Former Liverpool striker John Aldridge raised the very interesting issue of what will happen when Steven Gerrard returns to the side in his column for the Liverpool Echo:
“Steven Gerrard could return at St James’ Park on Saturday and if he’s fully fit then he has to come straight back into the side. The best place for Gerrard is in the centre and I still believe the captain alongside Raul Meireles is our best midfield partnership. That would be harsh on Lucas as he certainly doesn’t warrant being dropped. It’s a hard one for the manager but you have to go with your strongest side in an attacking sense to really go looking for a win.”
Considering the success that both Lucas and Raul Meireles have had playing together in the absence of Gerrard, I, like many other Reds fans, would be loathed to change a winning formula. While Meireles has flourished playing in a more familiar central midfield role, Lucas has put in a run of impressive displays, most notably against Chelsea and Aston Villa on Monday when he was one of Liverpool’s stand out performers. The pairing has come together somewhat by accident with Gerrard’s injury. While Hodgson continued to use a 4-4-2, the need for a defensive midfielder in Lucas as well as to accommodate Gerrard meant he left Meireles playing on the right hand side so he could fit into the starting eleven. Once Gerrard was injured and Meireles was allowed to move in field, we unsurprisingly saw the best of the Portuguese internationl. More unexpected though was how quickly Meireles and Lucas gelled, and both know each other well enough to instinctively assume when to hold while the other attacks or when to attack when the other holds. For these reasons, Aldo’s suggestion to drop Lucas for the Newcastle match seems insane considering the growing partnership between the Brazilian and Meireles.
I do however understand where Aldo is coming from on the issue. It is the need to keep a positive attacking mentality away from home using the 4-4-2 formation. The most obvious solution to keep the Lucas-Meireles pairing going would be to stick Steven Gerrard back behind Fernando Torres; a system that has worked well in the past. I, like Aldridge though, have concerns that this might have a negative effect on the team in the way they play. When Hodgson has used the system this season, Gerrard has been playing way too deep leaving Torres isolated, and although I believe this formation is the best way to accommodate Gerrard back into the team, Stevie would need to play way further up the pitch than he has been, trusting Meireles and the midfield to give him supply.
Aldridge however wants to be a bit more attacking than that. Keeping the 4-4-2 system in shape which has worked well against Aston Villa, he would like to see Meireles and Gerrard in midfield while giving Torres much needed support from the likes of either Babel or Ngog, sacrificing Lucas in the process. It is difficult dilemma for Roy to deal with and he will be under pressure to get it right. Hodgson has been heavily criticised this season for his negative tactics away from home and any reversion from 4-4-2 back to 4-5-1 could see the team destabilised and play less fluently than they have been playing in a basic 4-4-2 in the last two Premier League games.
I would very much like to see the Lucas-Meireles partnership to stay as it is but I am torn by the need to continue a 4-4-2 formation which looks positive and more threatening. For me, a reluctant move back to 4-5-1 or 4-3-3 is on the cards but for it to work Roy must play Gerrard further up and ensure Stevie is in close contact with Fernando Torres for large parts of the match against Newcastle at St James’ Park on Saturday.
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Why do you guys so often love to rehash the same stories under different headings?? :/
Put Gerrard on the right an drop kuyt, play Torres and Babel/Ngog upfront. Bring Kuyt on for last 15 min to run round like a headless chicken.
I think 4-4-2 works better, why we do not try playing Gerrard on the right. He is better than Meireles and Kuyt on that position. We keep the pair Lucas and Meireles as is and use Babbel or Ngog up front together with Torres. Kuyt is out form and it will be a good player to come from the bench when needed.
With this formation we have at least 4-5 players that they can easily score.
I agree it is time to put Steven Gerrard back on the right wing, funnily enough its the postion he played when he got his highest EPL goal tally for a season. His crosses and link up play with glen johnson and the strikers would be far more clever, accurate, quicker and effective than kuyt. It would be like signing a new player. Kuyt played sh1t against villa mis place pass after pass. Jovanovic and Ngog (who is growing in confidence and ability game upon game) should compete to lead the line with Torres.
…………..Reina
Johnson…Soto….Skrtel….Aurelio
Gerrard…Lucas…Meireles….Maxi
………..Torres…Ngog
Subs
Kuyt
Cole
Jovanovic
Pacheco
Shelvey
Kelly
Remove Maxi and put either Pacheco or Shelvy for this match and sub. Ngog with either Babel or Cole after an hour of play.
Fella – looks about right!
Gerrard has a tendency to drift deep to retrieve every ball. Understandably so, given that earlier midfield failed miserably to control the game. This has changed a bit off late, so gerrard should play upfront again if we are to follow a 4411 or 442. Since we are playing better in this formation its better to stick to it. Just ask gerrard to stay half way so thr is some connecting the midfield and torres. Our midfield will be tested hard away at newcastle. If we unable to control then gerrard should come back in midfield and one of the wingers must be substituted for a striker. This gives us more fluidity. And playing through center means we put the ball at feet, which is what most of our players are best at.