Kuyt....

[Robster007]

You can be sarcastic all you like, but if that's what he's told to do, and it's a very important one, then he did a good job.

[Shaggy]

You can be sarcastic all you like, but if that's what he's told to do, and it's a very important one, then he did a good job.

He's a striker, and yet you're using his harrying and pressing as a shining beacon of his brilliance.

[Craig_H]

We'll win the "forced an opposition player into hitting a misplaced/long/conceding possession type pass" title!

[Sir Bob]

How many times did he force a city player into hitting a misplaced/long/conceding possession type pass today? Loads, that's how many.

I'm not denying Kuyt works his backside off and I wish he had succeeded at LFC because he seems a really decent fella. However, therehas to be more to a strikers game than that and for me Kuyt doesn't offeranywhere near enough upfront to justify his place in the team.

[Shaggy]

I'm not denying Kuyt works his backside off and I wish he had succeeded at LFC because he seems a really decent fella. However, therehas to be more to a strikers game than that and for me Kuyt doesn't offeranywhere near enough upfront to justify his place in the team.

And I think I'll bail out here as we're in danger of going round in circles.

Time for some darts.

[Sir Bob]

You can be sarcastic all you like, but if that's what he's told to do, and it's a very important one, then he did a good job.

If he's told by Rafa that his most important job is not to create and score goals but to force their defenders into mistakes then we need to get rid of Rafa as well as Kuyt.

[dww]

You can be sarcastic all you like, but if that's what he's told to do, and it's a very important one, then he did a good job.

This is true but unless you create something when you force others into a mistake then you are only doing half a job as an attacking player. I think that Kuyt's lack of goals would be acceptable if he was linking our attacking play together better.

When he first came he scored more goals and linked better with the midfield players running past - so he is capable of doing the job we need. The problem is that of late he hasn't been performing in these two key areas of the game and we lack an alternative in the squad who Rafa has as much faith in.

I've defended Kuyt a lot in the past and I still think he has something to offer. However something needs to be done in order to improve our conversion rate in games like the one today. The obvious choice on present form is to drop Kuyt.

[MrMichael]

however is rafa just starting him because he doesnt want to admit defeat that he has paid £10+million on a striker that is ****e?!

I don't think so. That isn't Rafa's style at all, and certainly not what he's done with his acquisitions for us in the past. Rafa, as I see it, supports his players and uses them as he has to, until such a time as he is in a position to move them on. Morientes, Bellamy, Josemi and Nunez all come to mind instantly. All of whom he continued to play (as he didn't have many better oprions) until he was able to move them out. Which he then did without prejudice. Assuming that Rafa thinks Babel isn't ready to be starting upfront, his option today was Kuyt or Voronin with Torres, and for me at least, I'd rather he played Dirk.

There's no point in him binning one of the options we are stuck with until he can actually bring in better. And in the case of our strikers, its arguable that there's 3 out of the 4 to be considered to be replaced, I'm not sure Kuyt should be the first of those either, so what else is the man supposed to do?

[desertscouser]

If he's told by Rafa that his most important job is not to create and score goals but to force their defenders into mistakes then we need to get rid of Rafa as well as Kuyt.

And we all know those aren't the instructions that a top class manager like Rafa would ever give to a striker.

[MrMichael]

I'm not denying Kuyt works his backside off and I wish he had succeeded at LFC because he seems a really decent fella. However, therehas to be more to a strikers game than that and for me Kuyt doesn't offeranywhere near enough upfront to justify his place in the team.

Given Crouch is suspended (and has been poor virtually all season, plus his scoring record for us is actually equal to or worse than Kuyt's isn't it), and Voronin, is, well, not very good at all, who else is there who "justifies their place" in the team?

Babel perhaps, but anyone who has seen him play this year can see how raw the lad is, that he is certainly most effective brought on fresh in a game when space is developing and opponents tiring, and that the one time he did start up front for us this season, he was anonymous, so I don't think he quite fits the bill YET.

Kuyt is definitely suffering a serious lack of form. Whether when in form he's actually good enough I don't quite know, which is a real shame as he has all the personal and commitment related qualities you'd want to see in the red shirt, but out of form he certainly isn't looking good.... however I just don't see that we have that many other options currently.

