I think any striker that tries hard and shows good commitment deserves the backing of the fans. Afterall that's why we're called supporters. It is true that we are harsher on some players more than others though. I guess it's also their personality that wins over fans. In the case of Bobby it seems like he's a bit of a cult hero a bit ike Freund was. Not a lot in it as far as goals are concerned eitherFind it strange that he's loved and backed to the hilt when strikers in the non so distant past who have actually hit the net on a consistent basis got dogs abuse - Pav,Bent,Crouch to name a few.
I personally would take any of them strikers over Bobby at the moment.
Would take him over any of them tbh. prefer the football we play with him to what football they contribute to. Irrespective of goals.
What did we buy him for?
A non scoring striker cannot be the way forward if we are to reach CL qualification. I mean if Kane gets injured i guess you'd still be happy to play Soldado.
I'm as sorry for him as the next guy but Pav, Rebrov, and Bent to name just three were got rid for the exact same situation that we find ourselves in with Soldado, and thats the players inability to put the ball in the back of the net.
He should be held accountable for that reason above anything else that he does on the pitch. Nothing more and nothing less.
I would like to see Soldado given time in the 3 behind Kane, probably on the right, with Eriksen and Chadli (or Lamela, Townsend) on the left. He has the creative ability, passing, pressing, and all round game to do the job, at least as an experiment. The advantage is that he would still get scoring chances but Kane would be the focus of attention. If Soldado took a couple of chances he'd then have a chance of being rehabilitated as a main striker. It might not come off but I don't think Lamela and Townsend or Lennon are so perfect on the right that the idea's not worth trying as a means to get more value from our £26m (or whatever) investment.
Well done Gaz - at last, someone gets it!
Yes - Bobby is a top bloke. Yes, the fans love him.; Yes, his link-up play, his intelligence, his unselfishness, his skill, etc. is unquestionable; but without being able to regularly put the ball into the back of the net, he's next to useless. (OK, so he's help set up a few goals, but that's not the same thing).
Gaz,
Sorry if my post wasn't clear. I implied at the expense of Lamela. I said Eriksen and Chadli would play central and left but in my opinion neither Lamela nor Townsend (nor Lennon) is currently so good on the right that it's not worth trying Soldado there properly. It's not sentimentality. You imply Lamela is "proven" in that role but is he really? We all want Lamela to succeed as much as we want Soldado to. But I think Lamela's one-footedness and positional awareness still need a lot of work, to go with his undoubted talent. Trying Soldado there would have 2 chances of success: either he'd prove surprisingly good in the role or he'd rediscover his scoring touch. Of course, you may well be right and it might not work, but I don't think it's plain stupid.
Because he always seems to give 100% effort as opposed to those you mention who didn't appear to I guessFind it strange that he's loved and backed to the hilt when strikers in the non so distant past who have actually hit the net on a consistent basis got dogs abuse - Pav,Bent,Crouch to name a few.
I personally would take any of them strikers over Bobby at the moment.
Because he always seems to give 100% effort as opposed to those you mention who didn't appear to I guess
He hasnt scored goals, so he's failed in that aspect. But the job description of a striker is more than just scoring goals. It's also to create goal scoring opportunities for either himself and/or others. He has done that. He also gets on with his job, doesnt sulk and doesnt cause trouble.But despite all his huffing, and puffing he's not bloody scoring. Face the truth, he's failed in his job description and that is to score goals. It's interesting to see how SC members want to carry a player on the team who is failing miserably at the job he's paid to do just because he appears to run about a fucking bit as Harry would say.
yeah, sure, i don't disagree. But fact remains it's probably how he keeps the fans onsides whereas Pav, Bent and Crouch didn't. Well, i guess Crouchy did.But despite all his huffing, and puffing he's not bloody scoring. Face the truth, he's failed in his job description and that is to score goals. It's interesting to see how SC members want to carry a player on the team who is failing miserably at the job he's paid to do just because he appears to run about a fucking bit as Harry would say.
Point is that is not all Saldado's fault. He's a top class striker in a slower league that stresses refinement and technicality and less on physical power. In other words, he is ill suited to the EPL. Baldindi, Levy, or whoever is instrumental in paying £27M for him is guilty of bad judgement, pure and simple.yeah, sure, i don't disagree. But fact remains it's probably how he keeps the fans onsides whereas Pav, Bent and Crouch didn't. Well, i guess Crouchy did.
Find it strange that he's loved and backed to the hilt when strikers in the non so distant past who have actually hit the net on a consistent basis got dogs abuse - Pav,Bent,Crouch to name a few.
I personally would take any of them strikers over Bobby at the moment.
But..... We have paid/are paying £30 million for Lamela, who's intelligence is questionable, is anything but unselfish, link-up play is poor because of his selfishneess, and assist ratio isn't great and may score a goal every now and then.....
My theory: like Torres, he's a sensitive soul, and he doesn't like English culture, which is crass and aggressive. He probably wishes he'd never come here, is upset by Tottenham fans who hurl abuse from the stands (not necessarily at him, but at any player), and feels like he can't be himself on or off the pitch. When you don't feel comfortable in your skin, you don't perform - simple as that.The fundamental difference between Soldado and those in the past such as Pav and Bent is he is a proven top class striker.
Now for whatever reason his confidence is low and he cant seem to get out of this hole but if/when he does he could be one of the best we've had in an age.