Gerrard To Play Ronaldinho Role

Filed in archive Premiership 2006/7 on September 21, 2006

Rafa Benitez wants to see Stevie Gerrard playing left mid more regularly, in a Ronaldinho kind of way. He likes Pennant's pace on the right, he likes Alonso and Sissoko in the middle, so he thinks Gerrard can be effective drifting in from the left. Before Liverpool fans Choke on their coffee, listen to Rafa's argument:

"Who's the best player in the world? Ronaldinho. He can be a second striker or play behind the front two. But where does he play? On the left.

"He has the freedom to go inside and Steven had that last season, so you need to use the potential of the player."

Convinced? Me neither. Ronaldinho and Gerrard are two different players, in two different systems. Ronaldinho is all about attacking, and while his role at Barca is on the left, it's on the left of a forward line. Left midfield is very different, it carries defensive responsibilities.

Even more so, while I agree that Gerrard can play wide and be effective, he's definitely a right footer, and more comfortable on the right hand side. Why ask him to play on his weaker left side?