[ronniedrew]

I don't think so. That isn't Rafa's style at all, and certainly not what he's done with his acquisitions for us in the past. Rafa, as I see it, supports his players and uses them as he has to, until such a time as he is in a position to move them on. Morientes, Bellamy, Josemi and Nunez all come to mind instantly. All of whom he continued to play (as he didn't have many better oprions) until he was able to move them out. Which he then did without prejudice. Assuming that Rafa thinks Babel isn't ready to be starting upfront, his option today was Kuyt or Voronin with Torres, and for me at least, I'd rather he played Dirk.

There's no point in him binning one of the options we are stuck with until he can actually bring in better. And in the case of our strikers, its arguable that there's 3 out of the 4 to be considered to be replaced, I'm not sure Kuyt should be the first of those either, so what else is the man supposed to do?

[desertscouser]

Given Crouch is suspended (and has been poor virtually all season, plus his scoring record for us is actually equal to or worse than Kuyt's isn't it), and Voronin, is, well, not very good at all, who else is there who "justifies their place" in the team?

Babel perhaps, but anyone who has seen him play this year can see how raw the lad is, that he is certainly most effective brought on fresh in a game when space is developing and opponents tiring, and that the one time he did start up front for us this season, he was anonymous, so I don't think he quite fits the bill YET.

Kuyt is definitely suffering a serious lack of form. Whether when in form he's actually good enough I don't quite know, which is a real shame as he has all the personal and commitment related qualities you'd want to see in the red shirt, but out of form he certainly isn't looking good.... however I just don't see that we have that many other options currently.

As I mentioned in a previous post, Rafa at the moment has no choice but to play Kuyt such is the lack of talented forward players in our squad. This has to be addressed in the summer because only Torres is worthy of playing for a top side whereas Crouch is a decent squad player. The other two are unfortunately WAY below the required standard. I'm certain Rafa will be getting rid of at least 2 of Crouch, Voronin and Kuyt in the summer. Rafa's no fool and there's no way he wouldn't have noticed how poor our forwards have been this season...Torres excluded of course.

[dww]

Given Crouch is suspended (and has been poor virtually all season, plus his scoring record for us is actually equal to or worse than Kuyt's isn't it), and Voronin, is, well, not very good at all, who else is there who "justifies their place" in the team?

Babel perhaps, but anyone who has seen him play this year can see how raw the lad is, that he is certainly most effective brought on fresh in a game when space is developing and opponents tiring, and that the one time he did start up front for us this season, he was anonymous, so I don't think he quite fits the bill YET.

Kuyt is definitely suffering a serious lack of form. Whether when in form he's actually good enough I don't quite know, which is a real shame as he has all the personal and commitment related qualities you'd want to see in the red shirt, but out of form he certainly isn't looking good.... however I just don't see that we have that many other options currently.

I think once Alonso is fit a case could be made for playing him and Mascher in the middle and then picking Gerrard + 2 behind Torres. This would give us a greater number of realistic alternatives to Kuyt.

[tomasjj]

I think once Alonso is fit a case could be made for playing him and Mascher in the middle and then picking Gerrard + 2 behind Torres. This would give us a greater number of realistic alternatives to Kuyt.

That is the set up I am dying to see.

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

As I mentioned in a previous post, Rafa at the moment has no choice but to play Kuyt such is the lack of talented forward players in our squad. This has to be addressed in the summer because only Torres is worthy of playing for a top side whereas Crouch is a decent squad player. The other two are unfortunately WAY below the required standard. I'm certain Rafa will be getting rid of at least 2 of Crouch, Voronin and Kuyt in the summer. Rafa's no fool and there's no way he wouldn't have noticed how poor our forwards have been this season...Torres excluded of course.

That's a kop out mate, he does have a choice, and we both know it.

He could easily play Gerrard, Babel, Kewell or Benayoun in that position, and when Crouch has been avalible he's still chosen not to.

This concerns me. Still in no way shape or form do I think that Rafa thinks that Kuyt has been up to standard on anywhere near it.

But there's no reasonable explanation as to why Rafa hasn't played Babel up front with Torres yet.

The whole thing's bizarre.

Let me put this question out there to the regular match-goers amoungst us. Is there something that Kuyt does that I can't see on the telly?