I've lifted this off the club website. Jan Molby believes Dirk Kuyt would get into the Barcelona team. Pep Guardiola's men earned their status as Europe's top side with a 3-1 Champions League final triumph over Manchester United last month - and some even believe they are the best team in the history of club football. With Xavi, David Villa, Lionel Messi, Pedro and Andres Iniesta occupying the forward positions, it's difficult to see where ANY player would fit in. But Molby - who scored 61 goals in 292 games for Liverpool during the 1980s and early 1990s - is adamant Kuyt would be on the teamsheet. Speaking to LFC TV, the Dane said: "As a player you look at someone and think 'Would I like to play against him?' And no, I wouldn't, because Dirk pesters and he's at you none stop. He's running, he's working, he's closing you down. "I think the training (under Kenny Dalglish) has really benefitted him. There are a lot more touches for individual players and Dirk's first touch has improved because of that. "I always say this about him - and I mean it: he would walk into any team in the world. Because of the things he gives you. "He wouldn't be their best footballer but I think he would play in Barcelona's team." Thoughts?
Obviously, and I agree with it, he would play in that team, no problem, why.. ok lets examine what would be required from Kuyt and where he would play and lets match his attributes. Required by a Barca move. Very good short passing game Good movement and awareness Quick mind Change of pace Excellent workrate I am of the opinion that Kuyt indeed posesses these attributes. He as clearly demonstrated again and again this season that he can beat a man and get in a cross, crossing needs work, his only real fault, his short passing and movement is excellent, can change pace and go past someone faster than him and will press press press in the Barca way, in fact Kuyt is probably more suited to the way Barca play that the way Liverpool play and I reckon he would be far more effective in their team. Pique Masc both don't offer blinding skill and magical awareness and passing they are competent and can play in that team because they add to the team what is missing, Kuyt is great in posession, better than anyone at united at holding on to the ball, lovely little deft touch passes that a lot of the time other players don't realise are coming and lose the ball, look at those little deft touches around players Barca were pulling off and watch Kuyt working on hte right, doin the very same thing. Some players will not have the kop to keep going in a 5 6 7 pass attacking move, kuyt will give it run take it go beat a man give it off and still work when others have napped off at this point, he just doesn't quit unitl the ball is won back and that is a Barca philosophy
lol Kuyt does a great job for us, but he is quite a few levels short of fitting into their team. He's well capable of doing it against them though.
Balls He had a rough season last season and was fantastic the season before, he is beter season just gone, but I guess you are only seeing the bad from kuyt, in games we play where we stick it to the other top teams Kuyt's contribution is usually essential, United at Anfield, Kuyt was every bit as good as Suarez and most of the good he does goes almost unseen. He is not at his best right now I agree but the season we went and threw it away Kuyt was good enough for Barca. Currently not but he has got the tools. And then there is the fact that he has been used as a utility player for the best part of his Liverpool career. If he was ever gonna go there it was two years ago, not now, he's at the end of his career. Look at how good Eto is, and Barca are actually better without him so it is about fitting in too and not just brilliance lastly, I think there may be more weight to Jan's comments than yours P.S. If Barca can make Masc a passer they'd improve Kuyt in no time
We beat the likes of United, City, Birmingham, Newcastle at home because of Suarez, not Kuyt. When Suarez wasn't in the team in the Europa league games Kuyt was ineffective for most of the 2 legs against Sparta and Braga. He scored a lucky winner from a corner but apart from that he was awful. Kuyt was as good as he has ever been for us at the run at the end of the season, it speaks volumes that you still don't feel he's good enough in his current form to play for Barca, and your just making out as if he has another level to step up too, when he doesn't, this is the best Kuyt will ever be at Liverpool. And you say he's got the tools to be a Barca player, what tools would these be? His passing is nothing special, he has no pace and his first touch is among the worst in our squad. Name me a Barca player that's always in the first XI that can't dribble, has no pace, has a poor first touch and has inconsistent passing? So if I say Diouf is a poor player, I'm wrong as Pele who was a professional footballer said he was amongst the 125 top living footballers in the world at the time?
Kuyt is a workhorse, and on his best day I believe he would get into the Barca squad - On the bench. Although, he just isn't skilled enough to fit into their team, every single person in their first team has technique and skill to match. Kuyt has vision and stamina, he just wouldn't fit in with the tiki-taka style. Although that's not to say he isn't good enough to get into their squad. If Barca were to play a different way, he may well get in. I think he'd get into the first team of Man United, Chelsea and Arsenal, but Real Madrid and Barca - I don't think so.
