At one time last season David Ngog was Liverpool’s top scorer. That time lasted for several months, despite barely starting a game. There will be those that will use the argument that more than half of this goals came in Europe but to me, that is neither here nor there because at a time when Liverpool were having a rough spell, Ngog stepped up when the like of Torres, Gerrard and even Dirk Kuyt weren’t delivering the goods. Without his goals, we would never have made the latter stages of the Europa League, that much is a fact.
During those months the young Frenchman went unchallenged at the top of the Red’s scoring charts. And during this time, there wasn’t a murmur of discontent in his direction. Sadly, that’s as good as it got and that’s about as positive as a lot of fan’s feelings toward him have ever been. But why? He was never bought to be a Torres or a Drogba and he certainly cost nowhere near as much as either of them. He cost us around £1.5 million in 2008 and has played the same role for the past 3 years: bench warmer. Unlike a lot of players though, he’s played that role without complaint, he appears happy to learn from those more experienced around him and to play wherever it’s required of him, yet he still can’t please some fans.
For the fee we paid for him, I believe we’ve got more than enough back. Particularly, if he does end up being sold at any kind of a profit. He has managed 8 goals in each of his last two seasons and when, in the past season, the Reds scored 70 goals overall, in all competitions, Ngog contributed 12.5% of these. That’s 1/8 of our entire haul for last season. For somebody who has made twice as many substitute appearances in his Liverpool career than starts, that is a pretty impressive contribution as far as I’m concerned. As always though, there is a section of fans that expect every single one of our players to be world class and score 20+ goals a season regardless of their own situation.
If we look at it from another angle, we have here a young French striker who, at the age of 22 has scored 19 goals in his Liverpool career; it’s not hugely impressive, sure but weren’t we just prepared to pay over £10 million for a young English striker who’d scored about 3 goals in his entire career? And Ngog has played less than 100 games for Liverpool so that’s about 1 in 4, which is not bad at all.
Continue Reading on Page 2 . . .
The thing is mate, like it or not we are now a multi miilion ponds business that is dependant on results and not a charity for promising kids. If we want to win a league title or get a 6th star on the shirt, then 7/8 that include Ngog, Maxi, Poulson, and I’m afraid Kuyt will all need to move on, unless of course you are happy to battle for a champions league place every year and be an also ran. Au revoir David you were worth a punt but this has to be the end of the road.
@Gmon- Tell me something mate,how many goal carroll score on his first season and with his price tag of ??? million,we still have to compliment him with downing and adam,total up = ???million,i don’t think n’gog have this kind of treat and yet he still give a good performance for a 1.5 million player,Andy carroll?? what a british laughing stock to be worth that kind of $$
I think Carrill is the biggest gamble the club has ever made and only time will tell what sort of investment he proves to be, but dont forget, the reallity of the situation is that we have simply swapped Torres & Babbel for Suarez & Carroll regardless of the money that has changed hands. Ngog is desperate to do well for Liverpool but he would not make it in to any other top 6 side and that’s where we draw the line….the stakes are too high in the modern game.
Agreed
Too many moaning, cynical, short memoried, morons associating themselves with our club at the moment! I am also getting sick of people (online admittedly) having a go at our new signings without any real football understanding to back it up! Banging on about foreign players they have no real knowledge of as if they watch them week in week out (Turan being the most notable example, as although he may well be great, who regularly watches Turkish league football? If at all!).
Thank you for that comment, you are absolutely right!
I can’t stand it when people say sign this player or that player. There are people who are employed by liverpool football club to make those decisions. I think they have a more valid and educated opinion than anyone posting on this site
Too true Ben. Well said David. The thing is, it is very easy for people to say stupid things online as they don’t have to put a face to their stupid remarks. “get this guy, get that guy, Like they are in a shop window and you just have to walk in and say “One Mata, one Hazard and a Turan please.” Numpties is what they are. Pure numpties.
in so many ways so true
I am with you, and couldn’t agree more.
