Liverpool FC Forum

[kazza]

Rafa Benitez has hailed troubled striker Dirk Kuyt for the important role he plays at Liverpool.



Kuyt has gone 12 games without a goal and was also dropped from the Holland squad for this week's international friendly against Croatia.


The striker has also described the extent to which the death of his father last June has affected him this season.


However, Benitez is ready to put his faith in Kuyt for this Sunday's clash with Chelsea after losing Fernando Torres to injury.


The Liverpool manager has been pleased with Kuyt's contributions this season, even if he has been short of goals.


Benitez said: "Everybody was saying that Torres and (Peter) Crouch did well last week (against Sunderland), but I will have to change that plan now with probably Dirk Kuyt involved. It will not be rotation now, but something I will have to do.


"I have no problems with Kuyt. He is a fantastic professional, a worker, so he does an important job for the team. If Torres or (Steven) Gerrard score goals it is because Kuyt is working so hard.


"He's OK. He would like to score more goals and I would like him to score more but I have every confidence in him.


"There maybe is a problem with confidence, but if we create better chances he will score.


"When strikers score they are happy, they score the winner and everybody is happy and they get man of the match awards, and that is because when you are talking about strikers everybody only talks about goals, not the work they do."


Kuyt, meanwhile, has thanked Benitez for sticking with him through a difficult few months.


The Dutchman said: "The club and the manager have been great to me, Rafa said he would give me all the support I needed.


"That was hugely important. And even now the manager and the lads have

continued to help me.


"I truly believe I am at the right club to help me deal with this problem. And the fans have been great to me, they understand what I am going through.


"It is a special feeling when you are not at your best and they still support you."

[puroresu]

Kuyt has never been good enough.  Last season I thought he was average and it was absurd when fans were trying to compare Kuyt to Berbatov just cos they scored the same amount of league goals.  Works hard but that cannot be the criteria to play for LFC.  Kuyt is not blessed with much ability and we have to sell him.

[The_Rock]

And where does Kuyt say he hasn't been performing because his father died?

whew............Am i happy you are off my back.... 

[kazza]

Kuyt has never been good enough.  Last season I thought he was average and it was absurd when fans were trying to compare Kuyt to Berbatov just cos they scored the same amount of league goals.  Works hard but that cannot be the criteria to play for LFC.  Kuyt is not blessed with much ability and we have to sell him.

Well clearly the manager does not agre with you.

[bigmick]

What do we do with him is an intersting one. The first thing is we should look at what we we DON'T do with him and that is fairly obviously start him unless we are absolutely desperate. We might be desperate against Chelsea (although not sufficiently so for me, I'd go 4-5-1 with Crouch up top) but how on Earth he has been played continuously in front of last seasons top scorer will be a mystery which I will never fathom.

Like I say though, as the question is what do you do with him, the answer in the short term is use him extremely sparingly as a substitute. As for the longer term, I'd sell him for absolutely whatever we can get in the Summer. He's fairly certain to be on a big contract, and even if we took a bid of say 2 million for him, the saving of the 3 mill or so off the wage bill would make it worth it. He's been a terrible signing lets be honest, but all clubs make them from time to time so best we cur our losses and let him move to lower standard of football.

[The Manhattan Project]

Sell him in the Summer.

[Yessicajax]

And where does Kuyt say he hasn't been performing because his father died?

He doesn't, so don't try and have a sly little dig at the guy, making out he's using it as an excuse for his poor performances.

In case you missed it;

"Naturally it's had a major impact on my life but at the same time my performances just haven't been good enough."

Ok you guys know im not a big Kuyt Fan...But i have to say he did say that..
It was i think in the news papers.

[redhayesy]

Dirk Kuyt: My pain and struggle at Liverpool
By David Maddock 08/02/2008

The Dutch striker, who has scored just three league goals this season, has suffered a dip in form and confidence following the death of his dad, Gerrit, from cancer in June.

"I'd be lying if I said it hasn't affected me, because it obviously has," Kuyt explained.

"He was my biggest supporter and someone I always turned to for advice. I know if he was here right now he'd help me with the difficulties I have been having on the field.

"Naturally it's had a major impact on my life but at the same time my performances just haven't been good enough.

"It's my job to score goals and I haven't done that on a regular basis. Now I've got to keep going and turn this situation around."

