Statistics from the News Mecca that is the Metro: Comparing Bony, Benzema, Orgy and Balotelli (Not sure why Benzema was included in http://metro.co.uk/2014/07/10/12-st...ied-bony-as-luis-suarezs-replacement-4793201/ Passing: please log in to view this image Goal Scoring: please log in to view this image Defending: please log in to view this image Obviously- I don't know if these stats were picked objectively, or just because they were the stats that made him look best.
47 goals in 141 appearances for Barca = exactly 1 goal every three games, which in a 38 game season translates to 12.6 goals per season. Bony got 16 in league games 34 last season, and 25 in 48 in all comps. Ergo, Bony is blatantly better. (No, this is not a particularly serious analysis.)
I think the hair is what costs £19mill- the feet just £1mill. We could try signing a bald bony... but we saw what happened when Roy tried to sign all bald players for the club.
Expect Agger to be sold in the next few weeks. He came here from Brondby and apparently we agreed to play them in a friendly but that never happened. We've since hastily just added them in our pre-season fixture list. He's also reported to have put his restaurant on Lark lane up for sale as well as his house.
Unfortunately don't think there's a stat to measure 'individual brilliance that's capable of winning games on his own' which is really what we're trying to replace. But in terms of creativity-Chances created: Bony-25 Balotelli-32 Sanchez-47 Benzema-63 Origi-18 Suarez-87 Shot Acc & conversion rate: Bony-44% accuracy & 16% conversion rate Balotelli-49% accuracy & 9% conversion rate Sanchez-59% accuracy & 29% conversion rate Benzema-51% accuracy & 15% conversion rate Origi-72% accuracy & 21% conversion rate (this was surprising, he didn't score many, but he had so few shots that his conversion rate was very high) Suarez-53% accuracy & 17% (he has so many shots per match)
Pretty much sums up my thoughts on the players to date; Balotelli is ****, Bony is average, Origi is a promising up and coming talent and Suarez is irreplaceable Surprised to see Sanchez's stats so high though
I really think Sanchez was insulted to be offered + cash in the Suarez transfer and preferred London, what can you do? Early in the window, who knows whats going to happen. Everyone being miserable puts a dampner on some good looking deals so far. Lets see who we get Remember the best names dont make the best teams
Another transfer wrapped up quickly and with the minimum of fuss. I do get frustrated by our transfer dealings. Everything seems to drag on and on!
I've just woken up from hibernation been away from the board a few months, evening everyone. Just got a few points to make hear me out. On the striker issue see a lot of grump towards bony. Who are the alternatives that are world class? Facoa, big injury wants real Madrid, not for less than 40 million. Benzema does he want to leave, could he hack our league turned it down in the past. Jackson Martinez massive gamble in new league and big fee 30 mill + is he an ok player playing in a poor league. To be honest I'm struggling to think of anyone else maybe balotteli hmmm maybe not. I'm afraid we cannot blow all Suarez money on one or two players even if we could prize away a cavani or aguero which we can't because they aren't available full stop. Sanchez is the only one available and he is not guaranted goals. Look at spurs with saldado, well rated loads of goals in Spain total flop. Arsenal with mesut again not very impressive for 40 million. We went for Sanchez and he chose arsenal so it's not worth moaning about. The truth is to have a chance next season without Suarez we need new players who have a chance of hitting the ground running I.e Lallana bony Lovren. Foreign imports might take half or a full season to adapt by which time injuries to the rest of the squad mean we are relying on new players who are adapting like saldado or ozil and we start to struggle.
Hi You've mentioned strikers. I, personally, don't see Suarez as a striker but as a forward player who drifts and moves around the entire pitch to create. The likes of Falcao, Benzema, Balotelli, Cavani, Martinez and Soldado are all what I would call strikers. We already have Sturridge who fills that spot. That's why I wouldn't want to see any of those type join Liverpool because they wouldn't fit. Bony is of the same ilk and that's why I don't want him either. We need to buy a creator and those don't need to cost the world either. Griezmann, Shaqiri or even going back in for Pastore are all options who could well be on the move this summer and at a decent fee. They'd better fill the void by Suarez leaving. I get a little disappointed when we're not linked to players in the correct position, not so much by a name or big money signing. As for players hitting the ground running, that was BR's mistake in his first window imo when be bought average PL players like Allen and Borini. Just average, run of the mill players who knew the PL and hit the ground...at the same average pace. You need to gamble on foreign players because they're better value for money and quality players should settle regardless of the league.
That's the problem. People want us to replace Suarez with lik for like, but it isn't going to happen as we're not going to sign Ronaldo/Bale/Messi/Rodriguez etc. So we have to go about things in different ways and get a couple of replacements who all offer something different. Remember when Suarez wasn't performing in games and we all said it would be nice if we had someone who offered something different to bring on and replace him etc. Well we're trying to do that and Bony/Lambert would be that type of striker that offers something completely different. If the team can then switch styles midgame (plan a to plan b and execute it then we stand a much better chance of winning games.
Chances created: Suarez -87 Firmino -70 Shot Acc: Suarez -53% Firmino -57% Conversion Rate: Suarez -17% Firmino -17% Successful take ons: Suarez -93 (39%) Firmino -147 (63%)
