Liverpool FC Forum

by **bigmick** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 11:38 am

I agree with all that about Bent Scott apart from the comparison with Ferdinand (one of the highest springs on a footballer I've ever seen) and Sheringham (at his best an artist on the ground and in the air) for headers. Bent is another who was touted by some a while ago and I wasn't convinced. I have though began to come round and rate him as the best option were we to go young, relatively unproven and English. I know Stu and a few others rate Ashton but though I think he is a good player he seems to me to be more of a feasable Crouch alternative than providing the natural goal getting top scorer option that we need.
What I would say against Bent is the price you would have to pay. Charlton paid 3.5 mill for him and would want at least double that, with the likelyhood being you would probably have to go as high as 9 mill to get him. Similarly, West Ham paid 7.5 mill for Ashton and would want to see a tidy profit before they would even talk to you. It begs the question, if you are going to have to go to around about 10 million quid for one of these relatively unproven guys, are you actually better off stumping up the couple more million to get proven quality as in Owen or Defoe?
As a footnote I offer two more options. Another one who has been touted and who I've dismissed out of hand but has made me choke ion my words. Top scorer in the Prem in the last three seasons with the exception of Henri (though how he's scored more than Van Nistelroy god only knows but I digress) while playing in poor teams? Yakubu anyone?
Another option and forgetting about fashion just for a second. You wanna go with potential, with a natural goalscorer who would absolutely definately be a brilliant partner for Crouch and who wouldn't break the bank? Hows about if they don't get promoted, Andy Johnson from Palace? All yours for about 5 million. Now your talking.

by **ivor_the_injun** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 12:07 pm

I must say that the more I see of Yakubu, the more I think about him in a Liverpool shirt. His workrate is really impressive, and I think the flash-in-the-pan accusations of a couple of seasons ago obviously hold no water. His performance against Chelsea a couple of weeks ago was seriously top drawer.

Boro have scored 30 goals in the Prem this season, and he's scored 13 of those. When you look at how many players they have on their books that are capable of scoring, to have well over a third of their total is pretty good. A hell of a lot of assists as well.

by **115-1073096938** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 2:05 pm

bigmick wrote:I agree with all that about Bent Scott apart from the comparison with Ferdinand (one of the highest springs on a footballer I've ever seen) and Sheringham (at his best an artist on the ground and in the air) for headers. Bent is another who was touted by some a while ago and I wasn't convinced. I have though began to come round and rate him as the best option were we to go young, relatively unproven and English. I know Stu and a few others rate Ashton but though I think he is a good player he seems to me to be more of a feasable Crouch alternative than providing the natural goal getting top scorer option that we need.
What I would say against Bent is the price you would have to pay. Charlton paid 3.5 mill for him and would want at least double that, with the likelyhood being you would probably have to go as high as 9 mill to get him. Similarly, West Ham paid 7.5 mill for Ashton and would want to see a tidy profit before they would even talk to you. It begs the question, if you are going to have to go to around about 10 million quid for one of these relatively unproven guys, are you actually better off stumping up the couple more million to get proven quality as in Owen or Defoe?
As a footnote I offer two more options. Another one who has been touted and who I've dismissed out of hand but has made me choke ion my words. Top scorer in the Prem in the last three seasons with the exception of Henri (though how he's scored more than Van Nistelroy god only knows but I digress) while playing in poor teams? Yakubu anyone?
Another option and forgetting about fashion just for a second. You wanna go with potential, with a natural goalscorer who would absolutely definately be a brilliant partner for Crouch and who wouldn't break the bank? Hows about if they don't get promoted, Andy Johnson from Palace? All yours for about 5 million. Now your talking.

Bent is a good player. A very good player, like Sissy though he does lack a touch, however his overall technical abilities decent, he's a very good finisher, he's good in the air, strong and quick.

Dean Ashton scores goals Mick. Thats what he's best at. He holds the ball up well with skill and with power, he picks good passes and he can hold off defenders and win headers, he's better at holding the ball up than Crouch, he can pick passes inside fullbacks, he switches play with his back to goal and he can finish when he gets a chance, his movement is also excellent.

He's scored goals everywhere, not just 10 or 5. But consistently scored alot of goals. Crewe, Norwich, England u21's, Crewe reserves, Crewe youth sides and now he's got 2 in 3 for West Ham. The lads an excellent alround player at 23, he's improving all the time and i'd be EXTREMELY suprised if he was at West Ham in 3 years unless they break into the top 5 or 6 consistently.

Andy Johnson is a no. He's simply not good enough. He's VERY one dimensional. He would be better than Sissy, but he'd struggle in Europe, pulls wide to much and generally isn't good enough. He scored 11 penalties in the league last year, most of which he won, he won them by running at defenders which he had the chance to do as Palace sat deep and played long passes towards him, much like Liverpool used to do with Owen.

Johnson is no better than the likes of Zamora, Harewood or Earnshaw. They're half decent, can probably do it in the premiership, but lack the alround games to adapt into the style the bigger clubs use with involves technique and quality rather than pace and power.

Infact if any out of those three are suited to the better sides is Zamora over the others.

by **115-1073096938** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 2:14 pm

ivor_the_injun wrote:I must say that the more I see of Yakubu, the more I think about him in a Liverpool shirt. His workrate is really impressive, and I think the flash-in-the-pan accusations of a couple of seasons ago obviously hold no water. His performance against Chelsea a couple of weeks ago was seriously top drawer.

Boro have scored 30 goals in the Prem this season, and he's scored 13 of those. When you look at how many players they have on their books that are capable of scoring, to have well over a third of their total is pretty good. A hell of a lot of assists as well.

I do like Yakubu.

Him and Ashton would be immense. Pace, loads of power and physical pressence, 40 goals a season, movement, link up play, intelligence, hard work, the ability to play on the break, etc etc...

by **stmichael** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 2:16 pm

the boro faithful are raving about the yak up here, but it's hardly surprising when you consider the amount of money they've wasted on strikers. hasselbaink, viduka, maccarone, christie, nemeth, job, ricketts. eventually they had to get one right.

yakubu is quality and has still been scoring goals for fun (he's got 18 this season) despite playing upfront on his own in recent weeks. his first goal against preston the other day was pure class.

by **115-1073096938** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 2:40 pm

stmichael wrote:the boro faithful are raving about the yak up here, but it's hardly surprising when you consider the amount of money they've wasted on strikers. hasselbaink, viduka, maccarone, christie, nemeth, job, ricketts. eventually they had to get one right.

yakubu is quality and has still been scoring goals for fun (he's got 18 this season) despite playing upfront on his own in recent weeks. his first goal against preston the other day was pure class.

Hasselbaink was free and was decent when they signed him. He's past it now though. Like Shearer.

by **dawson99** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 2:54 pm

i say we get fred

actually, the guy is class, but mori is deadwood if u ask me, hes got nothing to offer.
if i had the choice? id go for andy johnson, i completely disgree with stu. i think we need a poacher, thats what we are lacking. we have crouch who is great at holding the ball up but we need someone to get on the end and johnson would do it for me.
Cisse will start tonight tho and will score first and fowler on the bench but mori just doesnt do anything for me footballing wise im afraid

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