Comparing Arbeloa and Finnan

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. In 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.