For many, there has been a belief that in order to get the most out of Charlie Adam he must be
played as part of a three-man midfield, alongside players who will be able to cover for his
shortcomings and in doing so allow him to do what he does best—break down tough opponents and
create scoring opportunities.
The big win over Blackburn was immensely enjoyable and has lifted the mood in the Gooner camp to
a great extent after an eminently forgettable January. A lot has already been said about the match
and I don't want to revisit it in detail but there were two goals in that game that caught my
eye.
Both the goals started from the back but were scored in a markedly different manner, each a
delight in its own way.
It's been awhile since I trawled through the Guardian chalkboards for interesting items. I know, we
all missed it.
I remain convinced that Liverpool changed tact in midfield during the interval. The key seemed to
be Spearing, more willing to stay in his own half and shield the defense rather than pressing
higher up the pitch and leaving gaps.
Against Wolves, Jordan Henderson only misplaced four of his passes from open play for a
completion rate topping 90%. He may not have connected on any of his seven attempted crosses, which
does rather drag down his overall numbers, but it is nonetheless an impressive statistic. As for
how he achieved such a high completion rate, the answer is a fairly simple one: He kept it
simple.
Last year in a 2-part "tactical preview" I suggested that the true shape of a "back four" team
is actually a "W", taking into consideration the prevalence of the deep-lying central defensive
midfielder, who in many applications has become almost a 3rd center back and revised the famous
"libero" role of the past.
