Atletico post match moan

[Craig_H]

Just to clarify, i dont blame N'Gog, he works his arse off and does his best.

It's Rafa's refusal to change the system, in accordance with what players we have available, that's causing this problem. There are far too many examples of Rafa using the players in the wrong way, and this is one of them.

[PTP]

A lad I know reckons Ngog is "the worst striker I have ever seen at this level".

it's harsh. though the fella who commentated for talk sport, i had him on on way home from pub, can't for the life remember his name but he is a decent fella, put it well.....................whilst not a bad footballer, he has nothing that gives him an edge, he is not strong, his touch is average, he is not frighteninlgy quick, he is not great in the air......he basically has limits and plays to them.

I have said it all season....i feel for ngog, he (like insua) has been forced into a position he should never have been, decent enough young lad, who should be used purely as cover/back up and come in games where we are say 2-0 up at home half to go, or carling cup games. Or the odd game where it might be 0-0 10 minutes to go and it's a bit of gamble.

At a minimum we should have had another striker to fill the gap between torres and ngog.

[Craig_H]

Totally agree.

[Vermilion]

Many were singing his praises after his goal the other day, it would be a shame to see fans turn on a young lad who is doing his best at a very high level, especially with the mood of fans due to the ownership/bad season etc, he would not deserve that, he's been thrown into the deep end..the season has pretty much been a washout, and N'gog has done what he can when asked.

[Shaggy]

it's harsh. though the fella who commentated for talk sport, i had him on on way home from pub, can't for the life remember his name but he is a decent fella, put it well.....................whilst not a bad footballer, he has nothing that gives him an edge, he is not strong, his touch is average, he is not frighteninlgy quick, he is not great in the air......he basically has limits and plays to them.

I have said it all season....i feel for ngog, he (like insua) has been forced into a position he should never have been, decent enough young lad, who should be used purely as cover/back up and come in games where we are say 2-0 up at home half to go, or carling cup games. Or the odd game where it might be 0-0 10 minutes to go and it's a bit of gamble.

At a minimum we should have had another striker to fill the gap between torres and ngog.

Totally agree.

Yeah so do I. Feel sorry for him, clearly this wasn't the plan for Ngog. Eight goals isn't a bad return either, all things considered.

[PTP]

Just to clarify, i dont blame N'Gog, he works his arse off and does his best.

It's Rafa's refusal to change the system, in accordance with what players we have available, that's causing this problem. There are far too many examples of Rafa using the players in the wrong way, and this is one of them.

- With no torres, we should look at say 4-4-2, gerrard and mascher in the middle with say yossi and maxi/babel on the wings with kuyt and ngog up top........for whatever kuyts faults, at a bare minimum he does offer experience and work rate and would prob be the best partner for ngog. You know kuyt would never allow the back four an easy ride, and he's running might just create an opening for someone else to run into.

Unfortunatley Ngog on his own, (even torres on his own has struggled at times) is not going to panic many if any back fours into mistakes

[Craig_H]

Spot on about Kuyt mate, he'd work the opposition defence all day long. He's a good striker, but only in a pair.

The only player we have who can definitively be a success as a lone striker, is Torres.

Others may progress to a sufficient level as a lone striker, but as of now, none of our other players are good enough to do it.

[Rich]

Ngog has a bit of the David Trezeguets about him and I'd never ask him to play up top alone.

[PTP]

Yeah so do I. Feel sorry for him, clearly this wasn't the plan for Ngog. Eight goals isn't a bad return either, all things considered.

yeah not bad, and there has been enough signs to thing not a bad a little player. but for me he should be viewed and used in a similar way to the mancs have with macheda and that other lad who's name escapes me but looks good and i think ferguson 'loaned' him to his son, and vela at arsenal and also the lad chelsea paid city silly money for sturridge??

if he was used like that, and we were a good team, with a good squad, everyone would be saying "hmm that ngog isn't a bad young player"

He is, after all as i have mentioned many times.......younger than Nemeth!!!! and considering people went on and on about nemeth being the next best thing, i'd have to say ngog looks streets ahead of him. He's come in to liverpool side and played in over 50 games scoring 11 goals!! - i'd be shocked if nemeth ever makes more than 10 appearances

[dww]

I honestly thought Ngog did quite well and was bringing people into play as often as was lifely. I think the problem was those playing off him. Once again Gerrard and Benayoun were only fitfully involved in the game and the whole midfield (and Johnson) all too often looked to be on their heals and not looking to make forward runs.

It wasn't a terrible performance but a bit disappointing. If Benayoun's effort had stood I think my impressions would have been more favourable.

[PTP]

Spot on about Kuyt mate, he'd work the opposition defence all day long. He's a good striker, but only in a pair.

The only player we have who can definitively be a success as a lone striker, is Torres.

Others may progress to a sufficient level as a lone striker, but as of now, none of our other players are good enough to do it.

i also personally believe that kuyt should partner torres too, for the same reasons. It's one thing that has frustrated the hell out of me with benitez, whether it's down to him or the lack of depth in the squad, it's the inability to try something or b a bit flexible

there has been many many games, mainly at hime, when we have set up 4-5-1, and torres has been isolated on his own, getting booted and frustrated. I really do believe that kuyt, up top along side him, taking the kicks, challenging for the first ball, doing the ‘donkey’ work would benefit everyone

[Craig_H]

i also personally believe that kuyt should partner torres too, for the same reasons. It's one thing that has frustrated the hell out of me with benitez, whether it's down to him or the lack of depth in the squad, it's the inability to try something or b a bit flexible

there has been many many games, mainly at hime, when we have set up 4-5-1, and torres has been isolated on his own, getting booted and frustrated. I really do believe that kuyt, up top along side him, taking the kicks, challenging for the first ball, doing the ‘donkey’ work would benefit everyone

It seems so obvious, in most walks of life even, that if something isnt working, you try something different. But apparently not in Rafa's mindset.

[The Birdman]

The problem isn't Ngog because he'll be a real handful in a couple of years the problem is the lack of a back up striker so Ngog could be third choice not 2nd.
If Maxi were available in Europe and if Reira had gone shouting his mouth off we'd be seeing Kuyt up top I think.

Ngog is the French U21 main striker, give him a couple of years to progress and bulk up and we'll have a Drogba type striker (not suggesting he'll get that good, just similar in type)

Personally Ngog is the best young striker in the PL, he's just being used too often too soon

[Fan65]

Yep have to agree, I can't see why some fans are negative on here after watching our 7th placed side experience its 18th (if this is wrong blame shaggy) loss of the season against a very poor Athletico Madrid side in the semi final of a competition so poor that the other 2 teams are Hamburg and Fulham.

Come on lads, there's plenty to be happy about here.

Nothing is going to change this side of the summer, we're still playing ****, we're still up for sale, we still have the greedy yanks, we still have Rafa, we still don't have a new stadium and we still don't have Torres and yet you still keep pointing it out like we don't all know the mess we're in.

It's nearly the end of the nightmare season and we know we're not going to make 4th so why not enjoy the fact we are nearly in a European final, ok not the big one but a final none the less.

Remember Alaves was a great night

[-V-]

Ngog has potential and its not his fault. He's inexperienced and not ready to be playing european semis. He shouldn't be put into that position when he's not ready. Not physically strong enough either.

Overall usual problem though, lone striker who's obviously not ready to play that role. System all wrong we should be playing with 2 strikers, too defensive as usual. Athletico's defence is absolute garbage and we should be scoring into them even without Torres.

No away goal is very worrying. 18th defeat of the season? Rafa will deploy the same system at Anfield and he better hope we get lucky