There is a pattern emerging over the signings we've made so far this summer and all of them are some of the best chance makers in the league. 3 players have been bought which if bought last year would have contributed 1.5 times as many of our total chances. So, Kenny has been in the market for the chance makers. People to set up the chances for somebody else to put them away. This leads us to the next step then... We need somebody to put those chances away. So far we have a few players that can do that: - Kuyt, - Maxi, - Suarez, - Gerrard, - Carroll, - Meireles. Those are our best finishers at the moment, but is it enough? Are they the right type of players to put away every chance given to them, like Torres used to? I'm not too sure they are... Kuyt will put away chance after chance, as shown by his hatrick against Man U. Although he lacks pace which may be needed to chase after some chances. Maxi has a nack of being in the right place at the right time, but outside the box he's not brilliant. He's a useful player to have, but I feel we need someone who's as good outside the box as he is inside the box at finding space. Suarez has brilliant vision and could put away plenty of chances, but I suspect he'll be instrumental in being the final assist to setting up the chances. Gerrard and Meireles are both midfielders, so whilst they will take the chances given to them, you won't find them in the box at every attack unless you convert them to strikers. Carroll is perhaps the best at converting a variety of chances, with his height he can head better than most of the league and he's good enough on his feet to take mid-range shots. Making him a good example of a target man. My question to you all though is - Do you think we'll buy another striker in this window? Someone in the mould of Hernandez perhaps?
Good post. To answer your question, yes. I believe that N'Gog will be moved on in this window and we will invest in a back-up striker. I believe that he will be a striker who has the potential to be an excellent player for us. And yes, I suspect it could be a player like Hernandez. A player who can finish a chance if the game is a tight 0-0 and we need a scrappy goal to win us the game. Every team needs a player like that and I suspect we will buy one. However, I don't think it is the main priority for Kenny and Damien. I think we will sort out other positions (Wingers, left-back) and then, if the owners are prepared to finance it, we will try and find a back-up striker. I'm not sure who though.
I hadn't actually considered the last step of buying another goalscorer, but now you mention it's got me thinking. I think we'll be ramming chances down Carroll's throat next year and this is a case of do we have the players to finish off the scraps? Honestly i'm not sure. Would be nice to think Gerrard could get a ton of goals without us relying on him i.e. he's not going to feel desperation if him and Torres aren't able to do it all themselves. That's to say a season where Gerrard can let loose and enjoy his football, think he deserves it. Do you have anyone in mind Ze? Maybe an ideal signing first and then one that is a little more realistic? I'd probably go down the youth road for another striker and make an investment, if we get enough out of the players we've got then we will get top 4, then we can start thinking about the extra goals needed by developing someone.
Ideal signing? It's got to be Hulk, Pato or Neymar. Hulk seems the likeliest out of the 3, but I wouldn't count on us getting him. Realistic? Bojan, Ola Toivonen or Moussa Sow
Too be honest I keep hearing this 'crosses made' stat. I fail to see what the proves, are they good crosses ?, is he crossing the ball when he has better options ? how many go straight to the keeper ? I think you've made a decent signing, overpaid ? Yes. However so have we for Young, but I just don't get how some of these stats are proving anything
He had the highest number of successful crosses as well. You're playing dumb and given some of your posts i know this (you're a clever guy, even if you rub people up the wrong way often enough). Clearly the link is that if he is good at putting crosses in the box, then having the biggest aerial threat up front in recent memory (and i think potentially ever in the Premier League) plenty of those crosses will connect and lead to goals. Here is an example of exactly what he can do (you probably don't remember the torrid time he gave you since i think you won the game in the end). We are thinking if Carroll is on the end of these (rather than Villa's illustrious forwards) then Downing will have plenty of assists. These are the kind of crosses and chances created we are after: [video=youtube;iLx9wo392W8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLx9wo392W8[/video]
I completely agree with the OP. I'll use Dirk Kuyt as an example.If Dirk Kuyt has to apply effort into goal-scoring.....he'll miss.However if the chances are laid onto a plate for him..he'll finish. Get Dirk Kuyt into the box as often as possible and he's bloody lethal.He does the simple things brilliantly.He's ultra reliable.If you want someone to finish off a chance...he'll finish it. Look at the 3 goals he scored against United..no effort was applied whatsoever,He was alert though and thats a good thing.Keep him switched on,and our chance conversion will be far greater which means more goals..more wins...more points and a higher placing up the league.
Evening, By rub people up the wrong way I assume you mean not always singing and dancing about Liverpool If it completed crosses then ok. Alls I'm saying is that anyone could hug the wing and thow crosses into the box although this may not always be the best option. I do however think you have a good player if you ignore the price ( which I think we should do anyway as if players bring success they are worth every penny). World beater no, but you don't need 11 world beaters and he's certainly an improvement on your previous left sided players.
World beaters? You're right.You don't need world beaters to win the league.Man United managed to win the league last season with no world beaters whatsoever.They also won the league with no world class players.Before you say Rooney is,Rooney is NOT world class,was never world class or will ever be world class.
Haha a combination of that then the occasional session with KPR or anyone who gets mixed up in the Utd vs Liverpool mire. Was basically saying I thought you were avoiding making the crosses-goals link which has good evidence to suggest it exists, maybe because of preconceptions or your Utd loyalties rather than intelligence. Let's be honest here, as a Utd fan it suits you more for Downing to be a crap signing. Was within the context of me recognizing you hold a good argument though so take more compliment than criticism! Think that's what most of us who are pro-Downing are trying to hammer home, and that's a fair summary without going overboard
It must hurt then that they achieved the title with no world class players ( according to you ) when your team, supposedly littered with world class players finished 6th. Anyway I'd rather stay on topic than go into another United vs Liverpool thread
He can be world class but hes probably the level below. Hes more than capable of breaking into the very top level mind. We didnt have any world beaters true, we have premier league winners instead. That will do just fine.
Theres only a few world class players right now. Well 2 as the level they are at is well above everyone else. Our players ( alot of them ) are in the second bracket of players who would be world class if Messi and Ronaldo didnt exist lol.
You've got to have the occassional slanging match with KPR - keep it interesting ! (speaking of which, see above. Get ready ....... )
It true, how do you define world class ? I suppose it's if you were going to draw up a current world 11 who would be in it ?
What people are ignoring (whether purposefully or not) is wages. To take an example, Man City pay a large transfer fee for many of their players AND generally offer them massive wages (e.g Adebayor and Wayne Bridge - the latter reportedly on 90k a week!) Spread that over a 5 year contract and that's a massive investment. Henderson and Carroll, while being brought in for a high transfer fee, were on around 40k a week at their previous clubs. Both are currently on around 60-70 at LFC, so the wage bill is kept relatively low.
Firstly I never said Liverpool were littered with world class players,Presumptions from Man United fans as usual.Liverpool do have top drawer players in SOME positions NOT All positions.Notably in goal being a prime example and up front in Luis Suarez. Rooney will never be at the top level as he neither has the intelligence,the composure or the temperament or the technique to be at that level.
