Defoe = our 4th striker???

[Rocksuperstar]

Why 4th? For me he's by far and away our 1st choice sub-striker, making him our 3rd choice forward and, for all those saying Bent is above him in the pecking order - why?

Lets add these things up (and no, i've said it before, i'll say it again, i'm no statto) - If Bent fell over, he'd miss the floor. If he wanted to commit suicide, he'd put the gun in his mouth, pull the trigger and wake up in hospital with gunshot wounds to the lower abdomen.

Defoe, however, is far, far more accurate, able to hit the keeper time after time - you can't buy that kind of dead shot!! Ronaldinho hitting the bar? pffft! Try hitting the keeper that many times on the trot, Mr Bunny!

Either way, Bent should've been the perfect foil for Berbatov but turns out he isn't even on the same page as the Bulgarian, and the same for Keane - his quick running and superb passing should be what Bent lives on, but he can't seem to understand our little Robbies accent or something, i dunno.

Defoe is still a player i hope finds his shooting boots again because when he's on form he's fantastic to watch but he's not played with a smile for months and months now.

Yes, both of them need games and confidence, but as of right now, i'd pick Defoe over Bent any day of the week and, if it came down to it, i'd let Bent go before him (truth be told, i would've stopped bidding for him at £10m MAXIMUM, but i'm not the one with the cheque book i guess)

So, someone want to explain why they see Defoe as second fiddle to Bent in the squad? :shrug:

Interested, that's all :up:

 

[Welsh_spurs_fan]

I find your lack of faith disturbing

And i agree with you with Defoe, he is better than Bent imo

 

[Flatters]

Because he's nowhere near as good as the other three.

Next.

 

[Capocrimini]

Defoe is overated. He hasnt had a decent season since his West Ham days, only thing he does beter then the other 3 is making space to shoot.

 

[The Apprentice]

The immovable object versus the irrestible force.

Perfectly good bench fodder.

 

[Rocksuperstar]

Because he's nowhere near as good as the other three.

Next.

but you're no where near as gay as Nic, but you still get it in the neck :shrug:

 

[muffwah]

defoe is extremely one dimensional, weak on the ball, a poor team player and can be completely anonymous. He also misses lots of chances every time he plays.

He has an eye for goal but he is no michael owen.

 

[Flatters]

but you're no where near as gay as Nic, but you still get it in the neck :shrug:

I'm definitely taking that as a compliment. :lol: :up:

 

[InOffMeLeftShin]

I'm not entirely convinced he is 4th choice striker either and in my honest opinion he plays better with Berbatov than the other two do. (Yes I know Keane and Berba scored a shed load together at the end of last season, but it was down to individual brilliance rather than a great partnership). ALso I love his energy and have been fairly impressed with him this season when he has had his chance.

As for why people seem to not rate him, I think people are frustrated by the number of times he gets caught offside (all be it harshly at times, but he runs a very tight line) and as you pointed out he seems to have a radar for the keeper and constantly fires it straight down their throat when a more subtle approach might be more effective. I guess that when we are doing badly and are constantly in need of a goal to salvage a situation this can be even more irritating.

 

[DC_Boy]

I'm not sure if he is the '4th striker' - however if Berbs doesn't play Bent plays - whereas if Keane doesn't play Bent Berbs or Defoe can take his place.

 

[InOffMeLeftShin]

defoe is extremely one dimensional, weak on the ball, a poor team player and can be completely anonymous. He also misses lots of chances every time he plays.

He has an eye for goal but he is no michael owen.

Disagree, his movement off Berbatov can at times be extremely good and he can be a perfect partner for Berba with his runs in behind. I think Berba has started to get a little frustrated at nobody ever being further forward than him because he loves to play the little balls in and around the box and behind the defenders.

Also disagree he is week on the ball and I haven't seen him being anonymous (I guess i wouldn't if he was anonymous, but you know what I mean) this season, he has always been a bright spark and willing to run and try something. If wanting to score and taking shots early is one dimensional I don't have a problem with it.

He is much better suited to playing with Berba than together with Bent though.

 

[Joycer]

I know Bents not really impressed since coming to us , but come on give him a chance he's hardly started for us and when he did last week he scored ! Bents been the highest scoreing english player for the last 2 seasons in the league ( Must look if that stats right ) at a poor charlton side , I've got nothing against Defoe but that is somthing he could only dream about doing IMO ! So if Defoes 4th choice as you say then rightly so IMO !

