by bigmick » Mon Oct 25, 2004 3:59 pm
No definately not. What you must do though, is base your strategy on logic and balance of probability. Neither Baros nor Cisse are the poacher type ( despite Cisse's undeniably impressive record in France ) and to play the expansive, roam around the park, run at people game they do and score regularly is almost impossible. Only Henri in modern times has managed to combine the two roles. Neither Baros nor Cisse attacks space at the front post when a cross comes in. Neither Baros nor Cisse show signs of an instinctive appreciation of opportunity, of guessing the goalkeeper may drop it or that the ball may come back off the post. You can't teach this stuff, its a talent. That's why the very best at it can score goals from two yards out week after week and be paid two million quid a year and more for doing it.
Van Horseface, Owen at his best (which FWIW I think has gone) , Fowler and apprentices such as Defoe perform the role well. Whether Mista or Morientes are an answer I don't know to be perfectly honest. I've never really seen Mista play for one thing. Tell you one thing though, if I watched him a couple of times I reckon I'd be able to tell you if he was possibly going to do the job. You can never be categoric in predicting success in the goalscoring department. So many different factors, confidence, how good is the service, luck etc. You can however be more certain about non-success in the goal-getting department. It seems to me that unless teams start defending on the half-way line so Alonso can slip Cisse in, or unless he scores ten goals from 25 yds plus in a season he can't possibly be a regular goal-scorer. He doesn't take up the right positions. Likewise Baros though at International level his record is exceptional, for us he doesn't get in goalscoring positions often enough. Maybe its because he offers more in the buildup play for us I don't know but I just don't see it happening. One or the other for me afraid.
"se e in una bottigla ed e bianco, e latte".