The Mail Bag
Man-Mark Gerrard
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Having witnessed many an encounter against Liverpool with Gerrard in their side, there is only one gameplan for me which we must implement: ? man-to-man on Gerrard.
Whether that be young Jack or Castillo (I would not start with Victor up front, leave Tim there), we must restrict this one player from dictating their midfield and hence the game.
If we can restrict him, we restrict Torres et al from getting the ball. I do hope sincerely this time we have learned our lessons... I fancy us to nick it if we can do a job on this one player.
Steve Callaghan, Posted 16/01/2009 at 14:20:57
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1. Leave our defence as it is at the moment, so that means Yobo is on the bench. We have 6 clean sheets in a row and I wouldn?t dare tinker with the defensive line.
2. Do not pay the shite too much respect. In the past at times we have looked like a rabbit staring into the headlights when faced with a big 4 team. We were playing that way against Man Utd until Pip stuck a rocket up them. Go out and play a positive game.
Arteta to get man of the match and Joleon to score the winning goal.
Their problem is, with Gerrard out of the game (hopefully), neither of the other 2 from 3 of Alonso/Lucas/Mascherano have the ability or desire to surge forward. With us only having one up front and so a solid back four and midfield four (as well as the man-marker) we should be able to cope in normal fashion with the threat from the wings.
I?m not in any way experienced on the coaching side but it seems to make sense to me. Didn?t Carsley do such a job a couple of years ago on him?
Anichebe must play and he must play well. I would like Tim to be a bit smarter this time, he has to be as cunning as Mascherano (if that's how you spell it) because these two will go to war and we will need 11 men for the entire game.
Moyes has been guilty of sending out a mishmash of square pegs to play in round holes against this crowd in the past; not this time...
Pienaar has not always set Goodison alight but, for some reason I can't fathom, he?s been brilliant away from home all season. I believe Osman will play on the right, again, a really big performance is needed. Arteta need only continue doing what he?s been doing for weeks.
It would be really wonderful to have Fellaini and the Yak playing, but they?re not; I still think this time we?ll have too much for them.
Let them worry about us!
I would be tempted to put Osman in behind Cahill, with Gosling coming in on the right ? Liverpool's left side is nothing to fear, and Gosling has looked excellent when called on so far.
The only other opton is to play Anichebe with Cahill in behind, leaving the midfield as it is: Neville, Arteta in the middle, with Osman and Pienaar on the flanks.
If we brought Castillo in that leaves us with a central 3 of Arteta, Neville and Castillo. Way too flat. We need someone to brake off Tim, Neville and Castillo arent capable of doing that job, and the main reason our football has improved is because Arteta has been picking up the ball from deep, so he’s the last player on the pitch who’s role should change. If were going persist in keeping Cahill upfront, then in the absensce of Fellaini’s muscle, I believe Gosling’s energy and pace might be the best alternative.
If we are to man mark Gerrard, then I think Neville might be best suited to the task.
Whether it be Neville or A N Other, for me is irrelevant. Their job is to follow him everywhere, get in his face and don?t do any silly challenges ? just bug him all game. He will quickly get very frustrated, red mist will form, and the game plan will have worked.... that?s what happened in my dream last night anyway ? seemed easy ! ...;)
I must agree with most, we should concentrate on doing what we do best ? harrying and hassling the opposition thereby giving them no time to build up a head of steam. Then, when the opportunity arises, pick them off. It is this strategy that has produced our best results over the last 5 or 6 years.
It would be a disaster if we changed our game plan to suit the opposition. This is far more likely to detrimentally affect us as opposed to the RS.
As mentioned above, we should just concentrate on our game, and hope the two of them have a off-day.
Moyes has tried to "nullify" Gerrard in the past, but he?s proven to be far too athletic and mobile for the Jag and Yobo; sorry to say this, but it's the man-marking idea thats naive.
In the distant past, coaches would ask water-carriers to man-mark world-class players; this tactic enjoyed a degree of success, but the game has moved on. The world-class players have learned to combat this, which is the reason hardly any coach in the modern game would use a "man-marker". An in-form Gerrard would run Pip into the ground.
