The BigFooty Liverpool Army

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jod23

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We want everyone in the front half to press, it's a huge part of our game, Stevie can't press

I don't see where he fits in anywhere anymore, but it's certainly not at holding mid. Maybe as one of the two in front of a holding mid in a home game, he could still use his passing range, but he can't hold a midfield
I think the problem is the Allen injury. Gerrard can play that DLM position if he has two high energy, pressing mids in front of him. When you throw Lucas in for Allen, suddenly you get exposed.

It's a concern.
 

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Cooldude

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It's not even about people doing Gerrard's donkey work anymore, people have worked out his role and are nullifying him. He constantly has a dude on his ass so he has no time to make a pass

So he ends up passing it back to Lovren all the time who hoofs it up field coz he's basic

I'd rather have 3 midfielders who are all high octane than having to carry anyone anymore
 

jod23

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Rossiter turns into a gun on FM2014. He can take Stevie's spot, problem solved! Start the development early! ;)
From all reports the club rates Rossiter highly but every time ive seen him play, one thing has stood out for me. His alarming lack of pace. That's not good.
 

jod23

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It's not even about people doing Gerrard's donkey work anymore, people have worked out his role and are nullifying him. He constantly has a dude on his ass so he has no time to make a pass

So he ends up passing it back to Lovren all the time who hoofs it up field coz he's basic

I'd rather have 3 midfielders who are all high octane than having to carry anyone anymore
True, so if BR desperately wants Gerrard to play, then he needs to figure it out tactically.
 

Cooldude

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He is 34, take the sentiment out of it, he just shouldn't start every game and play 90 mins. I think he has to become a squad player and a squad player only

Atm we're super disjointed and square pegs round holes everywhere. At least Sturridge comes back you'd think we'd be far better, but Mario as a lone striker if he gets injured again is worrying. Can't have a bloke that doesn't cover loads of ground playing lone striker. They would fit each other well as a partnership though
 

jod23

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He is 34, take the sentiment out of it, he just shouldn't start every game and play 90 mins. I think he has to become a squad player and a squad player only

Atm we're super disjointed and square pegs round holes everywhere. At least Sturridge comes back you'd think we'd be far better, but Mario as a lone striker if he gets injured again is worrying. Can't have a bloke that doesn't cover loads of ground playing lone striker. They would fit each other well as a partnership though
If he wants to make Gerrard and Mario work then he needs to change his philosophy on how we play our football. I remember when he first came in and we were supposed to play just like Swansea with pass and move football, english tiki taka. Rodgers though, quickly realised we had players at the club with different attributes and changed his way of playing to a more pressing style of football where we press and attack in waves. It worked wonders.

But with Gerrard aging, Suarez gone and Mario his replacement. The pressing game has kinda gone out the window. So it's either drop Gerrard and figure out someone to come in, I dont think Lucas is the answer there either. Drop Mario and play Sturridge with someone like Borini and try to stick to the pressing tactics. Or change the philosophy and try to work something else out.

The problem with that deep lying playmaker role is that you need experience and good reading of the play. Gerrard has that. You need excellent decision making and excellent passing, Gerrard has those too. But you also need legs and speed. Gerrard has lost that through age. The replacement are probably Lucas who's probably not even quicker than Gerrard and doesnt have the decision making and passing of Gerrard or perhaps Emre Can who doesnt have the passing game or the experience but is quicker and more combative than Gerrard.

The only other option is Joe Allen who might be just too small for the role. Doesnt have the passing ability but is pretty combative.

It's just a lack of options right now.
 

Cooldude

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If Mario's there then Gerrard's long passing is basically redundant, if no one makes the runs to try to get in behind then Gerrard can't find them

If we want to fit Mario in then we'd either have to play 2 up front or we have to have loads of blokes trying to run ahead of him. Borini and Lambert just aren't good enough to start for us. Then we're left with Markovic and Lallana and hoping they'd pull their weight.

But if you need two midfielders and two other forward players bombing on to support Balotelli, then you can't have a 34 year old who can't run trying to hold the midfield

I think the way Mario likes to play makes it easy for teams to handle us, we need Sturridge's pace and his ability to get in behind more than ever now. Gotta pray he's never injured
 

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He's actually pressing and working hard off the ball, the problem is he doesn't work when we have it. I don't think it's a laziness issue, his idea of playing upfront is just strange

I'd rather he not press as hard without the ball and bust his gut when we have it
 

Zidane98

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He is 34, take the sentiment out of it, he just shouldn't start every game and play 90 mins. I think he has to become a squad player and a squad player only

Atm we're super disjointed and square pegs round holes everywhere. At least Sturridge comes back you'd think we'd be far better, but Mario as a lone striker if he gets injured again is worrying. Can't have a bloke that doesn't cover loads of ground playing lone striker. They would fit each other well as a partnership though
Look at how many years SAF got out of Giggs by playing him sparingly. BR needs to take a similar approach with Gerrard. Use him when his experience is needed and surround him with hard working midfielders. Rest him in battles against physical teams away.

His days of playing 90 minutes every week are surely over and if BR can manage him properly there's no reason why he can't give us another 3 -4 30-40 game seasons of service.
 

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Cooldude

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I hope Rodgers doesn't have a blind spot for Gerrard, but his latest comments seem to suggest he might do. I don't get why we think it necessary to rest our best player who is 19 years old because we think he's played too much, then makes a 34 year old play 3 full 90 min games a week

I think Gerrard's future comes from being an impact player further up the ground, not going further back
 

Ed_Gein

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Lallana has played a lot better and linked up well with Enrique. Rossiter playing well, keeping it short and simple but has played a few sloppy long balls though. But yeah, not cutting edge. Fredericks is doing well trying to limit Sterlings influence.
 

Cooldude

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Enrique is our biggest attacking threat, against Boro, it's saying something

He is the only one that's willing to bust a gut with some movement. Markovic for all his so called pace just stands there, and Lambert is immobile still

It's exactly the same as the Villa and Lodogorets game, we aren't that good to watch atm
 

Cooldude

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Ha what's the commentator smoking, that's a clear handball and pen

Mignolet gets worse and worse every game, and Markovic has been hugely underwhelming. Lallana has done loads of brilliant things but it's all been out wide, he should be the one playing central
 
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