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How badly do we need a new striker?

Discussion in 'Liverpool' started by Ze, Aug 13, 2011.

  1. Red Baron

    Red Baron Active Member

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    Exactly. It pains me how bad he is.
     
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  2. Hash.

    Hash. pure daycent

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    <laugh> he is actually literally ****
     
    #22
  3. luvgonzo

    luvgonzo Pisshead

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    We need to develop a youngster in this position, Carroll, Suarez and Kuyt is enough but we need the back up of a younger player who can do the job if we have an injury crisis. N'Gog is not the man and none of the reserves are standing out.
     
    #23
  4. Zingy

    Zingy #ziggywould

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    The only problem I have with buying a striker primarily for back up is asking to buy another Veronin. If we buy a striker I would expect to see someone who can challenge Carroll for a starting spot.
     
    #24
  5. KingPepeReina.

    KingPepeReina. Active Member

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    There was a buy-back option inserted into Cashinhandos sale....Liverpool can buy him back from Chelsea for £4 million.
     
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  6. Salah's-left-foot

    Salah's-left-foot Well-Known Member

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    If I could choose any striker from Chelsea it would be either Sturridge or Lukaku
     
    #26

  7. Welshred

    Welshred Member

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    Get Adam Morgan involved as back up to the strikers. What I think we are missing is someone with pace to come off the bench. I'd have Sterling on the bench, he may be raw but he could use his pace to good effect against tired legs. I think someone like him would have made a big difference last 20 mins vs sunderland
     
    #27
  8. Jimmy Squarefoot

    Jimmy Squarefoot Well-Known Member

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    If we do bring in another striker, I would prefer a fast one who has a good touch and movement.

    If not, I'm happy with Kuyt to play as either starting striker or back up. Henderson and Gerrard can play on the right wing.
     
    #28
  9. Muppetfinder General

    Muppetfinder General Well-Known Member

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    Nah, there's a huge list of quality strikers who can't wait to play 4th striker for us.[/sarcasm]

    Also, just because N'Gog and Insua were moved up from the reserves and thrown to the lions doesn't mean our youngsters will suffer the same backlash from fans.[/sarcasm again]

    N'Gog was a 4th striker playing as 2nd and too often 1st striker when Torres was injured. But he gained a lot of PL experience you can't buy, which Adam Morgan doesn't have.

    I don't have a problem replacing N'Gog if a better 4th striker can be found but so far I've seen no names that would enjoy being so far down the order. And we no longer pay big wages just so oldies will sit quietly on the bench.
     
    #29
  10. Ze

    Ze Well-Known Member

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    Realistically we're looking for a 3rd striker, since Kuyt will probably be utilised on the right wing more than up front.

    So, a striker that is better than Ngog and would settle for 15-20 appearances a season? Shane Long would have been ideal.
     
    #30
  11. Muppetfinder General

    Muppetfinder General Well-Known Member

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    Kuyt is 3rd striker. Shoot, he was our top scorer last season. So yes, he's a versatility player but he's still 3rd striker when we need him. We have plenty of cover for the right when he is central. It'll be a tiny number of games where it simply has to be Kuyt on the right with a sub striker central for the last ten minutes.

    I dealt with the Shane Long thing yesterday, with stats. You'll have to start supporting this contention of yours because at N'Gog's age Long wasn't any better than N'Gog. His last season was his best and it was in the Championship. So he scored in his first PL game, against a pish 'keeper. N'Gog scored against Arsenal first game last season. Long's shot was gash and many grannies could've saved it. Let's see him one-on-one against a keeper like VDS because N'Gog's been there, done him, and at 20 years of age. I'd say Long also fits into the category of, "Why would I want to sit on your bench when I'm getting games already?"

    That's not to say you can't swap a 22-yr old with potential for a 24-yr old who's already realising it (hopefully) but I see N'Gog being better than Long when he's 24.

    I'm ready to be convinced by a decent presentation but I've yet to see one.
     
    #31
  12. Ze

    Ze Well-Known Member

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    If they were both in the same standard conditions, then the stats could be compared, but they're not. Long has been in the Championship with a sub-standard team behind him fueling attacks, not to mention they're both different types of players - Ngog is much more likely to get a tap in than shoot a stunner from outside the box.

