Liverpool FC Forum

by **Cool Hand Luke** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 6:44 pm

Fowler – Isn’t really a long term answer, but could earn himself a year by year deal if things go well. We shouldn’t really have to count on him as a first team player.

Crouch – I was all for his signing as a squad player and for less than 5MIL. He has added something to our play but isn’t good enough to be first team in the long term. Could we have got a better striker for 7MIL? Definitely if you ask me.

Cisse – Rafa got lumbered with him, is a poor all round player. Classic case of someone who thinks he is the dog’s b0ll0cks but doesn’t even concentrate on doing the basics properly.

Morientes – Class player, no doubt for me, and I don’t question his mindset or commitment. But I have said since day one that I don’t think he’ll do the business for us, he is simply to ‘soft’ for this league. Think he will be a success if he goes back to Spain to a proper footballing side. A transfer blunder by Rafa.

I think getting rid of Cisse and Morientes has to be a big priory for Rafa in the summer. I don’t think we have to buy 2 strikers in the summer. I think we should concentrate on signing 1 top quality striker. Kuyt is a player that has impressed me from what I have seen but I haven’t seen enough.

So 1 top striker and getting rid of Cisse and Morientes would be sufficient this summer.

by **115-1073096938** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 7:28 pm

Cool Hand Luke wrote:Fowler – Isn’t really a long term answer, but could earn himself a year by year deal if things go well. We shouldn’t really have to count on him as a first team player.

Crouch – I was all for his signing as a squad player and for less than 5MIL. He has added something to our play but isn’t good enough to be first team in the long term. Could we have got a better striker for 7MIL? Definitely if you ask me.

Cisse – Rafa got lumbered with him, is a poor all round player. Classic case of someone who thinks he is the dog’s b0ll0cks but doesn’t even concentrate on doing the basics properly.

Morientes – Class player, no doubt for me, and I don’t question his mindset or commitment. But I have said since day one that I don’t think he’ll do the business for us, he is simply to ‘soft’ for this league. Think he will be a success if he goes back to Spain to a proper footballing side. A transfer blunder by Rafa.

I think getting rid of Cisse and Morientes has to be a big priory for Rafa in the summer. I don’t think we have to buy 2 strikers in the summer. I think we should concentrate on signing 1 top quality striker. Kuyt is a player that has impressed me from what I have seen but I haven’t seen enough.

So 1 top striker and getting rid of Cisse and Morientes would be sufficient this summer.

Fowler will "replace" Morientes next season.
I think Sinama-Pongolle may leave, hopefully he'll stay and "replace" Sissy.

For 7million, we could have had Ashton who is by far a superior player to Crouch in near enough every department. Also there was Yakubu who's a decent player.

Fowler's good enough to stay, he's good enough to play aswell, just needs more games and his injury prone-ness makes him unreliable for the first team though.

Crouch is a good squad player, can offer us things both from the bench and as a starter, however he's not class.

Sinama-Pongolle can affect games from the bench and is a good player, he deserves a chance for me.

If i could pick two strikers though it would be Ashton and Owen. I can't believe how all the top clubs let Ashton slip through the net, i find it quite amusing these so called experts aren't willing to gamble on players like this, Alan Pardew has signed a class player and in a couple of years the top clubs will be sniffing around him. Hopefully he'll come to us.

by **Garymac** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 7:38 pm

Know what Stu, i spoke the other day about Liverpool needing there own Shearer, a big strong center forward whos not scared to mix it with the best center halfs and i couldnt think of an example of the type of player we need and Dean Ashton fits the exact description of the type of player we need and could have got for the price of Crouch.

Someone like him and Pongo upfront could cause havoc.

Ashton is indeed a very good shout

by **115-1073096938** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 7:53 pm

Garymac wrote:Know what Stu, i spoke the other day about Liverpool needing there own Shearer, a big strong center forward whos not scared to mix it with the best center halfs and i couldnt think of an example of the type of player we need and Dean Ashton fits the exact description of the type of player we need and could have got for the price of Crouch.