He has bags of potential, and will get better particularly if he bulks out. I think he would have been a good buy for Sunderland, and they may regret not forking his wages out, because he is a promising youngster, with good feet.
They say players need games to build confidence. That guy has it every time he steps on the pitch, even if he has gone several games without playing, and like you say, he has a habit of delivering.
He could eventually shine as more than the average striker the blog is eluding to. I can see potential that will only develop over time.
Ngog deserves some credit hes done well in pre-season and some of his performances alst season, but overall i still think Ngog’s future lies elsewhere. He should be playing regular to gain more experience and needs to bulk up abit as he gets pushe off the ball quite easily. I don’t think hes rubbish just think bes thing for his career right now is to move to another where he will play more or maybe go out on loan, but credit to him for not moaning and spitting out the dummy as some would have done……YNWA
What you on about pushed off the ball easily? Do you watch Liverpool? When he plays he hardly loses the ball, his hold up play is excellent and that’s the key part of his game…
Just count how many times he wins us fouls or lays the ball off when alone up field.
Either start watching the games or get of the bANDwagon
I agree with you Lfc4LifeR. I think some people talk football more than they watch or play.
I disagree with with Gmon here. Remember Kuyt’s hat-trick vs Manchester United? He’s a big game player, he’s versatile, and he’s so important to the team, he brings bite to the midfield. As for N’gog, he’s quality and he’s still young, he’s got loads of time to shine.
He’s totally useless
the reason why we haven’t won anything for 5 years is because people like you accept 2nd or even 3rd rate players
get shut now
Tell me then, who would you suggest should sit on the bench most of the season as a back up striker if not N’gog
How many first rate players do you think we can get??? What if Liverpool ended up in the championship with 4th and 5th rate players how would you not accept that??? Would you then go a support another team with 1st rate players??? Numpty.
You think the opinion of the supporters has anything to do with LFC winning/not winning trophies??? hahahaha! funniest thing ive heard in a long while! The supporters cannot “accept” ANY players…thats up to the manager last time i checked
I agree with Paul but will say for 1.5 mill the club got their monies worth but alas it is time to move him on.
25 players make up a team, Not 11 !!!
There will be a time this coming season when we will need a player of his calibre to step in and do a job without bitching and moaning and looking like he actually wants to be at Anfield.
Try buying that kind of loyalty and scoring promise for 1.5 million pounds!!!
Lick my ball’s cynic’s.
I like ngog but he will never be a world class player. He is not a natural finisher and his game is built around speed when he simply doesnt have enough of it. Decent back up tho
Ngog has delivered whenever he’s played and has done what was asked of him. He works hard and is always trying to improve. He’s not great but he is a player who can do the job adequately. Carroll, on the other hand, cost the club 35m and has so far done nothing to suggest that he’s worth even half that price. He is lazy, has no skill and does not fit in with Kenny’s quick ‘pass and move’ attacking football. All this guy is good for is for Carragher to hoof the ball up to him and then win a header. On top of that, he has been rubbish during the games in Asia. Ngog is at least looking sharp so far and is doing his job.
Well said mate.
Right on point Eric as usual!
Why don’t you get his number. Lickass!!!!!!!
When you are targeting to compete for 4 competitions, domestically & continental, you need a big squad with quality bench strength. Ideally, we need a top starting squad of 11/12 players, who ‘ll fit into any team in the world, another 11/12 back up players, who are very good, but may be just one step short, rest 11/12 are basically pensioners, youngsters & academy starlets.
The challenge for first batch in today’s game is almost entirely money. That sort of starting line up ‘ll be valued over 250mn & average of 100K/week salary. The third batch is a factor of how much you invest on your academy, which again is dependent on your youth planning.
The most difficult group is the 2nd one. These are internationals, don’t want to sit on the bench long & also are just not good enough for starting 11. However, you need them for backup of injury & suspensions. Motivating these group & keeping them focused to push the players a head of them is the most difficult task for a manager.
I consider David in this group; he ‘ll strive to dislodge AC from starting 11, whenever gets chance & at the same time won’t mind to wait at the bench as, that ‘ll not hamper his international opportunity (he is not likely to start for France). We need a group of these type of patient, loyal & quality players for the depth of the squad.
