Maxi Rodriguez scored two more vital league goals against Blackburn on Tuesday, and despite a fantastic record of eleven goals in the last ten league starts, Anfield legend Steve Nicol insists that the Argentinean 'doesn't do enough' to justify a regular place in Liverpool's starting XI.
Maxi is regularly dropped after scoring goals for Liverpool, and it's likely that this will happen again for tomorrow's FA Cup semi-final with Everton, which for me, would be totally unfair.
Nicol, however, believes Dalglish is right to keep dropping Maxi. He told ESPN:
"I think the Liverpool coaching staff don't think he does enough defensively or attacking-wise.
"Every goal he scores is a carbon copy; he's always at the end of the move standing there at the right place.
"For me, he doesn't do enough for the rest of the game, whether it's defensively, or creating chances for others".
I totally disagree with that assessment. At an embarrassing 8%, Liverpool's conversion rate is the lowest in the Premier League. Finishing continues to be a major problem, so why ignore a player who regularly proves to be a good finisher?
* Maxi has the best conversion rate in the squad (36.4%). As a comparison, Luis Suarez has an 8.4% CR; Andy Carroll is on 7.1%
* Maxi also has the highest passing accuracy in the team (90%), so he's vital to keeping possession of the ball.
* Maxi's job is attacking midfielder, not defensive midfielder. His job is to score and create goals, and with 6 goals and 3 assists in 9 starts this season, he's clearly doing his job.
Jaimie Kanwar
Maxi is regularly dropped after scoring goals for Liverpool, and it's likely that this will happen again for tomorrow's FA Cup semi-final with Everton, which for me, would be totally unfair.
Nicol, however, believes Dalglish is right to keep dropping Maxi. He told ESPN:
"I think the Liverpool coaching staff don't think he does enough defensively or attacking-wise.
"Every goal he scores is a carbon copy; he's always at the end of the move standing there at the right place.
"For me, he doesn't do enough for the rest of the game, whether it's defensively, or creating chances for others".
I totally disagree with that assessment. At an embarrassing 8%, Liverpool's conversion rate is the lowest in the Premier League. Finishing continues to be a major problem, so why ignore a player who regularly proves to be a good finisher?
* Maxi has the best conversion rate in the squad (36.4%). As a comparison, Luis Suarez has an 8.4% CR; Andy Carroll is on 7.1%
* Maxi also has the highest passing accuracy in the team (90%), so he's vital to keeping possession of the ball.
* Maxi's job is attacking midfielder, not defensive midfielder. His job is to score and create goals, and with 6 goals and 3 assists in 9 starts this season, he's clearly doing his job.
Jaimie Kanwar
As Johnny Giles often states, "Goals dictate games"
ReplyDeleteSounds obvious and it is........
Maxi may not have blinding pace, or marathon man fitness, or a soul destroying will to defend, or the tricks to beat a man 1 on 1 - he seems to only have a football brain. What a sin! All he can do is score goals, make goals, keep possession, win games - WASTE OF SPACE......... not
i agree..i really think he should start tomorrow. he never moans when he is not playing and always looks a threat. he deserves a run
ReplyDeleteHe's worth his place but you've got to alter the team to accomodate him. Has a good rapport with Suarez.
ReplyDeletepersonally id go with a team of
ReplyDelete--------------------------JONES--------------------------------------
JOHNSON-----------SKRTEL----------AGGER----------------ENRIQUE
------------------SPEARING--------GERRARD-------------------------
---------MAXI--------------SUAREZ---------------DOWNING---------
---------------------------CARROLL---------------------------------
Mr Nicol, do you by any chance remember a certain John Toshack, a less mobile version of Andy Carroll, he used to stand in the right, score goals and little else.
ReplyDeleteSorry typo I meant right place.
ReplyDeleteWoud it b wrong for Nicol if Maxi played 2morrow and was at right place at the right time and score two goals which takes Lfc to the final. Oh no. Wait. We have Henderson, Adam, Caroll and Downing. They do a lot for the team. They just can't F***** score. Some of the ex reds they really talk shit. Unbelievable.
