Topic: Our strikers

[sinnermichael]

darren bent can't be happy at villa. i'd have him here in a shot.

[redk84]

Suarez is not prolific in front of goal at the moment, Carroll definately isn't. Kuyt hasn't scored all season....Adam, Bellamy and Maxi have chipped in but all of that together is not enough. As mentioned by the lovely commentators last night, we have only scored 2 more than Fulham FC.

Everyone is just having a simultaneous bad time in front of goal. it's a weird phenomenon.

We are not the only team to ever suffer from it. Spurs had the same situation at the back end of last year when they kept drawing and losing allowing us to catch up to them. Now look at them! they are the best team in the universe.

Would be nice to buy a recognised prolific striker....but what if he doesn't hit the ground running? and the rest of the aforementioned start to kick on...waste of money again yeah? what is certain tho is we cant go on like this. The longer this period of impotency goes on infront of goal the more it will harm us and eventually chip away enough of the confidence in the other good things we are doing. e.g defence....then things will turn sour.

For the record, id luck a stop-gap solution. An old-hand.....
Van-Nistlerooy/Raul type that wouldn't cost too much but may help us in this anoying period of lack of goals. BUT i wouldn't be too fussed if we stuck with what we have.

[RyanBabel19]

In the summer i had two main worries and it just currently feels as though both have been fully realised. One was the lack of a DM signing as back up or even competition for Lucas, the other... no young or 'squad' striker bought to be used within the side when we lacked goals. It wasn't through a lack of faith in the team or our own players that i held these reservations about our summer business but more to do with feeling there were holes in the squad that needed filling and were not.

Alot of it was shot down by the same people over and over again and its just one of those things that seems to happen season after season with us, when is it going to change ? The most frustrating thing is when you can clearly see something needs to be addressed but it just isn't, countless people on here and across our fanbase in general highlight problems and issues and they jsut dont seem to be spotted by the people that matter most. Obviously its a marathon not a sprint but some of our problems have been glaringly obvious for some time and we always seem to be the club that is willing to just wait and wait while others attack their problems head on and address the issues immediately. We need to learn from our own mistakes and capitalise on the fact we have owners that are willing to provide financially when it is clear we need more in certain areas.

We constantly make claims about other teams not being 'a threat' because they lack this that and the other and yet when our eyes are turned onto our own side we paper over the gaps with excuses and a 'we'll worry about that when we get to it' attitude. By that time its often a game of catching up as opposed to maintaining the pace. Although i definately dont think its got to that point yet i do feel we are in danger of letting it get to that again.

We MUST act on the glaring weaknesses we have as soon as possible, be it moves in the transfer market or simply choices on matchdays with the starting 11 and the bench. Obviously differing opinions are a part of any sports teams fanbase but some really need to stop burying their heads and excusing anything even when they know better themselves just to be in agreement with the group in charge.

[AnnieRoad(Un)Faithful]

Are we really creating the chances for a lethal goal scorer to put away?

Carroll had a couple of chances tonight. Connected well with one. Bellamy had a chance and screwed it wide. But where else if we play a pass or put in a cross that made you think if only we had so and so to put it away?

For me is creativity we're lacking. Especially out wide.

Carroll should have buried both of those chances. The first he snatched at when could've stopped it and placed it or even just hit it home, but he stretched at it and made it look harder than it was. The second, he just tangled up in his feet and didn't connect well enough with it at all.

He's just not very good technically and is clearly not the type of striker we need to fit into our system. Suarez was signed in the first place to play in behind Torres and supply him with more passes and to work in around him. Carroll does not fit the bill and slows our attacking play down too much. He isn't quick, he isn't technically sound and aside from heading ability he doesn't really offer a great deal.

I really hoped he would kick on after both the City game last season and the derby this season, but he's not nailed down a first-team place and just isn't looking threatening when he plays.

Torres is looking more and more foolish for leaving and we're also missing him more and more as chances go begging and we fail to finish off teams time after time.

A better striker should be a priority - but who is there?

[dazzcarlos]

Would be nice to buy a recognised prolific striker....but what if he doesn't hit the ground running? and the rest of the aforementioned start to kick on...waste of money again yeah?

I agree but its a risk all clubs take on ANY player they sign. look at what happened when chelsea bought one of the best forwards in the world. Shevchenko was awesome at milan imo but just didnt fit in at the bridge.

Carroll should have buried both of those chances. The first he snatched at when could've stopped it and placed it or even just hit it home, but he stretched at it and made it look harder than it was. The second, he just tangled up in his feet and didn't connect well enough with it at all.

He's just not very good technically and is clearly not the type of striker we need to fit into our system. Suarez was signed in the first place to play in behind Torres and supply him with more passes and to work in around him. Carroll does not fit the bill and slows our attacking play down too much. He isn't quick, he isn't technically sound and aside from heading ability he doesn't really offer a great deal.

