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Cerberus

Cerberus

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With Raul and Lucas putting in two good performances together (Spurs and Villa) in a 4-4-2 and Babel and N'gog giving Roy food for thought up front as part of a strike partnership, what do you think will happen when Gerrard comes back from Injury?


Will we revert back to a 4-3-2-1 With a trio of Gerrard, Raul and Lucas in midfield with Maxi and Kuyt either side of Torres on the wings? Will Raul or Lucas make way for Stevie in a 4-4-2? I never EVER want to see Meireles on the right again and I think Lucas has a done himself proud as being the "Mascher type" in the last few games.

Where does this leave Joe Cole?

I never thought I'd say this but for once Hodgson just might have a bit of a selection headache!

What would you do if you were him?
 
[quote author=Cerberus link=topic=43081.msg1229934#msg1229934 date=1291711477]
With Raul and Lucas putting in two good performances together (Spurs and Villa) in a 4-4-2 and Babel and N'gog giving Roy food for thought up front as part of a strike partnership, what do you think will happen when Gerrard comes back from Injury?


Will we revert back to a 4-3-2-1 With a trio of Gerrard, Raul and Lucas in midfield with Maxi and Kuyt either side of Torres on the wings? Will Raul or Lucas make way for Stevie in a 4-4-2? I never EVER want to see Meireles on the right again and I think Lucas has a done himself proud as being the "Mascher type" in the last few games.

Where does this leave Joe Cole?

I never thought I'd say this but for once Hodgson just might have a bit of a selection headache!

What would you do if you were him?
[/quote]

Just leave it to Roy, he knows best. We're 8th and on the way up...

Seriously though, SG will go straight back into the team; as will FT. You'd have to have seriously big balls to leave those two out and persist with last nights line-up. Cole, Ngog and Babel will return to the sidelines.
 
From a fully fit squad, at the moment I'd go.

-------------------Pepe--------------

---Johnson-----Carra-----Skrtel------Aurelio

--------------Lucas------Meireles---------

-----Kuyt--------Gerrard----------------Maxi

------------------Torres---------------------

Lucas is playing weel at the moment and it doesn't make sense dropping him to accomadate Cole. Despite N'Gog and Babel playing very well last night, Gerrard and Torres are easily our best strike partnership.
 
With Gerrard coming back from a hamstring injury, I'd be tempted to give him 30 mins from the bench and not rush him back too soon. It'd have the added benefit of rewarding Lucas/Meireles for an excellent midfield performance last night with another start together.

Torres has to go straight back in up top alongside N'gog, but give Babel 30 mins off the bench to replace N'gog or Torres (depending on the score and how knackered Torres is after a busy week).

And drop Kuyt for fucks sake; Give Cole a fitness runout on the right.
 
[quote author=GOD_23 link=topic=43081.msg1229937#msg1229937 date=1291711991]
From a fully fit squad, at the moment I'd go.

-------------------Pepe--------------

---Johnson-----Carra-----Skrtel------Aurelio

--------------Lucas------Meireles---------

-----Kuyt--------Gerrard----------------Maxi

------------------Torres---------------------

Lucas is playing weel at the moment and it doesn't make sense dropping him to accomadate Cole. Despite N'Gog and Babel playing very well last night, Gerrard and Torres are easily our best strike partnership.
[/quote]

That's probably what I'd go with. Dirk is in horrible form though so I'd be tempted to play Babel or Cole instead of him at least in home matches. And Carra is still out for a while so Greek instead of him.
 
Of course when Stevie is fit again he goes straight back in the team. However, my impression is that when Gerrard is out, the other midfielders always play better. I always thought Alonso was much better when Stevie wasn't there. If this is the case, I don't know why Stevie's presence should have an inhibiting effect on his team-mates.
 
[quote author=Akakabooto link=topic=43081.msg1229940#msg1229940 date=1291712906]
[quote author=GOD_23 link=topic=43081.msg1229937#msg1229937 date=1291711991]
From a fully fit squad, at the moment I'd go.

