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Week 4:

Afro wrote:

The Special Juan wrote:They couldn't do that though.  Imagine the uproar!!  Last season for Gerrard reminded me of Rio Ferdinand during Fergie's last season.  Ferdinand was superb all year and it was his swansong before he completely went off the cliff.  That's Gerrard now.

Did you watch the game at the weekend?

You can't write him off on the basis of less than half a dozen games

I watched the middle two quarters (if that makes sense). One ok game hardly makes him a world beater. He's mentally gone after that slip - the world cup was crap and nearly every game since has also been poor, maybe Spurs and Everton aside.

He touched the ball less than everyone on his team but the RB. If Everton had been a bit less conservative they could've (and probably should've) had a go at him. 

Villa and West Ham targetted him. To good success.

I am genuinely stunned, but I guess time will prove me wrong or right.

All I'll say is the whole of the world cup team was crap, and a lot haven't started the season well post world cup. Bit harsh to single Gerrard out for that. Not saying he's a world beater, but he's not past it yet I don't think

I'll agree most players were poor at the World Cup, Cahill and Sterling vs Italy aside, but that doesn't excuse Gerrard from being part of the problem.

I just look at it, if teams are targetting him as a weak link, and getting good success from it, I can't rate him that highly. If he turns it around sure, but a game where he scored a free kick and had little defending to do won't change my opinion.

Gerrard was finished a long long time ago, the penalty and free kicks last season were hiding his actual performances. How he made team of the year I don't know (Silva should have been in the side ahead of him). 

Can't see why you're shocked at people ratings  of Gerrard.

Everton targetted him in the same way as Villa and West Ham, using Naismith to drop on to him.

Similar to what teams did with Pirlo last season. Pirlo was terrible for the first 6 or 7 games last season if you look back. (Viva will back me up on this as we had discussions at the time)

Gerrard, Rodgers and Liverpool countered that tactic and Everton didn't manage to have the same effect as Villa and West Ham. Much in the same way that Pirlo, Conte and Juve did last season, so that he still had a great season.

Based on what happened with Pirlo last year, I think give it a month and the tune will have changed on Gerrard.

Koba wrote:Gerrard was finished a long long time ago, the penalty and free kicks last season were hiding his actual performances. How he made team of the year I don't know (Silva should have been in the side ahead of him). 

Can't see why you're shocked at people ratings  of Gerrard.

Gerrard was exceptional last season.

Not shocked by the ratings, shocked that he is considered past it on the back of 3 out of 5 games

Difference for me is Pirlo has better intelligence with regards to movement than Gerrard, and plays in a much lower tempo league and team.

Football is a fickle game, Lampard was supposed to have been past it, a couple of goals later Mighty signs him, the media go mad over him. 

I don't think I can ever give a fair opinion on Gerrard but I do know that it's 50/50 with him in these leagues. Can you afford to wait a real life month?

GSC wrote:Difference for me is Pirlo has better intelligence with regards to movement than Gerrard, and plays in a much lower tempo league and team.

He was still terrible because teams dropped a forward back to sit on him.

My point was it didn't make him past it, it meant they had to change their tactics to counter what other teams were doing.

Viva - PAOK are already playing catch up so I think we can afford to wait a month. It's not exactly going to hit our chances of winning the league. I'm quite confident that Gerrard for £5.3m will prove to be a good value signing. Xavi and Alonso aside, I can't think of a better CM in the league at level for that price

But it'll hit your chances of finishing out of the bottom. I'll bet by November Gerrard will not be at PAOK.

Nah. We'll still catch you.

Poor Herrera's had no luck with injuries this season. Someone's fractured his rib now.

We'll make it work #diamondformation

"Manchester United have suffered a further injury blow with the news that midfielder Ander Herrera could face a spell out with a rib injury.
The club tweeted that the 25-year-old suffered a fractured rib against West Ham on Saturday and they will monitor his fitness over the next few weeks."

To follow on from TSJ.

Olly wrote:We'll make it work #diamondformation

Olly's (front) reaction to Afro (back) buying Gerrard.

