If hernandez wants to be successful I really don't think he should bulk up, he is still young and energetic, let him play like that! maybe when he gets older and the pace starts to go he might need to change his game. I know injuries took their toll on him, but Torres when he first game, while not skinny but probably could do with some weight training, was awesome. Lightning quick. After an injury or two and not being able to train you could tell he ws lifting and not running, since then he has multiple injuries and is not the same player. He is only 27 so it is not age. Adapting to what works for you and your style.
Defenders aren't stupid either,they eventually cotton on to strikers.Thats why theres a need to adapt and it happens to all strikers.
KPR if you don't mind me asking, were you a defender? It is a fine balance. I hate to use him but a prime example of that balance was C. Ronaldo, he got a lot bigger from his early days and he is still rampant. Still a diving, megalomaniac prick haha.
To be honest it's actually the strikers aging that helps out the defenders... Drogba/ Shearer/ Henry in their primes would continue battering defenders for years, they'd never be "cottoned onto"... But age doesn't allow it. And anyway, since when has football become a 1v1 game?... If a winger puts in a good enough cross for a striker, it doesn't matter how "stupid" a defender is, they can't do anything to stop it....
If a winger puts in a good enough cross for a striker, it doesn't matter how "stupid" a defender is, they can't do anything to stop it.... I hope this for Carroll next year!
This was the point I was getting at with Ze Liverbird... If anyone on this thread has played as a defender they would know that stoping a striker with good movement and good teamates isn't easy at all.. no matter how many times you've experienced it. Having one striker running towards you with the ball at speed, whilst another runs across you involves watching the ball and the man... Not easy.
haha I was asking mainly if he played in general but I know the point you are getting at. I remember many a time I would play LB/RB as we were short in numbers ( or with my college team played Brazilian box so I was to rampage forward) but if you get caught with no help it is no fun. Inzaghi was the king of that by the way, offside, onside, who knew. Nightmare for defenders.
I agree - I played centre back for about five years for uni and then Sunday League. It takes a huge amount of focus to stay on top of a striker like that for the whole game, particularly when they're quick and the ball is around the box and other players are running in to space as well. And if you stick to that striker like glue for the whole game you get dragged all over the place which makes holes in the defence. Which was exactly what happened in the first CL match vs Chelsea - Hernandez went to the front post, Terry stayed with him, big hole opened up for Rooney to score. So you've not only got to keep your concentration for the whole game when marking a striker like that, but also communicate with the rest of your defence and hand him off to another man when he starts moving away from you, only to have him dart back in as soon as you think the other man is marking him. Not easy.
C'mon, if you played CB that long then you should know the simple truths. Hernandez operates in certain areas, close those to him and well thats it, this in fact negates having to watch him every second, let him have it 25 yards out, I wouldn't be afraid to. Secondly, the premiership game is a power game, it is irrelevant what he loses if he bulks up, totally useless information, because if he doesn't get stronger he will not succeed, hows that for plain and simple, in other positions maybe you can get away with being a light weight but not in the box against CBs?!? besides, he will add to him game being stronger he can hold it up, spray long passes, both things he is not great at right now, and by bulk up it does not mean get fat like wayne, more like Ronaldo, didn''t slow him down one bit did it, show me a skinny champion olympic sprinter in the modern sport, sprinting and accceleration are about power
Really, obviously you don't play it well because firstly, you are far too arrogant to be a real team player, you assume the incorrect and don't follow through either it seems Clearly you disagree in your own way god bless you.
What's with this stupid "adding to his game" business... How many long passes does Inzaghi spray? When you play in a top team, and have a second striker like Rooney right behind you, your job up top is to find space and stretch defences (not take on people from 25 yards out)- Hernandez does this perfectly.
Too arrogant to be a real team player?? Do you even know what position I play before claiming i'm not a real team player? I'm guessing (since you claim you could conrol Hernandez) that you are a first class Centre back in a team that never concedes any goals...?
Well to shut you up, you complete numpty He tried just that thing against blackburn did he not It was what he attempted, never suggested he should be doing it. And well noone said he should play that far out, but if you are doing an effective job closing down space he may have to come that far to get a touch, this is not just Hernandez, this is that type of player, Rooney on the other hand can offer this. And yes Hernandez should try to have a more all round game, he certainly wouldn't be the first player to add to his game. lastly you appear a bit emotional about this, sand in yer vag?
Football is not a 1v1 game.. You may think you have your man under control, but if one of your teamates isn't in control, that's when the spaces come about. In order to fully contain a striker with good movement you will need both your LB and RB to have the measure of their respective winger -to stop the ball coming in. You also need your CB partner to have the measure of their own striker, and the midfield to track all late runs into the box (that could distract/block you from your own man.) If they dont do this, then players will be run ragged and spaces will come about... You seem to think playing CB is simple, and a case of simply "closing down the space". There's alot more to it than that.. So i'll ask... Do you/have you ever played lower league football?
I still reckon Hernandez will have to add more to his locker next season.This season he was a surprise.There will be no surprise next season.He will still score goals,as many?Now thats the question.
The only 'upper body strength' you really need is in the core. You're rarely using your arms to wrestle for possession (that's called a foul in some quarters...) You just need strong legs and core, so you're hard to knock off the ball as well as good at knocking others off it. A shoulder barge might seem like an upper body thing, but it's all in the legs. A good solid base. That's why olympic lifters don't have a massive upper body in comparison to their lower half. Rugby obviously is different, since you do a lot of tackling with your upper body. So you need to be strong in both areas.
