Liverpool 2010/11 Season Thread

[SharkSkin-Man]

I've noticed the whole Gerrard loses possesion myth knocking around quite a lot recently (since Ingerland failed to qualify for Euro 08?). Even though I think he's had a mediocre season, his ratio of passes made:failed is consistently excellent.

[MonkeySteve]

Gerrard is a very good player (don't think he is world class but that is a different debate), to call him sh*t would be rather disrespectful. Obviously he doesn't amaze every game but hardly any player in the world does! Even world class players like Kaka or Ronaldo don't produce superb performaces every game. What sets these top quality players apart from the rest is that they can make something out of nothing, whether that be a killer pass or a match saving/winning goal. For Liverpool Gerrard produces these moments in big games and for that (and his high work rate) the Liverpool fans love him.

Oh and saif, I agree Rooney and Ronaldo haven't really performed or produced moments in games against Chelsea (strange that) but against Arsenal and Liverpool I think you will find one or the other has done pretty well.

Finally, a Man Utd fan with some humility and sense!

Being a man u fan I'm not gonna comment on Ronaldo and Rooney's consitenancy in fear of comments saying i'm bias (even though I don't think I am, and if you had the facts in front of you, then you would actualy see you are wrong in what you said about them in certain aspects) but I DO feel that a very large proportion of other Premier league players are alot more consistant and actualy provide more for their team on a game to game basis than Gerrard does for liverpool.

Ronaldo is a fantastic player 80% of the time. However, his best games are always against inferior Premiership teams. He never seems to be able to perform against the big teams with decent defenders.

The CL semi-final against Milan last year was a prime example - he did nothing the entire game, when you actually needed him most.

Don't get me wrong, he has unbelievable talent - but I don't think he's as great a player as everyone thinks because he has never proved his worth on the big stage when it counts (yet).

[johnno15]

This debate is a joke Gerrard would walk into any team in the world and would be welcomed with open arms. Tru fax!

Just a quick pointer about Rooney and Ronaldo there not really comparable to Gerrard as they are much younger and have a lot more to learn.

[DeathAdder]

This debate is a joke Gerrard would walk into any team in the world and would be welcomed with open arms. Tru fax!

No. Every transfer window I worry about West Brom signing him, and selling Jonathan Greening.

[abigsmurf]

Finally, a Man Utd fan with some humility and sense!



Ronaldo is a fantastic player 80% of the time. However, his best games are always against inferior Premiership teams. He never seems to be able to perform against the big teams with decent defenders.

The CL semi-final against Milan last year was a prime example - he did nothing the entire game, when you actually needed him most.

Don't get me wrong, he has unbelievable talent - but I don't think he's as great a player as everyone thinks because he has never proved his worth on the big stage when it counts (yet).

I agree to that, you put him up against a quality defender and he does very little. He relies on his stepover and other little tricks to intimidate less experienced defenders. They're uneasy going in to tackle him when he does this because they're worried about giving away a free kick (not helped by Ronaldo's tendancy to try and get free kicks given).

A quality defender is able to go in and tackle him when he does his tricks without giving away a foul and Ronaldo doesn't usually have the ability to get around them in any other way. Hence he gets taken out of games.

Same is true for Rooney although for different reasons. He relies on good balls being delivered that allow him to skip past defenders. If he's marked well and/or these balls aren't allowed to be put in, he also has a very quiet game (which is why he doesn't do well as the lone striker like he was played for with England).

[Zapp$ter]

Except he pretty much ran Galas and Toure ragged on the weekend when IIRC he was playing the lone striker role.

As for Ronaldo, I do sort of agree, he needs to show it more consistently against the big teams. Then again I do recall he had a good world cup and was surely one of Portugal's best players when they played against France in the semifinals (unless my memory is failing me), under what might be considered difficult circumstances after the england game. Those could surely be classed as big games and although he didn't quite stamp his mark on the games it's not like he went missing during that tournament either.

I'd love to see the comparison between some of the players though. Like I'd love to see the stats for Drogba, Lampard, Gerrard, Rooney and Ronaldo and how they fared against the other "big four" teams, particularly at comparable ages (like johnno15 was saying). In fact I'd settle for a comparison just from the last few seasons. I can't honestly recall any of the big players really shining in these "big four" games (*waits for someone to come along and make him look silly ).

