Steven Gerrard - his new role. Good for him, us or neither?

Was very strange seeing Steven Gerrard closer to Skrtel than Suarez against Stoke.  But it appears to be a sign of things to come.

Liverpool's Steven Gerrard could play deeper - Brendan Rodgers

Steven Gerrard could continue in a deeper midfield role for Liverpool, according to manager Brendan Rodgers.

The 33-year-old captain, who usually features as an attacking midfielder, played further back in Sunday's 5-3 Premier League win at Stoke.

"He has got the personality to play in that controlling role," said Rodgers.

"He gives us great variety in his passing. We saw today he picked it up from deep and stretched the game with his vision and quality."

Asked whether England captain Gerrard would continue play in that position, Rodgers said: "It is something I will look at. He's someone who fits the profile of that role. He does it a bit more with England.

"I have spoken to him a lot about it and it was just about timing. We saw today that he played really well. Steven showed great leadership as well."

Here's some of my possible theories about it.

1) Gerrard doesn't have the legs to play AM anymore.  This is a way to keep him in the team week in week out.
2) Lucas hasn't looked as good since returning from his long injury in the role.  Allen and Henderson have both shown more promise and are now preferred by the manager
3) It's only temporary.  Rodgers wants to get someone else in to that role and move Gerrard back further forward.

I wasn't overly impressed with Gerrard there against Stoke.  Some people thought he played well, I thought he looked lost and a yard off the pace most of the time.

My personal view is that I'd rather have Gerrard used more sparingly as an attacking midfielder than playing every minute as a glorified centre-back.

Interested in your thoughts.

I think I'm the opposite, I'd rather see him drop deeper. I don't think he has the legs to play higher up. I'd use him more "sparingly" in the deeper role.

It also wouldn't surprise me to see him drop back to CB one day.

I'd have to agree JD, at 33 years old Gerrard is not quite the force he once was and I hope to F**k we don't see him doing a Ryan Giggs, yes he's the captain and he's easily been the best player at Anfield for almost two decades, but as with every player father time eventually catches up with them. Much like yourself I'd like to see Gerrard take a role that utilises what he's got left in a way that's more beneficial for both the club and Steven Gerrard himself and not trying to rinse every last minute possible out of him in a way that's detrimental both to us and himself.

It's an excellent idea and long overdue. Once we get another midfielder in with some dynamism Gerrard in behind will look like a stroke of genius.

I'd rather see a more dynamic defensive midfielder deployed there.
In that case Henderson and Allen would play further up, like they did when Gerrard was out.

I'd still like to see Gerrard as a creative midfielder, just not playing 90 minutes of every game.

I think its a great move. A lot of people on here were calling for him to be eventually moved to a CB or FB position. This takes advantage of his passing, tackling and control. He doesnt need the stamina anymore to play that role.

I think he will be lethal.

Coutinho and Henderson in front of him and Sturridge Sterling either side of Suarez and we are lethal!

Personally thought he played O.K. there, nothing special and a bit of a liability at times, but it was his first time in the role for us.

After watching Gerrard these years I've never thought he had the mental discipline, nor the positional sense to play the role consistently. His greatest assets are all offensive, he hurts the opposition the most by causing trouble in their half, not by disrupting play in our half.

The point about a defensive midfielder having the ability to pass the ball being an asset is of course fair but Gerrard's consistency with his passing has fallen this season. I've seen him misplace more passes this year than I've ever seen him, that is a quality you can't afford in a DM. Losing possession just in front of your CBs and starting the counter attack for the opposition while half of your team is on the wrong foot can very often cost you a goal and why those who keep possession very well are best suited for the role.

I also think Stevie gets drawn to the ball far too much to have the discipline to play there, you need to watch runners as much as break down play, you can't get drawn to the wide areas unless you're going to shut them down and I think that's a problem we'll have if we persist with Stevie there. We most certainly will lose his presence in the opposition half and I think that's part of the motivating factor behind this, because we're losing this through nature now anyway. It's a case of adapt to survive for Stevie and I personally don't think it's a position his aging legs and poor positioning will succeed.

