Benteke as has a great start in more than one season. He's suffered from injuries and burnout in much the same way and for the same reason as Giroud at Arsenal; over dependent on one forward. Unless we get someone in, we'll be able to say the same about Studge too!
Eh? Kevin Philips once scored 30 goals in a season in the PL for Sunderland ffs Scroing goals in lesser PL sides is tougher as they create less chances than the top sides. In addition I think you'll find that in Bony's case, a lot of his goals are created from nothing.
Firstly, I never mentioned the PL. Secondly, nobody mentioned thirty goals as a threshold. Lastly, he scored over twenty times in three consecutive seasons for Sunderland! If scoring goals in a lesser team is so much harder (which I don't dispute btw), then why are people quick to claim such players are a "big fish in a little pond" all the time? There is nothing to suggest he would be just as good at a high pressured stakes club such as Liverpool. Do you not sleep? Just wonder how you find time to watch all these different clubs and players in such detail
The perfect player to bring up here is Darren Bent. Bent has been a goal machine for much of his career at mostly lower PL clubs. He banged them in for fun at Charlton and Sunderland. But when he made a big money move to Spurs he really struggled.
No you said; I was merely pointing out that he's scored bags of goals in the PL, including 30 in one season when his partnership with Quinn was at it's peak. Your comment about his goalscoring prowess ignored this fact, as in his prime he was good enough for a top side imo. As for some players not being able to handle the increased pressure of a move to a 'big' club, that's a valid point, but it's less to do with their ability and more to do with their mental strength, and there's no way of predicting that with any degree of accuracy. EDIT: I watch football virtually every day during the season and have done for as long as Sky has been broadcasting.
Put that way, hard to argue.. 12m for Long who scored 6 goals? 19m for a 20+ goal a season striker (well, he's only done it once... so far) doesn't seem to be a bad bit of business.
Based on the argument, it's possible that Gerrez meant "lower sides in the PL" rather than sides from lower leagues (I would have understood what he said the same way as you though).
Well surely you've argued yourself in knots here? If there is no player out there who fits the bill, what do we do-throw our hands up in frustration that we can't get what we want? Or do we make the best of the situation and get someone who may not be quite the right profile, but can do a decent job if we shift a bit to accommodate him? Like Bony. Getting a decent-if not perfect- replacement in there is surely better than none, and might just fend off your nightmare scenario of BR losing his job.
Sort of, I meant lower ranked sides. Although he scored a lot in the second tier, it was also almost twenty years ago when the gap between leagues wasn't so big and there wasn't as many foreign players about either. The step up was easier (easier might not be the right word here but I'm going with it) than it is today. He backed up the goals he got in lower leagues by doing it with Sunderland in the PL too. Anyway, I was only being a argumentative **** and this is digressing towards Phillips slightly so lets get back to Bony or, if anyone fancies staying ion topic, actual rumours I like Bony, I said this prior to him joining Swansea and last season he only impressed me further. The reason I am against his signing is because of the style and fit. He can only play the one position, up top. This goes again what Brod said very early on in his Liverpool reign, he said he only wanted players that are flexible and able to play in more than one position. This is the "non-fit" part. The style of play at Liverpool would be effected because he is a much more static player who operates within the central area of the pitch (beyond the half way line and within the eighteen yard box side lines), this would sap up space for the likes of Studge, Sterling, Coutinho and co to exploit. So its not that I simply don't like or rate the player, its more about Liverpool than Bony for me.
http://youtu.be/j4S_JSxaOI0 I counted three goals where he created himself. He's the end product of a passing move game, Suarez and Sturridge create their own chances. Bony finishing is very nice but the fact most of his chances were when the ball was crossed to him shows he can't play to our style IMO.
this all makes sense to me. i don't minds static so much as having the pace to exploit and then being able to a) play sole in a 4-3-3 b) play in tandem with sturridge. I'd want a player who can either drift wide of be right up top going in behind. I think fine, anyone who likes him. grand. I don't really mind he aint aspas as you guys say but he aint top line to my mind... but i still don't see the fit. Remy I could see the fit, i wasn't pushed on him either... but he coudl play left side or central and had pace to go with it.
All I'd say is fine but just cos i don't see one doesn't mean they are not there as some guys on this website alone (never minding our scouts) post names regularly I don't hear about. I just think if you have plan a and the whole 20 man squad is for plan a and you sign a player who doesn't fit.... well its not as bad as signing no-one, but its the next worst thing in my book exmaple 1:send carroll off on loan. fail to get anyone in... disaster that lead in my view to 7th... example 2: Jovanovic and voronin. Get anoyne in to fill in... ended up in 7th. We've lost quality. we need quality in. I an 100% confident that rodgers knows it hand on heart and if we end up on aug 31 buying bony is the last resort. yes i agree example 1 is the type of thing that the scenario i mentioned would lead from... but signing bony won't win a league... IF we've 50mil in the transfer kitty now is the time. unfortunately it looks like we rang round europe for a lot of lads and got no place.
Apparently Eto'o rejected our contract offer. He must want insane wages. Just signing Bony already! £19m is ok. Especially if its the difference between a title race and a battle for 4th.
Actually really pissed off we seem to be going for Eto'o. He has exactly the same problem as Lambert these days, no pace at all. That just doesn't work with our AM's and wingers. Would much rather have Bony but I still don't see why we aren't just going out and signing a boss striker.
Because our scouting network and negotiations team are ****. Can get the level of players we're getting but don't have good enough contacts and relationships to be able to work on and complete deals for the best of the best. Been obvious for ages.
true, but oddly that has worked in our favour a few times, well in my opinion. don't think it was much of a loss missing out on dempsey,sig, willian,salah,young,jones etc. and now we have an old fart wanting silly wages in eto. frustrating, but when we get it right, we do generally get it right. i just hope we don't panic buy is my only worry, if the right player isnt available then worst case scenario may be relying on peterson etc to see us to jan window if need be, then try again then, or get it done so come jan ready to sign ie sturridge and coutinho.
We were loosely linked with him a few weeks ago, but Lacazette could be a useful forward option over Bony. Bit of 'Sturridge' about him, plays off the shoulder, comes deep, comfortable with the ball, can link up well but, like Sturridge, can sometimes try to do a bit too much.