I don't think he would get in the Barcelona team but he would get in most teams.He definitely would get in Man Uniteds,Chelsea's and Arsenals. I don't care what anyone says,Rooney is of the same standard,the only difference is Kuyt is a model pro and he doesn't have a temper. Some people spout rubbish about Rooneys ''wonderful technique'.What wonderful technique?Put him against Luis Suarez and you'll see wonderful technique. Rooneys overhyped by the English media.As far as I'm concerned Carlos Tevez in every way is superior.
as is agree, but kuyt at his best would have been good enough. Suarez is not a team, he played brilliantly but if he had noone to pass to, kuyt got 3 and you talk of suarez only!!
The main reason why Dirk Kuyt would get in most teams with the exception of Barcelona is down to one thing,His unselfishness.He has to be the most unselfish player in the premiership,in one sense thats been a flaw.However its worked well for us.He's also added reverse passing to his tools.He's thriving with Suarez in the side,both have an understanding that was almost instant.Rumour has it during games they talk to each other in Dutch.I think he's improved since the departure of FT. aka ****ing Twat.
I don't think he would get into most top sides. He does his job for us, but i'm not convinced he could say, go to Chelsea and cut it there. We suit Kuyt fine, as does Dirk for us.
I think Dirk has come to the end of the line. He's not getting any younger and is certainly not going to get better at this age. Any time for such a move came and went a couple of years ago. He is very underrated, hardly ever played in his position, when we did he scored goals, gets goals in big games so he has more bottle than the entire united squad to boot. When we don't perform it makes Kuyt look worse than he is, but when we don't perform it makes Lucas look terrible. When we were playing good football week in week out even Babbel was putting the odd one away, United 2 1 babbel the winner. But when we are not performing these players look far worse when the team as a whole was faltering individuals are selected for grief. So many players looked average under hodgson and came in for a lot of stick and the same players get prasie under kenny for being good players be cause the team is more confident and playing better. Messi would not have 56 goals this season if he had been playing for Valencia imo, so as with Kuyt, he would be better in the Barca team than he is here as he would have more space and better service and better options going forward to pass to, but imo the best way barca could use Kuyt is a space maker with runs and battling for the ball back as well as the usual contributions, but there isn't anyone in the Barca team you would take out right now to put Kuyt in, I think they could use him, but have better options, I think maybe Molby is getting at that.
If you look at the job Park does for United, I see Kuyt as a slightly more versatile version of Park. This is why I think he would fit into most sides that don't have a specialised type of play. He wouldn't fit into a highly skilled team - but if you put him in a total football team he'd probably fit right in.
I've always liked Kuyt, even when most of my mates were slagging him off I defended him. They were more impressed by obvious ball skills and I think football is much more complex than that. Would he get into the Barca team though? Probably not. Often his first touch seems to let him down and he loses possession, but sometimes I think he passes to where he's expecting a player to move to , and if they don't, that makes his pass look worse than it is. A lot of the time, Barca seem to play underweighted passes, not hard to feet, so the receiving player can run on to them - maybe this would suit his game better. He's not fast over thirty yards so not great at taking on and beating quick full backs, but I do think he's quick at turning and moving in the box and to me, woud be more effective left in there more. In the end, you can't answer the question without seeing him in there and that's never going to happen.
Yer I see where you're coming from. Kuyt in a number of ways is like Park. Perhaps he would on his good day. However I think he would be the link that broke down the total football inside a team though. He is good, very good at times. But he'snot quit there. He's the best he's ever been this season, but we have had some fairly average seasons out of Kuyt, where at times he's been lucky to be starting, let alone for Barcelona. Saying all that, he's probably my fav player atm! Along with Carra.
The entire team was ineffective. Messi was pants in the World Cup. So was Ronaldo. Doesn't mean they're rubbish without specific club teammates. Rafa beat Barca at Barca with Kuyt in the team by playing the Barca way. I dunno where this poor first touch nonsense comes from. Another media cliche, no doubt. He doesn't need pace to get to the byeline and a lot of his goals are first touches. [video]http://youtu.be/gPO48yW4B4w[/video]
To be honest I tend to agree about his poor touch. You can see it when you watch him. He is good at closing down people and linking the final bit of play though.
Oh, forgot to mention- great penalty taker, nerveless under pressure. There you go- thats probably screwed that up for him.
