Match Day Thread PL: Liverpool vs Norwich

Lallana could be a very useful partner for Benteke, he had a good understanding with Lambert but didn't play very often together at Pool.

 

Depends on how you look at it - relatively, it's not that big of a difference compared to say someone like Can who is a mid and is playing defence, or Gomez who is a RB/RCB and playing as LB.

However, there is a big difference between LB and LWB in terms of positionally and role. He's rarely played as a wing back so his starting position is higher which means he has more ground to cover. However, he has played a lot letter when he has Sakho next to him.

 

I disagree about Lallana only because I think he's better centrally. He doesn't have the pace to be a winger/wide attacker in a 433.

Last year when we played with Lallana and Coutinho centrally behind the lone striker, that's when he was very good and has his best spell with us. He was central and could find space and exploit that with Coutinho, and we saw on Thursday that he linked up well with Coutinho again.

 

Nah same job, these days fullbacks are expected to overlap so cover the same distance. The main difference is they have no winger to help out in defence so rely on their midfield and centrebacks more.

 

But I don't think you can play both centrally because they end up getting in each others way. There was a period of around 10 mins in the second half when it seemed to click but it was too brief to take notice. Coutinho needs space to operate - he's not a player who is great in small spaces. His strength is getting the ball, turning, beating a man and running at players. Again, it's another reason why I rather Coutinho play deeper because he will have more space. Put Lallana next to him, and you cut that space off further. And if you only play 1 of them centrally, then there's no way you will choose Lallana over Coutinho.

Personally, whilst I think Lallana is a good squad player to have, I still cannot see why we signed him. The fact that we're still debating as to when and where he plays highlights this.

 

But if you've played LB all your career you know when defending that you have your CB alongside you and you take your line from them.. as WB, he's getting up and down a lot more and he has no reference point as to where he should be when defending because you don't line u next to your CB, you're slightly ahead.

 

Thing is if we are to play our best 11 I don't think he gets in. With who is currently available I don't think he gets in.

 

But we have the same arguments over Coutinho.. you think he plays better deeper, I think he plays better further up....

Last season they they both played centrally they didn't get in each others way, because they both played slightly wide of central (more left attacking cm and right attacking cm) behind the front man. With no winger sit allowed them to use the space outwide if needed as well. It worked well for period last year and although I don't think that formation suits us long term, it suited us at the time and we played well during that period.

Coutinho & Lallana also played very well there, which is why I think Lallana's best position is centrally.

Should he play there if it's a straight choice between the 2 of them? No unless Coutinho is out of form as Couts is clearly the better player, but the original argument was that some players aren't being played in their favoured position and I highlighted Lallana in that because when he's played well for us, it's been in that central role.

 

Yup, just said above if it's a choice between the 2 then he doesn't... but we can't play the same 11 every week which is why you have a squad and Lallana is a very good squad player and if he becomes more consistent then he will become more than a good squad player.

I think only injuries has stopped him having a more important role for us last year.

Stats aren't everything, but he's more a goal threat than the rest of our midfield as shown by the stats from last few years in the league for us (think he was top scorer from our midfield last year) and Saints.

 

True but difference is Coutinho is good in either role and the discussion is how to get the best out of him. With Lallana, it's as if we're trying to find a position to justify his fee. He's hardly excelled in any position.

But this is something we will never agree on so let's move on! The original point you made was players being played out of position. Agreed and Rodgers is at fault for that. After the articles that came out tonight, Rodgers could be out soon if he doesn't make changes ...

 

Doesn't need to justify his fee. Fee means nothing now.. he needs to justify his place in the team and that means playing well, same applied to Milner who came on a free and Rossiter who came through the youth ranks.

 

It is a tough call because he offers decent finishing but he's not as good as other players we have in the same positions. As in he doesn't really influence a game or take control. He always seems to be on the periphery in matches and can SOMETIMES pop up with a decent moment.

I agree with he is a decent squad player, I think many supporters feel that for the money we paid he should offer more and because of that reason we could have bought someone who does what he can offer for a lower price (personally I don't care what we paid, but when you put the fee against other players it does feel like we should have gone elsewhere). I just think he is a meh player, he's not terrible he is decent but I don't think much more.

 

Boils down to what you want - someone who does nothing for 89 mins but scores/assists, or someone who doesn't score but contributes to the build of play for most of the match,thus increasing chances of someone else scoring.

 

Bit of a dud so far

 

Hardly his fault he's been played out of position in a team with zero confidence or dynamism.

Team I'd like to see today

--------------------Mig
Clyne------Gomez----Sakho-------Moreno
----------Milner-----------Can
-----Firmino------------------Coutinho
------------Benteke--Ings

 

Rumoured line up:

Mingnolet
Clyne Skrtel Sakho Gomez
Milner Can
Henderson
Lallana Coutinho
Benteke

Probably will be a flat 4-3-3 but I'd rather see it used like this

 

Hendo's broken his foot mate

 

We had a rumoured line up earlier and vastly different to that. For starters Henderson is out for a while..

 

There's no guile to our play in the final third. Too easy to defend against. Too predictable.

We need people running beyond Benteke if he is alone up front otherwise wtf is he winning headers for like
Instead we are so ponderous that we don't get the opposition running back towards their own goal, they just have to deal with what is in front of them mostly.

Rodgers has to take the blame 100%. Our movement and passing are worse than in his first year.

 

Though to be fair Benteke Firmino and Ings are new arrivals and Lallana has not played THAT many games since his arrival.