Re: Raul shows most haven't got a clue
[quote author=Judge Jules link=topic=43772.msg1260183#msg1260183 date=1295811215]
[quote author=Spionkop69 link=topic=43772.msg1260089#msg1260089 date=1295794869]
[quote author=dmishra link=topic=43772.msg1259853#msg1259853 date=1295764966]
Exactly. I don't think anyone has really turned on him (barring the criticism on pulling out of tackles).
It's not really a point of discussion. Most here do rate Meireles.
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Yep agree with this. I've been a little scathing about his bottling of tackles but that's because I expect every LFC player when we're in the shit to put his foot in.
He's clearly a gifted footballer and hopefully when we start playing better football consistently we won't need him to put his foot in.
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Not as often maybe, but we have to work on that side of his game. Few - if any - players are so good that they can be let off the hard graft completely. I'm glad we've got him, but he's got some way to go before he becomes so vital to us that we can afford to carry a non-tackling midfielder in the side, if indeed he ever does.
All that said, neither I nor anyone else I can recall has said he's anything other than a good player.
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You do make it sound like Raul Meireles plays like a superstar luxury player in the mould of Ronaldo (fat one), and Ronaldinho. Raul does quite a lot of the hard grafting very competently. Off the ball - he always works his socks off; be it for tracking back, or providing a passing outlet or dragging a man out of position with a well timed run. But he has indeed jumped away from most 50-50 scenarios, but i'd chalk that down to finding his feet at this level. In any case, i think diving in-to 50-50s is a bit over-rated. It is one of those things where fans would always be retrospectively critical depending on the result. Eg: Gerrard's sending off against United.