I really hoped he would kick on after both the City game last season and the derby this season, but he's not nailed down a first-team place and just isn't looking threatening when he plays.

Torres is looking more and more foolish for leaving and we're also missing him more and more as chances go begging and we fail to finish off teams time after time.

A better striker should be a priority - but who is there?

I sense an implication of a suggestion we bring HIM back to Anfield in there. might work on the field but i doubt that off field it would work

[AnnieRoad(Un)Faithful]

darren bent can't be happy at villa. i'd have him here in a shot.

I had considered Darren Bent as an option, but I really don't think he's got what it takes to succeed at one if the bigger clubs. He seems happier in the shade at someone like Charlton, Sunderland or Villa as he will always play and has the attack pretty much built around him. That certainly wouldn't happen here and I think he lacks the technical ability to mix it up with Suarez, Maxi, Bellamy et al.

But there aren't many options out there at the moment.

[SkinHimHesShite]

we need a number nine. there are loads of finishers out there, top class finishers that take chances all day at the drop of a hat.

Suarez is not prolific in front of goal at the moment, Carroll definately isn't. Kuyt hasn't scored all season....Adam, Bellamy and Maxi have chipped in but all of that together is not enough. As mentioned by the lovely commentators last night, we have only scored 2 more than Fulham FC.

Everyone is just having a simultaneous bad time in front of goal. it's a weird phenomenon.

bellamy is a wide forward, kuyt is a workhorse forward, suarez is a magical player that could not score a goal all season and still contribute to a title winning team. carol was bought as our goalscorer and has failed miserably though a combination of poor finishing, bad luck, not fitting in and not trying.

imagine what you could buy with the kind of money we have spent last summer. Cavani would have been convenient but i doubt he's on the market now- Forlan would probably be more realistic. Pato might be available, Higuain looks like he's set to move (although he isn't as prolific as his reputation suggests i think he'd be good in our team) These are players with a brain to know where the ball will be 3 passes down the line, so they're in the right place to put the ball away when the chance comes. I don't mind misses, but when your star players cannot read your own teams attacking move, you need to go elsewhere. you have to be proactive to be a goalscorer- you have to be ridiculously skilled to beat defenders through ability alone and bag 25 goals.

darren bent can't be happy at villa. i'd have him here in a shot.

would be a great shout- he's just that- a finisher. awful up top on his own but if you have carroll for those games you use suarez and bent in a front 2 and we will score loads. he'll mop the chances up and make sure he's well positioned to turn passes into chances- something our current 9 can't do.

[callanlfc5times]

I had considered Darren Bent as an option, but I really don't think he's got what it takes to succeed at one if the bigger clubs. He seems happier in the shade at someone like Charlton, Sunderland or Villa as he will always play and has the attack pretty much built around him. That certainly wouldn't happen here and I think he lacks the technical ability to mix it up with Suarez, Maxi, Bellamy et al.

But there aren't many options out there at the moment.

He doesn't need to be able to mix it up he just needs to be able to put it in the net when we put him through on goal. The players he has played with at other clubs have mostly been shite, imagine the amount of times a Maxi, Bellamy or Suarez could put him through on goal. Bent is a finisher and the sort of forward we need at this very moment someone just anyone who can put it in the net, because you can guarentee at the very least once a game one of our strikers has it put on a plate for them.

[danbylfc]

Just dont have that "fox in the box" type of player. Owen/Fowler/Torres type. I really can see us signing a striker in Jan if our current scoring doesnt pick up. Weve only scored more than 2 goals in 2 games in all comps IIRC? Exeter away in the cup and Bolton @ home. Thats poor for a team thats ment to be fighting for a top 4 place. The only downfall of signing a striker would that have an even bigger effect on big andy and he doesnt seem the most confident man at this moment in time.

[ScouserAtHeart]

Adam Morgan

[Spirit_of_Istanbul]

David Villa. Not exactly out of favour at Barcelona, but they will probably allow him to leave for a reasonable fee, considering they have more than adequate replacements. Would be a great short-term option, allowing Carroll to develop without pressure, and sharing the goal scoring responsibilities with Suarez.

He's 30 and would cost a fortune, need to be looking long term. Get a bid in for Soldado in Jan hes only 25 and is a proper striker.

[Dubred]

David Villa. Not exactly out of favour at Barcelona, but they will probably allow him to leave for a reasonable fee, considering they have more than adequate replacements. Would be a great short-term option, allowing Carroll to develop without pressure, and sharing the goal scoring responsibilities with Suarez.

I've been a Liverpool fan all my life.  I breath the club.  But honestly, can you really, realistically see David Villa coming here......right now??

