Stating the obvious I know..

[Guest Les Howard]

Coz we're just not capitalizing on the chances we create.

I'd love to see what our goals/shots ratio is. We create chances - and get plenty of shots in - but we're not scoring enough.

Finishing a game off early also gives Rafa the opportunity to drag (say) Stevie off and rest him for the next game - and also lessening the chance of injuries which tend to occurr late on in games.

I thought Crouch and (particularly) Moro worked hard today - but neither of them were ever gonna score.

It doesn't look like we're gonna get a striker in - 'till the summer at the earliest - I just hope it's not our downfall.

[Mike]

do we ever - crouch has reverted to the form shown at the start of the season in the last few games - plays the game with his back to the way we are attacking for the entire match, always looking to lay off rather than turn and go forward.

a good aggressive striker would have had a few today.

[Cunny]

I agree, we can't keep expecting the midfield to bail us out.

Moro could be a 15/20 goal a season man - just when he looks good and is on a roll he gets injured.

[Big G Superhero]

Thought Crouch was a bit off the boil today, some good moves in the first half but a bit on the lacsadaisical side closing players down when compared to Mori. Thought Nando had a cracking game.

[Mike]

Thought Crouch was a bit off the boil today, some good moves in the first half but a bit on the lacsadaisical side closing players down when compared to Mori. Thought Nando had a cracking game.

 

agree with all that.

[jfogarty]

It will be very hard to buy a hard working goalscorer at this time of the year and it wont be cheap. It may be even harder in the summer if the market goes crazy which it probably will with Real rebuilding, Chelski trying to win the European cup and the Mancs trying to sort things out

[floyd the barber]

Coz we're just not capitalizing on the chances we create.

I'd love to see what our goals/shots ratio is. We create chances - and get plenty of shots in - but we're not scoring enough.

Finishing a game off early also gives Rafa the opportunity to drag (say) Stevie off and rest him for the next game - and also lessening the chance of injuries which tend to occurr late on in games.

I thought Crouch and (particularly) Moro worked hard today - but neither of them were ever gonna score.

It doesn't look like we're gonna get a striker in - 'till the summer at the earliest - I just hope it's not our downfall.

 

seems a bit harsh to be honest, personally feel crouch has been quiet past 2 games but to say hes reverted to type is way off the mark..

 

No doubt on my mind rafa will buy a predator of sorts be it within these next 2 weeks or the summer.......but for now, our set up and team is doing excellent, would buying a natrual goalscorer actually change our play??? i believe it would...the way we are set up isnt for playing balls through the defence, we play generally with our strikers backs to goal....bringing our midfield into play...and its working a treat right now.

 

So our strikers are not scoring many...doesnt matter if we continue to win games.

[Ronnie Whelan]

It will be very hard to buy a hard working goalscorer at this time of the year and it wont be cheap. It may be even harder in the summer if the market goes crazy which it probably will with Real rebuilding, Chelski trying to win the European cup and the Mancs trying to sort things out

 

 

I wonder will the Yanks fund a crazy summer for the mancs?

 

 

 

As much as i agree that an agressive striker would have had a least two today the question is whether or not we need one. We are winning games as it is and as Rafa said, we are at about 80%. Is part of the final 20% the striker we speak of?

[lawrie]

I'm mysified by those who dont think having a goalscorer would be useful. I'm sure there's one out there somewhere who can both play with his back to goal AND capitalise on our every increasing number of chances created. What's more I'm pretty sure Rafa thinks there's one out there somewhere as well. It's OK being happy with our current form, I'm personally ecstatic, but against the better teams sometimes its taking that only chance in the game which is the difference between three points or nil points.

[sean]

Of course you can't deny the merits of a proven goalscorer, but with Rafa's teams there's less of a nedd as it would upset the whole balance and pivot, on which we shape our attacking play. I simply don't see how a Michael Owen type of striker fit into our side these days. Even Cissé spends far too much time outside the box than he'd rather. The base is the defence, don't concede and take your half chances. Can work for you or against you. Like anything else in the game. We're in good shape.

Edited January 14, 2006 by sean

[Nebraska Red]

we have scored 11 golas in our last 6 league games (and 5 last week in the cup)we are unbeaten since OCTOBER 22nd and some people are finding fault withthe team

 

for crying out loud, we were lookinglike ateam of no marks in September and early October and now we are flying.

 

 

 

 

i will take another 3 months of this if it gets us a trophy and a guaranteed CL place next season.

 

if we need anything, it is still the wide right player and a left back specialist.

[abc]

The way we play means the team is not overly dependant on strikers scoring because we have other players well capable.

 

Of course life would be so much better if our strikers hit the target more often. But to say something like "our midfield can't keep bailing us out", is just plain ignorant IMO.

