Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson expressed his dismay about the lack of strikers currently on the books at the Anfield Club:
“In January we should be really looking to solve one or two situations. We are desperately short of players. Front players. Having three front players at the club, and that’s if you include Ryan Babel, is nowhere near good enough.”
Before the Bolton match he even stated he didn’t have enough to play proper practice matches on the training field:
“A club like Liverpool shouldn’t have to rely on non-specialists like Dirk Kuyt or Ryan Babel “doing a job” up front when they are primarily wide players. We have the same problem with the reserves. We don’t have any strikers and a winger called Nathan Eccleston has to play up front. In training, I can’t have practice games where each team plays a 4-4-2 because I don’t have the front players to do that.”
I have one very big problem with these comments made by Roy. They show a complete lack of knowledge of the players currently plying their trade at the club. Although I agree with Roy that reinforcements are needed in the striker position come January, to say that we effectively have only three strikers, if we include Ryan Babel, is completely incorrect. While it is fair enough to believe that Ryan Babel is not suited to playing as a striker and is “doing a job,” it cannot be the case with Dirk Kuyt. The Dutchman is not “primarily” a wide player in any stretch of the imagination.
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Hodgson couldn’t find his a*se with both hands. He didn’t even know how old Agger is. The man’s a liability and the sooner NESV suss him out the better.
I am gonna have to disagree with this post. I think people are underestimating how good your touch has to be at a high level. I am 24 and just started playing semi-professional football. When I was playing at amature level i was upfront and i would find it very easy to find space and score I scored 43 goals last season. Since I have played semi-pro level I am not good enough to play upfront and i am playing right midfield this year purely because you get closed down much quicker and your touch has to be perfect as the defenders are much better. I am sure that going from the Dutch or Belgian league is similar to the experience I just explained. Put it simply Kuyt, Jova, and Babbel are not good enough to play in a top 4 permiership team and thats where we want to be!
every time roy speaks, it’s cringing and unqualified! say no more! NESV, please find us a manager that LFC deserves.
Not to argue with you but jovanovic has said himself that he sees himself as a wide player. Furthermore Roy clearly does not rate him, whether he is right or wrong is highly debatable but with Cole looking unlikely to face Chelsea he may be given another chance to impress on Sunday! Also although it is fair to say that kuyt has played up front for a large part of his career he has not done so for a number of years moreover Roy clearly wants to play him as a wide man which means there is little or no point for Roy in playing him up front because he won’t use him there. That is a contentious point and I for one think its desperate that he persists with one up front from the beginning of games.
On an aside is anyone else sick of reading Tony Cascarino’s moronic and persistently disparaging comments about our mighty Reds in The Times. Every week he seeks to stick the knife in and I for one am sick of it. It wouldn’t be so bad but as a pundit he is limited to say the least and I’m yet to hear anything insightful or enlightening from this so called honorable expert, but then what more can you expert from a player who committed fraud to gain international recognition!
Jovanovic in the centre attack and THEN you see him play as he really can!
If a player plays well upfront in the belgian league, it means nothing the standard in the premiership is different
Its the Hodgson bashing website in full flow again.
you can’t deny that the bloke constantly puts his foot in it though. everyone knows that half of these strikers were converted to midfielders by benitez. why doesn’t roy?
Go away and play until your mummy calls you in for tea!
Although playing wide in recent seasons, both Kuyt and Babel were bought as strikers. Kuyt, in his first season played as a striker and scored 14 goals. Babel is strong and fast and played on the left of a 3 man attack at Ajax. Milan Jovanovic’s is a fast natural finisher and his goalscoring record at Liege speaks for itself so I agree that Roy actually has 5 front men at his disposal, just that he wouldn’t play any of these 3 up front. With Jova’s record, why not give it him a try up front. Kuyt is more effective on the right and Jova should be played more regularly out wide while Babel should be given a run of games. You can’t expect him to prove his quality if he only plays 30 minutes in a month. It’s incorrect to say that Roy only has 3 options up front as any of these players can play as strikers. Having said this, however, I do believe we need reinforcements up front.
Because Roy doesn’t know what to do..