Liverpool will be without star striker Fernando Torres for 10 days with a hamstring tear - ruling him out of Sunday's trip to Chelsea. He picked up the injury during Spain's 1-0 win over France on Wednesday.

imho i think that was a very sincere responce from kuyt
& regardless what people say- the death of anyone you
love respect etc will have a major impact on your life &
day to day priorities that change your views on what
is important in your life.

i feel for the guy at this moment in time & he has
obvisouly tried to carry on the best he can, for the
reasons he gives, ie his dad was his biggest supporter
etc & he is missing him in so many ways, & that hasn"t
helped his day to day life let alone his footballing one!
he hasn"t become a bad player over night, however
if it helps him regain his form maybe he should be taken
out of the spotlight for a while to achieve this.
i think he deserves some time to achieve this aswell
as i"m sure he is trying to do his father proud at the moment
but is clearly struggleing to do so.
it is clearly a difficult time for the player & raffa
does he drop him to give him more time to bereave etc
or think there is no room for sentiment, & put him in
the reserves & put it down to co-incidence.
i have sympathy with both at the moment but think that
the club have shown him great support which is
the liverpool way & i hope he works his way through
this very difficult time in his life, & repays
everyone at the club with the form he showed
when we first signed him.
all the best dirk lad,come good for us as i sincerly
hope he can, if that means giving him another
season so be it.

he has

[Penguins]

Well, Kuyt is the reason I'm getting in the "Rafa out camp"
for each game he plays.
He is so poor it pains me.
His skill level befits a League 2 player.
I don't care if he is a nice lad, a hard worker, "insert any other off field activity". I care what he does on the field and this season he has done jack all despite being 1st choice.

Where is heskey or baros?
At least I've come to appreciate their games more now after seeing Kuyt in action.
For once don't look at the person Kuyt but the player Kuyt!
and it's there to see, as he is almost the least skillful player in the whole squad.

rafa is infuriating me with his love statements for kuyt no matter how pisspoor he is. Just drop him already. How many points is that waste of space going to cost us until Rafa is satisfied? 

[maguskwt]

His skill level befits a League 2 player.

Where is heskey or baros?
At least I've come to appreciate their games more now after seeing Kuyt in action.

over exageration

[maguskwt]

Dirk Kuyt: My pain and struggle at Liverpool
By David Maddock 08/02/2008

The Dutch striker, who has scored just three league goals this season, has suffered a dip in form and confidence following the death of his dad, Gerrit, from cancer in June.

"I'd be lying if I said it hasn't affected me, because it obviously has," Kuyt explained.

"He was my biggest supporter and someone I always turned to for advice. I know if he was here right now he'd help me with the difficulties I have been having on the field.

"Naturally it's had a major impact on my life but at the same time my performances just haven't been good enough.

"It's my job to score goals and I haven't done that on a regular basis. Now I've got to keep going and turn this situation around."

Liverpool will be without star striker Fernando Torres for 10 days with a hamstring tear - ruling him out of Sunday's trip to Chelsea. He picked up the injury during Spain's 1-0 win over France on Wednesday.

imho i think that was a very sincere responce from kuyt
& regardless what people say- the death of anyone you
love respect etc will have a major impact on your life &
day to day priorities that change your views on what
is important in your life.

i feel for the guy at this moment in time & he has
obvisouly tried to carry on the best he can, for the
reasons he gives, ie his dad was his biggest supporter
etc & he is missing him in so many ways, & that hasn"t
helped his day to day life let alone his footballing one!
he hasn"t become a bad player over night, however
if it helps him regain his form maybe he should be taken
out of the spotlight for a while to achieve this.
i think he deserves some time to achieve this aswell
as i"m sure he is trying to do his father proud at the moment
but is clearly struggleing to do so.
it is clearly a difficult time for the player & raffa
does he drop him to give him more time to bereave etc
or think there is no room for sentiment, & put him in
the reserves & put it down to co-incidence.
i have sympathy with both at the moment but think that
the club have shown him great support which is
the liverpool way & i hope he works his way through
this very difficult time in his life, & repays
everyone at the club with the form he showed
when we first signed him.
all the best dirk lad,come good for us as i sincerly
hope he can, if that means giving him another
season so be it.

he has

top post...

[club_Levis]

Kuyt: A player with limited ability and simply not good enough. How he was kept at the expense of Cisse and Bellamy is beyond. The fact that Rafa rates   proves what I have always thought about him.No eye for talent.

[Yessicajax]

Ok this is funny... Im sure last year everybody loved him!!! All the Liverpool fans wher talking good about him.
Now he dont score he is a sh.it player?

[account deleted by request]

Now he dont score he is a sh.it player?

We prefer to say, "not quite up to Liverpool standards". Adds to the re-sale value

[The_Rock]

Ok this is funny... Im sure last year everybody loved him!!! All the Liverpool fans wher talking good about him.
Now he dont score he is a sh.it player?

everybody ....thats kinda of pushing it don't you think ?

When rafa got rid of bellamy i did mention i prefer to let Kuyt go instead of him....

When rafa signed kuyt for 10 million i did mention i would have preferred if we had signed anelka..... (you can dig up the old posts if u want)...

So not everybody....