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Player Watch: Fernando Llorente

spursfan77

Well-Known Member
Aug 13, 2005
46,680
104,957
I would have preferred to see Llorente start against Arsenal, given just how unfit Kane looked. I think Poch took a huge risk with his longterm fitness. Let's hope he got away with it.

He should have played both of them and set up like against Madrid away.
 

kendoddsdadsdogsdead

Well-Known Member
Aug 29, 2011
2,140
3,574
Didn't we try that with Janssen?

did we? Again the lack of goals didn't bother me with Jansen, it was his alround game that wasn't quite good enough imo. For example Going back a while to someone like Kanoute who wouldn't get many goals but boy did he get us playing. And that's the ingredient they're going to need if they're coming on to replace kane, because as we saw on Saturday if it's not working there there's no point bringing on someone who's not going to contribute much apart from getting on the end of chances we're not even making. We're lucky that Kane can do both when he's on it. I appreciate it's not easy finding that player but we have to do better imo.
 

Charly***

no idea
Aug 20, 2008
4,209
7,052
It's hard for strikers to find form with a couple of minutes here and there. Same as Janssen, neither are bad players, but to be successful as a striker you need to feel the coach and team count on you to have the confidence to produce the goods, which you won't get if you're hardly used. Unless you get one of the rare strikers with unshakable self belief. We need to find a young player with the belief that he can eventually be better than Kane. Janssen knew that wouldn't be the case and same with this guy. Not easy to find one of those but that's what we need.
 

WiganSpur

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
15,974
32,682
I thought he'd be a solid signing but he's looked like a plodder so far.

You've got to hope at some point our scouting team will eventually hit the jackpot.

Bring back Janssen until we can find someone better.
 

WiganSpur

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
15,974
32,682
did we? Again the lack of goals didn't bother me with Jansen, it was his alround game that wasn't quite good enough imo. For example Going back a while to someone like Kanoute who wouldn't get many goals but boy did he get us playing. And that's the ingredient they're going to need if they're coming on to replace kane, because as we saw on Saturday if it's not working there there's no point bringing on someone who's not going to contribute much apart from getting on the end of chances we're not even making. We're lucky that Kane can do both when he's on it. I appreciate it's not easy finding that player but we have to do better imo.
His all round game has been better than Llorente's. At least he held the ball up, won a few headers and fouls.
 

buttons

Well-Known Member
Feb 24, 2005
2,945
3,861
First touch terrible, second touch even worse, third touch nearly killed their keeper.

Didn’t go well tonight, needs games, can’t see where he’ll get them.
 

Archibald&Crooks

Aegina Expat
Admin
Feb 1, 2005
55,533
204,721
We have a real dilemma with the backup striker situation. Kane is undroppable which means that whoever is second choice there only gets spot appearances, a runnout in the league cup here, five to ten minutes as a sub after the game is wrapped up there.

They never get to establish any rhythm or understanding with their teammates, and then get the fans on their back and their confidence gets shot to pieces when they don't turn in great performances out of absolutely no where.

What Llorente is going through now is exactly the same thing that Janssen went through last season. Neither are bad players, they just happen to play the one position where confidence matters more than any other and have been thrown into conditions that are conducive to killing one's confidence. No clue how you solve that problem.

For the benefit of those who post their 'expert' opinions with the certainty of a religious zealot, this is about the most sensible post on the matter I've seen.

Should he have scored that chance? Of course. But he didn't. Players, very good players, have missed far worse and that doesn't define their careers or them as players. Except it seems, here on SC.
 

St José Dominguez

Well-Known Member
Jul 15, 2014
3,592
11,648
I like him and thought he'd be a good signing but his career here has started really badly. That chance was the perfect example of why his time here probably isn't going to work out. He's another striker who needs starts to build form and confidence and he's not going to get it here because of Kane.
I'm not one to quickly write off players but personally because of his age I'd look to offload him if stays like this at end of January.

Even his ability to hold up the ball has gone to pot. If it stays like this we might as well try and get some money back for him while can and bring someone else in or give that youth team striker a chance.

Wish we could buy a back up striker whose entire confidence in front of goal doesn't go to shit just because they're not starting games.
 

SpursDave88

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
2,193
5,831
For the benefit of those who post their 'expert' opinions with the certainty of a religious zealot, this is about the most sensible post on the matter I've seen.

Should he have scored that chance? Of course. But he didn't. Players, very good players, have missed far worse and that doesn't define their careers or them as players. Except it seems, here on SC.

He missed a sitter against Madrid also. Gives up possession very easily for someone of his size too. Has not done much so far, not impressed at all.
 

Clark28

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2016
2,269
13,040
Llorente is a shocking player - another Jansen/Soldado, will have to be replaced ASAP.
by another striker who will only play <10 minutes a week when Kane is fit.

Then people will be calling for the replacement to be replaced.

imo we need a backup ST who can also play another role, that way they can get game time even when Kane is in the team.
 

Dharmabum

Well-Known Member
Aug 16, 2003
8,274
12,242
He came on in the 86th minute for heaven's sake. What did people except him to do? Score a hat-trick? Yes, he did miss a sitter but so did Son. And Son missed 2 sitter vs West Ham (but yes, he scored a brillian winner as well),
 

SpursDave88

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
2,193
5,831
by another striker who will only play <10 minutes a week when Kane is fit.

Then people will be calling for the replacement to be replaced.

imo we need a backup ST who can also play another role, that way they can get game time even when Kane is in the team.

Like Son?
 

Dharmabum

Well-Known Member
Aug 16, 2003
8,274
12,242
He missed a sitter against Madrid also. Gives up possession very easily for someone of his size too. Has not done much so far, not impressed at all.


And Son missed a sitter today and 2 sitter vs West Ham...
And Aubameyang missed an even bigger sitter...
 

SpursDave88

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
2,193
5,831
He came on in the 86th minute for heaven's sake. What did people except him to do? Score a hat-trick? Yes, he did miss a sitter but so did Son. And Son missed 2 sitter vs West Ham (but yes, he scored a brillian winner as well),

Make a decent fist of the very very easy scoring chances he has had so far...
 

scat1620

L'espion mal fait
May 11, 2008
16,285
52,503
Should he have scored that chance? Of course. But he didn't. Players, very good players, have missed far worse and that doesn't define their careers or them as players. Except it seems, here on SC.
Agreed, but I also think that players have pivotal moments at clubs that can to some extent change their destiny in that shirt (i.e. not their entire career) - as an example, I wonder how differently things might have gone for Rasiak if that header vs Liverpool on his debut had stood: doubtless he would still never have been a top player for us, but he might have gone on to not be remembered as the butt of all our jokes for years afterwards.

I feel like Llorente might have had one of those pivotal moments tonight. It's obviously far too early to say at this stage, and we'll just have to see how his time with us pans out, but I just had a feeling in my waters that tonight's miss might be a body blow that he struggles to recover from. It goes without saying (except I just did say it, to make sure that any thickos in the thread don't misread my intentions) that I hope that Llorente bounces back from this and becomes the useful squad player that we all hoped he would be.
 

Dharmabum

Well-Known Member
Aug 16, 2003
8,274
12,242
Make a decent fist of the very very easy scoring chances he has had so far...

I am not defending his poor first touch and awakward handling of the sitter he missed.
But, fex, Son have missed innumerable sitters due to a rather poor first touch as well (although is first touch is better than Llorente's). And Son also missed a sitter vs Bor Dor
 
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