Sorry to turn ur Defoe thread into a Darren Bent One

 

[Rocksuperstar]

I know Bents not really impressed since coming to us , but come on give him a chance he's hardly started for us and when he did last week he scored ! Bents been the highest scoreing english player for the last 2 seasons in the league ( Must look if that stats right ) at a poor charlton side , I've got nothing against Defoe but that is somthing he could only dream about doing IMO ! So if Defoes 4th choice as you say then rightly so IMO !

Sorry to turn ur Defoe thread into a Darren Bent One

s'alright, i don't mind, it's kinda the point of the thread - is Bent better than Defoe, and take into consideration the way Ramos likes to play here, Defoe will be getting a very different service from midfield if the system changes as much as we expect it to.

Currently, when Defoe plays, most of his service appears to come in from the middle or a long hoofed ball down from Daws, Robbo or across from Chimbo. With two very quick wingers and 2 defensive minded midfielders in the centre, his service will hopefully start to come with a bit of pace to his feet and, if he still has that first touch that helped him out so much when he did get a chance last year, it'll be much more natural for him to move onto the passes with confidence.

Bent should've fitted in no worries this term - he can find space off the ball like a demon but, as i said up top, he doesn't appear to be finding the same spaces Berbatov, Keane, Teemu and Hudd were playing the ball into - frustrating for everyone, most of all i expect, Bent (didn't count Jenas as he tends to want to run with the ball and, as his first touch has been totally woeful this term, it's not like he gets the chance to pass even if he intended to).

Tough call, but going by what everyone says about Ramos' style of play and tactics, Defoe may well be rubbing his hands together at the prospect of a bit of pace and some more direct passing.

 

[joey55]

Defoe is still a player i hope finds his shooting boots again because when he's on form he's fantastic to watch but he's not played with a smile for months and months now.

:up:

Defoe does seem to have a bit of a false reputation. In his first 2 seasons he started 49 games and scored 29 goals. This earned him a well deserved big reputation amongst our fans. Yet since then he's started 48 games and scored 30 goals, but for some reason it widely consdidered that he's gone backwards. His goal scoring record so far this season and last is as prolific as it has ever been.

I think this assumption that he's not as good or as lethal as he was when he first came, might come from the players he's being compared to now, compared to then. I really don't remember Keano being the striker he now is when Defoe first signed. When he came us, it was as a replacement for Zamora. Ferdinand and Sheringham had recently left and Postiga wasn't exactly lethal in front of goal. So compared to what we had then he seemed fantastic, as did the 29 goals in 49 games (compare that to the, at the time recent, records of Kanoute, Postiga, Sheringham, Ferdinand amd Zammora.) Though in the 48 games he's started since, his record is better (30 goals), comparitively with the other players we've had, it is nothing special. Basically, I think that in 2004, a 1 in 2 striker was a real treat for us, whilst now we've got a few.

 

[tony0379]

well he jas hardly grabbe the chance everytime hes played this season has he

 

[EmperorKabir]

defoe and berba best partnership for me as well

 

[Rocksuperstar]

defoe and berba best partnership for me as well

Dunno about "best" partnership - i'd hope that, with Keane's combination of visionary running and technique, Berbatovs technique, composure, first touch and passing we have two players who should compliment Defoes pace superbly, but it seems that where Jermain hasn't gelled with Berbatov the way Keano has, it's left him looking a bit out in the cold. It also begs the question what training drills were being run and if Defoe was indeed being used in the right capacity to keep him on top of his game.

I wonder, if King was fit, would Martin have been more willing to have left Keane on the bench more often? As vice-captain it was kinda hard to leave him out with King missing :shrug:

 

[chrissivad]

defoe and berba best partnership for me as well

its the best style of parnership, for me anyway. In not saying those players are right just that you have one player up top who will look for the ball and can create something, and one that will try and get in behind the back line.

Sometimes we just seem to try and create infront of the back 4 with out much of a threat of getting past them

 

[Joycer]

going by what everyone says about Ramos' style of play and tactics, Defoe may well be rubbing his hands together at the prospect of a bit of pace and some more direct passing.

Got the feeling we'll see more Bent / Defoe playing together like sat with Ramos , which i have wanted to see !

 

[Diewhingywenger]

Defoe is overated. He hasnt had a decent season since his West Ham days, only thing he does beter then the other 3 is making space to shoot.

Should we forget the goals he scored that basically kept us in the Premiership, in his first half season for us?

Whatever works for you.