Gerrard vs Kaka

[robinhood]

[quote author=keniget link=topic=37979.msg1020174#msg1020174 date=1261577629]How many times did Stevie play behind the likes of Cisse and Morientes?

Either way, I'd like to see Kaka play in precision through balls to the likes of Kuyt and see how far it gets him.
[/quote]

I don't know - probably not many. I accept it's mostly Crouch and Kuyt that we saw him play behind, and obviously Kaka would also struggle to make either of them look better than they are.

But nevertheless, we've seen the difference whilst they've been playing for their countries - Kaka has been a natural player between the lines his whole career - it's not accurate to say the same about Gerrard. Not until Torres appeared.

 

[keniget]

But again, all that really demonstrates is that Kaka has played that role longer than Gerrard and that yes, from the sort it was viewed as his natural position (although many of his caps for Brazil have been on the right hand side).

I'm not opposed to the argument that Kaka is better there at all - it's why I started the thread - but what you're saying doesn't provide any sort of insight to support it.

 

[robinhood]

Of course you're not "opposed" to it, but just because the available evidence isn't 100% convincing doesn't make it less true. You have to use your judgement and go on what you've seen.

So, again I'd point to the fact that Gerrard has only looked good there with Torres ahead of him (and there have been others, for club and country), whereas Kaka has looked good there whenever he's played there.

 

[IGotALuvlyBunchOfCoconuts]

I'm with RobinHood on this one.
Kaka is the one I would want in the AM role.
I still would rather see Gerrard play more central.

 

[RedStar]

Interesting question in so much that it raises the issue of what is Gerrards true/best position, there are those that maintain he hasnt really been a midfielder in the truest sense of the word for a number of years now.Some posters the other day were suggesting that that the reason Alonso leaving has been so catastrophic is that the team was buily around him, I have always felt the team was built around Gerrard to a debilitating degree as there is no substitute or replacement for him in world football, it effectively means we have built a system that cannot work with one player injured out of form suspended or whatever. Yes Im aware we have won games without him but the degree to which we have depended on him for the best part of half a decade is staggering.

 

[robinhood]

A couple of seasons ago, when some people (including myself) were saying that we didn't need Alonso, the point was that Mascherano was a better CM partner for Gerrard.

I can't understand, really, now Alonso has gone (rightly or wrongly), why Gerrard shouldn't go back to his favoured position. It would certainly help us in that area.

 

[darkstarexodus]

[quote author=robinhood link=topic=37979.msg1020219#msg1020219 date=1261588126]
A couple of seasons ago, when some people (including myself) were saying that we didn't need Alonso, the point was that Mascherano was a better CM partner for Gerrard.

I can't understand, really, now Alonso has gone (rightly or wrongly), why Gerrard shouldn't go back to his favoured position. It would certainly help us in that area.
[/quote]

Especially since we're so blatantly rubbish in that area right now.

 

[reckless]

At their peaks Kaka was the better player. Better skill, technique, short passing and a lot faster. He's the fastest player I've seen with the ball at his feet along with the Brazilian Ronaldo. Gerrard had better shooting power and long range passing.

Unfortunately due to Kaka's very explosive way of playing and changing directions at high speed, his knees gave way, just like Ronaldo. The Real Madrid move has been a complete disaster for him, but to be honest I think Milan knew he was past his best in 2009, they offloaded him at a high price just like they did with Shevchenko. The same thing has happened with Pato, but he's going for a much lower price.

Gerrard in no way was more explosive or a better athlete than Kaka. As I mentioned, Kaka was one of the fastest players with the ball at his feet. He was absolutely quick in the first few metres and had the top speed to go with it. He was also agile for a man of his height. The thing is he did it so gracefully that it looked easy, maybe people are confusing that with slowness? He was absolutely brilliant at counter attacking, if there's one player who could do damage to a team like today's Barcelona and Spain it would be prime Kaka. This was a player who could pick the ball up from his own penalty area and run to the opposition's box in rapid time, with the ball close to his feet, not just punt and run like Cristiano.

From 2004-2008 Kaka was the best attacking midfielder but he is now way past his best. I'm sure he can still do a good job even without the lightning speed he had but he has foolishly wasted the last 3 years of his career. I don't know why he has done this, he doesn't seem the lazy unmotivated type who would be happy sitting on the bench earning millions, maybe he's been too stubborn and wants to prove that his time at Madrid hasn't been a failure. It's a shame. If Brazil had built the 2006 World Cup side around Kaka instead of the lazy Ronaldinho and the past it Ronaldo, then they could have won it IMO. In that sense Kaka and Gerrard are similar, they are better when they are the focal point of the team. By the time the 2010 World Cup came he was not the same player at all.

I still remember how he dominated the Champions League in 2007, he scored some brilliant goals again Man Utd and Celtic, scoring 10 in total during that campaign. That was when Shevchenko and Crespo had left and he was the main man in attack.

 

[Red_Water]

Real Madrid, the graveyard for good footballers (well a lot of them)

 

[themn]

Lol.

 

[Cerberus]

Holy thread revival batman.

 

[reckless]

Real Madrid, the graveyard for good footballers (well a lot of them)

To be fair, if you followed him, he had some pretty bad injuries in his last few days at Milan. No way would a top club like Milan let players like Shevchenko and Kaka leave unless something was wrong with them.

 

[Red_Water]

To be fair, if you followed him, he had some pretty bad injuries in his last few days at Milan. No way would a top club like Milan let players like Shevchenko and Kaka leave unless something was wrong with them.

Exactly, he went to die at Real Madrid.

 

[Leo]

Roopy has more personas than a pikey at the post office.

 

[Oncy]

Why has this thread been bumped!? No one has even made a cunt of themseles in it.

 

[themn]

I thought, maybe, it was Ross freaking out. But, Leo could have a point.......

 

[Leo]

Gerrard was no more a better athlete than Kaka?

 

[Oncy]

That ISNT Kaka.

 

[themn]

That ISNT Kaka.

Correct.

 

[Leo]

 

[themn]

Yeah, that's the fella !