It is said that we have the spine of a good team with Reina at the back, Carragher in front of him, Gerrard in the middle and then Torres upfront. The rest of the squad should be built around this basic spine in a 4-4-2 formation.
Glen Johnson was a solid right back when he played last season, and apart from a dodgy world cup I think he is our best defender apart from Carragher. We have Carra at the centre of the back four and there is Agger, Skrtel and Kyriacos all vying for that particular position alongside Carra. It is at left back that we seem to be lacking with our main one being Insua, who is a good young player, but often lacks experience, so I would like to see an experienced left back coming into the side. We have been linked with Wigan’s Figueroa and Man City’s Bridge. Out of those two I would rather have Bridge at the club. He has the more experience and I reckon would be quite a good addition to the team, and he would be further away from John Terry.
In the middle the key player is Gerrard, and if we can keep hold of him, he needs to play week in week out, then we will see the best of him. We have sadly lost Yossi Benayoun to Chelski which will leave a void in the team. True Riera can play where Yossi played, but I would prefer Joe Cole in that position. However I think that Joe Cole is unlikely to move north as he gets a nosebleed when he ventures further than Watford!
In attack we need to stop relying on Fernando Torres and get a couple of other strikers in so that, if he does get injured at least we don’t have to rely on N’Gog as our main striker. Perhaps Kuyt will finally get to play as the striker he really is under Hodgson. I reckon that a forward line of Kuyt and Torres would be something of a problem for many defences in the coming season.
i think brede hangeland would be a worthwhile signing and we hav jovanovic on his way which would be good, i think joe cole should be pursued and brought in and id like to see someone like steven ireland brought in he has an amazing work rate
how about babel?
this is the most boring load of nonsense possible,what are you actually telling us?please
I take your points, and they are well made, but I agree with very few. Agree with Reina and Johnson, but would never build my side around Carragher and Gerrard. The premiership is about pace which is an asset that is gradually escaping carra. With him in the team we have to defend deep. We will never win the league defending deep.
Gerrard really does lack creativity, ok he has the odd moment where he makes a pass and the occasional 25 yarder will fly in but from CENTRAL MIDFIELD it is few and far between. Every Top class manager has seen the flaws in his game and keep him as far from the centre as possible. he would play right midfield for me. He had his most productive season ever playing their with 20+ goals and bucket load of assists. trouble is he is too proud to see it. I’d go with Aquilani. He is the last bit of real flair at the club and would create goals all day long.
As far as playing kuyt up front he has proved he is not a prem striker mainly due to his inability to play back to goal and some of the poorest finishing i have ever seen from a liverpool striker. The wind up before he takes a shot and the inability to put the ball into the net without the keeper getting a firm hand to it is uncanny. Everytime Kuyt scores I assume the keeper has made a mistake…i’m usually right. Ngog should not play up front on his own but I believe would make a very good partner for Torres. Okay his lacks a little composure in front of goal but is all round game has come on leaps and bounds and I think you’ll find that he already links up play better than Torres who is always guilty of not protecting the ball. And then there is Pacheco who i’m dying to see along with David Amoo and young Eccleston.
different points of view make the world an interesting place.
nice one.
442 is an outdated formation that has no place in modern football, where playing between the lines is critical. The 4231 formation used by Benitez and the majority of the top teams in the Premier League and Europe is currently the best option available, especially if we keep Gerrard and Torres, where the former is most useful playing behind Torres.
Nothing can be decided until the future of our players is sorted though.
Firstly, why the title of Hodgson’s Choice? Never explained or dealt with. Secondly what exactly are you attempting to convey (mentioned by someone else)? Thirdly have you seen many Liverpool games?
Glen Johnson was NOT solid at right back, anything but! Best defender?? He can barely defend and is certainly not better at defending than any of our four centre backs! Oh and at least spell Kyrgiakos correctly!
And how can you often lack experience? What, sometimes you manage to have experience, but then lose it?? Also when has Wayne Bridge been linked with Liverpool recently? And further away from John Terry!!! What an extra 30 miles!!
“If Gerrard plays week in week out we will see the best of him”!!!! Like he hasn’t when he’s been fit, and if its the latter (fitness) you elude to then that’s stupidly obvious! I bet any footballer plays better when he is fit and playing than when he is injured!!! Duh!
Yossi’s departure will only leave a void on the bench (although I am a fan of his and wished he’d played more).
As for the rest I can’t be bothered to discuss as I think already I have put more effort into this than you did the original piece!!
I don’t like to be harsh, but seriously make sure you have something worthwhile to say if you go public!!
Contrary to what Mark and Jason are saying I thought this was a good article. You make some good points, I think if you look at it we have the best Keeper in the prem, the best RB in the prem, one of the best midfielders in the world if he gets back to his best, and arguably the best striker in the world (when fit). Add to that Mascherano as the probably the best holding midfielder in their is if we manage to keep him and you can see we have a really strong team. Agree with needing a new LB (Insua is a suitable backup) and Joe Cole or Arda Turan. For me, I would go with Turan because I think Joe Cole is playing more for the money nowadays. But after that I think we’ll have good depth all around.
Strikers: Torres, Jovanovic, N’gog, Kuyt
LM: Joe Cole/Turan, Babel, Riera
CM: Gerrard, Aquilani, Shelvey
RM: Maxi, Kuyt again, Babel again
CDM: Mascherano, Lucas
LB: Bridge/Figueroa, Insua
CB: Carra, Agger, Skrtel, Kyrgiakos
RB: Johnson, Kelly, Degen
^^ Seems like one hell of a squad to me :).
The majority of the games that I saw Glen Johnson playing he did a good job at the back, and he was very good at getting foward to it, which is always a bonus.
The title was a bit pointless I’ll grant you, but I couldn’t think of anything better.
The point of the article was just my opinion, nothing more or less.
I think that 4-4-2 is probably outdated by today’s standards but I do think we play better with more than one striker playing up front.