Someone like him and Pongo upfront could cause havoc.

Ashton is indeed a very good shout

I've been on about him for years mate, on this board i've banged on about him for months and mentioned his name that many times i'm sounding like a broken record.

He's got the lot. One of the best forwards in the country and certainly one of the best in Europe of his kind. The fact is though he's never had the big games ot prove it and he's never had the chance.

People seem to think these players are rubbish because they play for Norwich or because they don't get in the City side or because the Norwich manager doesn't rate them etc. For me Asthon could walk into any team in the country with the exception of Man United. He's got a cracking touch, good passer, strong, fairly quick, excellent in the air and his technical abilities very good.

He's not as quick or good as Shearer was at his best, but he's better in terms of strength and playing with him back to goal.

The goal he scored against Birmingham was a perfect example of what he can bring, he had the ball played into him in near the left side of the centre circle, held of a defender, switched the ball to the right flank with a 30/40 yard pass to Scaloni in space, who ran with the ball and whipped in a cross to Ashton who was at the back post to place an easy header into the net, the pass and the movement for the goal was excellent.

We've missed the boat big time with him and it wouldn't suprise me if all goes well to see him move to a top club for an eight figure transfer fee in a couple of years.

by **66-1120597113** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 7:55 pm

I think we'll get the rest of this season out of Fowler and all of next!

And yes i do think he will do the business.
What he does need now is a good run of games to get match fit and a bit of patience from us fans!!
No moaning if he goes 4 or 5 matches without a goal..because the fact is his eye for a goal and strikers intinct is there..wait and see!!
Ok when he gets himself fully fit i'd say he may be 10-20% less of the player he was but a Fowler 20% of what he used to be is a damn sight better than Sissy and Moro put together!!

I really hope these 2 go in the summer and we hold on to Crouch cause although not a clinical finisher we all know he works hard for the team and brings certain qualities that benefit the whole team!!

Im sure we will sign a striker in the summer the question is who??

Personally i'd love to see Yakubu although dont be surprised if Raffa brings in a young unheard of talent from overseas !!

Remember people Raffa is here for the long haul so dont expect to see many quick fix signings....Fowler will do for me...for now anyway!!

by **LiverpoolMadman** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 3:42 am

Kuyt is a player that has impressed me from what I have seen but I haven’t seen enough.

I have seen him play but if we buy him , is he going to better for Liverpool or other "mori". The best player to buy is the player that have played in EPL. To play "safe" if you are planning to buy new player, look at the player in EPL first then still cant find then look for other player in other league.

From what I see is Seria A is almost the same as EPL. More on direct football.

by **JBG** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 9:29 am

LiverpoolMadman wrote:From what I see is Seria A is almost the same as EPL. More on direct football.

Seria A? Surely you mean the Coca Cola Championship?

by **LiverpoolMadman** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 9:42 am

Seria A? Surely you mean the Coca Cola Championship?

NO. Its Italia League. Bottomline they played direct football just like EPL.

by **puroresu** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 10:38 am

Anyone who saw Cisse in France for Axuerre knows he can score goals.

01/02 he got 22 goals in 29 games.
03/04 he got 26 goals in 38 games. In the same season Nando got 10 in 27 games at Monaco.

And no the French League aint a joke either. You cant just lose that ability.

I dont think his been given a fair run of games up front to reach any level of concistency. Crouch is usless and hasnt scored any goals yet plays. Nando has a had a run of games and not scored yet plays. I dont think the same can be said for Cisse.

People may say Crouch works hard but I and 10 friends would run all day in a LFC shirt if Rafa asked us to. Is that enough though? No.

by **Ace Ventura** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 11:13 am

puroresu wrote:Anyone who saw Cisse in France for Axuerre knows he can score goals.

01/02 he got 22 goals in 29 games.
03/04 he got 26 goals in 38 games. In the same season Nando got 10 in 27 games at Monaco.

And no the French League aint a joke either. You cant just lose that ability.

