barry'sboots

I wouldn't normally miss a home game but just can't get excited about this game - even for a tenner. Personally, I am getting slightly fed up of MON's predictability and failure to try things when things are not working and a change is required. I can see this game being fairly turgid - I hope I am proved wrong! If Coker is unfit and he is going to rest Stan I can't begin to imagine what side he will put out as I don't see us having another CM'er that can play the DCM role?? Sidwell I suppose with Delph in front of him?

6-4 again?

I agree with you AVFCPoB, but to be fair to Stan, and Jimmy, it was another game where 2 were playing 3, and at times 5 with their narrowness, and MON did nothing to respond. It was MON that was poor, IMO, and not Stan or Jimmy - outthought by that horrible moaning git Big Sam.

TRO, agree with some of your points. The original post was about potential and not a comparison of Milner after 14 games and Gerard at his peak. As to energy, I think this is a highly valid point but I think Gerard also has this attribute and that is why I am suggesting that Jimmy might be better suited to the third midfielder/second striker role? I think his weaker games have been against sides playing 4-3-3 where he tends to get the runaround, especially when playing with Stan who is not the most athletic DCM. The 4-3-3 system would really release him IMO and we could see a 20 goal a season midfielder in the Lampard/Gerard mould.

Agreed. What do people think of the idea of playing him in a similar way to Gerard i.e. effectively as a second striker off Gabby?

Why do you say this? I think they are very similar.

I was debating with my Old Man last night whether Milner has the potential to be better than Steven Gerrard and just saw the comparison posted on the Milner thread. Clearly, Gerard has done it for a number of years so Jimmy has that consistency and longevity to achieve before he can really be compared to Gerard. However, when I look at his attributes I struggle to see much that Gerard does better than our boy. - Jimmy is more two footed, as last nights strike showed - Jimmy has a better engine - Jimmy has a real strike on him, probably not too dissimilar in this respect - Both can hit a long ball very accurately - Gerrard probably has more nous and maturity and is capable of more variety but this will come to Jimmy I believe - Jimmy is more disciplined when playing a wide role if needed I can't really remember Gerard at a similar age - probably 5 or 6 years ago - so difficult to make a direct comparison. It was probably easier for Gerard to shine as he was coming through in a Plop team with better players around him than Jimmy has had during his time at Leeds, Newcastle and Villa first time although the current crop at VP is getting there. It has also obviously taken longer for Jimmy to find his true position although Gerard has also spent a lot of time out on the right in the past. Gerard's best position in recent years has proved to be off a single striker with two midfielders behind him. I personally would love to see a defensive midfielder (for me NRC but I know most would prefer Stan) with Delph alongside as our Alonso (playmaker) allowing Jimmy the freedom of the park. I think he would be a 20 goals a season midfielder like Gerard and Lampard with this formation.

Same old cockney ... always cheating..... .... title bears no relation to the poll?????

Outplayed in the first 20 minutes or so. We really struggle to play teams that play with 5 across the middle and are narrow. Recent league games against Arsenal, Wet Spam and tonight show this. I think Sam "out tacticed" MON here - not that hard IMO! The better quality of player shone through in the end, particularly when they were down to 10 men. Don't understand why we didn't see one or two of Delph, the Fonz and/or Albrighton when we were 5-2 up. I would also have bought Luke on when Blackburn went to 10 men and shifted Cuellar inside for Collins. Tired legs after three games in six days - can't understand why he won't use his bench. Pick of the players for me were Jimmy (once he started to get some of the ball) and Dunne (rock solid again). Players off a bit were Collins (struggled with Kalanic) and Little Brad (still not commanding his box). Stan tired again after 60 or so but nothing on the bench to replace him, even if MON would consider it! Emile worked hard but, for me, I'd still much rather have seen a third CM'er, preferably Delph, in there to get control of the centre of the park. MON had a poor game. Big Sam is a prize plonker. I'd be seriously embarrased if MON had given that interview!! I hope he gets the chop soon!!