Spoiler:

Holymiky wrote:"Manchester United have suffered a further injury blow with the news that midfielder Ander Herrera could face a spell out with a rib injury.
The club tweeted that the 25-year-old suffered a fractured rib against West Ham on Saturday and they will monitor his fitness over the next few weeks."

To follow on from TSJ.

Cheers. A massive shame because there's absolutely nothing you can do to speed up the healing of a broken rib.

Olly wrote:We'll make it work #diamondformation

I'll PM you with what I was thinking

Afro wrote:

Olly wrote:We'll make it work #diamondformation

I'll PM you with what I was thinking

From Afro To Olly, Today at 15:24 pm

Hi Olly,

Sorry.

Love,
Afro xxx

TBH now I have put it out on a PM, I'm pretty confident in it.

Ignoring whether Gerrard works or not, the XI is a good one. We could do with a bit more strength in depth and a few alternative options, but as a starting XI and strategy it looks a good one to me.

No problem TSJ

Yeah tbf it must be decent cos I actually know all of our players

We just need some options and we're set to raise this place to the floor

Masch an upgrade on De Vrij? He and Mathieu seem Barcas first choice CB pair?

Mason looks tidyish

Definitely. Masch is at a much higher level than De Vrij IMO.

He was a bit cheaper than Mathieu.

15m for a starting CB at Barca isn' bad either mind.

Me and afro have agreed our master plan. You guys are screwed harder than when sodhat sees a 14 year old in a skirt

Mascherano is an excellent signing, he was a long term target for me once I sorted out LB and CM.

Gerrard, I'm sorry but i don't think he'll do well on here. I can think of a CM who 's better and not in the league for the same price. He wasn't good last season, the deeper role does not suit him. He's a box to box drive midfielder and he's past his best. He's done.

Viva, when i signed Lampard he hadn't scored a goal for City xx.

Sorry Mighty x

I think I must have dreamt last season.

I would assume that Treb's either means Defour (really gone backwards and is back at Anderlecht) or Gentner - good player, but I don't see that he is better than Gerrard.

I think Gerrard's problem is probably the level he operated at before, people write him off because his level has dropped and he is a victim of his own success. They did the same with Xavi - not as good as he was, so let's write him off altogether. If they had always played at the level they currently are, they'd be bargains at their prices.

I just so happened to look up Defour the other day and saw he was back in Belgium. It's a real shame what's happened to him post-leg injury.

I know. when he broke through at Liege, in that side with Witsel and Fellaini, he looked brilliant.

He got a couple of good moves, but you're right. He has never been the same since that bad injury.

I suspect Treb's means Gentner though. I like Gentner, but I'm not sure he's better than Gerrard and I was looking for something different from what PAOK had, and Gentner is similar to Can

What about Mbokani. He looked quality in that Liege side too

It's netither of those... I might get gentner now though

Gentner would be a good signing for someone at £5.3m. If we didn't have Can, I would consider him.

I'll go have a look at TM now. Gentner and Defour were the ones I remembered from this morning when I was looking at Gerrard, but maybe I missed someone

Well I filtered on midfielders worth 6m euros, the same as Gerrard, and I can't see any not in the league who are better than Gentner, let alone Gerrard

I don't know if it's exactly €6m but it's that ballpark. Happy to share via PM?

It'll be Tom Flipping Cleverley

Good thing Delph doesn't count

I was just away to say "Is it Delph?" and then I realised you had him. How much did you pay at the time?

4.4m

Anyway its obviously the beautiful face of Mikel Arteta

Ah bargain. Is it Battermole?

No, Soddy signed him

Toni will probably go lawyers unless someone wants to beat it

Certainly not many better midfielders available at the price Afro paid for Gerrrard, very short term memories on his abilities as a deeper lying midfielder as he was hugely influential in that role to get Liverpool to 2nd last season.

Suarez, Sturridge, Sterling and Henderson were all more influential down the stretch.

Not at all, barring Suarez who was obviously quality the other three all got MOTM twice over the season, Gerrard got it 4 times.

Its Steven Gerrard.

He scores a free kick and barely touches the ball and gets the plaudits.

.

Remember when Maicon was good? Roma will do well not to get battered 7-1.