Well I've not posted on here slagging Heskey off, but I've done plenty of it elsewhere.
It does make me feel guilty seeing all these comments from people who apparently stuck by him "through the dark times" ie. from last Feb to last week.
BUT...
I still don't rate him. Lets look closer at his two goals against Leeds:
Goal 1 - his touch round the keeper (well played for even trying it like...) was attrocious and took him to an almost impossible angle. He tucked it away with a great finish but his touch (again) nearly let him down.
Goal 2 - he was 4 yards out for fucks sake!
Now you hear a lot about how he puts himself about a lot, makes life difficult for defenders, big strong lad, does a lot for Owen etc etc etc. I don't agree with any of it. He's not a perfect foil for Owen (although I wish Michael would just once go for the flick on), he gives up too easily, he falls down to easily and to me he looks like defenders have him in their pockets. His got the first touch of a brick wall and his biggest problem (and possibly the cause of all the others) is that he's cronically lacking in confidence.
I think he could be brilliant - but I didn't agree with Thommo playing him week in, week out when he was very obviously struggling. We've got a reserve team there for that very reason - he should have been dropped down, told to work on his game, built up his confidence terrorising second-rate defences and then brought back in to do the same in the league. Continually playing him cost us points, and could have cost us the league. And make no mistake, it wasn't playing second fiddle to Owen that made Fowler leave - it was playing second fiddle to an inferior player who was playing very badly. One thing for the Heskey-lovers to bear in mind is this - What did he do in our big games last year in the run in? To me Owen played his part, as did Fowler - can't remember a single thing that Heskey did after the Leeds FA Cup game.
I still think that we'd be a better team with Litmanen in - but if Heskey's scoring, I'm happy.
