Do we have strikers that threaten to run at the front post?

[Joe King]

I was watching the Liverpool Newcastle match on LFC TV and it struck me that we don't have the strikers who are natural poachers, Torres being the exception. Since Owen, we don't have strikers who can intelligently move in the penalty box to cause harm.

Crouch can but it is mainly a cross or he is too slow to move to the front post. That is no pop at him, I like the guy but its a true valuation of him.

Voronin doesn't seem to be a goal threat like he was at the start of the season. Maybe confidence is lacking but we know he has the ability

Kuyt should be doing more of this

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=3Jovgm5jGkk

[Shanks65]

Play Yossi more. And play him in the middle/behind the striker!!

He seems to always find space in the box at set pieces too. He has that knack which too often deserts Voronin and Kuyt

Not really related to your post mate, but there you go

[AFII]

Garcia used to do that for us but Benny isn't as good as him doing that.

[dww]

Kuyt has infuriated me this season - I'm not sure if it was a decision he made or the tactics Rafa wants him to play but he seems to not do a lot of the simple things that he used to do that made him a goal threat.

Along with rarely making runs to the near post he has stopped his previously very instintive volleys at goal. I remember when he first came about 50% of the times a ball came to him he would chest it away from his body and have a crack. I think he was doing it too much and losing us the ball but he is never doing it now and he looks much less threatening.

[Joe King]

Play Yossi more. And play him in the middle/behind the striker!!

He seems to always find space in the box at set pieces too. He has that knack which too often deserts Voronin and Kuyt

Not really related to your post mate, but there you go

If its to do with attacking, its welcome.

I was having this debate with my brother. I said a Yossi and Torres strikerforce would be like Beardsley and Rush. He disagreed saying that Benayoun is better on the wing as he is more discreet coming from the wing to join in the attack whilst if he was playing up top with Torres or Crouch, he would be marked as a striker thus reducing him of finding space etc

[Joe King]

Kuyt has infuriated me this season - I'm not sure if it was a decision he made or the tactics Rafa wants him to play but he seems to not do a lot of the simple things that he used to do that made him a goal threat.

Along with rarely making runs to the near post he has stopped his previously very instintive volleys at goal. I remember when he first came about 50% of the times a ball came to him he would chest it away from his body and have a crack. I think he was doing it too much and losing us the ball but he is never doing it now and he looks much less threatening.

Maybe Rafa's whispered something in his ear?

[Shanks65]

Garcia used to do that for us but Benny isn't as good as him doing that.

Luis was superb at that, yeah. Amazing how many headers he nabbed at the front post. You'd have thought opposition teams would have cottoned on to it!


: pleasecomeback :

[dww]

If its to do with attacking, its welcome.

I was having this debate with my brother. I said a Yossi and Torres strikerforce would be like Beardsley and Rush. He disagreed saying that Benayoun is better on the wing as he is more discreet coming from the wing to join in the attack whilst if he was playing up top with Torres or Crouch, he would be marked as a striker thus reducing him of finding space etc

I like Benayoun on the wing as well. For me he lacks the confidence/instinct too often to run at goal to play behind the striker. I like him on the wing.

[Shanks65]

If its to do with attacking, its welcome.

I was having this debate with my brother. I said a Yossi and Torres strikerforce would be like Beardsley and Rush. He disagreed saying that Benayoun is better on the wing as he is more discreet coming from the wing to join in the attack whilst if he was playing up top with Torres or Crouch, he would be marked as a striker thus reducing him of finding space etc

Your bro has a good point, but the defenders would be pretty busy trying to look after Torres, and the likes of SG and Babel bombing forward. I reckon Jossi would get his fair share of chances at goal.

Yossi always seems to be 'in amongst it' when the ball is pinging about in the box. I like that in a player. Compare that to Kuyt, who seems to be nearer the half way line in those situations. I know besiktas were awful, but Yossi was always there to capitalise on those loose balls in the danger area.

[Joe King]

Your bro has a good point, but the defenders would be pretty busy trying to look after Torres, and the likes of SG and Babel bombing forward. I reckon Jossi would get his fair share of chances at goal.

Yossi always seems to be 'in amongst it' when the ball is pinging about in the box. I like that in a player. Compare that to Kuyt, who seems to be nearer the half way line in those situations. I know besiktas were awful, but Yossi was always there to capitalise on those loose balls in the danger area.

Yes, I am going to stick my neck out and say- Yossi will get more goals than Garcia this season. Garcia had intelligence for sure but his play outside the box was more often than not downright awful. Benayoun is a very tidy player- neat passes, quick movement. The finishing between the two is probably the same but the build up play by Benayoun is much better. He creates more chances according to Rafa which can only mean more goals.

[Shanks65]

Yes, I am going to stick my neck out and say- Yossi will get more goals than Garcia this season. Garcia had intelligence for sure but his play outside the box was more often than not downright awful. Benayoun is a very tidy player- neat passes, quick movement. The finishing between the two is probably the same but the build up play by Benayoun is much better. He creates more chances according to Rafa which can only mean more goals.

Hope you`re right mate. Yossi would have to go some to beat Luis.

[Fubar]

It was never about the quantity of goals that luis scored more about the quality of the goal and more importantly the quality of the opposition that made them so memorable

[peekay]

It was never about the quantity of goals that luis scored more about the quality of the goal and more importantly the quality of the opposition that made them so memorable

Luis troubled the best defenders on the planet because his movement and anticipation was so so good in the final third. Even his own team mates could not track his movement sometimes

[Shaggy]

Crouch can score at the front post if the service is good enough. Remember his first goal against Arsenal, of all teams, last season? He was up against Gallas and Toure that day, if I remember correctly.

Torres can too.

So the answer to the question is yes, of course.

[MARTINOZ]

Last player we had that ran at the post was Phil Babb - nobody's been game to since.