I know this will be controversial, but i don't know what all the fuss about Gerrard is (neither about Carragher).
They are both very good team players but i've never considered gerrard a top class player, as a matter of fact i agree with Vanzandt that Arteta is better.
To be fair although I do my utmost to view players without selective bias, it does have to be said that I am an Evertonian and my opinion here is of a Liverpool and Everton player respectively so my opinion may therefore reflective a subconscious bias and so should be considered by others in that light.
I prefer the extremely tight ball control, retention of possession and technical skills of Arteta to the box to box skills and striking technical ability that Gerrard has, it is a personal preference and one that may be biased....I don't know.
I think a preference of skill types is often a reason for why people disagree over certain archetypal forms players represent. I think there is a tendency in English football to have more respect for the skills of a player like Gerrard, than a player like Arteta and maybe the reverse a little more true in certain schools of thought in Europe, though as all generalizations that isn’t much more than a tendency…
In any respect, I regard them both as outstanding players if played to their strengths in the right system, something that to be fair to Gerrard has often been patently ignored at international level.
Carragher is just an outstanding strong basic defender who is fantastic in the air and who does all the basic things extremely well. He would fit in anywhere in Europe and be a major asset to any team if complimented with a defender who is more cultured, pacy and more able with the ball. Carragher is similar in type to a Materazzi and would have in fact complimented Ferdinand very well at international level. The reason he did not do so was because of a certain player named John Terry who happens to do exactly what Carragher does with but with more ability in terms of his range of passing etc.
Gerrard would make it in Europe at any club that played to his strengths, but he could fail at any club that played a style that was not suitable to him. That would not make him any less of a player, horses for courses and all that jazz.
Lampard is IMHO no better than Gerrard in fact technically he is not as good on the ball and is poorer going backwards. But each player has the differing attributes and are each suited to differing positions and ways of playing.
Lampard plays very well playing off the power of Drogba with all the knockdowns that bring in his goalscoring threat and suits a direct style of play. He is also very well suited to getting in those forward positions without as much onus of him getting back with the fantastic defensive and narrow cover that Makelele and Essian have traditionally offered in Mourinho’s compact defensive system.
Gerrard on the other hand prefers to a deeper midfield role, (but not playing as defensive mid) where he can break forward from and attack the space between the midfield and defensive with his surging runs. But he does not require as much cover as Lampard does because his superior pace, engine and tackling do allow him to get back more (though Benitez does seem fixated with Gerrard vacating space in midfield it is not the issue it would be with Lampard).
I wonder if as Chelsea start to play more expansive football, which will presumably mean playing less direct through Drogba and with less of a narrow midfield with excessive cover….I wonder if this will actually reduce the ability to play Lampard as effectively….
Anyway…waffling sorry.
The bottom line is I do rate Carragher highly if correctly paired with the right defender and I do rate Gerrard highly if played in the right way, though I have a tendency to prefer the skill set of a slightly differing type of midfielder like Arteta, though Arteta might not be the best example as I might be being biased.
Phhhew Haha
i'm OM fan
from PSG --> Rothen
from Bordeaux --> Obertan
I was a big fan of Rothen at Monaco, but have not seen him play as much since.
:lol:
