I'm betting sixfour is now assured of getting one of the players he wants. Gerrard is an ok pick though, he definitely would've been gone in 20 picks.

Gerrard is a top 20 pick, 6 seems a bit early, but whatever. You are definitely getting one of the best CM's in the world.

there is not a chance i'd have taken gerrard on general principle, so yes, i will get unnamed player or unnamed player

The only problem with Gerrard is that he is hard to build a team around. Despite being well rounded in skills, he needs to be assigned a very specific role to maximize his ability.

^ is why I think him at six is no good.

Gerrard is very underrated ITT.

Is he? I don't think so. On my list of top 20 players for this draft, I think I had him in the teens.

Then you are underrating him.

I don't see how that is underrating him, as I consider several players/positions more important before getting Stevie G.

I think Gerrard is a world class player and easily top 10, but as mosdef said he's not very flexible in the roles he plays and requires a specific type of team for him to really excel. I think there are a couple players who haven't been who are just as good and easier to build a dominating midfield around.

Since he requires a specific type of team then its a good thing i get to choose the other ten positions amirite

Gerrard is one of the guys where bias will hurt him more than anything in this. He is a lock top 10 player and a fine pick.

There is merit to the "difficult to build around" talking point, but not to the degree you guys use. He is more versatile than someone like Kaka. He can either play in the hole or as a CM with the right partner. Pool has two very good CM's as well, and a lot of the "can't fit Gerrard" argument stems from that as much as anything else.

Not sure how someone could have Gerrard in the teens because his position isn't important enough when he can play as a SS or as a box-box midfielder.

He was also arguably the best player in the EPL last season.

I suspect that a lot of first-round picks will be like this. There are a lot of players that are reasonable choices. I had Iniesta easily third after Messi and Ronaldo and was happy that Kaka was taken instead, though I don't think Kaka was a bad pick there nor would Torres be bad as a third pick. There are probably 15 acceptable top 5 picks.

I think saying he is easily top 10 or a lock for top 10 is too strong, but he could definitely sneak into the top 10. I would have him 10-15 but that's me.

I don't agree with this at all. I'm not totally sure what you mean by "flexible," but a couple points,
To me, Gerard is extremely versatile; he can play up front as almost a center forward, he can play a more traditional CM, and he has even shown ability on the wing.

Also, when you're picking at #5, imo you're taking a player who you're going to tailor your team around. (i'll admit this is my first one of these, but it would seem to me that this early on you'd draft a player who would shape your squad.)

And to be honest, I can't really think of a system in which he would Not excel. Great passing and dribbling ability, good pace, great long shots.

And I'm going to now gouge out an eye for speaking so highly about a Liverpool player.

Agreed, there are arguments for many players to be top 5, a lot depends on the strategy you want for your team.

+1

I'm at work so it took me a while to finish my response but you summed it up very well.

tbh, I'm kind of hoping that the player I want to take gets taken, as it's more of a wtf pick than the #2 on my list

ha the, "well, he's here somehow, so I guess I have to take him"

I think I know who you're talking about too.

pm me?

Btw, did we decide on doing a FM simulation to determine the winner or is it a vote/discussion or something else?

Gerrard is a great player as a free player with one striker (and one striker only) in front of him and players around him that will cover for him when he is running around. Yes, he can play as a CF - a mediocre one. Yes, he can play as a wing - a medicore one. Yes, he can play as a traditional CM - so long as someone else covers for him when he rampages into the box or way out the side of the field to make a tackle. But, in order to use him as one of the best players in the world, you have to limit yourself to just one striker "in his way" and tactically responsible players all around him to cover or him.

Sure, but wouldn't you like to have a full range of options for the way your team will be structured when you are making picks 2 though 4?

Have you seen him play for England? He's never come close to matching his club form, and it's no fluke. You are confusing diversity of skills with diversity in terms of tactics. Gerrard only has one tactical use - as a rampaging x-factor. Because he does in the center of the field, his team needs to conform to this role.

So he can be a world class second striker in the hole or a great CM with the right partner? And that is the argument that he is too difficult to build around? Where were you when Kaka was picked?

The argument that you can only play one striker in front of him is pretty weak when Gerrard + 1 good-great striker is an awesome pairing. He is one of the best SS in the world when he plays that position, so I don't see the validity in the argument that only one striker can play in front of him when he is in the hole as a negative.

I think Kaka is more gifted technically, but it's a fair point.

This is kind of my point.

I don't think it's a terrible pick.

The Kaka stuff is about the fact that you really have to tailor everything around him. He can either play in the hole or as an attacking mid behind two strikers. Like Gerrard he is best in the hole, unlike Gerrard he cannot play CM in a 2 man partnership.