Lucas Leiva | Global Football Today

Giving Thanks To Liverpool Football Club

Posted by Adam Uthe on November 12, 2013 at 9:17 pm Blogs/Media, England, EPL, Liverpool

Nov 122013

For those of you from outside the US, we have a holiday at the November known as Thanksgiving. We get together with family and pretend to be grateful for all the good things in our lives right before stuffing over faces full of food. It is American Excess at its finest.

I participate every year, so I have no room to talk but I would in all honesty like to take a moment to count my blessings as a Liverpool fan. A quick look at the calendar and the EPL table will show that it is November 12, 2013 and Liverpool currently occupy second place. Reds fans can thank a number of people/things for this and I would like to do so in no particular order.

Glen Johnson

Fullback (Left/Right back) might be the most thankless position on a football field. Even in the midst of a data-driven revolution in the sport, it is incredibly difficult to evaluate and quantify the value of a good left/right back. It would seem the only way to do so is to watch how a team plays with and without a particular fullback.

Two weeks ago we saw Jon Flanagan get a last minute start in place of an ill Glen Johnson. The youngster held his own against the best team in England so far this season. But there seemed to be something missing from the right back spot going forward. Liverpool had trouble maintaining possession in the attacking third. This past Saturday Johnson returned to the starting lineup (albeit against a lousy Fulham side) and showed us just how valuable he is. He was constantly stringing passes together with the forwards and the midfielders and helped Liverpool maintain their high backline. He did exactly what a fullback needs to do in Brendan Rodgers system: kept possession in the attacking third and delivered some effective crosses. Even if you look across the field at Aly Cissokho/Jose Enrique, you won’t find the same efficiency and reliability you get with a healthy, fit Glen Johnson.

Luis Suarez

This one is pretty obvious. There isn’t much to be said about the Uruguayan international that hasn’t already been said. He doesn’t just score at an incredibly efficient rate, he does it with a hint of the spectacular. For all the (legitimate) complaints about his tendency to go down easily in the penalty area, he actually tends to work tirelessly, chasing the ball around and making deadly runs in and out of the box. Keeping Suarez should be the team’s No.1 priority in January. We saw Suarez’s new strike partner Daniel Sturridge get visibly frustrated and force the issue way too often against Fulham because he was so concerned with getting a goal of his own. If Suarez leaves and Sturridge has to be relied upon even more for goals, things could go downhill in a hurry.

Lucas Leiva

Despite their success so far this season, Liverpool’s central midfield has been exposed. Steven Gerrard continues to get older and slower while Jordan Henderson works hard but fails to impact the game in big moments. The blond Brazilian has been the only line of defense between the back four and the midfield. Lucas’s work rate as a holding midfielder has helped Liverpool preserve a lot of wins this season and they’ll need more of the same from him in the second half of the season if they’re going to hold a Top 4 spot.

The Schedule Makers

Liverpool have only played three of the current top eight teams in the table and those games have been spread out very nicely. They need to continue to take advantage of their games against lesser competition because there is a 14 day stretch coming in December that will feature games against Tottenham, Manchester City, and Chelsea; all of three of which are away from home.

Sir Alex Ferguson

The recently retired Manchester United boss hasn’t had many nice things to say about Steven Gerrard lately, but his departure from Old Trafford has had a ripple effect across the Premier League. Teams (and referees) are no longer terrified of the Red Devils and as a result we have a wide open title race.

Arsenal

If Liverpool can’t win the whole thing, I’ll be pulling for Arsenal. They’ve been a ton of fun to watch this season and it’s nice to see someone not named Manchester or Chelsea running away with the league so easily.

Talking Tactics After Liverpool’s Draw At Newcastle

Posted by Adam Uthe on October 20, 2013 at 2:59 pm Blogs/Media, England, EPL, Liverpool

Oct 202013

Despite a late push, Liverpool were incredibly fortunate to earn a 2-2 draw against Newcastle over the weekend. Even after Newcastle were reduced to ten men just before halftime, the Reds found themselves struggling to take advantage in the second half.

With Glen Johnson back in the starting lineup, this was supposed to be our first look at Liverpool’s truly “Best XI”. Lucas Leiva wound up missing the match due to the birth of his child and Jose Enrique was a late scratch. Still, Brendan Rodgers went to the 3-5-2 he has utilized for the last couple weeks while Johnson was injured. There were signs this wasn’t a great formation for this team in their 3-1 win over Crystal Palace two weeks ago, but Saturday’s draw really exposed the problems it presents.

