Dirky Kuyt

[Reece]

Wrong tranny, wrong. Kuyt HAS got talent. He wasn't on song at the beginning of last season but he came on his own during the latter stages.

Hence why he forced his way back in to the Holland team/squad.

[MrMichael]

Effort and workrate are useless without talent. Too many people don't seem to understand this. Top teams have talented, skillful, flair players who can change games - the also-rans have workhorses like kuyt and try to claim that "giving 110% for the red shirt" :yaaaawwwwn: is more important than finding the net.

Nonsense. Of course the top teams have players with skill and flair..... but they also have players with a never-say-die attitude and pure team-orientated focus. Would you like me to name such players from Shankly and Paisley's sides, or any of the other great teams through history?

Much though we'd all love a team of eleven Torres' and Gerrards, that's completely unachievable. In general, just putting effort in is certainly not enough, but when you have a player like Kuyt whose workrate is so phenomenal, its something different, and has been publicly recognised by the likes of Torres and Mascherano, who love playing with the guy. But hey, what do they know?

Wrong tranny, wrong. Kuyt HAS got talent. He wasn't on song at the beginning of last season but he came on his own during the latter stages. He may not be a flashy player and possibly could score more, but to say that his overall contribution to the team is to be judged by the number of goals he scores is a totally flawed assumption.

[Reece]

and has been publicly recognised by the likes of Torres and Mascherano, who love playing with the guy. But hey, what do they know?

And what do Rafa and Van Basten etc know

[zimbo]

Effort and workrate are useless without talent. Too many people don't seem to understand this. Top teams have talented, skillful, flair players who can change games - the also-rans have workhorses like kuyt and try to claim that "giving 110% for the red shirt" :yaaaawwwwn: is more important than finding the net.

To be fair, 110% just isn't enough these days. Every shrieking X Factor or Gladiators contestant bangs on about giving 110%, if not more, and most of them are rubbish. I think we need to raise the bar a bit, perhaps insisting that, as a minimum requirement, all players should have to give 150%, with a mid-season target of, say, 180-200%. Maybe then we'll see Kuyt's true worth.

Of course, anyone claiming to give 1000% should be fined. They're just being daft.

[Shaggy]

To be fair, 110% just isn't enough these days. Every shrieking X Factor or Gladiators contestant bangs on about giving 110%, if not more, and most of them are rubbish. I think we need to raise the bar a bit, perhaps insisting that, as a minimum requirement, all players should have to give 150%, with a mid-season target of, say, 180-200%. Maybe then we'll see Kuyt's true worth.

Of course, anyone claiming to give 1000% should be fined. They're just being daft.

[The Aardvark]

I find it hard to dislike the guy due to his gargantuan effort, but at the end of the day he doesn't score enough goals and isn't pacey enough to permanently fill the wide right position that he is surely only temporarily filling. His first touch is bloody awful at times and his distribution is erratic. Having said that, I have to say he did look very good at the Euros for Holland.

If he starts well I will give him another chance, but I lost patience with him half way through last season so for me its his last chance to prove to me (and I suspect to Rafa) that he is good enough to have a regular role in the team.

If not then its either retain him as a squad player or sell if we get a very good offer for him (by very good I mean get our money back or make a profit).

Come on Dirky, prove me wrong ya ugly get.

[BFG]

I find it hard to dislike the guy due to his gargantuan effort, but at the end of the day he doesn't score enough goals and isn't pacey enough to permanently fill the wide right position that he is surely only temporarily filling. His first touch is bloody awful at times and his distribution is erratic. Having said that, I have to say he did look very good at the Euros for Holland.

If he starts well I will give him another chance, but I lost patience with him half way through last season so for me its his last chance to prove to me (and I suspect to Rafa) that he is good enough to have a regular role in the team.

If not then its either retain him as a squad player or sell if we get a very good offer for him (by very good I mean get our money back or make a profit).

Come on Dirky, prove me wrong ya ugly get.

I think Rafa rates him enourmously mate and is already sure that Dirk has a long LFC career ahead of him as long as he remains our manager.

[The Aardvark]

I think Rafa rates him enourmously mate and is already sure that Dirk has a long LFC career ahead of him as long as he remains our manager.

I know what you mean, his insistence on leaving Kuyt on the field when he is playing poorly and taking Babel off when looking far more threatening does suggest this. Rafa rates "hard working" players. Having said that anyone who plays poorly in a succession of games (like Kuyt did in the first half of last season) must be under some pressure to improve, and Rafa does seem to have lost patience with players who were previously his favourites (Xabi, Crouch).

[BFG]

I know what you mean, his insistence on leaving Kuyt on the field when he is playing poorly and taking Babel off when looking far more threatening does suggest this. Rafa rates "hard working" players. Having said that anyone who plays poorly in a succession of games (like Kuyt did in the first half of last season) must be under some pressure to improve, and Rafa does seem to have lost patience with players who were previously his favourites (Xabi, Crouch).

True but I'm sure Rafa knows that the death of Kuyt's father constituted mitigating circumstances and I just think that Kuyts discipline and workrate is something that Rafa has wet dreams over so he will always have a place for Dirk in his squad.

[Dessy]

True but I'm sure Rafa knows that the death of Kuyt's father constituted mitigating circumstances and I just think that Kuyts discipline and workrate is something that Rafa has wet dreams over so he will always have a place for Dirk in his squad.

Not a nice thought........

[BFG]

Not a nice thought........

Bet you wouldn't complain if those sticky man juiced fingers were all over the Premiership trophy in May.

[The Aardvark]

True but I'm sure Rafa knows that the death of Kuyt's father constituted mitigating circumstances and I just think that Kuyts discipline and workrate is something that Rafa has wet dreams over so he will always have a place for Dirk in his squad.

Sad news for him but I'm not sure its an excuse for his form since joining the club, which is best described as patchy.

As I said before I would love him to prove me wrong and have a blinder of a title winning season

[BFG]

As I said before I would love him to prove me wrong and have a blinder of a title winning season

Something we can all agree on mate.

[The Aardvark]

Something we can all agree on mate.

Absolutely mate

Really bored with all the transfer talk now. Just want to see some (competitive) football.

[Tatterdemalion]

True but I'm sure Rafa knows that the death of Kuyt's father constituted mitigating circumstances and I just think that Kuyts discipline and workrate is something that Rafa has wet dreams over so he will always have a place for Dirk in his squad.

I don't believe that Rafa is that 'touchy-feely'. If a player was going through a hard time, he might not sell him, but he wouldn't play him if he thought it was affecting his performances - I think Crouch in his early days was the only time I've seen Rafa play some-one when it was obvious some one else would have done better, but I think that was a confidence issue, and I'm sure Rafa believes it is only solved in one way - by playing him. Rafa plays Kuyt for one of two reasons - either he likes what he sees and thinks Kuyt is doing a great job and can be utilitised in a number of places or he believes that Kuyt is doing a sufficient job before being replaced in his secondary position when Rafa has sufficient resources to replace him. Given he was signed as a striker, I believe it is the latter.