One article i just read , one that is truly said ..
I've been quite surprised to read on other blogs and elsewhere,
that it's time Alvaro Arbeloa get regular starts over Steve Finnan
at right back. I'm even more shocked when I read that some think
Finnan is past it and should be sold in the January transfer
window. I strongly disagree. First off, when did Steve Finnan
become known for his pace? The Irishman is a player who has always
used his head more than his physical attributes, so to say that he
is a turtle compared to Arbeloa's hare is stating the
obvious.
There's no doubt that Arbeloa has improved from last year. Last
January, he came onto the club like gangbusters and made an
immediate impact by shutting down Lionel Messi in only his second
match ever for us. As last year wore on though, his faults started
to show. He got caught out of position by going too far forward on
numerous occasions and his tackling abilities came more into
question. I honestly think he was just bored in some of these
incidences, but still, that's no excuse.
This year the Spaniard seems to be playing back more, especially
later in matches when fatigue sets in and his pace can't save him
from being out of position. His early match spurts of going
forward, even though they have yet to produce a goal, definitely
help open opposing defenses and force them to pay attention to his
movements. His tackling has improved greatly as well.
The biggest difference between the two players is that Steve Finnan
is a true wing-back and Arbeloa is more of a straight-on attacking
fullback. I'm not saying that the Spaniard is incapable of making a
great cross, I'm just saying he's more adept at approaching the
goal from the front. I feel really sorry that Benitez has to decide
between the two different styles when analyzing which would be best
at exposing an opponent's weaknesses. That's called sarcasm, by the
way.
Finnan is by no means past it. He is solid on defense as always,
but I do feel that he appears to go forward less this season than
in the past. When we were suffering through that string of numbing
draws earlier in the season though, at times Finnan looked the only
one on the pitch who was trying to make something happen. The one
negative thing I will say about Finney is that at 31 he needs to
retire from international duty. It would actually probably be best
for Ireland as well, since they need to start integrating youth
into their squad, especially since they won't have a chance to
participate in any major competitions until the 2010 World
Cup.
Liverpool fans should embrace the fact that we have a class player
like Finnan to teach and show Arbeloa the ropes of playing fullback
in the Premiership. Finnan doesn't exude the flashiness of Arbeloa,
so I don't expect him to get the kind of praise he deserves, but at
times, even with that dedication and undying resolve he gives our
club, some aren't giving him the proper respect. He is still one of
the best right backs in the Premiership and most clubs would give
their right arm to have him. We should appreciate him while we can
because no matter what, Arbeloa will get his chances to
impress.
Posted by steven gerrard's smarter older brother at 2:57
PM