-------------------Pepe--------------

---Johnson-----Carra-----Skrtel------Aurelio

--------------Lucas------Meireles---------

-----Kuyt--------Gerrard----------------Maxi

------------------Torres---------------------

Lucas is playing weel at the moment and it doesn't make sense dropping him to accomadate Cole. Despite N'Gog and Babel playing very well last night, Gerrard and Torres are easily our best strike partnership.
[/quote]

That's probably what I'd go with. Dirk is in horrible form though so I'd be tempted to play Babel or Cole instead of him at least in home matches. And Carra is still out for a while so Greek instead of him.
[/quote]

Fair point, and Dirk is a good option to bring off the bench. Our squad is not as poor as it's made out to be sometimes though. With that team the bench can be made out of the following: The Greek, babel, N'Gog, Cole, kelly, Wilson, Jones, Ecclestone, Poulsen *shudders*, Jova, Agger (if he ever regains fitness), Konchesky, Pacheco and more.
 
[quote author=Portly link=topic=43081.msg1229948#msg1229948 date=1291713798]
Of course when Stevie is fit again he goes straight back in the team. However, my impression is that when Gerrard is out, the other midfielders always play better. I always thought Alonso was much better when Stevie wasn't there. If this is the case, I don't know why Stevie's presence should have an inhibiting effect on his team-mates.
[/quote]

Same issue with Lampard for England?
 
We could always play Stevie on the right again and drop Kuyt?

He scored 20+ goals from the right a few years back.
 
[quote author=Buddha link=topic=43081.msg1229962#msg1229962 date=1291716549]
We could always play Stevie on the right again and drop Kuyt?

He scored 20+ goals from the right a few years back.
[/quote]

Good call, that's what I'd do.
 
I really like playing 4-4-2, at least at home.


I'd like to see Raul and Stevie together in a game tbh.

The dream formation would be 4-3-3. With Raul, Gerrard and Lucas in in midfield.

Torres, Cole and Babel upfront. That would be ace.
 
It seems like the solution to every rubbish player we have, is to buy someone worse than them. Lucas is all of a sudden in everyones team. We just need to buy an even worse left back and an atrocious striker, and we'll look like we have a decent team.
 
We need better than Lucas, no doubt. But for the rest of the season, I'm guessing that we're stuck with him. And if he continues his development, I must say that I'd like to keep him as a back up.

Yes, I said it. And I mean it.
 
I used to share Brendan's opinion of Lucas, but this season I have been pleasantly surprised. Against Villa last night he totally bossed the midfield.

I think the answer is that Benitez never used him the right way. He is a "box-to-box" midfielder as per the original label, and not a defensive midfielder.

This would explain the mystery of why the Brazilians think so much of him. 🙂
 
I should point out, that I too have been pleasantly surprised by him. I'm still not sure if he's good enough to start, but if he keeps performing like he has been, he obviously should. We'll need to see him do it for a longer period before we can be sure of that though.
 
[quote author=Buddha link=topic=43081.msg1230002#msg1230002 date=1291721773]
Maybe, for whatever reason, Lucas and Meireles just gel in the centre of the park.
[/quote]

Don't they just. They owned Tottenham and continued against Villa. Maybe because they both speak portuguese?
 
Or Lucas looks better, because he's playing with Meireles?

I'm not trying to take Lucas' performances away from him. I just want to hold off on this new praise of him until it's proven he can hold his own there over a sustained period.
 
[quote author=Gerry_A_Trick link=topic=43081.msg1230004#msg1230004 date=1291722113]
Or Lucas looks better, because he's playing with Meireles?

I'm not trying to take Lucas' performances away from him. I just want to hold off on this new praise of him until it's proven he can hold his own there over a sustained period.
[/quote]

This has a lot to do with it I think. I too am not trying to take anything away from Lucas, he has been playing well lately, but Ming has been excellent.

Lucas needs to show up in away games too if he is to convince me. Against the likes of Stoke and Wigan it's imperative we control the midfield and in those games Lucas has so far been found horribly lacking.
 
I don't think Lucas has suddenly become undroppable just because he's had a couple of good games. Unless we're playing United or Arsenal away (in which case I might play 4231, with Lucas and Ming in CM) I would go 442, with Gerrard and Ming in the centre. If that doesn't work, we can always revert, but it's surely the obvious CM partnership for our team - and one that STILL hasn't been given a chance.
 
Yup, its the obvious solution. Ming is a very smart footballer and I have no doubt that he and a stevie could work out a good partnership.
 
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