BALANCE OF POWER
GERRARD’S VERDICT The competition in our midfield is hot and we have Rossiter to return
Steven Gerrard knows what midfield balance looks like. He went through a couple of dozen partners in 17 years in the Liverpool engine room trying to find it.
When he did? The magic happened. With Xabi Alonso, with Javier Mascherano, with Didi Hamann, with Gary McAllister, even with Danny Murphy and Jordan Henderson, he could hear the click as the pieces fell into place.
Same as England fans complained they never could when he and Frank Lampard tried in vain to gel for their national side.
But standing in the Ibrox dugout on Thursday night, watching Lassana Coulibaly, Scott Arfield and Ovie Ejaria rule the roost against Maribor, the Rangers manager heard it again.
He has high hopes that, with his options in the middle of the park and the flexibility it allows him, he’s going to keep hearing it all season long.
Gerrard said: “Balance is exactly what we need. You can’t have three Coulibalys, three Scott Arfields. It doesn’t work. If you play with three in midfield it’s important that the blend is right. You have your tough enforcer type, who can go and bite, snap and back it up, who’s a powerful runner. You need your artist in there who can open the door if you’re up against blocks and teams who are difficult to break down.
“Then you need someone who can complement both. Against Maribor the balance was really good and in the previous game Ryan Jack did a tremendous job as well.
“The competition is getting hot in that midfield, there are four but you also have Jordan Rossiter to come back in.”
Gerrard heaped praise on Coulibaly in particular, hailing the 22-year-old Mali international’s versatility and the options it allows him.
He said: “Lassana has the ability to do two different roles. If we want him to press and be aggressive and get in people’s faces, he has the physical capacity to do that.
“He also has the passing range to sit and protect and put fires out.
“He played as a No. 8 against Aberdeen, box to box, and he had the energy and power. He’s also more than capable of handling himself in these big rival games.
“Against Maribor, we asked him to be more disciplined, get us playing, get us passing, and he did a magnificent job at that as well.
“He’s an all-round midfielder who is blessed with the right physical attributes and I felt Rangers needed that. They’re all projects. Scott Arfield has a lot of experience and manages himself, so he’ll have more freedom than someone like Coulibaly who’s younger and maybe needs his game polishing up.
“He needs help in different areas, as does Ross McCrorie. They’re all different projects but the important thing is we have good balance and can play different formations.
“We can play with two holders and a No.10, We can play with two 8s and a 6 , we
I’m enjoying working with Alfredo and his attitude has just been first class
can play with two in the middle. We have a lot of options and a lot of personnel fighting for the places, which is healthy for the team.” Gerrardhad staff at Ufa’s 2-1 win over Progres Niederkorn on Thursday night but admits that their own 3-1 lead over Maribor is a scoreline which holds little comfort. He said: “The important thing is to go and finish the job off next week. It’s not a straightforward tie, there’s still more to come from Maribor and 3-1 is a tricky scoreline against a good team. It’s not over, there’s a lot of work to do. “My focus is picking the right team t o sta r t our f irst home game wel l in t h e league. “I t won’t be the same on Sunday and it won’t be the same against Maribor.”
If he does decide to chase the killer goal in Slovenia he believes Alfredo Morelos is the man to get it.
Despite last weekend’s 12th-minute red card against Aberdeen, he was thrilled with the way the Colombian bounced back with the opening goal in the Europa League clash.
Gerrard also absolved him of any blame for the careless offside goal which could have ended the tie a lot earl ier. He said: “I ’ m enjoying working with
Alfredo. His attitude and application has been first class from day one.
“You can see him getting sharper and sharper as each game goes by. He’s in a good place and enjoying his football. I can see him smiling.
“I had a conversation with him after the Aberdeen game. I felt sorry for him because I felt he was harshly treated but his response has been fantastic.
“I have also had that chat with him to let him know the defenders will maybe target him and how he has to embrace that and enjoy it.
“He should use it as a compliment that people are worried about his talent and what he can do to them.
“I think he felt he let his team-mates down at Pittodrie but for the 12 minutes he was on the pitch he was at it and looking as if he was about to post a very good performance.
“I said to him on the day that we forget about it and move on.
“I’m more confident he can make up for the Aberdeen game and he started doing that last Thursday night.
“And yes he needs an edge to his play but it needs to be the right edge.
“It cannot boil over and it can’t get to the stage where he lets his teammates down.
“As for the disallowed goal, the disappointing thing wasn’t that incident.
“We’ll make mistakes, of course we will .
“But it was more getting hurt at the other end so soon after it.
“It was the reaction from it not going in our favour that proved to be the biggest concern for me then.”