Striker problem: Coaching held accountable

[Rabbi_Krustofski]

Yes, we'd all like to see a fresh new face up front this summer. Doesn't every club dream of a new striker coming in a becoming a new hero!
When you look at our current selection of stikers:
Defoe, Crouch, Pav, Keane. They ain't that bad really!
Fair enough, they didn't score enough last season, but you know if either of them join your Sunderland's or your Everton's this season, they're gonna hit the ground running and score more than they did here.
Darren Bent anybody? :bang:

It's time we questioned WHY the stikers have suddenly become poor goal scorers. :shrug: Ok, signing Van Der Vaart shook things up a little and altered our formation and style of play in the final 3rd.
Yes, Keane didn't have a great time at West Ham, but nobody can deny his record for club and country and his overall ability as a top footballer.

But HARRY signed Keane, Crouch and Defoe. This is HARRY'S selection. :duh:
Now, if he knows these players well, like he does, it's time for him to discuss the matter, coach and inspire these players back to their former glory. 'Carlos Kickaball' will be the NEXT axed player by Harry this time next year if he signs this summer, should be lose form.
You only have to look at Torres to see that 'coaching' is the answer, not a reliance on natural ability. :beer:
Come on Harry, breathe life into the front 4 like you did with Bale somehow. Take some responsibility! :violin:

 

[kaz Hirai]

to be honest crouch and defoe have never really had the greatest scoring records. keane is the only one who has dropped off badly. Pav I have no idea about

 

[wooderz]

A-v-B is dropping Torres, cheeky £12m bid? Unsettle their player, tell the press he wants to come at all costs etc etc?

 

[michaelden]

love the Plan Wooderz

 

[Black]

Tbh I would be happy to start the season with the strikers we currently have, just bring in a winger like marin i would happy with the team

 

[Maske2g]

Defoe has always been a mediocre player who popped up with goals and has an exceptional shot. Good defenders know how to play him and he has rarely in his career looked good against good players. Lost the ounce of pace that he once had. No all round game.

Crouch is an awkward player, we use him wrong. the chipped ball up into the box is to defend against, get players hasseling him and men around the danger zone. It's predicatble, not his fault. He scored some very good headers last year when balls were whipped in properly. He has zero athleticism, and takes too many touches to be an effective link player.

Pavlyuchenko is an enigma. Greedy, falls over all the time, sometimes works, sometime strolls, yet has an exceptional shot, and a great goalscoring record for us per minute on the pitch.

The above basic assessment just the epitimises mediocrity. We got to the top four when City were in a period of change, and Liverpool shit the bed. We will not have another go there unless we also up our game, but it's going to be tough with our resources.

The league improves every year. Since we made the top 4, even more top quality players have come to England. Aguero, Van der Vaart, Suarez, Villa, Gervinho, Ballotelli, To keep pace is going to be very difficult..

 

[brett.spurs]

Villa?

 

[Maske2g]

Villa?

Ha ha, I meant Silva!!!

They used to be partners you know....

 

[NEVILLEB]

If we'd played Crouch and Defoe we'd probably have beaten the bottom teams last season.

Yes they are limited but they do complement each other and work in a 4-4-2

Not buying a new striker doesn't bare thinking about!

 

[mendesstormer]

The league improves every year. Since we made the top 4, even more top quality players have come to England. Aguero, Van der Vaart, Suarez, Villa, Gervinho, Ballotelli, To keep pace is going to be very difficult..[/QUOTE]

But I thought we signed Van der Vaart? or are we struggling to keep pace with ourselves now? Confused.

 

[guate]

While I think that Crouch, Defoe and Pav are of a mediocre premier league standard, not one of them stepped up to the plate last season when needed.
Crouch does have his positive side but overall his lack of a first touch is terrible and slows our attacks down constantly as it allows the opposition more than enough time to rush back and cover.
J.D. goes missing for huge amounts of the game and when he does get the ball is often too greedy and/or desperate to pass to a better placed player and 90% of the time takes the wrong decision.
Pav is either hot or cold, when hot he can be dynamite, but when cold, looks lazy and uninterested.
IMHO, after last season's fiasco, I believe that no amount of coaching will ever change their style of play or character flaws and I genuinely hope that a) we get new strikers in or failing that b) give the youngsters a chance as they certainly can't be any worse that the above 3 who let us down so horribly last season.

 

[alex3]

tbh with our striker's crouch and defoe was a brilliant partnership and they got us 4th and since we got 4th arry seems to have stoped playing them two

 

[ethanedwards]

tbh with our striker's crouch and defoe was a brilliant partnership and they got us 4th and since we got 4th arry seems to have stoped playing them two

 

[StartingPrice]

Knee

No Strikers signed yet

Jerk


Oh, and Darren Bent - Rabbi, he needs to be playing in a team that faces a lot of pressure, as his main assets lend themselves to counter-attacking football (pace, ball ahead of him, not having to think what he will do - just smash it).

Our strikers struggled last season because teams were sitting deep and inviting us on to them.

 

[kaz Hirai]

If we'd played Crouch and Defoe we'd probably have beaten the bottom teams last season.

Yes they are limited but they do complement each other and work in a 4-4-2

Not buying a new striker doesn't bare thinking about!

not really, massive myth. they are average at best partnered together in a 4-4-2

 

[NEVILLEB]

not really, massive myth. they are average at best partnered together in a 4-4-2

We hardly sniffed a goal with VDV & 1 against the bottom teams

Crouch and Defoe in a 4-4-2 would have been more effective in these games

 

[karennina]

Crouch and Defoe were destroying the middle stretch of our CL qualification season till Pav came in and started scoring, as i remember it.

 

[beats1]

We hardly sniffed a goal with VDV & 1 against the bottom teams

Crouch and Defoe in a 4-4-2 would have been more effective in these games

There is a reason why they did well at pompy and well in the first half of the CL season, they were given more space, whereas once we were viewed as a top team, they were given less space and marked more, thats why the goals dried up and we got more goals from midfield

Crouch and Defoe were destroying the middle stretch of our CL qualification season till Pav came in and started scoring, as i remember it.

Yep, Crouch is not good when marked closely and defoe needs time and space

 

[Gilzeanking]

Always reading about how Pav/Defoe/Keane/Crouch were good enough to get us 4th .

Not true , heres a forgotten fact ....the strikers who got us 4th were

Pav/Defoe/Keane/Crouch/ Gudjohnsen

Last season we failed to reach 4th with a DEPLETED forwardline .

 

[StartingPrice]

Always reading about how Pav/Defoe/Keane/Crouch were good enough to get us 4th .

Not true , heres a forgotten fact ....the strikers who got us 4th were

Pav/Defoe/Keane/Crouch/ Gudjohnsen

Last season we failed to reach 4th with a DEPLETED forwardline .

Good point about Guddy.
It was his nous that created a few goals in tight situations, even when he didn't score them - like his dummy for the Kranky goal.