[arfy05]

With the search function all a bit awkward I couldn't find a Guti thread. Basically I was thinking with your striker crisis (Pipita, RvN injured, Saviola debt collecting, etc) compounded with your high frequency of similar midfielders would it be right for Schuster to try Guti as a striker.

I know he hasn't played the position for ages, but he did very well in his last proper prolong stint as a striker back in 2002. Benching Morientes and shining aheado of Raul. I think ahead of the likes of Saviola its worth a best for Schuster to try Guti as a striker, maybe not a direct number 9 but someone close to the goal. The midfield area has enough architects in VdV, Sneijder and Gago and its not like you have much quality options upfront. Food for thought?

 

[Hala Madrid]

Correction, he didnt bench Morientes who was out injured along with Anelka and Raul was our only forward. But yeah he did extremely well as our converted striker and did score 14 goals and the situation is strikingly similar to our current situation but i dont think it will work now. The problem now is the stinking midfield which creates zero chances and gets overrun in games so easily so taking off our only creative mind (VDV has been horrendous) and putting him as a striker would only multiply our problems because we would have nobody to create.

 

[arfy05]

I'm on about 2002-2003, the season where Ronaldo arrived and Guti was in mad form scoring in Rome and in Tokyo. Not the UCL winning season, Anelka left by then IIRC. He was at Liverpool by then I think.

Seen about what you say, but the one thing I'll note is that your midfield worked so well last year because of how you integrated attack with defence. Your defensive (pressing) game is what helped initiate attacks as you squeezed the opposition of the ball and space, then manoeuvred the ball. Right now your not pressing or working to recover the ball and hence why you can't build or sustain attacks IMO. Barcelona had similar issues, but there attack had more bite in holding the ball so didn't look as vulnerable and imbalanced as you guys do.

 

[Africana]

It may well work to try Guti as a striker. He has been useless in central midfield for sometime.

What is the use of having a central midfielder who can't complete a pass, as has been the case with the version of Guti we have seen for sometime? The guy receives a good pass, in the world of his, dress the ball awhile and then hit on the leg of the nearest opponent. Other times, the ball would be picked from his feet and he would do nothing to recover the ball. All this happened countless times again in Saturday's games.

Last year while Guti was out for a while due to injury, either Marca or As offered an analysis that compared a good number of Madrid's games played with Guit and those played without him. The result was shocking. Madrid won virtually all games with Guti and won about half and lost half of those with him, or something like that.

That's what you get from a lazy central midfielder.

Make no mistake: I blieve he is the finest midfielder you can think of if he puts his mind to it, but he only did it on a very few occasions last year and hasn't done it at all this year.

He may well do better in the attack. At least, nobody would think we have a "creative" midfielder that does not really exist.

 

[Redhat Pellegrini]

he could be 4th choice behind ruud, higuain, and raul. but ideally id want him out of teh club.

 

[Hala Madrid]

I'm on about 2002-2003, the season where Ronaldo arrived and Guti was in mad form scoring in Rome and in Tokyo. Not the UCL winning season, Anelka left by then IIRC. He was at Liverpool by then I think.

Seen about what you say, but the one thing I'll note is that your midfield worked so well last year because of how you integrated attack with defence. Your defensive (pressing) game is what helped initiate attacks as you squeezed the opposition of the ball and space, then manoeuvred the ball. Right now your not pressing or working to recover the ball and hence why you can't build or sustain attacks IMO. Barcelona had similar issues, but there attack had more bite in holding the ball so didn't look as vulnerable and imbalanced as you guys do.

The 03 season? He only had 4 goals all season, im talking about 2000 where all of our strikers were injured (even Raul) and we had no option but to convert Guti to a striker and he responded brilliantly with 18 goals all season. I remember that season vividly, but unfortunately we have deeper problems now and i dont think it will work again. We're better off just playing Saviola or Bueno and hoping for the rest.

By the way, i know he's not having the best of seasons but this is the same guy who was unbelievable last season and led the league with 17 assists, most of them out of this world passes that led us to a league title. Joshua really needs to come in here and shed some perspective on this to you boys :boxing:

 

[Josué]

Joshua really needs to come in here and shed some perspective on this to you boys :boxing:

There's no point. Guti's personality and his lack of work ethic at times leads people to dislike him. All you have to do is read the ridiculous comments up above about him to understand that. Guti is attacked non-stop, he can never do anything right in people's eyes.

Yet, what did Guti do yesterday?

Well, he only cleanly tackled the ball, and then distributed it to Saviola for the goal. Just another Guti assist that goes completely unnoticed by the 'haters.'

Guti's our best midfielder. Maybe not when Sneijder and VDV are wearing an orange jersey, but he's consistently been our best midfielder for two years now. He is the last player that needs to be targeted.

 

[sagyv]

There's no point. Guti's personality and his lack of work ethic at times leads people to dislike him.

at times?
the guy is not a professional football player.

 

[Subramanian]

Seriously,he is a captain it seems.Come on,what leadership will he or the deluded Raul provide?

 

[Kiyan]

I would absolutely love to see Guti tried as a striker. He was phenomenal in that position last time he played there, and who knows what a few goals as a forward would do to his confidence.

 

[sagyv]

Seriously,he is a captain it seems.Come on,what leadership will he or the deluded Raul provide?

Raul shows much more leadership then guti. No comparison.
He is after all actually running the club...

 

[zoric]

Oh god, I remember when he acutally played in this position. That was long ago, it actually makes me a bit nostalgic when I think of the teams that were in the league at that time.

 

[Hala Madrid]

it actually makes me a bit nostalgic when I think of the teams that were in the league at that time.

Thats because Atletico Madrid was not in the league during those two seasons :tongue:

 

[Gwydno]

Guti might have good performances as a striker.
But we would lose the only bit of brain that -sometimes- we have in our midfield

 

[millwall rule]

I'd say why not try it although I feel a Saviola, Raul aprtnership would be stronger as neither Guti or Raul have enough speed to really unlock defences. Still with Guti being one of the best in the world technically and in terms of unlocking defences as well as a brilliant shot, why not give him a chance as a deep forward.

Why not push Van Der Vaart up instead as he did start of his Ajax career as a striker didn't he? I seem to remember him scoring plenty of goals for a few seasons there

 

[Redhat Pellegrini]

Saviola's only partnership should be between his ass and the bench. he has no business playing for us, and same goes for raul but hes captain and bla bla bla bla.