Petrov MOTM - I must have been watching a different game. Started well but tired badly again midway through second half hence West Ham coming more in to the game. We needed NRC's drive at that point to push us forward. Downing was the clear MOTM for me. Ran the show for us. Carew was a complete waste of space for his 35 mins, with the exception of his flick on to Gabby. I would have much rather have seen Delph come on to run the show in the centre and free up Jimmy to get in an around Gabby.

Does the runners up spot ensure Europa League qualification if the winner has CL??

I'm pretty sure it was but I hope that Luke returns to the team on Sunday. Not really fussed which of the three CB's drops out but if pushed would revert to the Cuellar/Dunne pairing. I would think the rest of the team would stay the same with the exception of Friedel's return.

Great first half performance. Stand outs for me were Milner, the whole defence and the away support. I think its hard for Guzan to dominate his box/defence when he isn't playing very often. I also think this is the weakest part of Friedel's game? Got pushed back second half and I would have liked to see MON respond more quickly. I think with 30 minutes left I would have bought on NRC and Delph for Stan and Heskey.

This can't be true .... James Milner is never worn out??????????

No. Because, for me, with the players we have at our disposal it is our best formation. I don't think we have a second striker that is worthy of a starting spot if everyone is fit. Even if we did, however, I think 4-5-1/4-3-3 is the best formation against certain teams like Arsenal and Liverpool - good sides who play three in the CM - otherwise your CM can get swamped as it did in the loss at Emirates over x-mas.

I don't think any of us are Stevo. We're just discussing what we would like to see.

This for me. Delph and Milner interchanging with Ash and DJ with NRC covering. Would be awesome. Won't happen though - 4-4-2 with Stan and Emile back in I reckon.

He definitely didn't.

James Milner was slightly peeved to hear the game was called off tonight as he already jogged up to Blackburn, ahead of the rest of the the team, to warm up and to check out Big Sam's heart surgery and his eyes after Sam's declaration that Diouf was wrongly sent off!

I don't think it is all about money. We have one of the best defences in the league but not one player in there cost over £8m - compare that to our rivals! I think we have good strikers but the wrong ones. If we look at our main three, I would summarise them as follows: Gabby - very pacey and excellent in a 4-5-1. Struggles a bit in a 4-4-2 because, IMO, we haven't found the right partner for him Carew - on his day, one of the best in the world. It just seems to me that we are rarely going to see his best again. Still very useful as an impact sub, IMO, for the last 20 minutes. Heskey - very good as the point striker with a typically smaller goal scoring second striker feeding off him from a slightly deeper position e.g. Owen or Rooney. I have all but written JC off as a consistent starter now and Gabby and Heskey need different partners. I wanted us to sign Tuncay in the summer and think he would have been the ideal player to play behind Gabby as he is capable of playing the through balls and linking up the midfield to the point striker. IMO, with this sort of partner Gabby's goal ratio should improve. Unfortunately, I think Emile will never really work well with our other strikers. Nathan is a different proposition and I haven't really seen enough of him to form a view. I would love to see him get a chance as a support striker behind Gabby. He is more mobile than both JC and Emile, has a better touch than Emile and is capable of putting a shift in plus he can find the net. I don't think we need to spend £30m, I just think we need to get the right players to work in our team. I would probably have sold Emile and bought in Tuncay at the start of the season to give us more options/a better blend.

Definitely my preferred line up but I would draw it slightly differently. ------------ NRC ------------- ----- Millie ------- Delph ---- Ash ----------------------- DJ I see Delph and Millie as two attack minded CM'ers with NRC covering in the old "Makalele with Legs" role! Both CM'ers could interchange with the winger outside them and across the four for that matter - very fluid I would hope with NRC providing the cover. I think this would be a very positive selection.

I should think that's a good thing in Selly Oak. Only joking!!

Love to see this team play. Alternative might see Albrighton out wide right and DJ take Delph's position - two right footers on right side.

Agreed. High energy, right and left foot, drive. One cultured, one agricultural but breaks down the opposition. The right type of partnership for a 4-4-2 IMO.

With 4-5-1, we are 9 points from 9, including away wins at Plop and Blues. I'm afraid it is impossible to argue statistically that 4-4-2 is superior to 4-5-1 for us this season.