I don't want to appear pessimistic, but anyone else got the nagging suspicion that we're not that better off now than we were last year?
Our main problem was lack of width, creativity and a poacher-style striker.
Now I'm a huge fan of Torres. He looks from what I've seen to be a skillful and creative young player, whose pace and surprising physical presence should make him a lot more suited to the Premier league than his namesake predecessor. He should improve the team and hopefully get more goals for Crouch and Kuyt.
Whether he's the mythical "20 goal a season" beast we've lacked since Owen hopped on a plane is still to be decided. I hope so.
What worries me more are the acquisitions of Babel and Benayoun. I'd rather not judge them on a couple of meaningless friendlies. So, going on past form these look useful players, but not the wingers we've been looking for.
As Garcia struggled to make any one position his own, I can't see Yossi cementing his place either, especially with the level of competition for attacking roles, and won't be the wide man we need down either flank, but I can't see him popping up with the crucial goals as Luis did.
Babel is a huge gamble, and an expensive one at that. Playing on the left but right footed, he surely must be ringing alarm bells for anyone who objected to us being linked to Simao, who cuts in at every opportunity.
I'd love to be proved wrong, but I can't help but feel that by january we'll still be crying out for an out an out left winger.
Our main problem was lack of width, creativity and a poacher-style striker.
Now I'm a huge fan of Torres. He looks from what I've seen to be a skillful and creative young player, whose pace and surprising physical presence should make him a lot more suited to the Premier league than his namesake predecessor. He should improve the team and hopefully get more goals for Crouch and Kuyt.
Whether he's the mythical "20 goal a season" beast we've lacked since Owen hopped on a plane is still to be decided. I hope so.
What worries me more are the acquisitions of Babel and Benayoun. I'd rather not judge them on a couple of meaningless friendlies. So, going on past form these look useful players, but not the wingers we've been looking for.
As Garcia struggled to make any one position his own, I can't see Yossi cementing his place either, especially with the level of competition for attacking roles, and won't be the wide man we need down either flank, but I can't see him popping up with the crucial goals as Luis did.
Babel is a huge gamble, and an expensive one at that. Playing on the left but right footed, he surely must be ringing alarm bells for anyone who objected to us being linked to Simao, who cuts in at every opportunity.
I'd love to be proved wrong, but I can't help but feel that by january we'll still be crying out for an out an out left winger.
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