    Stats aren't everything, Ngog's general play isn't very good. He doesn't set other people up, he wastes chances and his first touch is awful. His attributes are his pace and he can get into good positions (sometimes), but apart from that he isn't a good all round striker. Strikers are becoming less and less about simply taking hold of the ball and slotting it into the back of the net, with both of our wingers very able to score goals, and attacking midfielders that can do the same we need somebody who can set them up and score them equally as well.

    Ngog instead, is quite like Babel in the fact he has had lots of promise and hence pressured piled onto him to succeed. He gets onto the pitch and he wants to show what he can do, rather enthusiastically he takes the ball on his own and either misses the target or loses the ball. The next game he doesn't get a run out, 2 weeks later he gets a sub appearance and eager to show what he can do and so earn a place in the starting line up - he does the same. The cycle starts all over again, if he could calm down and just pass the ball or be ready to receive it and set another team mate up, he will score more goals himself.

    Long is calmer on the ball, having shown what he can do and being the figurehead striker of a (albeit Championship) side for years, he has both experience and technical skill to play the role I mentioned before. We need to start looking towards this season, and less towards 2 years away. The question could be asked, if we had got rid of Lucas when everyone maintained he was crap, and brought someone different in then would we be in the same difficulties we are now? With the benefit of Hindsight, after Lucas' first season would you have cut your losses and perhaps brought in a more natural DM? I would, because football is now about immediate results, we saw this in Rafa's last season - you can have 1 off season, but getting back up to the previous level is 10x harder than maintaining that level.

    Also, Beckford can be compared with Long in the fact he also got regular games for a side that was so close to promotion. Reading are the same, Beckford doesn't mind sitting on the bench for a better team, I can't see Long minding either.
     
    #32
  13. Zingy

    Zingy #ziggywould

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    I'm yet to be convinced by the Long hype, and I do think we expect too much of N'gog. It's like we are expecting another 18-20 year old sensation and when they get past 21 their time is up. My only problem with N'gog is his attitude, apparently he is always late to training etc but I hope that has stopped since Kenny came in. I would like to see Morgan implemented into the squad at a young age so he can train with the seniors, see how he gets on.

    As for buying another striker, I think a bid for Higuain would be worth a punt. But highly doubt he would come to us yet, and any story that he is not needed by Real is most likely BS.
     
    #33
  14. KingPepeReina.

    KingPepeReina. Active Member

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    I agree with the above opinion. Shane Long won't be up against keepers as useless as Doh Gea every week. Lets see how he gets on against good keepers.
     
    #34
  15. louis211

    louis211 Active Member

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    when we sold Torres to Chelsea, wasn't Sturridge offered as part of the deal, or offered on loan till the end of the season with an option to buy for £5 mill
    I thought at the time we should have taken the option up, i had seen him play a couple of times for Chelsea the year before in the FA cup and he had looked very useful
    As we bought Carroll who was injured ( and not due back for a while )we were very light up front at the time with an unknown in Suarez just joining. (As it turned out we ended up doing ok due to how Suarez hit the groud running)
    It was an ideal chance to try a promising youngster
    As we all know we did not take up the option and he went to Bolton on loan and did very well for them, he has since done very well in pre season for Chelsea.
    I don't think Chelsea would sell him now and escpecially not for the £5 million they were offering him to us for.
    I fear this is definitely one that got away, would of been ideal as back up striker this season
     
    #35
  16. Smudger

    Smudger Active Member

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    What happened to Pacheco? Thought he was your striker prospect?
     
    #36
  17. kph103

    kph103 Well-Known Member

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    How about Odemwingie..8 million price tag..always looks good when I see him play and scored a lot of goals last season..bargain price.
     
    #37
  18. luvgonzo

    luvgonzo Pisshead

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    Lets see how he does now that defenders are more aware of him.
     
    #38
  19. kph103

    kph103 Well-Known Member

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    Well its the same with Hernandez but are you saying he won't score many this season.You are probably right to a point but still think he is a decent back-up striker for the money they want for him.Mind you don't know how old he is.
     
    #39

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