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He's seen as a midfielder by Alonso because we don't have anybody else that can play there, we sold them all and failed to bring anybody else in. If we had signed Scott and Caicedo wasn't injured, they would be our two starting midfielders.

From the "Burnley Express" ....vvv "Dastan Satpayev is facing “weeks” on the sidelines for Burnley after picking up an injury. The Chelsea loanee has been the standout performer for the Clarets so far this season and was a big miss during Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Bristol City."

Didnt Reece James play in midfield for coventry when loaned there? had a quick flick through this click bait below... pretty much agree with it. so the question is, who do people want to replace our world class captain with in the middle of the park. Enzo couldnt do the job and he is a 240 million pound player. names below, and do factor into your thinking that we struggle to sign the right types of players. More than happy for Alonso to keep picking our world class captain as a central midfielder. I'll be delighted to see him playing on the right in wing back role or right back, but I think our manager see's him as a midfielder. Anyhow. hope he stays injury free. Why Reece James is a legitimate midfield option, and how...He can’t just “play there” in midfield, he’s a top midfielder

Alonso also played at Real Madrid when Mourinho was manager alongside sh*thouses like Marcelo, Ramos and Pepe. You don't win being a nice guy, unless you're Kante.

Even on a side note from this, when Rice took down Rogers, and Rogers was at least remonstrating, nobody was around him, nobody was backing him up. Gusto runs in eventually, but more to hold HIM off.

JT brought up similar thoughts about our lacking in the dark arts. How Joao Pedro and Hato did little when Martinez got booted in the head, that he would have been all over the ref trying to get a red card. Alonso should know this is important aswell in this league, he was in a Liverpool side masters of it themselves with Gerrard and carragher. Our team may just be too nice. Cole is so laid back he plays from a horizontal position, James is not far behind. Only player we have who plays that I can say has a mean streak in him is Martinez.

Yes, that pissed me off, too. People tend to bitch and whine about Arsenal geting away with things and refs favouring them but the truth is, it's not enough just to have quality players, you need big personalities, too. Chelsea in the past had them in abundance, but this current group are boys, not men.

I wonder why Gusto was the one selected to play out of position as the emergency midfielder. I'd guess it is his engine. Not that any of this is ideal but I'd think we'd do better with Josh or Levi than Malo there.

Slightly off subject....Liverpool fans believe they are some of the most knowledgeable supporters on the planet, also that there is nothing quite like a European night at Anfield. Both of those two comments are utter tosh of course.

I don't think it should be unpopular and I think too many people hold off on criticising James just because he came through the academy. He makes too many excuses. I'm not interested in hearing our captain say Arsenal have been together under Arteta a lot longer. I never saw Terry, Cahill or Azpilicueta making that excuse when a new manager came in, so I don't want to hear it from James either. There's no such thing as a game coming too early when it's against your rivals. Hull played their first game of the season against United and beat them. This annoyed me too. When Rogers went mad at Rice, there was about 5 Arsenal players that quickly pounced to protect him and were in the refs ear. Only one of our players came over and that was Gusto, and all he did was pull Rogers away. I said in the match thread that all of this whining about Arsenal's dark arts isn't going to change anything. You need a bit of nastiness in you to compete at the top and you certainly need it to win titles. I think we lack that and James certainly does too.

Fearing we have to play Gusto in midfield AGAIN. Or risk playing Lavia. Penders Acheampong Lacroix Colwill Chavarria Lavia Barco Estevao Palmer Rogers Welbeck

I see people go for some experimental formations, but this is definitely not going to be the case. We have no reason to not go for the Cups and Alonso seems set on that. Maybe a few ins and outs, but not a lot different from the team that played at the week-end. Leeds are a solid PL club and surely won't put the reserves out there.

If he's not able to play RWB then he should be playing RCB. The man is not a midfielder.

The Liverpool fans don't pick the team, the manager does and he'll always go for the player with good PL experience rather than a lad with potential. They probably view Gakpo the same way we used to view Willan and Pedro. Gapko is no Salah just as Willan and Pedro were no Hazard. I'm excited about Estevao and have been since before he even arrived, but he has to earn his place in the team and do a lot more than he has done to date when he does get selected. If he's as good as we all hope he is, his time will come.

I call a spade a spade. Some Osasuna left winger nobody has ever heard of is starting over arguably the most exciting young right winger on the planet not named Lamal. I suggest you read how Liverpool fans feel about Gakpo by the way.

Unpopular opinion. I think Reece is not the best option to be a captain. I love him to bits, he's a world class talent and Chelsea through and through but he's just not vocal enough and does not command the kind of respect a true captain should. Watching the last game vs Arse makes it even more obvious, he's just too reserved and shy. Arsenal players are trying to bully and sh*thouse us all over the pitch, and the moment sh*t goes down, they're all over our player, or a ref, and Reece is just, well... there. Even Colwill has more of an attitude and has no problem getting into people's faces. I'm not saying you should run around screaming and picking fights all game like a madman, but there are times in almost every match where you got to stand up for your team. And captain should lead by example.

Think you need to remove those blue-tinted glasses! Not saying Estevao isn't going to be better than all of them eventually, but right now he is very inconsistent and wouldn't start ahead of a player like Gakpo.

No he’s not he’s our best player at running fast in a straight line!!!

That's not saying much. Liverpool have been tragic. They are currently shuffling between Rio, Munoz, and Gakpo on who can play RW. Estevao would be clear of them.

Show me who I have gone over the top in saying had a good game at the weekend. No one had a good game, I simply stated Neto is a bad player and offered nothing (as usual).

I'm not sure their fitness/sharpness has anything to do with it. Lavia+James as a 2 man midfield will always pose issues for me, and it's magnified when we are up against the best team in the league, and arguably the best side in Europe, at closing down spaces.

Yep, Munoz has started well and now they have Barcola, Gapko can switch to the right too. Estevao would spend as much time on their bench as he currently does on ours, where he would keep Ngumoha company (also doesn't get much game time for one tipped to be the next big thing).