but 100% to this cornerstone of my life, more than just a football club, not a matter of life and death – far more important than that in the words of the immortal man himself.
If 17 million can’t get you a world class full back, how much are we going to have to pay?
WELL MR HENRY..PLEASE LISTEN… PLS BUY OUR TEAM A GERMAN PLAYER..WE WANT PHILIP LAHM, BASTIAN SWEINSTEIGER AND MULLER..I GUESS IF U BUY 2 OF THESE PLAYER, THEY WILL MAKE A BIG IMPACT FOR OUR LONG TERM PERFORMANCE..AND PLS SACK ROY NOW!
FOR ME MIERELES IS ACTUALLY A BARGAIN BUY..BUT PLAY OUT POSITION..JUST PUT HIM WITH GERARD IN THE CENTRE OF MIDFIELD…FOR TORRES, PLS GIVE US MORE COMMITMENT. WHERES YOUR POWER?RUNNING?SKILLS? LOOK BACK AT THE 50++ GOALS U’VE SCORED IN THE PAST..THAT WILL GIVE U MORE CONFIDENT.
-YNWA
Bring back our Prince….. U loaned him out….. How can u ….? If Aqua was stil with liverpool he wld hve played with Torres up front and Raul on his natural position ….. U made a big mistake Roy u shld have bought only Raul . Not Paulson and in his place a Attacking Mid player ,u loaned one of th finest . Best wishes 2 u Aqua. Wished u cme back 2 liverpool. We miss U . YWNA.
kocesky – must up the actor.. play.. run..cross…
agger – great better… must more comfident
cara – look low.. but the experiance are gold
skertel – you must look to do a dirty tackle out box
johnson – look like yoyo.. sometime good but …
kelly.. – must get her place at RB .. up johnson.
miraless – much better & better with english game
can shoot from 30 meter.. look like
alonso.. must play every game with SG
gerrard – Blood of warrior
cole – pacy.. but too many loose the ball .. up
your game and more cross fron behind.
torres – not really treat 100% from injury.. we
know the problems,,,,
we must buy…..
coentrao – deffend and winger..so fast and fourius
Llorente – 2 Fernando Elnino & Lanina
suarez – Silent Killer
………………reina…………………….
………cara…………..agger…………….
johnson………………………coentrao
……..mirales..gerrard….joe……………..
…………..torres..Llorente………………
………………suarez……………………
the all player about 60 million…
get 40 million from Owner + sell aquilani ( 13 mil ) babel ( 9 mi ) poulsen ( 3 mil ) maxi ( 3 mil)
who care???
………..REINA…………
…..CARRA…..SRKTEL……
JOHNSON…………………KOENS…
………MEIRELES……POULSEN…..
KUYT………COLE…………GERRARD
……… TORRES…………
Some poor responses here from some fans that lack basic football knowledge!
In an environment which is stable both on and off the pitch Miereless, coming from another country would be given time to settle, would be introduced to a confident team and would be played in his preferred position (if we needed a winger then buy a winger)! Instead we give him no time and chastise him for not hitting the ground running like this mess is his fault. I personally cannot blame him for any of this and feel he’s been one of Liverpool’s better players regardless. I put all the blame firmly at the manager’s door. We needed a forward and he buys a poor central midfielder and an average leftback instead.
There’s a decent team in there (both through seniors and youth) and he doesn’t know how to make it function. We play too deep, cautiously and without real wingers. We finished a disappointing 7th last year and this year we look worse! The manager was hired to stabalize the club and instead has bought nothing to the table. The vast majority of post on here are random! we have serious issues and we need serious people to provide serious answers. Stop blaming the players with your petty irelevant arguement.!!! YNWA
author,u must not say that.raul will only shine when roy hodgson goes.he doesnt know where to field raul.roy pliz go
Uncle Roy must go !!! End of story
I agree. raul must be allowed to play at centre along with gerrerd. with jova at left and pacheco/babel on right. I think maxi has been given enough chance to prove. cole in hole behind torres. From sunday’s game it is clear that lucas is better than poulson and babel better than maxi. we want to buy defour to solve cm position and turan/matta for left. one left back. one striker like fernando lorente. this is main area to solve in january.
A redmist it is covering your eye sight lad the players have to be blamed they take the plaudits when they are good and they have to take the blame when there bad and there bad they still get paid thousands of pounds a week you say that merrelis needs time then so does poulson so does koncheski two out the three came from diffrent leagues kincheski whom i never rated good enough to wear the red shirt but we have him at the club
is trying his best but its just not good enough as for the other two there internationals footballers if they cant play were asked then there not very good players merrelis was slow to react for the first goal he was ball watching the second he ran away from the man he was marking at the edge of the penalty area I have played football and there the basics your taught when a child you do not need to settel in to a new team to know what to do in them positons so your talking through your arse lad its idiots like you that will allow this club to become medioca it very easy to blame the manager all the time but them over paid priemer donnas have to put a shift in to have the right to pick up there masive wages and to wear the famous red shirt and I am telling you some of them including a super star are not and if the likes of you allow these players to do what they want on the pitch then we will be in the next division down and end up like leeds . and I have been watchin liverpool fc since 1963 shanks , paisley , fagan or dalglish would never exept the effort some players are putting in you may do red mist but i for one dont .