I saw two big concerns in particular…

Problem 1: The Wing Backs

The biggest issue with this 3-5-2 formation is that it puts quite a bit of responsibility on the shoulders of the two wing backs. Against Newcastle this turned out to be Aly Cissokho and Glen Johnson. They both found themselves rushing to get forward to support the attack, only to be caught way out of position tracking back in defense. Ultimately the wing backs are responsible for being the only truly “wide” players in the formation and they have to cover the entire length of the field. Johnson and Cissokho didn’t look capable of doing so and neither Jose Enrique two weeks ago.

Their inability to get back also seemed to create some confusion among the three center backs as to who needed to be where and when. Yohan Cabaye’s first half goal was certainly a spectacular shot, but he had the space and time to shoot because Liverpool couldn’t figure out who needed to step into his path.

Part of it was obviously due to their man advantage, but Liverpool looked much more comfortable defensively after Luis Alberto replaced Mamadou Sakho in the second half and they went back to a traditional 4-man back line.

Problem 2: Central Midfield

Steven Gerrard and Jordan Henderson were constantly chasing Newcastle around in the first half, thanks in large part to the confusion created by the wing backs. Newcastle were able to easily keep possession because there was tons of space for them to switch the field. Part of the reason they had such space was because Gerrard and Henderson were getting sucked out wide to support Johnson and Cissokho.

Then there’s the issue with Victor Moses having to play a central midfielder between Gerrard/Henderson and the two man strike force of Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez. He was easily bottled up by Newcastle and saw his speed (his greatest asset) neutered by his new position. Liverpool were able to create more chances in the second half once he pushed out wide and had space to take his defender one on one or cut inside to play Sturridge/Suarez into the box.

Again, most of it was due to the advantage they had, but when Luis Alberto checked into the game for Sakho the team looked much more confident about their individual responsibilities. Assuming everyone is healthy, this is what the formation should probably look like…

Mignolet

Johnson – Agger – Sakho – Enrique

Lucas

Henderson – Gerrard

Suarez – Sturridge – Moses

If you put Suarez out wide and Sturridge in the middle, you don’t have to rely upon Johnson and Enrique to support the attack as much. Suarez’s work rate is pretty high even when he has to defend and does some of his best work cutting in from the outside. The same holds true for Victor Moses on the other side of Sturridge.

There’s still time to sort the tactics out before the trip to the Emirates Stadium in two weeks. West Brom comes to Anfield next and they will present a good opportunity to sort out any issues. A win in that particular game is now sorely needed since Arsenal and Chelsea won handily over the weekend. Liverpool’s Top 4 chances are still good, but their hopes at competing for an actual title are dwindling and a loss at home to the Baggies would almost certainly spell doom.

Here’s hoping we see a return to the 4-3-3!

End Of Term Grades: Midfielders

Posted by Adam Uthe on May 14, 2013 at 8:05 pm Blogs/Media, England, EPL, Liverpool

May 142013

If you missed the first part of this whimsical series, I’m grading individual Liverpool players based on the Ordinary Wizarding Level (O.W.L.) rating scale from Harry Potter.

First it was the defenders (and Pepe Reina), so today we move on to the midfielders.

Steven Gerrard: A (Acceptable)

Yes, “acceptable” is the lowest passing grade on the scale (below E-Exceeds Expectations and O-Outstanding), but “acceptable” for Captain Fantastic is still well ahead of the curve. Before the arrival of Daniel Sturridge in January, Stevie G was the man picking up the scoring slack from Luis Suarez. He may be slowing down in old age, but he still hasn’t lost his workmanlike effort to get from box-to-box. Aside from Lucas, he’s shown that he might be the only midfielder capable of tracking back in defense properly.

Lucas Leiva: E (Exceeds Expectations)

Speaking of the Brazilian holding midfielder…

He has fought through enormous injury-driven setbacks and still he remains a solid holding midfielder. If anything, his defensive responsibilities increased dramatically this year under Brendan Rodgers’ preferred 4-3-3 formation. He’s had to go it alone in defense sometimes and any shortcomings from the Liverpool defense as a whole are hardly his fault. His job is thankless and not very sexy, but he does it admirably despite constant fitness issues.

Joe Allen: P (Poor)

To recap: the failing scale is Poor (P), Dreadful (D), and Troll (T).

