Dirk Kuyt

[Bootle Buck]

He's been with us a year now and I must admit I am beginning to get a little worried about him. At first his work rate looked superb and he seemed like he would score goal albeit not prolific. More recently he seems to find himself way too deep and playing almost as another midfielder. He's not blessed with natural pace and his control leaves a lot to be desired. I can't see him being a hit if he isn't in the box sticking chances away. Rafa seems to like him and gives him lot's of playing time. I just wonder if his guaranteed starting position is justified. Crouch seems to be playing second fiddle at the moment and maybe should be given a chance. What are your thoughts?

[Falconhoof]

If the ref hadn't been such a c**k yesterday then we'd be saying how sharp Kuyt looks.

 

Crouch should start with Torres at Villa.

[Mike]

no way him and voronin should be played together. they are just not direct enough.

every game should have either crouch or torres .

[sutty]

My initial thought is "oh not this again"

 

I reckon Crouch was underutilised last season and hope to see him more this season.

 

I figured Kuyt would be playing further up the field with the wide men and Torres coming in. It'll concern me if he doesn't

[Leo No.8]

I think he'll score 20 goals this season myself, with other players like Torres and Voronin who can play deeper.

[theredfella]

A busy fool if you ask me. Works hard but his awareness doesn't seem to be the greatest and already he's beginninng to show signs of Heskeyitis - a strange condition which sees the striker foraging for the ball by his own eighteen yard line and then unable to do anything when we attack on the break.

 

Big, big season for the lad IMO.

[Guest spk]

A busy fool if you ask me. Works hard but his awareness doesn't seem to be the greatest and already he's beginninng to show signs of Heskeyitis - a strange condition which sees the striker foraging for the ball by his own eighteen yard line and then unable to do anything when we attack on the break.

 

Big, big season for the lad IMO.

 

[crisps]

every game should have either crouch or torres .

 

[Mikey]

For me it's all about who plays best with Torres because he will be our main striker this season without doubt. I'd play him with Crouch for a few games to see if they can gain an understanding, but I fear that Rafa is still indulging in his Kuyt fetish and will start with him instead. I'd imagine that Crouch has had less playing time than the other strikers this Summer.

 

FWIW I said many times last season that I'd sell Kuyt if we could get our money back on him, and nothing has changed, he still lacks pace and a good 1st touch and no amount of running around is going to make up for that.

 

His 'goal' against Feyenoord notwithstanding, I'm more interested in what Strikers can do inside the box and I'm never confident that he will score.

[sutty]

Kuyt buried that chance, "goal" is very harsh indeed.

[kop205]

He's been with us a year now and I must admit I am beginning to get a little worried about him. At first his work rate looked superb and he seemed like he would score goal albeit not prolific. More recently he seems to find himself way too deep and playing almost as another midfielder. He's not blessed with natural pace and his control leaves a lot to be desired. I can't see him being a hit if he isn't in the box sticking chances away. Rafa seems to like him and gives him lot's of playing time. I just wonder if his guaranteed starting position is justified. Crouch seems to be playing second fiddle at the moment and maybe should be given a chance. What are your thoughts?

 

Pretty much exactly my thoughts on Kuyt really, and as someone else said even if his 'goal' yesterday had been allowed that wouldn't have changed things because he isn't going to score those every week.

 

He simply has to get into the box and start getting a few bread and butter goals, tap ins etc. He isn't a gifted or pacy enough footballer for me to make a big difference to our build up play by dropping deep but his hustle and bustle could be much more dangerous 12 yards out.

 

John Aldridge wasn't a gifted footballer but did tremendously well for us by simply getting on the end of things, and Kuyt could do worse than look to him as an example to follow. Of course, Aldo had Barnes and Beardsley making the bullets for him and it remains to be seen whether we'll crate enough for Kuyt to regularly get on the end of but I do think that is his best chance of being a real success for us. Hopefully, that is what will happen this year.

[Maldini]

A busy fool if you ask me. Works hard but his awareness doesn't seem to be the greatest and already he's beginninng to show signs of Heskeyitis - a strange condition which sees the striker foraging for the ball by his own eighteen yard line and then unable to do anything when we attack on the break.

 

Big, big season for the lad IMO.

That's embarrassing, Kuyt's awareness is better than any of our other forwards, the truth is he needs to become more selfish and shoot more rather than set up teammates. He'll get 20 this season.

[Stevie H]

I reckon Crouch was underutilised last season and hope to see him more this season.

interesting how few people are saying this. i still think he's our most important forward.

[Mikey]

Kuyt buried that chance, "goal" is very harsh indeed.

I agree it was over the line that's not my point, I think it's great when someone smacks one in from 20+ yards but that isn't what I would be looking for in my strikers. Whether that 'goal' counted or not it wouldn't disguise the fact that Kuyt doesn't score enough 'strikers' goals - tap-in's from saves from the keeper, getting in front of the defender like Crouch against The @rse last season, working the keeper more of the time - how many shots does Kuyt balloon over the bar, I'd imagine most of his misses are on the high side???

 

No 'knee-jerking' from me, I thought he was massively over-rated on here last season and i've seen nothing in his game to suggest he's ever going to be any different this season.

 

Torres should be our furthest forward striker not Kuyt - and I'm starting to think that Stevie is better as 2nd striker than him as well.

[Maldini]

Gerrard is s**** as the 2nd striker

[Stevie H]

I agree it was over the line that's not my point, I think it's great when someone smacks one in from 20+ yards but that isn't what I would be looking for in my strikers. Whether that 'goal' counted or not it wouldn't disguise the fact that Kuyt doesn't score enough 'strikers' goals - tap-in's from saves from the keeper, getting in front of the defender like Crouch against The @rse last season, working the keeper more of the time - how many shots does Kuyt balloon over the bar, I'd imagine most of his misses are on the high side???

 

No 'knee-jerking' from me, I thought he was massively over-rated on here last season and i've seen nothing in his game to suggest he's ever going to be any different this season.

 

Torres should be our furthest forward striker not Kuyt - and I'm starting to think that Stevie is better as 2nd striker than him as well.

and you were doing so well. gerrard's a shocking waste at second striker and doesn't really know how to play the role.

[sutty]

I agree it was over the line that's not my point, I think it's great when someone smacks one in from 20+ yards but that isn't what I would be looking for in my strikers. Whether that 'goal' counted or not it wouldn't disguise the fact that Kuyt doesn't score enough 'strikers' goals - tap-in's from saves from the keeper, getting in front of the defender like Crouch against The @rse last season, working the keeper more of the time - how many shots does Kuyt balloon over the bar, I'd imagine most of his misses are on the high side???

 

No 'knee-jerking' from me, I thought he was massively over-rated on here last season and i've seen nothing in his game to suggest he's ever going to be any different this season.

 

Torres should be our furthest forward striker not Kuyt - and I'm starting to think that Stevie is better as 2nd striker than him as well.

 

Agree with the 1st 2 paragraphs but my view of last season was that was by instruction rather than choice.

 

We had the situation when Bellamy was the front man and Kuyt played off him, something I couldn't understand. If he isn't going to work smarter then I'm with you

 

Disagree re Gerrard though. We lose so much when he plays up there.

[Guz]

I thought he had a decent season last year.

 

If he can improve on his ~1 in 3 (think it was slightly better than that) ratio in the league it'll be a good return.

[cymrococh]

Gerrard is s**** as the 2nd striker

Gerrard as second striker makes me want to smoke crack.

[sutty]

I thought he had a decent season last year.

 

If he can improve on his ~1 in 3 (think it was slightly better than that) ratio in the league it'll be a good return.

 

 

Somebody who lacks pace like he does shouldn't be out wide so much though, IMO.

 

he should be working the penalty area, particularly when the ball is out wide.

[fred milne]

John Aldridge wasn't a gifted footballer but did tremendously well for us by simply getting on the end of things, and Kuyt could do worse than look to him as an example to follow. Of course, Aldo had Barnes and Beardsley making the bullets for him and it remains to be seen whether we'll crate enough for Kuyt to regularly get on the end of but I do think that is his best chance of being a real success for us.

Aldo also had a striker's instinct in terms of movement in the box.

[Hassony]

Aldo also had a striker's instinct in terms of movement in the box.

 

you can't really coach an instinct like that in a striker, you either have it or not, Kuyt doesn't, but he has got other attributes that makes him very important to the team

[Frosty Jack]

that isn't what I would be looking for in my strikers.

 

they're not your strikers are they?

[kop205]

Aldo also had a striker's instinct in terms of movement in the box.

 

Agreed, although the fact that Kuyt scored so mnay in Holland suggests that he can't totally lack that instinct. It is almost like he's been trying to be something he isn't since he arrived to show what a good player he is. Maybe he won't be this generation's Aldo but given his other limitations I reckon that is his best chance of having a real impact for us.

[Dan]

2 things:

 

1) Kuyt's first touch is very good. I'm amazed people keep criticising it.

 

2) This f*ckin moaning about Kuyt not being in the box enough, particularly last season. He scored sh*t loads for Feyenord in the box including the tap ins that people are craving so why do you think he's not for us? It's not because he's not capable of playing that role it's because the manager tells him to perform a different one. I would have thought that was pretty obvious.