Comments on: Getting the Best Out of Gerrard http://www.ourkop.com/2009/09/11/getting-the-best-out-of-gerrard/ Sat, 20 Mar 2010 17:14:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: benjamin http://www.ourkop.com/2009/09/11/getting-the-best-out-of-gerrard/#comment-1645 benjamin Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:10:12 +0000 http://www.ourkop.com/?p=465#comment-1645 Exactly right. Leaving him further back down the pitch allows that extra man to be stretched away from his goal rather than be right on top of it as well. With the speed and strength Gerrard can put into a run if he looks away for even an instant could be enough springing forward. If you notice he is nearly always at his best when well in stride as opposed to collecting it at his feet and then starting up. Again though, all in all I think it's a simple lack of the funds to raised the skill players up front that we need. As far as the set pieces and creativity in the attacking third go, one player I'm really disappointed we've not been interested in is Dario Srna with Shaktar/Croatia. His free kicks are second to none and he is fast/powerful, good on the attack and tracking back to defend. Rafa if you're reading go talk to Shaktar! Exactly right. Leaving him further back down the pitch allows that extra man to be stretched away from his goal rather than be right on top of it as well. With the speed and strength Gerrard can put into a run if he looks away for even an instant could be enough springing forward.
If you notice he is nearly always at his best when well in stride as opposed to collecting it at his feet and then starting up.
Again though, all in all I think it’s a simple lack of the funds to raised the skill players up front that we need.
As far as the set pieces and creativity in the attacking third go, one player I’m really disappointed we’ve not been interested in is Dario Srna with Shaktar/Croatia. His free kicks are second to none and he is fast/powerful, good on the attack and tracking back to defend.
Rafa if you’re reading go talk to Shaktar!

]]> By: MoKo http://www.ourkop.com/2009/09/11/getting-the-best-out-of-gerrard/#comment-1643 MoKo Mon, 14 Sep 2009 09:08:25 +0000 http://www.ourkop.com/?p=465#comment-1643 I agree with you that when faced with good man marking Gerrard disappears from the game. i don't think that should be viewed as a deficiency in his game. It happens to all players in the position. The point you make tho is that a team that sacrifices a player in order to track Gerrard should be more susceptible. To man mark Gerrard you either sacrifice a central midfielder or a second striker. The space created should be filled by our central mid (Aquilani or Alonso last season). One thing we didn't get out of Alonso was a midfield goal threat. Against the teams who got draws at Anfield last season Gerrard would be man marked. But Alonso could not get forward enough to take advantage. and even when he did he would not pose a serious threat on goal either in assists or goals. We will miss Alonso in the really tough games where we are not in control of the tempo. But I don't think we'll miss him against the Burnley's and Stokes' of this League. Aquilani will be a goal threat particularly with his final ball. He is exceptional in that area of play and he will chip in with long range goals too. With that threat teams will have to think twice about man marking Gerrard because they may find Liverpool even more effective when faced with that tactic. We have to hope that in tight games Aquilani or Lucas or who ever is deployed in central mid will have the steel to be both destructive and constructive for the cause. Only time will tell... MoKo I agree with you that when faced with good man marking Gerrard disappears from the game. i don’t think that should be viewed as a deficiency in his game. It happens to all players in the position. The point you make tho is that a team that sacrifices a player in order to track Gerrard should be more susceptible.

To man mark Gerrard you either sacrifice a central midfielder or a second striker. The space created should be filled by our central mid (Aquilani or Alonso last season). One thing we didn’t get out of Alonso was a midfield goal threat. Against the teams who got draws at Anfield last season Gerrard would be man marked. But Alonso could not get forward enough to take advantage. and even when he did he would not pose a serious threat on goal either in assists or goals.

We will miss Alonso in the really tough games where we are not in control of the tempo. But I don’t think we’ll miss him against the Burnley’s and Stokes’ of this League. Aquilani will be a goal threat particularly with his final ball. He is exceptional in that area of play and he will chip in with long range goals too. With that threat teams will have to think twice about man marking Gerrard because they may find Liverpool even more effective when faced with that tactic.

We have to hope that in tight games Aquilani or Lucas or who ever is deployed in central mid will have the steel to be both destructive and constructive for the cause.

Only time will tell…

MoKo

]]> By: benjamin http://www.ourkop.com/2009/09/11/getting-the-best-out-of-gerrard/#comment-1640 benjamin Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:49:31 +0000 http://www.ourkop.com/?p=465#comment-1640 I agree that he has taken to it well, but then he did well out on the right flank as well. He is an extremely versatile player, I'd just like to see us let him loose on the defensive and set piece side of the game. That said, I don't think anything really needs to change against the lesser sides. It is really only against opposition such as you listed that this becomes an issue. I agree that he has taken to it well, but then he did well out on the right flank as well. He is an extremely versatile player, I’d just like to see us let him loose on the defensive and set piece side of the game. That said, I don’t think anything really needs to change against the lesser sides. It is really only against opposition such as you listed that this becomes an issue.

]]> By: burt http://www.ourkop.com/2009/09/11/getting-the-best-out-of-gerrard/#comment-1638 burt Fri, 11 Sep 2009 05:08:06 +0000 http://www.ourkop.com/?p=465#comment-1638 All in all spot on. When Gez comes up against Essien, Muamba, reo coker, mikel, or any other decent defensive mid he gets taken out of the game. Let's not forget though that he has only played second striker (full time) for ONE SEASON. By all accounts he has taken to playing up front like a duck to water. With another season or two playing in this role he'll be untouchable. In this time he will have learnt when and how to make runs effectively and will undoubtedly retire a true attacking great. THE BOY CAN'T TAKE A CORNER. HE'S ALMOST AS BAD WITH FREE KICKS. we have never EVER replaced Molby and Barnes at set pieces. It would be nice if we could sign a specialist. All in all spot on. When Gez comes up against Essien, Muamba, reo coker, mikel, or any other decent defensive mid he gets taken out of the game. Let’s not forget though that he has only played second striker (full time) for ONE SEASON. By all accounts he has taken to playing up front like a duck to water. With another season or two playing in this role he’ll be untouchable. In this time he will have learnt when and how to make runs effectively and will undoubtedly retire a true attacking great.

THE BOY CAN’T TAKE A CORNER. HE’S ALMOST AS BAD WITH FREE KICKS. we have never EVER replaced Molby and Barnes at set pieces. It would be nice if we could sign a specialist.

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