Steven Gerrard is a complete player and therefore capable of taking up this role, but probably not to an extend Xabi did.
I've said it before and I will say it again. The Gerrard-Torres partnership excelled and the whole team benefited is because of the presence and abilities of Xabi. It's no coincidence that our team's performances on the pitch have dropped ever since that Spanish midfield masetro left the club. With someone as reliable as Xabi at the back, Gerrard was given the free role and he had no pressure. It was evident last season also that our team played better attackingly when Aquilani and Gerrard were on the pitch.
Alonso's gone and he won't be back anytime soon or even at all. The only players I'd put in the same bracket as him are Xavi and Fabregas and there's no way we're going to get any of them. We can minimise his loss by placing Gerrard back in the centre and have Cole in the hole. Why?
Firstly, Stevie can spot passes and space and he was probably our mini playmaker before Alonso arrived in 2004. After Alonso's departure, in various occasions, Gerrard, who started the game in the hole, had to drop back deep just to retrieve the ball because it's not coming to him when he's behind Torres due to the negative pairing in the centre. When Gerrard comes deep, Torres is all alone up top and we can't hoof the ball to him and expect him to take on 3-4 players at one go.
Secondly, Cole can't do much on the wings. He can play there but he's more dangerous in the centre, IMO. After all, it was his passes from the centre that led to Babel's goal against Trabzonspor and to the penalty against United. Even his first goal came as a result of his free role.
I don't believe that where people say Gerrard and Meireles can't be paired together because neither are good defensively. Well, neither Lucas nor Poulsen are hardly better than them at that.
Logged