Liverpool FC Forum

by **Leonmc0708** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 10:35 am

god_bless_john_houlding wrote:Jermaine Pennant, in his first five/six months at Anfield was mild and cold at best, really struggled to make an impact at the club.

Then from mid january to the end of last season, he was probably our best player. In Athens against Milan, he tore them apart and had a good chance to score himself. He was just starting to cement his position as the first and only right winger at the club.

Start of this season, he was showing these signs again, and then the injuries hit him. He's been out of contention for a while but his return from injury is a welcomed one by me anyway. If he can regain full fitness and get back to the form he showed at the back end of last season, then we don't need to break the bank and find a right winger. We have an outstanding one in Pennant.

Tonight against Inter, he may of only played the last 10 minutes or so, but he assisted two goals, as well as giving their full back a hard time. Fantastic to see him back in a red shirt and doing what he does best, running at people and crossing the ball for our forwards. He's our answer to any right wing problems, just needs to be given a sustained run in the side again.

My decision to not read your posts (that have surged in frequency) of late regarding the Rafa situation and our club have been vindicated by this load of rubbish.

Pennant was starting to perform towards the end of the season, but any winger with one goal to their name is poor, and if you simply apply the logic that you do to other players you would see this.

Shocking post.

by **Ace Ventura** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 1:16 pm

I agree with the general opinion on the forum about Pennant....while he has improved he has still not improved enough.
1 goal from a winger is nowhere near productive enough and considering he started his career as a striker its baffling that he doesnt get himself in the area more when attacks are coming in from the left.
I think Rafa stresses to the wingers and full backs that we need width to open up teams, but Pennant takes the instructions too literally and doesnt come inside and attack the far post at all.
He still also isnt positive enough, he takes the easy option far too often by knocking in hopeful crosses. His crossing is decent but he should be looking to get beyond the full back far more often as when he does he causes far more problems.

by **puroresu** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 1:20 pm

god_bless_john_houlding wrote:
JBG wrote:I'm sorry John but you don't half talk tosh.

You've spent the past while here slating Liverpool and now reckon Pennant (who was ok, but far from spectacular when he came on) is the answer to our right sided problems?

I wasn't talking about this particular game, but his form since his arrival. He's been as good as anybody in the Premiership as a right winger, since Feburary of last year.

If he gets back to that sort of form, we won't need to buy a right winger.

Thats absurd. One off performances are not good enough. He does not score enough goals and fails to beat a full back far to often. Not good enough. In the CL final he played ok but some people talk as if he did what Kaka did in the first 45 mins in Istanbul. He was decent but wasteful.

by **NJD83** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 2:52 pm

I don't mind Pennant, but he is not the type of player we need to take us to the next level, people on here say we need someone like Ronaldo!! Who?? he is the best in the world at what he does and thier is no one around who we could get any where near as good as him. I want to try untested players, I have seen two youn wingers for Crystal Palace recently who look very good, Hills and Skannel I think they are called they could be worth a try and would be quite cheap and it is not a huge risk buying two youn English players. Anyone know how are last great hope Gonzales is getting on??

by **europian-kings** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 2:59 pm

maguskwt wrote:abit harsh on pennant you guys are... I agree with GBJH to a certain extent here... I wouldn't say we dont' need a new RW... but Pennant on form can trouble any defender... he has more impact than any of our other wingers kewell and babel included... if he only go the byline abit more and cut back for our strikers to finish rather than just pump crosses then he will become a very good winger...

sle the words from my mouth

by **ConnO'var** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 3:20 pm

No chance, mate.....

Pennant is deffo not Liverpool FC grade...... Neither in terms of footballing ability (both physically and mentally) or attitude.

Sorry.... I just don't see what people see in him.

by **Lando_Griffin** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 3:30 pm

He doesn't score goals, and that, for me, is a priority for wingers.

Defenders know that he won't head straight for goal, but rather attempt to whip a cross in at any cost.

And that, I'm afraid, means he just isn't good enough to be first choice.

by **ConnO'var** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 3:33 pm

Lando_Griffin wrote:He doesn't score goals, and that, for me, is a priority for wingers.

Defenders know that he won't head straight for goal, but rather attempt to whip a cross in at any cost.

And that, I'm afraid, means he just isn't good enough to be first choice.

Agreed 100%.

Makes him one dimensional and all too predictable to be truly effective.
May sound harsh but he's a one trick pony with a tendency to lose his mind when things done go for him....

by **Big Niall** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 4:00 pm

god_bless_john_houlding wrote:quote]
I wasn't talking about this particular game, but his form since his arrival. He's been as good as anybody in the Premiership as a right winger, since Feburary of last year.

Maybe we shoud offer Manure a straight swap with Ronaldo then :laugh:

by **Big Niall** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 4:07 pm

It is fairly shocking that the only attacking signing Benitez has made who has really been a success is Torres.

Defensively he seems to have a good eye - Reina,Agger,Skrtel,Masch,etc but attack wise?

Crouch,Kuyt,Babel,Penant,Morientes,Gonzales,Bellamy,Benayoun,Voninin, they amount to about £60m (okay got about £10m back for Morientes and Bellamy) but not one of them was ever a player - like Torres, that you really felt could fire us up the league table. All bit part - "maybe" players. :down:

For £50m net spending we should have got 2 or 3 exceptional attacking players.

by **Boocity** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 4:14 pm

I thought Pennant was only average last night. I thought Kuyt and Finnan linked much better than Finnan/Pennant. I prefer Benayoun.
Its not just Pennant but have you seen just how poor we are at crosses even SG's crosses were poor last night. Over the past few weeks you see the positions we get into just crying out for a half decent cross and most of them don't even get passed the first defender and those that do are so long they go out for a throw in.

by **Big Niall** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 4:46 pm

our crosses were terrible, SG sent a couple right against the first man - just as well I'm not a manager as I wanted to shoot him and then it'd only have been one nil

A few others were guilty of it, Finnan did the opposite and overhit a few. Its not that hard to whip in a cross from set plays - even I can do it.

by **god_bless_john_houlding** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 4:54 pm

So Pennant doesn't score enough, fair enough I'd go along with that, but how does Gattouso of Milan score? How many from OPEN PLAY does Beckham score? Come to think of, how many from OPEN PLAY does Ronaldo score. It's all very well scoring from free kicks and pens, when you don't have to worry about anything but hitting the ball. Goals aren't Pennant's job, his job is to create, and last night he created both goals. I'd settle for him creating two goals a game rather than him getting into 5 goal scoring opportunities and missing the lot.

Also, lets assume next season's transfer kitty is 40 million. That's 40 million for another forward, left back and two world class wingers. Now you don't get world class forwards and wingers for 10 million a piece. So it's either Pennant, move Gerrard over or promote a youngster. Right wing isn't a problem for Liverpool right now.

by **Bad Bob** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 5:19 pm

god_bless_john_houlding wrote:So Pennant doesn't score enough, fair enough I'd go along with that, but how does Gattouso of Milan score? How many from OPEN PLAY does Beckham score? Come to think of, how many from OPEN PLAY does Ronaldo score. It's all very well scoring from free kicks and pens, when you don't have to worry about anything but hitting the ball. Goals aren't Pennant's job, his job is to create, and last night he created both goals. I'd settle for him creating two goals a game rather than him getting into 5 goal scoring opportunities and missing the lot.

Also, lets assume next season's transfer kitty is 40 million. That's 40 million for another forward, left back and two world class wingers. Now you don't get world class forwards and wingers for 10 million a piece. So it's either Pennant, move Gerrard over or promote a youngster. Right wing isn't a problem for Liverpool right now.

Ronaldo's top scorer in the league, mate. They haven't all been free kicks (which are no gimmes anyway).

by **puroresu** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 5:22 pm

Pennant did not make the 2nd goal and the 1st goal last night wasnt exactly a pin point cross.

Pennant also still likes to party and drink to much. My bro works with someone who was out with Pennant, Adebayor, Hleb and Dioup a few weeks back. Said Pennant drinks alcohol like its going out of fashion.

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