After a spectacular 2011-12 season under Rodgers at Swansea, Allen got off to a great start in 2012-13 before inconsistency and fitness issues crept in. There’s no denying that the Welshman is a fine passer of the ball. Unfortunately, that’s really his one and only elite skill. Before his shoulder surgery he was exposed as a bit of a one dimensional player. He can’t track back well enough to be a central midfielder in a 4-3-3 and he’s not the greatest dribbler under pressure either.

He’ll need to bounce back quickly from his fitness issues if he’s going to reclaim a starting spot from Philippe Coutinho and Jordan Henderson.

Jordan Henderson: E (Exceeds Expectations)

Expectations may not have been that high after the 2011-12 season he had under Kenny Dalglish, but Jordan Henderson is finally starting to look like a starting midfielder in the English Premier League.

While he only tallied five goals and four assists, he showed a lot of quality in areas that aren’t measured well statistically. He has developed a dangerous boot on set pieces and while he may not always execute properly, he has shown flashes of the intelligence and speed of though required to play the kind of game Brendan Rodgers prefers. He can see the play develop in front of him and is always thinking one or two steps ahead.

Be prepared to see more of him in 2013-14.

Philippe Coutinho: O (Outstanding)

I would’ve said “exceeds expectations” but quite frankly, none of us had any expectations for him coming into the second half of the season. He’s only 20, but he arrived at Inter Milan with great expectations that he couldn’t meet.

Now he looks like he could be a true No.10 for the next 10 years. His passing skills appear to rival those of Xabi Alonso. He’s a great fit for the “tiki taka” 4-3-3. If you saw him on the street you’d never think he could stand up to the physicality of the English top flight, but he showed no such issues after arriving from Inter. If he still has room to grow another inch or two and works on his strength in the offseason, he could wind up being better than Juan Mata in the next year or two.

He might end up being the best purchase Liverpool makes in the 2013 calendar year.

Jonjo Shelvey: P (Poor)

This doesn’t have as much to do with the youngster’s ability as it does with his inability to cooperate with Brendan Rodgers. Rodgers has neglected to use him despite having a less than 100% healthy midfield throughout the season.

He has shown a propensity towards the spectacular, but he made need another year or two before he’s capable of playing regular first team minutes. I recently questioned what Liverpool should do if it comes down to Shelvey or Jordan Henderson and I’ve come to the conclusion that someone out there will still be a solid fee for the former’s services.

He just doesn’t seem to fit what Brendan Rodgers wants and Liverpool would do well to cash in while they still can.

Stewart Downing: P (Poor)

He played more often with the front three, but he’s still a midfielder at heart. Unfortunately he struggled to consistently perform well throughout the season. He’s a good tactical fit, but his first touch and his passing aren’t up to the standard necessary for Brendan Rodgers’s style. Downing is probably better suited as a wide midfielder in a very direct 4-4-2 type of system and so we’re left to wonder if he’ll ever fit in properly.

Stay tuned for the forwards at the end of the week!

“Walk on with hope in your heart and you’ll never walk alone!!!”

Midfield Decisions Await Brendan Rodgers

Posted by Adam Uthe on May 8, 2013 at 7:42 pm Blogs/Media, England, EPL, Liverpool

May 082013

So that was pretty cool, no?

It’s not the first brilliant goal we’ve seen from Jonjo Shelvey and it probably won’t be the last. But could it be his last in a Liverpool uniform?

After watching that goal I stopped and looked at the midfield situation going into this summer. After all, there’s nothing left for Liverpool to play for this season so we find ourselves thinking about these sorts of things. The important thing to keep in mind is that Brendan Rodgers is pretty set in his ways with a 4-3-3 formation. Therefore, we can only play three midfielders at a time and all of them much be centrally located.

So with that in mind, here’s the list of Liverpool’s current central midfielders capable of playing for the first team…

-Steven Gerrard: Old and ailing, Captain Fantastic is calling it quits with a few games to go in order to have some work done on his shoulder

-Lucas Leiva: The only true “holding” midfielder currently on the roster

-Philippe Coutinho: Suddenly looks like a natural No.10 and he’s only 20 years old

-Joe Allen: Had a very inconsistent first season at Anfield and currently out nursing a injury

-Jordan Henderson: Greatly improved in his second season at Anfield and appears capable of starting for the next few years

-Jonjo Shelvey: Capable of the spectacular, but hasn’t seen much first team action under Brendan Rodgers

-Jay Spearing: Currently on loan and didn’t exactly light the world on fire under Kenny Dalglish

This doesn’t include any potential signings this summer and Rodgers has been talking like there will be a decent number of purchases; although there are far greater needs at the moment. As old and frail as Captain Fantastic might appear, we have to assume he’s going to start if healthy. I feel like Lucas HAS to play because he’s the only one on that list who can defend properly. Coutinho suddenly looks like he could be Kaka in 2-3 years and he was just purchased in February.