ReplyDeleteMaxi's positioning is pretty simple he keeps himself in line with the back post when we attack down the right comes in from the wing, if Downing or Bellamy took up similar
ReplyDeletepositions I am sure they will score more goals.
Tomorrow Downing should start. With him playing so well last time at Wembley, the big pitch suits him. I wonder how Maxi and Suarez as our two strikers would work? Maxi obviously great goal scorer and links up fantastic with Suarez.
ReplyDeleteJones
Johnson - Skirtel - Agger - Enrique
Bellamy - Spearing Downing
Gerrard
Suarez - Maxi
I disagree too, Maxi can be often seen on our half of the pitch fighting for the ball.. as for creating chances, his one-two's with Suarez in or around the box definitely create chance for either of them.
ReplyDeleteWe are crying out loud for a good finisher. A Poacher. A Chicharito. He's our Chicharito, but a much more rounded player, because unlike Chicharito, who can only basically put the ball into the net, Maxi also can dribble and tackle, and do smart passes, and what's most important, he is the one who really understands Suarez's movements and can properly react, unlike most other players.
So I fail to understand the Kenny's logic behind dropping him. After all, it is largely due to his input in the 2nd half of the last season, his hattrick after hattrick that bought Kenny a promotion from the care-taker-manager to the full-time jub.
I personally feel quite bitter about the way he is being treated, and because his input to our results are being undervalued. Kenny even mentioned sarcastically, when he was asked about the players' stats - said - "well, if you look at the stats, Maxi's are the best.", meaning that he gives no significance to that at all.
wat a load of sh#te, dont goals win games and have we not been lacking them? it just dribbles out nicols mouth sometimes.
ReplyDeletetell me, who else deserves to be a definate starting 11 apart from agger and skrtel?
maxi is quite like garcia. think maxi was sulking ealier in the season after being dropped when he should not of been
I saw the interview on ESPN and I totally agree. This is what I've been saying about Maxi. He seems to score goals, but when you have someone who is not totally committed on all aspects, then you probably going to get opened up very easily. What's going to happen when we play against a tougher opponent and he isn't there to put in the tackle or track back when we need him? If he ups this portion of his game..which is most unlikely then I will totally be in favour of him having a regular starting place.
ReplyDeleteHe is one of our better workers in terms of attacking movement.
ReplyDeleteHe was part of the side that put in that great form in the second half of last season and was a key factor. There was no issue of not hardworking enough.
He has barely been given proper chances this season, which is a real shame, considering the so-called form of his replacements.
its as simple as this Steve nicol will try and defend Keny in any way, a couple of weeks ago he said we create chances and all we need is a someone to finish them, he also said carroll needs a mid to help him, doest maxi fit the bill, but because kenny drops him its okay, he such a hypocrite, when rafa played macher as a right back against atheletico mardrid in the europa to curve the threat from areguro, and played glen johnson on the left he critized rafa, for doing that, even though glen had been skined alive in the previous tie on that flank when areguro was not even playing , yet when kenny played glen on the left, no mention. he has refused to critize any decision by kenny and u can tell by his face that he takes it personally when the host Dan thomas makes fun, or jus points out facts, truth of the matter people like steve nicol r too stuck in the thier own legacy, which y liverpool cant move forward, similar to the way kenny has become
ReplyDeleteWhat a hair brain comment. With all due respect, Nicol has rocks in his head sometime. Hard to believe he actually played the game (and so well).
ReplyDeleteMaxi ONLY scores goals.
. If we ONLY played him more often we'd ONLY score more goals and ONLY have more points and ONLY be in the hunt for a top four place...
If ONLY Nicol would think before he puts his foot in his mouth...
It may be a fair comment. Players do have to do more than score goals. Maxi's stats are impressive and he has a great knack of being in the right place but isn't there more to being a team player? Any player, even a striker, has a job at all ends of the pitch. If Maxi doesn't defend well against attacking full backs that's certainly a problem. If he doesn't move well off the ball unless it's to get in a goal scoring position, that's likely also a problem. He certainly scores the goals, but what if the other 89 minutes of play see him making life hard for the rest of the team? Not saying I agree with the overall assessment, I just don't know, but I think it's worthwhile considering it. Coaching staff have all the stats and figures there in front of them, it's all extensively mapped out in complex databases. If Maxi runs less, makes less tackles, receives less passes ... well maybe it adds up. Maybe it means the rest of the team has to work extra hard to make up for it and that's a problem. As we saw in that last game, 2 goals mean nothing if the other team can come back and score two of their own. If any of Maxi's failings are contributing to those goals then you have to ask the question: is it worth it?