Seems like this guy scores most of our goals every pre-season. I dont think he is good enough to make the starting 11 but as a back up the lad isn’t even that bad and he is still young. I also agree that he has already been worth the 1,5 million we spent on him.
Is also really fed up with the ‘arm-chair’ fans who slag off the new arrivals and current players; such as Ngog! Ngog has never let us down when called upon and is a solid squad player, with a fantastic attitude. Why upset the apple cart by flogging him and bringing in a new striker who spits his dummy out? Also those fans who believe Liverpool are buying average players this window, and call for Mata, Turan, Higuain etc… are muppets! Commoli is a very canny buyer, he is creating a team with proven statistics, Adam has a superb passing percentage and range, Downing is top of the crosses per season table and cross percentage ratio, and Henderson is 4th in the top 5 assists of the season! All this is top support a front-line which used to rely totally on two players (Torres & Gerrard). It may seem like we are paying over the odds for British players, but when the home-grown quota is more demanding in years to come we’ll be laughing whilst Arsenal flog out 15million for the Kevin Doyles of this world! All these players are also proven in the EPL so we won’t have the situation where we spend big on promising foreign players who flop; like the Dossenas, Babels, Voronins, Morientes of Rafa’s reign, and we will probably have a lower net spend over the next few years than Rafa because of this. I expect great things from Liverpool this season! YNWA
P.s Gmon’s comment on Kuyt is completely out of order! Granted he may not make the starting XI anymore but every successful team needs players like him, who preform on the big-stage and give their all! Just look at Ji-Sung Park at Manchester United! Both Kenny and Alex rate Kuyt and Park as highly as any other player! Kuyt was starting in a World Cup final this time last year!
Kuyt is too busy trying to do everybody elses job and forgets what we need from him in the first place. He would run through brick walls for us but this is not the 70’s when people were idolised for having a great attitude.We can no longer carry wide men who have no pace so they continually cut inside.
And Park would get into most other sides in the premier league
If you took the time to open your ears and not your mouth you would know Kuyt is not a wide man. He is a striker and was bought as one. The fact that he has played for years, on the wing, without complaining is a credit too him and he deserves more praise. And if you are a wide man that can not cut inside then you are too easy to play out the game. Do you even play football, Gmon???
Papa – spot on mate!!
Some of the views on here make my blood boil lol
I need the season to start quick.. I canny take eet anymore!
without complaint?? sorry does he do this for free??
or is he paid an enormous amount of money on a weekly basis. Is Kuyt a natural finsher? If he was at another club would you be suggesting that we buy him, the same question applies to Ngog
When I say without complaint I am talking with respect to the game. In this current football climate you have players that complain when they are played out of position or when the club don’t show the same “ambition” as they expected. In comparison, Kuyt and Ngog just got on with it. And to be honest if they were playing at another club they wouldn’t be my first choice buy. But knowing the type of team players they are and given the fact that it is a team game, I wouldn’t complain.
I would have appreciated a lot more honesty in this article. Nowhere is it mentioned the number of poor decisions Ngog makes, be it runs or passes.
He’s on another wavelength. Anyone who has watched him play beyond the coverage you get on ‘Match of the Day’ will know this.
It doesn’t matter what he cost or how much he earns because he isn’t a team (never mind LFC) player, at all.
Are you on smack??? The bloke is far to scared and skittsh in front of goal which wouldn’t be so much of a problem if he played as a midfielder but hes a striker what sort of striker is scared to be in front of goal wildly snapping at balls with the grace and touch of a new born foal. N’Gog is not and will not ever be good enough to help lfc into the top flight period!!!
Dave, what is a top flight period??? And who is saying that ngog is the player to help us win the league and so on. What is being said is Ngog does not deserve the criticism he gets when his age, cost and goal per minute ratio suggest otherwise. So put your pc down, stop playing championship manager and the likes and listen.
Is right lad.