Barring the purchase of a Christian Eriksen-caliber player this summer, I had to think that those three guys are starting from Week 1 next season. So that leaves Allen, Henderson, Shelvey, and Spearing battling for the chance to be the first option off the bench. Joe Allen was very inconsistent before finally being shelved, but it’s his first year and Rodgers has shown a certain propensity towards former players of his. Jordan Henderson has improved tremendously since this time last season. I think he’s better than Allen at this point and should be the first option off the bench if he’s not starting.

So what does BR do with Jonjo Shelvey and Jay Spearing? I have to think there are some teams out there willing to take a chance on Shelvey going forward. They’d probably be willing to pay too. Jay Spearing may be tougher to get rid of and could find up rotting on the reserve squad. I’m more concerned about Shelvey than Spearing. I feel like he is close to breaking out the way Henderson did this season, but on this roster (without any talented additions) he’s surplus and probably needs to go.

It may come back to haunt Liverpool, but Shelvey and Spearing probably need to be offloaded this summer while there are still takers. They’re going to need the money if BR is going to spend the way he’s suggesting this summer.

“Walk on with hope in your heart and you’ll never walk alone!”

Liverpool Song Of The Week: Day ‘N Nite (by Kid Cudi)

Posted by Adam Uthe on December 3, 2012 at 9:48 pm Blogs/Media, England, EPL, Liverpool

Dec 032012

Day and night (what, what)
I toss and turn, I keep stressing my mind, mind (what, what)
I look for peace but see I don’t attain (what, what)

Day ‘N Nite-Kid Cudi

Maybe switching up music genres will help Liverpool string together a pair of positive results.

Last week the Reds fell behind early against Tottenham and never caught up. In a rare mid-week league fixture, Liverpool conceded early twice and needed a Gareth Bale own goal just to avoid being on the wrong end of a clean sheet. The Reds then took on EPL newcomers Southampton and earned three points behind a Daniel Agger first half goal.

One step forward and two steps back.

With each passing day it becomes more and more difficult for me to get excited about the future. Last week we heard rumors of signing Daniel Sturridge and Theo Walcott. This week Brendan Rodgers is calling Raheem Sterling “foolish” if he chooses not to sign a new extension at Anfield. Even the staunchest of Brendan Rodgers supporters have to be wondering what the future will bring. For all the fanfare surrounding his new style and approach to Liverpool Football Club, the team still looks largely like the one Kenny Dalglish put together last season. Luis Suarez has 10 league goals this season. Nobody else has more than one. The Reds continue to fail to put away scoring chances. Many (including Rodgers himself) will lay the blame for the Tottenham loss on referee Phil Dowd. I don’t buy it. Liverpool simply were not good enough. They did get the win on Saturday, but against a top flight newcomer you would have to expect a bit more than a Daniel Agger header to save you.

It isn’t all gloom and doom though. Saturday saw the return of Lucas after a three month absence due to a thigh injury. The Brazilian holding midfielder showed off his value right away as the Reds looked much better on the defensive side of things. I doubt anyone can question the value of Lucas after his performance Saturday. The upcoming schedule also brings a bit of holiday cheer as the Reds prepare to travel to Udinese for their last group match in Europa League play before a trip to London to take on West Ham in league play. After that Aston Villa comes to town so there are opportunities in league play to climb the table. Currently Liverpool sit second in their Europa League group, but they haven’t locked up a spot in the next round just yet.

Kid Cudi has some solid songs with motivational lyrics. Let’s hope the Reds are extra fired up for the next 10 days or so. They’ll need to take full advantage of their next two league opponents if they want to make a statement about their intentions for the second half of the season. They’ll also need to continue to search for someone other than Luis Suarez who can consistently finish chances and show that their days of offensive ineptitude are dead and gone.

In the meantime Liverpool fans must continue to avoid pulling all their hair out in frustration.

“Walk on with hope in your heart and you’ll never walk alone!”