 

Rafa has said that the idea is for all our players to get in amongst the goals. Not so long ago we used to be a "one man team". First with Owen, then for about a season and a half, with Gerrard.

Edited January 15, 2006 by abc

[David Hodgson]

I just wish we'd stop f*cking around and just go out and get Owen now. Offer the hapless Geordie's something like £8m and throw in Pongo and Traore. Owen's gotta get out of toon v.quickly now, given Sven's 'revelations'.

 

I'm sure I'll get some stick for the implied criticism of Rafa/the club/Parry, but bringing back Owen is a real no-brainer. He'd be a perfect foil for either Crouch or Morientes, and he guarantees goals. That just isn't debatable.

[anny road]

I just wish we'd stop f*cking around and just go out and get Owen now. Offer the hapless Geordie's something like £8m and throw in Pongo and Traore. Owen's gotta get out of toon v.quickly now, given Sven's 'revelations'.

 

I'm sure I'll get some stick for the implied criticism of Rafa/the club/Parry, but bringing back Owen is a real no-brainer. He'd be a perfect foil for either Crouch or Morientes, and he guarantees goals. That just isn't debatable.

 

 

yes yes but itisnt as easy as that is it

 

a) The Geordies will not sell now..They might in the Summer, but there is no way they will sell Owen at the moment

 

b) There is no way Liverpool would pay money for someone who is injured...and there insurers probably wouldnt allow it anyway...he wouldnt even pass the f***ing medical would he

[David Hodgson]

yes yes but itisnt as easy as that is it

 

a) The Geordies will not sell now..They might in the Summer, but there is no way they will sell Owen at the moment

 

b) There is no way Liverpool would pay money for someone who is injured...and there insurers probably wouldnt allow it anyway...he wouldnt even pass the f***ing medical would he

 

Well obviously if you bring something into the argument that I'd completely overlooked (like the fact he's got a broken foot) you're going to be right.

[anny road]

Well obviously if you bring something into the argument that I'd completely overlooked (like the fact he's got a broken foot) you're going to be right.

 

 

[Guest Les Howard]

Who's gonna pay BIG money for MO now though? With his injury record an' all that?

If Newcastle's season doesn't drastically improve two things will happen:

a) Owen will ask for a move. Privately of course.

b) Buyers will have Newcastle over a barrell regarding the price.

[Hassony]

Who's gonna pay BIG money for MO now though? With his injury record an' all that?

If Newcastle's season doesn't drastically improve two things will happen:

a) Owen will ask for a move. Privately of course.

b) Buyers will have Newcastle over a barrell regarding the price.

he is going to astov villa

[meepins]

We already have a goal scorer, he goes by the name of Cisse.If Rafa decides he wants to see what a pairing of Crouch and Cisse will do with a run of games, it would be a highly beneficial partnership in my opinion.

[Guest RedIsMyColour]

I wish people would shut up about Owen.

 

He is constantly injured, he may score goals but he hardly plays

[Bailo]

I rate Defoe highly, but £11.5m is the "English effect" in full flow.

[crisps]

I wish people would shut up about Owen.

 

 

 

[Ombudsam]

Sunday Papers are meant to be reporting we have had an £11.5m bid for Defoe accepted by Spurs.

 

 

dear God no. the most over hyped and over rated player on the planet. if that lad wasnt english you could buy him for half a snickers and a can of Pepsi max

 

Usher said that rafa would buy defoe if he had the money but he fears he'll cost too much. I like defoe and am sure he'll come again but i think there are better players out there.

 

It's a bizarre logic which argues that having a goal scorer would hinder us. It smacks of people trying to be too clever as with all the nonsense that there is no way we should play with two strikers

[yellow jumper]

defoe benched. cisse benched. crespo benched. van nistelrooy's the only prolific goalscorer getting a regular starting berth for a top 4 side. probably just a case of mourinho, benitez, and jol being "too clever".

[Guz]

The way we play means the team is not overly dependant on strikers scoring because we have other players well capable.

 

Of course life would be so much better if our strikers hit the target more often. But to say something like "our midfield can't keep bailing us out", is just plain ignorant IMO.

 

Rafa has said that the idea is for all our players to get in amongst the goals. Not so long ago we used to be a "one man team". First with Owen, then for about a season and a half, with Gerrard.

 

At the moment, yes but if we are to continue to progress as we are, we're gonna need to start putting these chances away and need a bit more a predator in the box. We're mirroring Valencia to a tee in my opinion, just not so quickly for obvious reasons. At the moment we're shaping up like their first title winning team, great defence, goals from all over but not that many goals scored and no one single goal scorer.