Pennant

[homer1]

1 goal & 6 assists this season

I think he has improved remarkably second half of the season and is showing more confidence - that said if the opportunity to sign someone like Alves came up I'd take it in a heartbeat

[anfieldanfield]

Wingers create more than they score.

The typical selective use of stats or facts to back what ever is your agenda at the time, something you are now so famous for.

Try and 'dress up' 12 goals in 200 games for an attacking midfielder Tomas.

I dare you.

[tomasjj]

Try and 'dress up' 12 goals in 200 games for an attacking midfielder Tomas.

I dare you.

Winger and "attacking midfielder" as you bracket him as, is not the same.
For a Luis type player, or SG playing behind Kuyt/Crouch, that is an attacking midfielder.

[Rich]

I'm with AA on this - Top level wingers should offer a goal threat. Pennant doesn't, therefore he isn't as dangerous as what he could be. Pennant hasn't offered that all season, or at any time in his career, therefore he'll never be more than a decent Premiership player.

[dww]

Wingers create more than they score.

The typical selective use of stats or facts to back what ever is your agenda at the time, something you are now so famous for.

To be fair in this case it is correct. it may be acceptable at a lesser team to play in attacking midfield and only create chances. We however need any player in those positions to get at the very least 5 goals per season. If nothing else it puts doubts into defenders minds about what they will do - cross or go for goal.

[Rich]

Rafa's teams require all areas of the pitch to chip in with goals. RW should be looking to provide between 5-10 a season, same as LW.

[Abro100]

Hes getting better but hes not good for a start in a side challenging for the premiership.

[dww]

Rafa's teams require all areas of the pitch to chip in with goals. RW should be looking to provide between 5-10 a season, same as LW.

[SB]

Winger and "attacking midfielder" as you bracket him as, is not the same.
For a Luis type player, or SG playing behind Kuyt/Crouch, that is an attacking midfielder.

Wingers are the ones with chalk on their boots and he won't score too many out there but he will, and is , creating opportunities for the strikers.

[Rich]

For example;

Riise has 5 goals in all comps this season, and he's played at LB and LW. He's a goal threat - yet 99% of us on here would agree that we need a "better" player on the LW. Why?

[SB]

For example;

Riise has 5 goals in all comps this season, and he's played at LB and LW. He's a goal threat - yet 99% of us on here would agree that we need a "better" player on the LW. Why?

I'd like to know how many shots at goal (including free kicks) he's had for the 5 goals scored.

[Rich]

I'd like to know how many shots at goal (including free kicks) he's had for the 5 goals scored.

Isn't that like asking how many crosses Pennant has dropped into the box for his x number of assists?

[Abro100]

Pennant had 8 shots all season.

[MrMichael]

The goals point is a fair one, nobody's saying he should be prolific, but his career tally is indeed woeful for a winger however you look at it. An average of 2 a season or something is not the return you would ever expect a starting winger to get in a championship winning side. Of recent years, think Pires and Lunjberg, Giggs and Kanchelskis, Duff and Robben.

Pennant has actually looked like a much better overall player of recent weeks, but he has to work on the goalscoring side of his game if he'll ever really kick on for us.

[SB]

Isn't that like asking how many crosses Pennant has dropped into the box for his x number of assists?

No. In my opinion Riise shoots far too much when there is often an easier/ better chance but as soon as he gets a sight of goal he lets rip. For that reason I feel we are a better team when he plays LB and have someone in front of him who can mix it up with both shots at goal and crosses to the bean pole known as Crouch.For years people have screamed that our problem is that we don't have wingers to give service to strikers in the middle and when we do get one some people say he doesn't score enough goals. Wake up people