ZERO Striker Options

[ElRobbie]

How many seasons is it going to take for our owners and Rafa to realise that we are desperate for another striker and will never win the title without attacking options, although Torres is the best, without him our strikers are no better than any mid-table teams or even teams at the bottom. Its embarrassing.

We have got ZERO options. If you look at the other teams in the league its embarrassing to see mid table teams with more options than us. even Everton have got more strikers than us with Jo, Yakubu, Saha,

If you look around the other teams around us they all have more options than us...

Chelsea - Drogba, Anelka, Kalou
Man Utd - Rooney, Berbatov, Owen, Giggs can also play up front
Arsenal - Van Persie, Eduardo, Bendtner, Vela
Spurs - Keane, Defoe, Crouch, Pavluychenko
Aston Villa - Agbonglahor, Carew, Heskey
Man City - Adebayor, Tevez, Santa Cruz, Bellamy

Something desperately needs to be done about this. Even when you play with one main striker you need at least one good back striker or we haven't got a chance. We may as well write off our title chances before the season has started until we have options.

No offence to Ngog as he's improving as a player and trying his best but he isn't at the level we need if we are to make a challenge. And before anyone says anything Kuyt aint a striker.

[red g]

when Torres is out we have the weakest strikeforce in the premier league apart from West ham without Carlton Cole

Cant think of anyone else weaker can you?

[kev776]

Torres, Kuyt, Ngog, Babbel, Veeeerrronnniiin = 4 strikers.

[Bender]

Torres, Kuyt, Ngog, Babbel, Veeeerrronnniiin = 4 strikers.

yeah those 3 are choc full of goals

[St.Anger]

I agree that we a very weak up front, but I guess if we are to be fair we have to add mr. Babel to the striker list.

Many teams/managers in the EPL would have liked to have him as an option up front.

I think he would have done well at a smaler club where he would get more space and would be allowed to play as a striker and not a winger.

[Exiled_red]

If you look at the squad we're not short of 'options'. At the start of the season we would have considered our options to be:

Torres, Ngog, Voronin, Kuyt and Babel.

They're not great but given the fact we had a very limited transfer budget, we had to spend the money we had on strengthening the first 11. If we'd only had minor injuries we would have been able to cope, the problem is we've had an extended run of injuries to Torres and two of those players (Voronin and Babel) have worked their way out of contention, hence we are now at the point where we need more options!

*I think that on what we've seen this season from Ngog, he would get goals had we got an appropriate level of creativity in the team, although it's asking alot to rely on him. If we'd had the appropriate level of creativity the 5 players mentioned would have been able to do enough to keep us in contention for the title (as they did last year). I think the problem is more the lack of chances we're creating that the finishing of the ones we do create.

[Vermilion]

I'm imagine that the 20mill deducted from Rafa's transfer kitty for this season would have been earmarked for a striker and one other player, Aquilani on top of that would have been ok business.

Still wouldn't have added a David Villa for that money, but i think we need to accept that we won't be buying players in that price bracket any time soon.

[red g]

Torres, Kuyt, Ngog, Babbel, Veeeerrronnniiin = 4 strikers.

when you put it like that, think the OP has a point

[dww]

Torres, Kuyt, Ngog, Babbel, Veeeerrronnniiin = 4 strikers.

yeah those 3 are choc full of goals

To be fair I think Kuyt has shown that while he is not Torres prolific when played up front with any sort of partner he will get a decent number of goals and create more. Certainly being as the Spurs supposedly vastly superior list includes Keane and Pavluychenko.

We aren't blessed with huge depth but at the same time I don't really think that up front has been a huge issue for us this season. Creativity in midfield and solidity at the back have been what has hurt us and neither thing would be helped by adding another striker.

Added to that I think Benayoun, Kuyt and even Babel and Voronin are the sort of players who would benefit from a more creative midfield then I really struggle to see the reason for the obsession with strikers. I think it is one of those things that people always focus on when things go bad but I'd say it is far from the root of most of our troubles.

That is not to say we wouldn't benefit from a target man type option or some other option it's just that I think we can do well without it.

[Vermilion]

Why did Crouchie have to go and get too big for his boots here, he scored goals while here of the type he'll nevery likely score again.

Yet he's happy to play off the bench at Spurs, shame, and the press don't continually hound him asking "are you happy coming off the bench, do you wanto start, should you start iyo Peter, the manager is underusing you yes ? your an england international not a bench player, your better than this Peter....yada yada yada"

He gave us options, Rafa spotted thast he would when others were saying Crouch to Liverpool...pfft.

Then again, we wouldn't have GJ now so it's not all bad, and this season our stand in strikers should have scored some of the chances they've missed, even Voronin, but it's been a bloody nightmare.

[dww]

Why did Crouchie have to go and get too big for his boots here, he scored goals while here of the type he'll nevery likely score again.

Yet he's happy to play off the bench at Spurs, shame, and the press don't continually hound him asking "are you happy coming off the bench, do you wanto start, should you start iyo Peter, the manager is underusing you yes ? your an england international not a bench player, your better than this Peter....yada yada yada"

He gave us options.

He's started their last 6 you know.

[-V-]

Same issues, every week, every season. Same people saying we need a Striker and same people saying we don't need a striker. Can't be arsed discussing football anymore

We need a another top quality striker. Rafa's system of playing 1 up top does not work because Torres is injured all the time and he is the only player we have that can make the system work. We need another striker so that we have 2 options

Anybody who thinks otherwise, including the people who run Liverpool fc are completely clueless


End of.

[Vermilion]

He's started their last 6 you know.

Who's injured though.

[Vermilion]

Same issues, every week, every season. Same people saying we need a Striker and same people saying we don't need a striker. Can't be arsed discussing football anymore

We need a another top quality striker.
Anybody who thinks otherwise, including the people who run Liverpool fc are completely clueless


End of.

Of course we do, imo amyway, but needing and being able to afford are two separate things.

[dww]

Same issues, every week, every season. Same people saying we need a Striker and same people saying we don't need a striker. Can't be arsed discussing football anymore

We need a another top quality striker.
Anybody who thinks otherwise, including the people who run Liverpool fc are completely clueless


End of.

It's a shame you went down the emboldening route. If you'd stuck to writing FACT at the end of the sentence I would have changed my mind.