[quote author=mark1975 link=topic=47619.msg1432077#msg1432077 date=1322217725]
[quote author=spider-neil link=topic=47619.msg1432057#msg1432057 date=1322214037]
Again, I think Lucas does his 'job' competently enough I just think he shouldn't be selected for certain home games and the Norwich debacle hasn't changed my mind in that regard. I can 'understand' the people who want him out of the team altogether though (even I personally don't, especially away from home) because they have seen the holding midfield job go from didi to xabi to mash to Lucas, that big drop in quality regardless of how much you rate Lucas.
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Watch how we play Neil, there have been tonnes of games of late where we're getting away with it leaving holes infront of the defence, Mata cut in from their left for the goal and found acres of space to run into to create the goal. Obviously Lucas singlehandedly can't cut out everything but it's fair to point out that our lack of a natural DM is partly responsible for this, on another day Everton could have had a field day against us for the same reason. Now against Norwich we had the same issue ten fold, against NORWICH. Who would you put in the middle? The only other option is Henderson who so far has shied away from practically every challenge that's been there to go for, while for all of Charlie Adam's ability to play a pass, he doesn't have the legs to cover the ground. We'd get murdered. People argue that Gerrard can do the role, now he's older and he has to preserve more energy, again this is just theorising because his natural game is to roam and we've found out enough times that when he does this in a central two, we suffer because the other midfielder has more ground to cover.
I know we 'can' be more expressive at home and there are times in the past when we've been too reserved, but that's down to things like playing a flat side with no pace, or lacking players with invention, or maybe worrying too much about the opposition strengths when picking certain players (like Kuyt for defensive cover on the right, or playing or more defensive minded fullback). A perfect example? We played Djimi Traore at home against Olym in that infamous match on the way to Istanbul, with Riise in midfield ahead of him to quell the threat of Rivaldo (who went on to score a freekick anyway). We took Djimi off at half time, reverted Riise to left back and it changed the face of the game, we then threw on a runner in Pongolle and went for broke.
I sometimes think your longing for more technical players in key defensive positions clouds your judgement over defensive responsibility. People say, "well it was only Robbie Savage and whoever", it doesn't work like that in reality.
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but we've HAD techincal players in key defensive positions, most noteably alonso.
that was a good post though, marky.
