1 assist in 18.5 hours. Is that what makes a player unstoppable?

[gentingfrmhell]

my guess is we didnt have much choice with so much injuries. rafa couldnt drop him even if he wanted to. nothing can injure this guy btw. hard as a rock.

[peekay]

I don't think anyone believes Kuyt is having a great season but I don't think he has been as bad as some make out. As a team we are playing too deep and it is impacting him badly as it is nearly all our attacking players.

You get certain things as a given with Kuyt - work rate, desire and the willingness to try things no matter how badly things are going for him - to get the most out of him you have to accept the limitations he has as a play maker or someone who runs from deep. A bit like Rooney a few years ago had a lot of games where he got dragged too deep when playing on the wing and his impact was minimised the same goes for Kuyt (I'm comparing some aspects of their style rather than quality here before anyone gets their knockers in a twist).

In order to get better I think we need to have a consistent team but at the same time I worry about playing Mascherano, Lucas and Kuyt in the same midfield. I've said elsewhere I think my prefered option at present would be Kuyt off the striker with Gerrard on the left. I'd hope that by doing this Kuyts work rate would help us keep the ball in the oppositions defensive third which I feel would benefit a lot of players. I guess though if Gerrard regained full match fitness the importance of his end product off the striker might mean that this formation became less appealing.

I have to disagree with you on this mate. In the current form there is no way Kuyt should be playing off the striker. Kuyt's pressing is a positive to the team only if he can supplement it with some attacking guile. Right now he is finding it difficult to trap an easy pass. Outside of the pressing, if he is going to occupy the space of a traditional number 7, he should at a bare minimum be able to hold on to the ball in tight spaces, occupy the defenders when he is on the ball and thread through some nice intelligent passes. Right now he looks shattered and incapable of that role.

He will consistently loose possession and disconnect any semblance of connection between midfield and Torres/Ngog. The only person in our squad for whom I would think of shifting Stevie G out of his central role onto the right side is Yossi. In fact when everyone is fit, I think Rafa should consider dropping Kuyt and playing Yossi and Riera.

Mr M..Even though in this post it looks like I am supporting that idiot Jamie K, I fully support banning posting articles from that site on here.

[Joe King]

The thing with Kuyt is that you would really struggle to name a better finisher than him in world football in the position of RM. Ronaldo and Messi aside, I doubt there is many better.

There is also no problems with the crossing ability and movement in the box of Kuyt. Then of course there is the fact that he tracks back and gets stuck in more than any other attacking player in world football.

What he does lack is pace and a good first touch and due to those two the ability to beat a man.

What all this means is that Kuyt is a player that needs to be played high up the pitch, so that when he does get the ball he can do something with it. If he's getting it on the half way line all he has the ability to do is a side ways or backwards ball.

Once Liverpool start playing more adavanced and putting huge pressure on opposing teams Kuyt will once again be a very usefull option coming in of that right hand side.

I personally would always sign attacking players with pace and for ones on the wing ones who have the ability to beat a man and create chances from nothing. Kuyt is not that sort of player, but he will improve.

Kuyt is a horrific finisher - did you see the Debrecen match? He seriously doesn't anticipate anything.

His crossing is woeful. Good crossers include Johnson, Aurelio, Gerrard but certainly not Kuyt. I wouldn't even say he's average in crosses.

This argument that we will reap the rewards of Kuyt's great attacking play once the team plays higher is ridiculous and if that's his strength, what about flexibility and adaptability? At the moment, he hasn't scored in 11 games. Had that been Babel, there would have been a massive outcry but because it's Dirk Kuyt and he works hard, he is exempt from criticism. Put this into perspective, David N'Gog has matched the amount of goals Kuyt has scored and he has played significantly less minutes than Shyte. He needs to be dropped until he regains his form

Yeah that Riquelme has been a great success!

It's not all about excitement and pace, Kuyt has good conrol in a tight space, moves intelligently and plays good balls in and around the box.

What?! Kuyt has none of those things.

[Lee]

See I don't know what the real Kuyt is. Lets have a look;

In Holland he was a prolific goalscorer. His first season with us was good-to-average. His second season absolutely, shockingly terrible (though he had excuses abviously), last season he was very good, and this season he's been ****. I guess he averages one goal every five or six games for us in all competitions. He's scored important goals for us, works hard and is a leader on the pitch.

But if you look at the other side of things, he's no longer a prolific goalscorer, he's not fast, doesn't have bags of skill, doesn't have a good cross, average in the air, lost his eye for goal... **** knows. He just doesn't excite me, and I agree with a lot of people that he doesn't terrorise defences, score a lot of goals or assist many. His first touch is woeful.

I really don't know what to think of Kuyt. I like the lad, he's a real leader and clearly loves the club, but as a footballer - especially for a top four team - I just don't think he's cut out to be a regular in such an important position. Dunno, he divides a lot of opinion really.

[Shaggy]

He's **** but he's alright and he's sound and he's got a great big heart but ultimately he's a bit **** although he can be very effective and can score important goals but he's slow and **** and can't trap a bag of cement but is a valuable squad member.

[DannyMan2006]

Kuyt is a horrific finisher - did you see the Debrecen match? He seriously doesn't anticipate anything.

His crossing is woeful. Good crossers include Johnson, Aurelio, Gerrard but certainly not Kuyt. I wouldn't even say he's average in crosses.

This argument that we will reap the rewards of Kuyt's great attacking play once the team plays higher is ridiculous and if that's his strength, what about flexibility and adaptability? At the moment, he hasn't scored in 11 games. Had that been Babel, there would have been a massive outcry but because it's Dirk Kuyt and he works hard, he is exempt from criticism. Put this into perspective, David N'Gog has matched the amount of goals Kuyt has scored and he has played significantly less minutes than Shyte. He needs to be dropped until he regains his form

I think you're being unfair towards him. And I'm not saying he's an excellent finisher, just better than the majority of players who play RM. And whilst his crossing is not comparable to the very top RM, his crossing is hardly ****e.