Everton have to be set up right as a unit, we need to stop Gerrard's supply as much as possible, and when he does get the ball, we need him to be faced with a solid midfield protecting an equally solid back four.
When we have the ball, we really need to make them work: Cahill's late surges into the box, Arteta's craft, Big Vic's power, and Pienaar;s and Osman's trickery. That's not naive, mate. If we want to win, we have to get at them with aggression and purpose ? damage limitation doesn't work in these games.
All pressure will be on the shite, it's only our own fans that think we can beat them, after all they are top of the league, they have a £50 million strike force, they are at home, we have no strikers!!! Anything from this game would, on paper, be a great result and I'm hoping for a win.
I believe if we play our normal game, with Neville in front of the back four alongside Arteta, Pienaar, Osman and AN Other, then we will nullify the threat from Gerrard. Which leaves us with Torres, which we have to hope The Waiter will play Father Ted alongside him.
It’s up to Cahill to stop Alonso, he’s done it in the past. Get in his face and don’t give him time on the ball. If you stop him them Gerrard will come deeper and deeper and become less effective. Obviously it’s easier said than done but it would be easier than trying to stop or man mark Steven Gerrard.
Alonso isn?t very mobile and doesn?t move around a lot, he has his own area where he picks the ball up and sprays his accurate long range passes. Gerrard moves around to much and none of our midfielders have the pace or strength to keep with him for 90 minutes. Obviously Arteta and Neville will sit in there but they?ll be playing there own games, not worrying about Steven Gerrard.
I think we?ll go with 4-5-1 but a positive 4-5-1. Two holding midfielders in Neville and Arteta with Osman, Cahill and Pienaar supporting Victor Anichebe. We?ll have good balance for the first time in a long time. As Dave Wilson said, Moyes usually messes about with the team to make us stronger (physically) and more defensive. He doesn?t have that option this time thankfully and it?ll benefit the side.
Fat Spanish Waiter
Criminal
So why not let Pip try?
Never mind, Stevie GBH, or even Alonso, what about the novel concept of each player marking someone, especially Gerrard and Alonso?
Carsley played in a defensive midfield role for Everton, no more, no less. A man-marker is sacrificed and designated to follow his opponent all over the park, I think you?ll find Carsley held his position all game ? exept for his goal ? regardless of where Gerrard went.
I remember numerous occasions in the 1-0 win when Gerrard tried to burst forward on those runs only to be foiled by Carsley who would easily block his run and take the ball from him. Why do you think Carsley was so far up the pitch to score? ? because he was staying close to Gerrard.
To say that "you stop Gerrard, you stop Liverpool" holds some weight but you can't say that a team that's been as successful as them (albeit not winning the PL) is a one-man team. Torres can score at will, so can Gerrard and they also have world class players in Mascherano and Xavi Alonso in their midfield.
Of course we can beat them, anyone can win on their day but I think a draw would be a good result in both games. If we can get them back to Goodison for the cup replay then I think we could do em.
I hope I?m wrong and will be screaming at the TV tomorrow night as loud as the next man but if we do lose I won?t be surprised.
In the 3-0 derby he didn?t; Gerrard played wide right. Carsley and Neville where competing against Sissoko and Alonso from what I remember.
Stubbs said after the 1-0 Derby win that Cars didn?t set out to man-mark Gerrard, he just had a very good game ? as did Gravesen and Cahill.
Gerrard played on the right in the 3-0 win ? I think he hit the post twice too
Unless Moyes does the unthinkable and tinkers with our set-up, we will be giving Gerrard a whole new problem tomorrow, he?ll still face Pip, but he?ll be up against a genuinely talented footballer too,
Mascherano will be a problem ? I was dying to see Fellaini against him ? we have to get past him, but he doesn't have enough ability with the ball to be a major concern. Alonso is a different animal and as Connor has already said, he can hurt us if we allow him to settle and start pinging the ball about, we have to play at a tempo he?s not comfortable with.
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1 Posted 17/01/2009 at 07:05:36
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