The One That Got Away (Liverpool 2-2 Manchester City)

Posted by Adam Uthe on August 27, 2012 at 10:20 am England, EPL, Liverpool

Aug 272012

I have watched people raving about Liverpool’s pass completion percentage for the last 24 hours and I’m starting to get annoyed.

Liverpool may have completed a ton of passes yesterday, but it was the one pass that Martin Skrtel did NOT complete that ultimately cost the Reds an additional two points. Skrtel’s foolish back pass was picked off by Carlos Tevez with ten minutes left in the match and the Argentine forward took full advantage.

2-2

Two points were thrown away because of one pass. I’m on record as saying that I don’t mind the “tiki taka” style employed by the likes of Barcelona and the Spanish national team, but I also can recognize that their outstanding statistics do not tell the whole story. It’s easy to complete a large percentage of your passes when a significant number of those passes are simply a one touch knock back to the original passer. Yes, you are being smart and keeping possession, but how often are you actually advancing the ball forward in a menacing manner. That is the difference between Liverpool and the two teams I just mentioned.

Both of Liverpool’s goals came from set pieces. Skrtel would’ve been the hero of the day for his aerial strike off a corner kick had he not also given the game away with his poor decision. The other goal was a Luis Suarez free kick that I’m not sure he scores 9 out of 10 times; although it was VERY well taken. Their new style of passing has yet to create a goal in their first two matches. I can understand why people are still pleased with the result based on the way the Reds played throughout the match. But these are the same people who were so cynical about Liverpool’s chances heading into the season. Have they become so desperate that (literally) giving away a victory has become acceptable? It would not have been so last season, especially had it been against a weaker opponent which is where Liverpool struggled in 2011-12.

The bottom line is this: I don’t care that the players are starting to adopt the new style more effectively. I care about results and Sunday’s result was not one with which fans should be pleased. As always there was much we could learn from Sunday’s match…

Negatives

-Skrtel’s poor back pass aside, the back line still looked vulnerable especially when it came to clearing the ball out of danger. Last week’s first goal surrendered to West Brom was the result of a poor clearance and the same mistake reared its ugly head during City’s first goal on Sunday.

-The normally reliable Pepe Reina also seemed to look unsure of himself on that first goal and that’s very uncharacteristic of the Spaniard.

-Losing Lucas early on was absolutely frightening. Still no official word from the club on his status.

-The significance of the result itself simply cannot be overstated.

Positives

-17 year old Raheem Sterling was the brightest star on an otherwise disappointing day. He’s already looked 100 times more effective than Stewart Downing and it will be interesting to watch the battle between the two for more playing time.

-Despite the poor result, the players do seem to be adapting to the new system quickly.

-Both goals were truly a sight to see!

-Nuri Sahin has arrived from Real Madrid on loan for the upcoming season. The Turkish midfielder excelled at Borussia Dortmund, but failed to find significant playing time under Jose Mourinho at Madrid. The timing is fantastic, especially if Lucas’ injury is in fact serious. A Sahin/Joe Allen/Steven Gerrard midfield trio is very exciting to think about.

-Brendan Rodgers said afterwards that he hopes to get another deal or two done before the deadline and that means there’s still the possibility of Clint Dempsey making a move to Anfield.

Next up is Thursday’s second leg Europa League match with Hearts. The Reds were fortunate to earn a 1-0 victory in Scotland thanks to an own goal. It was the kind of result that made you think Liverpool are capable of grinding out wins even when they don’t play their best.

And then Sunday happened.

“Walk on with hope in your hearts and you’ll never walk alone!”

2012/13 Liverpool Season Preview (Midfielders)

Posted by Adam Uthe on August 16, 2012 at 1:24 am England, EPL, Liverpool

Aug 162012

Looks around…

OK, good. I haven’t been sued for copyright infringement yet. On to the midfield! This is probably the most important group in terms of executing Brendan Rodgers’ new style of play properly. Passing is the key and there are plenty of pass-masters on this team, especially with the addition of Joe Allen. And speaking of the newbie…

Joe Allen = Will Arnett

Joe Allen 2807441 2012/13 Liverpool Season Preview (Midfielders) TVGuide FOX 39115 090811will arnett1 2012/13 Liverpool Season Preview (Midfielders)

They’re both at different stages in their careers, but they’re both quite consistent. The big stat right now is Allen’s roughly 90% pass completion percentage from last season. Doesn’t get much more consistent than that. And I’ve yet to watch Will Arnett on screen in any role and not wind up on the floor laughing. Allen will be called upon to play a leading role for a long time. Let’s hope he stays as consistent as his passing last season.

