? about Luis Garcia

[rockymtn_mike]

Hey guys I got a quick question for ya.

What is Luis Garcia's natural position. Is he more left sided or right sided. I don't know why I am asking but just was wondering.

Thanks

[quentinc]

I'm pretty sure his natural position is as an attacking midfielder, tucked in right behind the strikers.

He's not really a winger.

[Suss]

He could play on the left, the right, or right behind a lone striker. His stronger foot is his left, but he uses both feet very well. For Liverpool he has played right midfield more than anything else.

[ULL NEVER WALK ALONE]

talking about garcia,i havent seen much of him for a while now.Has rafa actualy droped him,or has he not been fit enough to play!?I know hes injured now,but what about the weeks before!?

[kaisermohr]

I believe since Rafa's been playing with two up front, Gerrard on the right, and Harry in good form on the left that leaves little room for Garcia.

[quentinc]

Which really doesn't make sense, because Garcia is doing much better than Sissoko. I think our best formation is a diamond, like this:

-------Alonso-------
Garcia---------Kewell
-------Gerrard------

[LFCFanInCali]

Although I wish Garcia was a little more careful with the ball in midfield, I hate when he is not on the pitch. I think he is by far our most creative goal scorer, whether with a glancing header, a quick stab of the foot, or a rocket volley. Against certain opponents I'd love to see him as an attacking midfielder in a 4-5-1 and see what he could do with some of Crouchie's knockdowns.

[Suss]

Garcia is still an important memeber of the team. He played and scored against Bolton. It was only the Lutton game he didn't play in. My guess is that he will start against Spurs.

[liverbird]

He played and scored against Bolton.

and a great goal it was. Little Luis is very important to the club.

[ULL NEVER WALK ALONE]

Which really doesn't make sense, because Garcia is doing much better than Sissoko. I think our best formation is a diamond, like this:

-------Alonso-------
Garcia---------Kewell
-------Gerrard------
Well,thats the most offensive line up weve got,but Milan proved us last year that we realy do need someone there in the middle to break up the other teams attack,and thats why i think sissoko in the starting Xi is a must.But against smaller oposition(specialy those clubs who come to anfield just to defend the whole 90 minutes),that line-up would be very effective.

[quentinc]

Well,thats the most offensive line up weve got,but Milan proved us last year that we realy do need someone there in the middle to break up the other teams attack,and thats why i think sissoko in the starting Xi is a must.But against smaller oposition(specialy those clubs who come to anfield just to defend the whole 90 minutes),that line-up would be very effective.

True. For our big league matches, and the later CL games, I would put either Sissoko or Hamman in as extra cover in the back. But you're totally right. Against easier competition, that's the best lineup.

[Twenty26Six]

Garcia
I really like Garcia tucked in behind the forward and shaded to the right side. He can find spaces between opposing Backs well and is dangerous when cutting in on his left foot. Anywhere else I don't think he is as effective.

Sissoko
True. For our big league matches, and the later CL games, I would put either Sissoko or Hamman in as extra cover in the back. But you're totally right. Against easier competition, that's the best lineup.

As UNWA said, we need players who can disrupt attack through the center of the park. The English game which can be very fast paced and direct necessitates that any team have midfield destroyers to disrupt quick counterattacks. This has made Sissoko essential.

Sissoko really isn't meant for cover "at the back". Sissoko plays because he holds a "higher line" of midfield. I think he is most effective giving early pressure to opposing holding midfielders before they have chances to play the ball past midfield. Hamann is a smart defender at his age but can not serve the same purposes as Sissoko. Hamann sits much deeper and is more suited to continental styles of play which employ stationary attacking midfielders . I'm not trying to discount Hamann but I feel as Alonso has gotten better at tackling/defending his great skill more and more overshadows anything Hamann brings to the table [as a first-choice midfielder].

Rafa is most comfortable with Alonso as our deepest midfielder where he can easily facilitate possession between the "Four Backs" and "Four Mids". Hamann plays a similar role at times but is not as energetic and thus not as readily available for passes as Alonso is. [The CL Final is more of a deviation, in that Hamann played a role more similar to a defender than midfielder. Which allowed Alonso the ability to move forward.] Alonso also plays a crisper long ball and has shown much more accuracy with his long strikes on goal.


[b]Other things I think you guys are missing out on are...

* Garcia [God love him, he may be my favorite player in the squad, for his attitude and enthusiasm] is as much of a gamble in possession as Sissoko, plus he cannot defend.

* Without Sissoko we wouldn't have had the good form we have had up until now. In past years we have had a laundry list of players who wasted possession like [but possibly with much more natural skill than] Sissoko. That list included... Hyypia, Henchoz, Riise, Gerrard, Carra. In the most dire games for Houllier it was clear this team lacked a clear tactical purpose and did not value possession as much as Rafa's team has been trained to. Short, one-two touch passing and tireless off the ball movement is now our trademark. No more long ball through to Owen or at Heskey.

* Not many midfielders [in England] like Sissoko have as much possible upside. I think we need to be patient as his demeaner, physical attributes, work ethic, skill, and age make him a exciting prospect for many years to come. And given that he adds greater defensive rigidity to our side, I think it is essential he plays as much as he can.

[Suss]

Great points about Sissoko. The commentators often say that he protects the back 4, which isn't true. Sissoko plays much further up the pitch than Alonso does. It is actually Xabi that plays right in front of our defense. Momo breaks up opponents attacks before they even start. Like you said, he provides something that Hamann cannot.

However, Sissoko needs to improve his game. Its not necessary for him to be booked in every single match. And when he gets booked early on, he becomes ineffective for the rest of the match as he plays with caution. He also needs to be less careless with possesion. But at 20 years old, he is incredibly young, and will improve. Even if he is not pretty to watch all the time, he is doing the dirty work that lets Gerrard, Alonso, and Garcia shine.