I dont think his been given a fair run of games up front to reach any level of concistency. Crouch is usless and hasnt scored any goals yet plays. Nando has a had a run of games and not scored yet plays. I dont think the same can be said for Cisse.

People may say Crouch works hard but I and 10 friends would run all day in a LFC shirt if Rafa asked us to. Is that enough though? No.

Thats a bit short sighted that mate.

The French league is not sh!t, but its not brilliant either, and also Cisse played in a team that was designed specifically for him, a deep lying formation with balls over the top for him to run on to.
We dont employ those sort of tactics and are trying to play further up the pitch and press oppenents, more possesion than the counter attacking style he prefers.
He hasn't really adapted at all and his petulance has annoyed many fans.
I have no doubt that Cisse would score goals but i dont think his ability is top notch and his attitude towards team mates really shocking at times.
Crouch doesnt just run round and work hard, he has a very decent first touch which brings the midfielders in to attack and although his heading is not brilliant, his height is an advantage and will cause panic and confusion to most defences.
At the end of the day give me Crouch over Cisse anyday.

by **puroresu** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 11:20 am

Ace Ventura wrote:
puroresu wrote:Anyone who saw Cisse in France for Axuerre knows he can score goals.

01/02 he got 22 goals in 29 games.
03/04 he got 26 goals in 38 games. In the same season Nando got 10 in 27 games at Monaco.

And no the French League aint a joke either. You cant just lose that ability.

I dont think his been given a fair run of games up front to reach any level of concistency. Crouch is usless and hasnt scored any goals yet plays. Nando has a had a run of games and not scored yet plays. I dont think the same can be said for Cisse.

People may say Crouch works hard but I and 10 friends would run all day in a LFC shirt if Rafa asked us to. Is that enough though? No.

Thats a bit short sighted that mate.

The French league is not sh!t, but its not brilliant either, and also Cisse played in a team that was designed specifically for him, a deep lying formation with balls over the top for him to run on to.
We dont employ those sort of tactics and are trying to play further up the pitch and press oppenents, more possesion than the counter attacking style he prefers.
He hasn't really adapted at all and his petulance has annoyed many fans.
I have no doubt that Cisse would score goals but i dont think his ability is top notch and his attitude towards team mates really shocking at times.
Crouch doesnt just run round and work hard, he has a very decent first touch which brings the midfielders in to attack and although his heading is not brilliant, his height is an advantage and will cause panic and confusion to most defences.
At the end of the day give me Crouch over Cisse anyday.

I dont think crouch holds the ball up that well under pressure. I watch Chris Sutton who is strong, makes the ball stick and wins free kicks. Crouch falls over and gets pushed about too much. Plus the lack of pace and mobility to me isnt enough for the top level.

by **Ace Ventura** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 11:56 am

puroresu wrote:
Ace Ventura wrote:
puroresu wrote:Anyone who saw Cisse in France for Axuerre knows he can score goals.

01/02 he got 22 goals in 29 games.
03/04 he got 26 goals in 38 games. In the same season Nando got 10 in 27 games at Monaco.

And no the French League aint a joke either. You cant just lose that ability.

I dont think his been given a fair run of games up front to reach any level of concistency. Crouch is usless and hasnt scored any goals yet plays. Nando has a had a run of games and not scored yet plays. I dont think the same can be said for Cisse.

People may say Crouch works hard but I and 10 friends would run all day in a LFC shirt if Rafa asked us to. Is that enough though? No.

Thats a bit short sighted that mate.

The French league is not sh!t, but its not brilliant either, and also Cisse played in a team that was designed specifically for him, a deep lying formation with balls over the top for him to run on to.
We dont employ those sort of tactics and are trying to play further up the pitch and press oppenents, more possesion than the counter attacking style he prefers.
He hasn't really adapted at all and his petulance has annoyed many fans.
I have no doubt that Cisse would score goals but i dont think his ability is top notch and his attitude towards team mates really shocking at times.
Crouch doesnt just run round and work hard, he has a very decent first touch which brings the midfielders in to attack and although his heading is not brilliant, his height is an advantage and will cause panic and confusion to most defences.
At the end of the day give me Crouch over Cisse anyday.