ReplyDeleteObviously you what you want is a combination of skills and work ethic. Kuyt works too hard and fails to put himself in good scoring positions. Maxi might not work hard enough but knows how to get in good positions. The manager will try to get both players to find a better balance but of course it's the hardest thing to get right. If it would easy then all players would get it just right.
I'd like to see game stats of when Maxi plays vs when he doesn't. Steve Nicol doesn't help by just making generalised statements. Are Liverpool a better team overall when Maxi is playing? Or do they find it harder to keep possession? Do they create more or less chances? Do they have to defend more or less chances? Do they concede more or less goals?
Nicol is right Maxi doesn't do much else but he has a knack of scoring goals. But all successful teams defend from the front and with Maxi there is a always a big hole which means the team gets dragged out of position as players scurry across to cover for him. If we had a speedy left back who was great at defending as well as attacking then maybe Maxi would have started more games but with Enrique and Maxi together it is far too open and a dream for the opposition. With Johnson playing in Enrique's place maybe that is why Maxi got a start on Tuesday, not long after Johnson went off, Maxi soon followed.
ReplyDeleteErhm ... did you mistype Downing instead of Bellamy?
ReplyDeletethis is why nicol is managing in yankland, which is akin to pub football.
ReplyDeleteAgree with u mate. When Rafa was there the league was more important. Now people like R Houghton say it don't matter if we finish tenth in the league. If Rafa was mmgr now S Nicol would have deffinetly called for Rafas head. HIPOCRISY AT THE HIGHEST ORDER.
ReplyDeleteThat's one of the reasons it's been a shit season maxi shoul have played alot more games
ReplyDeleteThe combination of Maxi , Meireles, Suarez and Kuyt is why we played so well from Jan to May last year.... they passed the ball as a collective and were able to finish off the moves created.... Kenny has purchased his own players this year and neglected the players that served him so well and it was a mistake.... whichever way people argue it the British transfer project of 2011 was a disaster for the club
ReplyDeletewell said mate HIPOCRISY AT THE HIGHEST ORDER,last season maxi when kenny took over he was scoring goals left right and center, remmber fulham, yet afte such impressiv perfomaces he gets left on the bench, raul our best player gets sold, kuyt a hard worker who gives his all is also dropped, yet adam, carroll, henderson, who dont add much to the team get the nod, if kenny gets sucked its all from his own making, the only simpathy i have for him was the lucas injury, lucas was coming to his own and any team would miss him, bt thats it, just as asprilla said kenny destroyed newcasltle by making funny signings he is doing the same to liverpool, he is digging his own grave, cause John H is ruthless as we have seen this past week, he better win the fa, cause if he dont, his gone
ReplyDeleteJust seen the line up. Maxi and Enrique dropped for the semi. Till today I would have had simpathy for him if he was to b fired. After today I don't care if he gets the sack tomorrow. Just why is Carrager in the starting line up. WTF.
ReplyDelete17 similar goals in his last 20 games for liverpoool is so bad Nicoll would rather have Henderson and Downing with a combined return of 3 goals in over 60 games. Probably he never did watch Thiery Henry score similar type of goals in his many years in the premier league but then again what do I know, Nicoll is a very successful manager himself on top of having played very well for liverpool back in the 80s.
ReplyDeleteHernandez and Maxi play in two different positions. One is a goalpoacher and the other is a goalscoring attacking midfielder. They operate in different areas. Maxi has a knack of scoring goals yes but that doesn't mean he is 'our Chicarito'. Compare him to fellow scoring attacking midfielders, not a goalpoacher who plays up front and does nowt elsewhere. Maxi is bound to be more rounded as he is midfielder.
ReplyDeleteA real shame the way KK doesn't use him much, a real shame indeed. Very useful player that is worthy of a start.