Monday, September 05, 2005

Where is Gerrard's best position?

After watching Gerrard link up very well with Rooney in his advanced midfield role against Wales yesterday I have been left wondering just exactly where Gerrard should be deployed? Playing just behind the striker allows Gerrard to pick up the ball high up the pitch, run at the opposition and create shooting chances for himself. He can also drift to the flanks and deliver telling balls into the box. However sometimes, particularly when the team is playing defensively, he can be left isolated up front when you would really prefer him to drop back and influence the game more. I have never been convinced that Gerrard can play in a midfield two unless he is alongside a proper holding player, for example, Didi Hamann. We saw the effects in the 1st half of the Champions League final when Alonso & Gerrard were overrun and only when Hamann was introduced did the game change. This has also been the case with England. Neither Lampard or Gerrard want to sit back. The result is an unsettling of the team's formation. This may explain why England didn't do as well as they could have done in Euro 2004. Gerrard can play the midfield anchor role although he is not disciplined enough to sit and stay back and he knows his attacking talents will be suffocated in this role. I think Stevie is a victim of being such a good allround player. It's very tempting to play him in different positions because we all know he will do a good job anywhere on the pitch. He used to be played at right back for Liverpool with some suggesting this was his ideal place in the team. I feel that if Gerrard is to fulfill his potential at International level he needs to be played in one position only for both Club and Country. However I don't know where that postition is.

Please let me know what you think.

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2 Comments:

At 5/9/05 10:29 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

It frustrates me a little all this. Steven Gerrards best position is central midfield. SOmetimes that might mean a central midfield role behind the strikers at some point in the match, or sometimes that might mean him sheeilding the back 4 - but his best position is centre mid. From here he can control a game and bomb forward if necsesarry, or defend if necesarry.

The thing i dont get is how we invent a million different positions for centre midfielders now - is gerrards position "just a bit to the right of the second striker when the ball is in the air but there are 6 defenders", or is he better sui9ted to the "holiding midfield role when the wing forward backs bomb forward and the back 3 need shielding".

hes a central midefielder and one of the best in the world. Let him do what he wants in that role within reason.

 
At 5/9/05 10:38 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I blame the 4-5-1 formation. Stick to 4-4-2 and there are no problems where to play him.

 

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