David,,,, Would it be fair to say the two you have chosen are certainly no longer front men through their own choice and undoubtedly through the absence of pace due to their age,,, maybe some of the younger lads in the sqaud would grab the chance with both hands,, and we certainly do not seem to do so badly whenever Ngog plays. I can sympathize with Roys lack of faith in Babel,, he no longer believes in himself. Cheers. Law
@Law
So you’re saying that Jovanovic has no pace due to his age? I agree Kuyt has no pace but Jova’s one of our fastest players. He’s right up there with Babel and Torres and Im quite sure about that. And having sold Dalla Valle and Nemeth, we haven’t got many quality young strikers anymore. And how can you sympathize with Roy’s lack of faith in Babel when he’s only allowed to play 30 minutes in a month?
He’s just not fast. He’s simply not. To say he is as fast at FT and RB is so far from the truth. Can’t remember him beating anyone for pace.
There’s also the quote in the original article that he is a consumate finisher. Cobblers aside, all his shots have been high and wide. Check out the effort at Napoli where he made space and cut across the area before firing it Chris Waddle style onto the Naples Inner Ring Road.
Dont get me wrong, Jova is a trier who has been underused but like many of our team he is not the standard we should be aspiring to
Hi Eric,,, I was not aware Jova was that quick,, my apologies if this is the case,,, he will no doubt have his chance to show us with Joe sidelined for two weeks. I cannot agree on Babel he has had time in the first team and reserves,,, at this level you need to grab all the chances you get and impress,,, managers don’t have the luxury of time to get things right,, Roy was no doubt a game or two away from looking for a new job,,, we need playing who give their all for 90+ mins. I think a bit like Torres he needs a confidence boost,,, and this again only comes with more game time… Let’s hope the new seasons midfield buys come good while they have their chance to shine due to the injuries. Cheers, Law
‘Woy’ is a liability, he is not using his team to its full potential and he is too negative. Any coach that can tip Skrtel the wink over Agger is in my opinion insane. Babel has had chances but never shone, Jovanovic has not had an extended run in the team but both have pace and can provide the creativity we are seriously lacking at the moment. ‘Woy’ has got it wong wong wong, he needs to allow players to express themselves and create chances!
Some of what you say I totally agree with. He definately does’nt know some of the players best positions. But I get the feeling all he cares about is playing what he has in a sound playing structure until January when he can bring in specific players for those positions. I’ll bet he already knows who he wants and thats why he’s meeting Henry this week.
Woy doesn’t like players to “express themselves”. It upsets him and he reaches for the Rennies!
hodgeson is a tiit
Well… maybe next week roy will come out and say that he needs more central defenders!!
“In January we should be really looking to solve one or two situations. We are desperately short of players. Central defensive players. Having three defensive players at the club (Kyrgiakos,
Skrtel), and that’s if you include Carragher, is nowhere near good enough.”
“A club like Liverpool shouldn’t have to rely on non-specialists like Carragher or Agger
“doing a job” in central defense when they are primarily full backs. We have the same problem with the reserves. We don’t have enough player because I send many players out on loan.”
What a loser!! The sooner you go, the better!!
Luke, you are a moron and clearly not a real LFC fan. Carra and Agger full backs? You don’t deserve to be a LFC fan.
lol lol lol lol lol
I assume Renia plays up front and torres is that on that stays at the back wearing the gloveie thingies !!!!!!!
well said phil. 586 games too late luke.
@Fred & Phil:
I know irony is not always easy to understand. But in this case, Luke is clearly doing a parody of Roy incorrect assertions about the natural position of strikers and transposing that to the defender situation.
This explanation can be a little bit confusing so this is the short version: Luke is saying the opposite of what he thinks to make people understand Roy is hopeless regarding the LFC management.
Hi Mr.David , but i totally disagree with you. First, Roy Hodgson have a long career in managing football teams for more than 30 years, he certainly will be aware of Kuyt, Babel and jova abilities, that is 100 percent sure. he knows they have some attacking attributes, but they are not NATURAL CENTRAL FORWARDS! he was very clear with that, I agree with you that some of these players had scored big amount of goals with different sides in the past, but still they are not NATURAL goal scorers, they aren’t NATURAL CENTRAL FORWARDS. Hodgson wants players who don’t know anything other than scoring goals, a players called, CENTRAL FORWARD, just like torres is. who have an eye for goal, headers, shooting the ball with quality and with eye for goals, some players like: Torres, Drogba, Anelka, Adebayor, Carlton Cole, Berbatov, pavlyuchenko.. etc. if you look to the liverpool squad, you will just find one quality player who share these attributes, who is torres, and Ngog still isn’t reaching that level, so i hope you will understand Roy views, and show little respect to him , thanks 😉 and i hope you will accept my critique. Zeyad
Go away and bother someone else!