I dont think crouch holds the ball up that well under pressure. I watch Chris Sutton who is strong, makes the ball stick and wins free kicks. Crouch falls over and gets pushed about too much. Plus the lack of pace and mobility to me isnt enough for the top level.

He doesn't hold the ball up as well as some, but still is far better at keeping attacks flowing than Cisse.
I think Crouch often doesnt win as many freekicks as he deserves and refs penalise him too much, just because he is so awkward to defend against.
He doesn't hardly have any pace, but to be fair to him thats not what his game is, he is there to hold the ball up and then allow the likes of Gerrard Garcia and Kewell to go beyond him.
But the goal against Everton shows that his timing off runs isn't too shabby.

by **LiverpoolMadman** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 11:57 am

I dont think his been given a fair run of games up front to reach any level of concistency. Crouch is usless and hasnt scored any goals yet plays. Nando has a had a run of games and not scored yet plays.

Thank GOD... I have been telling them that its unfair to Cisse ( less games or played on RM).

by **JBG** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 12:25 pm

LiverpoolMadman wrote:
Seria A? Surely you mean the Coca Cola Championship?

NO. Its Italia League. Bottomline they played direct football just like EPL.

If there was any doubt as to the vast nothingness of your football knowledge it is dispelled by this statement.

English football and Italian football are chalk and cheese. English football is played by athletes that can run the hundred metres in less than 12 seconds but couldn't trap a beachball, Italian football is played by skillful old men with zimmer frames.

by **anfieldadorer** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 8:55 am

Reds must buy a world class striker
Feb 28 2006

By Ian Rush

IT'S been obvious from the early stages of the season where Liverpool must improve to get to the next level. When you've only conceded 17 Premiership goals, you would expect your goal difference to be higher than plus 16.

To put it into some kind of perspective, Liverpool have conceded just one goal more than Chelsea this season, but scored 21 less.

I'm certain Rafa Benitez's top priority before next season will be to bring in a striker capable of scoring 20 goals a season. When he's done this, the Reds will be in a much stronger position to challenge Chelsea.

We already know Benitez recognises this because he decided to bring in Robbie Fowler in January, who we're all hoping will rediscover his lethal finishing touch.

I think Robbie has played well since he returned, but so far he's done his best work 20 yards from where he's most dangerous.

I can hardly remember anything falling to him in the penalty box, so it's been understandably frustrating trying to get that elusive goal.

My feeling is the return leg with Benfica next week will suit Robbie perfectly. A European night at Anfield is different to normal fixtures.

The crowd naturally lift the tempo, and when the onus is on Liverpool to keep hunting for goals, it's natural more balls are pumped into the box.

I'm sure Robbie will be licking his lips, anticipating lots of chances against the Portuguese.

I can understand the growing concern heading into that fixture since Liverpool are struggling to score more than one a game.

That's the worry heading into a tie where they must score at least two to win. Benfica didn't particularly frighten Liverpool, but it only takes one moment of quality or a set-piece to make life extremely difficult for Benitez's side.

Naturally the strikers are getting most criticism for the goal return, although I think much of it is unfair.

You can only play to your strengths, and it's clear neither Fernando Morientes, nor Peter Crouch, are prolific goalscorers.

They possess other qualities which can bring something to the team, so those who point the finger at their scoring record are missing the point. You can't make a player something he isn't, no matter how good a coach you are.

I also feel Liverpool's improved defence has as much to do with the workrate of the strikers as much as midfielders and defenders.

There's no side better than Liverpool at defending from the front.

What Benitez lacks with his forward options is variety.

He needs a world class striker before the start of next season. Unfortunately, they're not always easy to find, particularly at the right price.

The only one I can think of for around, say, £12m, is Michael Owen. Given his price and the fact it wouldn't be a gamble to bring him back, I'd be amazed if he isn't on the shortlist this summer.

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