Lucas = Dirk Nowitzki

lucasleiva 2012/13 Liverpool Season Preview (Midfielders) dirk nowitzki 2012/13 Liverpool Season Preview (Midfielders)

They’ve both got the long, blonde locks and they’re both very unconventional. Dirk is 7 feet tall and takes lots of long jump shots while Lucas might be the least creative Brazilian ever. And it’s their unique styles that make them both gamechangers. Before missing 2011-12 due to a torn ACL, Lucas was voted Player of the Year by Liverpool fans. Whenever he goes out on the pitch it is his job to retrieve the ball and re-start possession; a job that will be key with Rodgers’ new pass-obsessed system.

Jordan Henderson = Legolas (as played by Orlando Bloom)

Legolas 2012/13 Liverpool Season Preview (Midfielders)

A pair of blonde pretty boys if ever there was one, they’re both quite young (Legolas is considered “young” compared to your average elf) and they both have a tendency to shoot from distance quite a bit. But while the archer from the Woodland Realm knows his role, we still have yet to figure one out for Jordan Henderson. I’m really hoping Brendan Rodgers can help the youngster fit in before the weight of his price tag from last summer starts to effect his play/development.

Stewart Downing = A young Eric Idle

stewart downing january82012 2012/13 Liverpool Season Preview (Midfielders)

Idle was part of the comedic genius that was Monty Python and everyone loves to crack jokes at the expense of Stewart Downing. People celebrated his goal in the first leg of Liverpool’s Europa League playoff with FC Gomel like it was a national holiday or something. But for all the flack he takes, Downing will probably have a fairly significant role in Rodgers’ new 4-3-3 system. I imagine he’ll be on the wing rather than in the midfield and he’ll be expected to provide quality service to whomever Rodgers decides to place at the point of the attack. Like Henderson, Downing does need to step his game up or risk crumbling under the weight of expectations (and his 2011 price tag as well).

Joe Cole = Chris Pine

TN170637 Joe Cole 2012/13 Liverpool Season Preview (Midfielders) Chris Pine 1%5B1%5D 2012/13 Liverpool Season Preview (Midfielders)

The American actor tends to play cocky characters who have a tendency to boast and show off. Joe Cole certainly isn’t shy about trying to take defenders on 1-on-1. His game has always been about flash, although he’s failed to impress (or play) much since he arrived at Anfield from Chelsea. I imagine he’ll be a winger in the 4-3-3 formation opposite Downing, but there’s also the possibility of Rodgers using him in the midfield as well this season.

Jay Spearing = Moby

121120 2012/13 Liverpool Season Preview (Midfielders) 287618 2012/13 Liverpool Season Preview (Midfielders)

Gollum would’ve been a good choice here or even Simon Pegg, but we already have a Lord of the Rings reference and I actually like Simon Pegg. Much like Moby, Jay Spearing is capable of the occasional brilliant moment, but for the most part he’s just average and tends to get in the way. With a shortened midfield in the new the 4-3-3 and the return of Lucas, we may not see as much of Spearing this year as we did last year. It’s great to see a youngster get his chance, but Spearing just doesn’t appear to have what it takes to play with the best right now.

Jonjo Shelvey = Lord Voldemort!!!

voldemort1 2012/13 Liverpool Season Preview (Midfielders)

Because they’re both so evil! Actually this one is purely physical. I don’t see Jonjo Shelvey plotting to take over the world. In fact, he’ll have a tough time simply taking a spot on the bench every week. Again, the new 4-3-3 leaves little room for central midfielders and Shelvey will have to battle with the likes of Steven Gerrard, Lucas, Charlie Adam, and Joe Allen for minutes. I do think he has a brighter future with this squad (as currently constructed) than Jay Spearing though.

Charlie Adam = a rat

He just does. And he ruins everything. And nobody seems to like him.

Steven Gerrard = Tim Tebow

My girlfriend asked me to do this one and while I love her and value her opinion, I don’t see the physical resemblance. There is, however, a competitive comparison to be made. Both work their tails off and keep their mouths shut (usually) and want nothing more than to win every single time they take the field. That attitude tends to rub off on their teammates and make them better as well. Gerrard and Tebow are pretty much consummate leaders.

Friday we’ll wrap up with the forwards and my outlook on the entire season!

“Walk on with hope in your heart and you’ll never walk alone!”

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