He's still a top player, can almost pick where he wants to go, if indeed he did want to leave Barca in the first place.

We're not in the Champs League.  We dont know yet if we'll make it next season, or even if we'll make the Europa League next season.  The top 7 spots are very competitive this season and nothing is guaranteed.

I just dont think, regardless of our history, we are a big pull for David Villa at this moment in time.

Personally I'd take Darrren Bent.  Its realistic, we are step up from Villa.  He's not my favourite or ideal player but he does have the knack of scoring wherever he plays.

But......he wouldnt be cheap.

[redk84]

Fair points.

However i think we can all agree that we are on the WHOLE....playing a much better brand of football and are at times a joy to watch right?

Kenny's signings went some way to maintaining HIS ideas throughout the squad. He is the manager afterall and got what he wanted. Sure we can see the holes in the squad that we have now.....but if we bought differently as many can say in hindsight, who's to say we wouldn't have attracted a host of "other" problems that we'd all be sitting here talking about?

Whats done is done. ok. and some signings will always be a mistake no matter what the manager's intentions were, that is true....

But I think Kenny has the balls to be ruthless, the knowhow to get the best out of what we got, and the ability to get us competing where it matters again. There's so many factors that will attribute to our success, needs to be handled right.

the sheer frustration at our performances against lesser teams on here, and everywhere shows much ambition people have for this club again. No head down in the gutter moments anymore, its weird, but a good thing!

[AnnieRoad(Un)Faithful]

I've been a Liverpool fan all my life.  I breath the club.  But honestly, can you really, realistically see David Villa coming here......right now??

He's still a top player, can almost pick where he wants to go, if indeed he did want to leave Barca in the first place.

We're not in the Champs League.  We dont know yet if we'll make it next season, or even if we'll make the Europa League next season.  The top 7 spots are very competitive this season and nothing is guaranteed.

I just dont think, regardless of our history, we are a big pull for David Villa at this moment in time.

Personally I'd take Darrren Bent.  Its realistic, we are step up from Villa.  He's not my favourite or ideal player but he does have the knack of scoring wherever he plays.

But......he wouldnt be cheap.

Yep, there's no chance David Villa will ever play for us while we're not in Europe.

[AnnieRoad(Un)Faithful]

However i think we can all agree that we are on the WHOLE....playing a much better brand of football and are at times a joy to watch right?

Yeah, it's much better to watch, but it's frustrating as hell seeing us fail to score enough goals in game after game.

[BEAST]

Torres would be a brilliant option but i think there are too many factors stopping that from happening. A pity because he is exactly the type of player we need.

how the fuck would he be a brilliant option?

How much has he scored the past year?  How is it a fucking pity?  Fuck Torres, get over it son.

[dazzcarlos]

how the fuck would he be a brilliant option?

How much has he scored the past year?  How is it a fucking pity?  Fuck Torres, get over it son.

not a brilliant option, but IN THEORY he would fit the bill for the type of striker we need.

[masterbaker]

lisandro lopez is someone i've always liked and has scored goals where ever he's been, i think he's knocking on a bit though so he would probably be a risk that he could adapt, though would probably get him for reasonable price

[lionel_messias]

It is obvious we need to get a forward in the window. Carroll will be good in 18 months time (I hope) We need somebody who is ready now.

Yep, plain truth that. We need a mean, nasty, ugly sob who lives and breathes goals and broken hearts.

[AnnieRoad(Un)Faithful]

Blackburn and Bolton have scored more goals than us and they're in the bottom three.

Pathetic.

[AnnieRoad(Un)Faithful]

how the fuck would he be a brilliant option?

How much has he scored the past year?  How is it a fucking pity?  Fuck Torres, get over it son.

Either way, I doubt Kenny would entertain the idea of bringing him back.

Although he did bring back Omar from Juventus, but that was a very different situation.

I'd take him back, no matter how much of a dick he's made himself look.

[Matt8Pie]

Yep, plain truth that. We need a mean, nasty, ugly sob who lives and breathes goals and broken hearts.

Does he have to be ugly? I'm fresh out of man crushes in this team since Torres left and Lucas is out injured.

[lionel_messias]

Does he have to be ugly? I'm fresh out of man crushes in this team since Torres left and Lucas is out injured.

He has to be really really ugly, like maybe Hulk, although I'm not sure he's ugly enough and probably not less that £30 million either

[eirwen]

What are the chances of Soldado or Cavani coming here? I know they probably won't be cheap.

There is no chance of Villa coming here. Why would he leave the best team in the world to a team not in CL in a new league? At age 30? What would he be in for except higher tax rates?

[Barney_Rubble]

OUR strikers.

They've all got topics of their own. Use them...