Topic: Round Table: West Ham 3 v Liverpool 1

[Trendisnotdestiny]

I think in some big games last season he has shown tenacity, high energy and the ability to tackle in midfield. There's more to him than just holywood passes. Look at this video http://vimeo.com/86206731 where he played deeper than Henderson for a lot of the game and used his passing ability to break from deep

Our third and fourth best options for the pivot are injured.  Let's not get carried away, Coutinho is an attacker.

[GregCharrua]

That game...

[robgomm]

I think in some big games last season he has shown tenacity, high energy and the ability to tackle in midfield. There's more to him than just holywood passes. Look at this video http://vimeo.com/86206731 where he played deeper than Henderson for a lot of the game and used his passing ability to break from deep

This is the side of him we need to see more of. There's been talk from him about Rodgers thinking he could play deeper and I think the Modric comparison seen on here is interesting.

[ShayGuevara]

Too many people come in here and on the basis of sweet eff all wax general (at times even lyrical) about how Lucas is finished or almost finished as CM. But Gerrard is our Pirlo, even though he's not been playing like Pirlo.

Based on one half of football in Allen's position, with WHU having specifically planned to take the game to us and press the living daylights out of our backline and Gerrard to prevent us from imposing a slow, deliberate, controlled rhythm to the game (see Allardyce's comments), no less.

This is madness.

Give up mate, all you do is defend Lucas on here. Admit he's not what he used to be and is really struggling at the moment.

[jets red 44]

to be perfectly honest it seemed like we had no midfielders at all. poor Mario and Borini were given not much to work with. they were blowing by Gerrard and co. at will. I've seen school clubs better organized.

[slipslidin82]

I think in some big games last season he has shown tenacity, high energy and the ability to tackle in midfield. There's more to him than just holywood passes. Look at this video http://vimeo.com/86206731 where he played deeper than Henderson for a lot of the game and used his passing ability to break from deep

Look how many runners we had ahead of the ball! Rarely less than three. Such a contrast to this season so far.