And whilst Kuyt has been out of form this year, so have the majority (90%) of the Liverpool squad. And an out of form Kuyt is still usefull to the team due to the solid graft he puts in, whilst other out of form attacking players offer nothing.

One of Kuyts biggest problems is that when Liverpool are playing poor his weaknesses are shown up. This season we've seen a front six of:

Kuyt---Lucas---Masch---Aurelio
-----------Voronin-------------
-----------N'Gog---------------

With the greatest will in the world that team is going to struggle to create chances and it is of little suprise that LFC find themselves in a slump. I do not and never have seen Kuyt as a catalyst to create chances by his ability on the ball, more one who create chances by finding space or dragging markers out of position for his more gifted team mates.

But if the rest of the team is struggling so will Kuyt. The one plus for Kuyt is that when he struggles he still puts the work in and keeps it solid at the back whilst the galavanting RB charges up field.

One thing to point out is that if our LM had been putting in the same work as Kuyt when defending, Insua would not have been getting ripped to shreds week in, week out when he was in a serious slump in form. Anyone who remembers the Fiorintina game will testify to how Kuyt was moved across to the left prior to half time due to Yossi being so useless at covering in front of Insua.

So other than being a total prat against Fulham, Kuyt has remained solid even when out of form.

[Lee]

He's **** but he's alright and he's sound and he's got a great big heart but ultimately he's a bit **** although he can be very effective and can score important goals but he's slow and **** and can't trap a bag of cement but is a valuable squad member.

You forgot that he works hard though mate

FFS

[Shaggy]

Haha **** me how could I forget that?!!!!

[DannyMan2006]

You forgot that he works hard though mate

FFS

Makes me laugh how people use this term as something to beat him with.

In an ideal world every footballer for our club would give 100% week in, week out. But that is simply not the case and so when a player does put the effort in, he should be praised for it and not mocked like Kuyt has been of late.

[Lee]

Makes me laugh how people use this term as something to beat him with.

In an ideal world every footballer for our club would give 100% week in, week out. But that is simply not the case and so when a player does put the effort in, he should be praised for it and not mocked like Kuyt has been of late.

I'm taking the piss chap out of the so called experts.

I wouldn't use that to beat him with at all. It's very admirable in my opinion.

[Joe King]

Makes me laugh how people use this term as something to beat him with.

In an ideal world every footballer for our club would give 100% week in, week out. But that is simply not the case and so when a player does put the effort in, he should be praised for it and not mocked like Kuyt has been of late.

I don't use it to beat him with. I use it mainly to mock the cliche of the blind supporters who feel he should continue to play. He offers very little and does nothing to progress the game. Liverpool will continue to struggle until Benitez stops with his defensive wingers. The team already lacks creativity and flair, having Kuyt simply stagnates any momentum.

[DannyMan2006]

I'm taking the piss chap out of the so called experts.

I wouldn't use that to beat him with at all. It's very admirable in my opinion.

In which case my point still stands but should not be aimed towards yourself.

In total fairness I am no massive fan of Kuyt, I would have sold him long a go had I been manager, and I'm still not convinced by him even now.

But he did impress me last season and I was hoping for similar this year. I just think the slump in the club has severly effected his game.

It just makes me laugh that players are being picked out when in general 8 out of the 11 players starting games for Liverpool have performed badly. In fact I would say that only Reina, Johnson and Torres have performed to a good level this year, whilst Lucas and N'Gog have probably played a lot better than what would have been expected.

All the rest have been at best good in spells and at worst useless in every game they have played.

[saj]

Makes me laugh how people use this term as something to beat him with.

In an ideal world every footballer for our club would give 100% week in, week out. But that is simply not the case and so when a player does put the effort in, he should be praised for it and not mocked like Kuyt has been of late.

At the same time the opposite is true - it's laughable how people believe that Kuyt should be immune from criticism because he works hard for the team. The fact is he constantly gives the ball away, can't pass, shoot and certainly can't cross. The fact is, he wouldn't even get in Tottenham's starting lineup.

[johnp]

Just to stir things up, think Alsono had 3 assists last season. That's pretty **** too

[Lee]

In which case my point still stands but should not be aimed towards yourself.

In total fairness I am no massive fan of Kuyt, I would have sold him long a go had I been manager, and I'm still not convinced by him even now.

But he did impress me last season and I was hoping for similar this year. I just think the slump in the club has severly effected his game.

It just makes me laugh that players are being picked out when in general 8 out of the 11 players starting games for Liverpool have performed badly. In fact I would say that only Reina, Johnson and Torres have performed to a good level this year, whilst Lucas and N'Gog have probably played a lot better than what would have been expected.

All the rest have been at best good in spells and at worst useless in every game they have played.

Pretty much agree mate.

I just can't give an opinion on him really. Sometimes I think - hey, look at his previous goalscoring record, so he knows where the net is, and look at last season where he was very good - and sometimes I think he's absolute pony where he has **** all in his locker and is a bit of a donkey.

As a person I ****ing think Kuyt is brilliant - if everyone had his tenacity and passion then we'd be a better club for it. But if I'm honest then I don't think Kuyt is good enough to be in our starting 11 week in, week out. Not only that, but he plays 90 minutes of every game of every season - and given the minutes that he has on the pitch I just don't think he's creative enough.

Say what you want about Ngog and Babel (I'm a fan of Ngog but I think Babel is ****) - if you give all three the same amount of time on the pitch then I think Ngog and Babel would create and score more than Kuyt. And that's what it's all about at the end of the day