[ezee ryder]

Ronaldo is a fantastic player 80% of the time. However, his best games are always against inferior Premiership teams. He never seems to be able to perform against the big teams with decent defenders.

The CL semi-final against Milan last year was a prime example - he did nothing the entire game, when you actually needed him most.

Don't get me wrong, he has unbelievable talent - but I don't think he's as great a player as everyone thinks because he has never proved his worth on the big stage when it counts (yet).

I agree to that, you put him up against a quality defender and he does very little. He relies on his stepover and other little tricks to intimidate less experienced defenders. They're uneasy going in to tackle him when he does this because they're worried about giving away a free kick (not helped by Ronaldo's tendancy to try and get free kicks given).

A quality defender is able to go in and tackle him when he does his tricks without giving away a foul and Ronaldo doesn't usually have the ability to get around them in any other way. Hence he gets taken out of games.

Same is true for Rooney although for different reasons. He relies on good balls being delivered that allow him to skip past defenders. If he's marked well and/or these balls aren't allowed to be put in, he also has a very quiet game (which is why he doesn't do well as the lone striker like he was played for with England).

This discussion should be in the Man Utd thread but hey

I agree Ronaldo isn't amazing every game and I wouldn't expect him to be. When he doesn't perform someone else steps up whether that be Rooney or Tevez. Even when he isn't peforming to his maximum he has the capability to produce a moment of genius, very few players in the world have that in their locker. Example would be the goal he scored against Arsenal at the Emirates this season, he wasn't really in the game but popped up with a very very important goal. Same would apply to the home game against Lisbon in the Champions league, he steps up and smashes a free kick home to win the game for us. He is regarded as world class because he usually (80% of the time as MonkeySteve said) performs for both club and country, again there are very few players who do this.

As for Rooney, personally, I don't think he is world class yet. He doesn't perform consistantly for club or country, especially the latter. Don't get me wrong, he is a very very good player but is lacking is some departments still. For one his finishing at times lets him down and some of his play is still a little naive. His comitment and work rate cannot be doubted though, he will run all day for the team. Once again he is one of those rare players that can produce something out of nothing, he doesn't do it as often as say Ronaldo or Kaka but he does have that in him.

[abigsmurf]

Except he pretty much ran Galas and Toure ragged on the weekend when IIRC he was playing the lone striker role.

I'd think most people would agree that there was no quality on show from arsenal at all that game.

[Adrock]

As a Liverpool fan I appreciate Gerrard but.......

Against Inter Mascherano was better, he controlled the game more. Lucas is also looking like an excellent prospect to play in the middle with Mascherano. I think Gerrard comes into his own not trying to control central midfield and driving at defenders with freedom to go where the game takes him, in a Benitez team that usually means playing out wide.

Gerrard had his best season out wide, I think. He hasn't recaptured that form since he has begun to play in the middle. This whole season I've been more impressed with Mascherano. I also find the way Gerrard reacts to stray balls from team mates disconcerting. He seems strut around the pitch with arrogance, misplaced in my opinion because this seasons performances havent been good enough to carry that kind of ego.

That all said I wouldn't swap him for any other player because he can drive the team forward when he hits an excellent vein of form.

[ezee ryder]

I'd think most people would agree that there was no quality on show from arsenal at all that game.

Funny! They had most their first team playing and we made em look very average. Beating Arsenal is not easy let alone beating them 4-0. Rooney was superb and gave 2 of the best centre backs in the Premiership a horrid time.

[ezee ryder]

The boy Torres has been amazing today from what I hear, hat trick so far and he could of had more.

[hudson]

Aye, gonna watch the kid on motd later. The score suggests close game though. Never got to listen to it due to being in work.

[neverevertrevor]

Torres took his hattrick well. Great player

Just seen on the gossip column on bbc text that Real Madrid are certain they are buying Gerrard for 50 million!

[Pilotwings]

Just seen on the goosip column on bbc text that Real Madrid are certain they are buying Gerrard for 50 million!

rmoxon

RRROOOOOAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

[hudson]

50 million for a 28 year old player, might be a pretty good deal I reckon . Would be tough to see him go like.

Wonder if he'd be put off after seeing how it panned out for Owen.

I remember reading Luis Figo was on his way to Liverpool about 4 years ago on BBC