I do think you have a point about Lucas being 4th choice now in Brendan's plans and going forward I can easily see him being the one to make way.

It's a strange one because the balance in our side actually looked the best when Stevie wasn't in it and as taboo as it might be I think that would be the best way forward if Henderson could actually reproduce the form he showed in those few games. At this present time though I honestly don't believe any of our central midfielders are consistently top notch and all of them could quite easily be replaced. Keeping Stevie in the side has merit for everything he's given to the club but what price will we actually pay for such sentiment?

Was very strange seeing Steven Gerrard closer to Skrtel than Suarez against Stoke.  But it appears to be a sign of things to come.

Liverpool's Steven Gerrard could play deeper - Brendan Rodgers

Steven Gerrard could continue in a deeper midfield role for Liverpool, according to manager Brendan Rodgers.

The 33-year-old captain, who usually features as an attacking midfielder, played further back in Sunday's 5-3 Premier League win at Stoke.

"He has got the personality to play in that controlling role," said Rodgers.

"He gives us great variety in his passing. We saw today he picked it up from deep and stretched the game with his vision and quality."

Asked whether England captain Gerrard would continue play in that position, Rodgers said: "It is something I will look at. He's someone who fits the profile of that role. He does it a bit more with England.

"I have spoken to him a lot about it and it was just about timing. We saw today that he played really well. Steven showed great leadership as well."

Here's some of my possible theories about it.

1) Gerrard doesn't have the legs to play AM anymore.  This is a way to keep him in the team week in week out.
2) Lucas hasn't looked as good since returning from his long injury in the role.  Allen and Henderson have both shown more promise and are now preferred by the manager
3) It's only temporary.  Rodgers wants to get someone else in to that role and move Gerrard back further forward.

I wasn't overly impressed with Gerrard there against Stoke.  Some people thought he played well, I thought he looked lost and a yard off the pace most of the time.

My personal view is that I'd rather have Gerrard used more sparingly as an attacking midfielder than playing every minute as a glorified centre-back.

Interested in your thoughts.

He gave the ball away very cheaply yesterday, got caught out of position a lot, and generally wasn't anywhere near his best.

He's supposed to be providing defensive cover and "quarterbacking" the team, and although he wasn't great defensively, he wasn't that bad either. We've seen a lot over the years that when he comes back from injury, it sometimes takes him a bit of time to get his passes going again.

Like you, I'd rather see less of him in a more effective forward role, than more of him in a deep role.

Like it or not, he's gradually coming to the end, and I have a sneaking suspicion that he might retire after the world cup.

Think it's fine for Stevie, fine for the team, not so good for Lucas, who looked a little lost pushed further forward. As some of you seem to be suggesting, moving Gerrard furthest back of the three could mean Lucas loses out.

Considering that was the first time they played together set up like that it was okay; but two goals came directly from miscommunication in midfield. Adam took the ball after Henderson had laid it off for Gerrard, who was already moving and couldn't get there. Second time around it was Gerrard controlling the ball and then him and Lucas getting mixed up. Stoke stole the ball and Walters ended up scoring.

People are forgetting we're playing a different sort of football system that Gerrard is not used to. We're playing intricate, close pass and move football, Gerrard is used to more spaced out attacks where wingers are more isolated and he has time to make space for himself on the pitch. In fact the way we play together now, if there's an errant pass we're almost all caught out. The football we play now requires extreme fitness levels, constant moving and as a deep lying defensive midfielder you've got to make yourself available pretty much everywhere across the back 4. I do not believe he is capable of doing this with great effect, his notable skills relies on space. In this position he has none as the opposition is always pressing and if you're not thinking about 3-4 passing options in possession you will give the ball away like he did. As great a distributor of the ball Gerrard is, he always needs a bit of time and in that position there is none. Can he adapt? Maybe.

My thoughts would be place him in the number 10 position where Coutinho plays and give him 60mins a game and have Coutinho wreak havoc on tiring defenders. Gerrard can pick a final pass and he can score himself. He doesn't need to be the box to box player he still tries to be. We don't play that sort of game. He just needs to apply simple drifting and channels and he'll have success there for the next couple of years.