am I bothering you? show some respect, at least!
everyone can say whatever they want, what’s the problem with u? am I giving you a pain in your ass? lol
For example, When your tyre got flat, you will have spare tyre to use. but you can’t rely one the spare tyre for long time, it won’t be good, because it’s not the natural tyre, the same apply with Jova, Kuyt if you play them as strikers. the will do a job, but not the perfect job, for a side like liverpool competing in the premier league, one of the strongest league in the world, and just have one qualified natural central forward, that is torres
I think what Rafa Benitez said is quite true. ROy is clueless at Liverpool even they won 2 games.
Looks at him during the game vs Everton. Even after we behind 2 goals,he still sat at the bench..Not given any command, any support.
Same as vs Blackburn and Bolton.He only stood up when we scored goals.
Now, he said only 3 choices of players upfront. Roy, Jovanovic is a striker.
Well said, he looks clueless all the time.
Another clueless thing that came out of his mouth is that we shd be competing with Real for players and not buy their rejects. roy seems to be clueless that we don’t have the $$ to compete with them and the fact that he is not the ‘special One’.
You are , unfortunately , talking to a brick wall. Hodgson does as Hodgson will!
give him a break for f..k sake…
I think phil and fred are as clueless and brainless as roy.
FYI I AM A LFC FAN.
luke agger is a centre back he’s played that position all his life and was only moved out left when we had an injury and no one else to cover. as for carra you can say what you want he started out as a defensive midfielder before playing at left back then right back but found his natural position at centre back so you are wrong fella need to get your facts right before you started spouting them on here. and as for woy what do you say he’s bit off more than he can chew and benitez is right trying to blame the manager thats no longer there for all your bad decisions shows that he hasn’t got a clue. he needs to go before he makes are club a laughing stock.
Gary,
You still don’t get what I meant. I know where the positions of the players. But does roy knows?? Kuyt is a striker, Jovanovic is a striker. Just because they playing on the wings now, does that means that they are not strikers??
In the 1st place, have you wonder why we need agger to play as left back?? Because clueless roy don’t have a clue on what he is doing. He send Insua out on loan and re-sign sicknote Aurelio. Why would you re-sign a player that nobody wants?? Mind you he is a free transfer, if he is not so prone to injury, I am sure that there will be a few clubs that are interested. No club signed him, that shows you how good a player he is. Insua may not be world class player, but he is good enough as a backup left back.
The job is way too big for Roy !!
With him leading our team a top 4 finish is mission impossible!
He was rightly destroyed by Rafa today, for the stupid comments he makes…
I just have 1 question!
how are we supposed to win the qualify for the CL or dare I say win the league, with a manager who has only won 6 games in his Premiership history?
With Blackburn,fulham and now us 6!!! yes away wins!!
In 4 seasons less the current campaign only 6 away wins???
if my maths is correct that under 2 away matches a season:/
Now even if he wins every home game this season from game 1 till may( impossible) and keeps his average of 2 away wins per season up… that’s 63points!
so those uneducated so called LFC who say give Roy a chance.. based on what?
You can take those 63points and shove them up your united!
Daniel Pacheco anyone?
Does he come with salad?
don’t u have something useful to say?
if not , then just go away 😉 and be funny somewhere else, kid 😉
Roy seems to be only a very good ‘mid’ table manager. He is always happy with an away draw and that is ‘mid’ table manager’s mentality. But at LFC it is never good enough. We shd aim to win every game(although that is impossible).
It is rumoured that he may have 30m to spend in January and it seems like he will buy 5/6 players with that. What kind of players can you get for 6m each??? We shd go a buy 1 or 2 very good players with the 30m. Players that can win matches single handedly.
People may disagree with me, but look at alonso.
When he left, liverpool finished the season in 7th. After C.Ronado left MU, they lost the league title. We don’t want to be a 1 or 2 men team. But it is that 1 man that make all the difference.
Buy 5 average players and you get an average team. Buy 1 or 2 top players and we may win some trophies again.
Personally, Babel’s finishing has been excellent this season. Hardly any chances though.