If all fails, bench Gerrard but do not play him in a defensive role where if a teams break on us he'll have to bust his balls to cover - that will not work!

People are forgetting we're playing a different sort of football system that Gerrard is not used to. We're playing intricate, close pass and move football, Gerrard is used to more spaced out attacks where wingers are more isolated and he has time to make space for himself on the pitch. In fact they way we play together now, if there's an errant pass we're almost all caught out. The football we play now requires extreme fitness levels, constant moving and as a deep lying defensive midfielder you've got to make yourself available pretty much everywhere across the back 4. I do not believe he is capable of doing this with great effect, his notable skills relies on space. In this position he has none as the opposition is always pressing and if you're not thinking about 3-4 passing options in possession you will give the ball away like he did. As great a distributor of the ball Gerrard is, he always needs a bit of time and in that position there is none. Can he adapt? Maybe.

My thoughts would be place him in the number 10 position where Coutinho plays and give him 60mins a game and have Coutinho wreak havoc on tiring defenders. Gerrard can pick a final pass and he can score himself. He doesn't need to be the box to box player he still tries to be. We don't play that sort of game. He just needs to apply simple drifting and channels and he'll have success there for the next couple of years.

If all fails, bench Gerrard but do not play him in a defensive role where if a teams break on us he'll have to bust his balls to cover - that will not work!

"He just needs to apply simple drifting and channels".

Right.

Gotcha.

WHAT?

"He just needs to apply simple drifting and channels".

Right.

Gotcha.

WHAT?

Yes maybe I did not articulate that well enough, but what I am saying is...he simply needs to drift into position run between the lines and find channels of space.

Nope, still gibberish

Nope, still gibberish

Clearly you haven't played the game.

Gerrad as a CB? Not a clever idea with his history of back passing to the opposition & almost scoring another own goal only for Mig's reflexes saving us.

I would prefer him further up the field as he still has the ability to thread a defence splitting ball to either of the S's.

Looking how deep he was yesterday and accountable for Charlie's wonder strike further up the pitch the better but not th full 90 mins.

Think I'd like to see Gerrard play a deeper a few more times before judging. Even he admitted he needs some games there to get used to it.

I think he's more than capable of playing there (done it for England for the best part of two years and got into the Euro 2012 team of the tournament as well), just a case of whether it's to the benefit of the team or not.

Gerrard's gradual transformation into a CB continues. He'll be very good in there, and it'll prolonge his career by a good few years.

Clearly you haven't played the game.

Oh dear.

Gerrard as a CB? I don't think so.

His legs just would not take the tackling, the stretching, lunging, etc.

I guess a more suitable transition would be one to sweeper, I think Lothar Matthäus played in this position in his latter years.

This is of course if it fits into the way we want to play.

Clearly you haven't watched played the game.

Fixed. 

I wasn't overly impressed with Gerrard there against Stoke.  Some people thought he played well, I thought he looked lost and a yard off the pace most of the time.

My personal view is that I'd rather have Gerrard used more sparingly as an attacking midfielder than playing every minute as a glorified centre-back.

Agree with these bits. Gerrard hasn't the defensive midfielder mindset to be a very good defensive midfielder and alongside that he isn't quick enough over the first five yards. Lucas has been a decent DM because he has the right mindset to play there and has therefore been able to be a pass or move ahead of the game.

Play Gerrard up the field at a high tempo for 60 minutes and get the best out of him and not just have him there as a mediocre DM just for the sake of having him there all of the time.

Call it how you like, I don't see a great deal of difference between a CB and a "sweeper". And to support your point, he did spend a good passages of play acting as a sweeper yesterday. He also proved quallity heading skills. And that turn of pace, albeit limited these days, is still better than a Hyppia, or a Gary Cahill would ever dream of.

Call it how you like, I don't see a great deal of difference between a CB and a "sweeper". And to support your point, he did spend a good passages of play acting as a sweeper yesterday. He also proved quallity heading skills. And that turn of pace, albeit limited these days, is still better than a Hyppia, or a Gary Cahill would ever dream of.

Gary Cahill is very quick. One of the faster CBs in the Premiership