That was at dave
oh dear papa one day youll grow up and learn what the game is n’gog is no good even as a fringe player for a top four team in the best league in the world (Arguably) He has very little control on the ball and is like a scared rabbit in front of goal. He has had the years to try and unfortunatly there is better out there for what LFC needs. He has a boat load of talent and he doesn’t have the ability to unlock it and I dont think even KK or SC can. It’s about opinion and I have every right to express mine especially as I have spent the past three years saying he is gonna be the next torres. Time for us all to be realistic about it and say good luck with your career N’gog but elsewhere!!!
The thing is , Dave. I don’t totally disagree with you. But unfortunately, His stats do not add up to the amount of criticism he receives. And that is what the article is about.
I can understand and appreciate your point papa. but we all know stats can be interpreted to suit purposes at times. A hell of alot of fans are way too fickle nowadays and I have my own thoughts as to why and believe that its a pretty even line although not all that the elder generations remember the glory and feeling of passion where as the other side of the line remember through other peoples memories.
This article should be reposted atleast once a week it’s so spot on!!!!
His hold up play Is excellent and the amount of fouls he wins Is as a result of his great hold up play!
I honestly don’t know where these so called fans come from.
£1.5m = 23 Ngogs or 1 Caroll… Hmmmm lol
The same ppl who have something negative to say about Ngog are the same who slammed Kuyt and Lucas no doubt.
Arm chair supporters stick to your match of the day!
been a season ticket holder for the last 35 years mate and if I want to express my opinion about the players whose wages I help to pay then then I will.
Mate no matter how off target your views are, your free to express your opinion all day long…
That doesnt mean me or anyone else for that matter have to agree with it.
And if I had a £1 for everytime got the ol season ticket reply I’d have £45,362 🙂
Not saying your not season ticket holder of course…
and we don’t have to agree with your opinons which you have a right to have.
1 thing we can all agree on, under KK and FSG the future looks bright, and we can finally look at the new season with optimism……good luck LFC……YNWA……JFT96
Good for you, Gmon. And I respect your opinion. But I still think Ngog does not deserve the stick he gets. In my opinion, only if you could do better should you criticise. And even then it should be positive. Could you do better, Gmon???
Completely correct, had enough with Armchair supporters! Lucas/Kuyt possibly the two most underrated lads in the EPL!
Ngog is good I have always said this. He hasn’t had the best time if it but he us young and some of his finish eg on the weekend is really good and as for Kuyt he may not be the most skilful player in the world I would rather have 11 Kuyts on the field then 11 Torres’s. This guy puts everything in to the game. He and Aqua made a huge difference to the score line on the weekend and he lifts people on the pitch and makes them work harder. So for the plonker who says sell Kuyt, you haven’t got a bloody clue how a team works
I must have had my eyes closed for the last 40 years then mate. Just remind me how many league titles he’s won again. Hard work and blind faith aren’t enough for what we need to get to the next level.
Why has he played in a World Cup Final then? Why has he been starter for Liverpool and Holland for the last 4-5 years? Kuyt is a Liverpool legend and every team needs players like him! You’d think he’d been a red all his life, his commitment and dedication levels are on a par with Gerrard and Carra! I can’t stand people knocking this lad!
How many titles have any of the liverpool players won in the last 20 years??? Does the same apply to them??
Ngog is brutal and not good enough for a Champions League side …. If you think he has lots of potential then you are wrong and will be waiting a awful long time to see it fulfilled. Could you see Utd, City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Barca, Real, AC Milan, Inter etc signing him????? Seriously what is it with some Liverpool fans??? just cannot accept when a player isnt good enuff… ie kuyt, ngog, lucas, cole, insua, babel,,,,… in the long run you will see that these guys arent good enuff…. and yes even the improved Lucas isnt good enuff.. not if you want to win the league anyway..
Now Lucas isn’t good enough, even though he officially the EPL top tackler?
Which Kuyt are you referring to Roz? The one that scored a hatrick against the Mancs or the Kuyt that is regular in the Dutch national side?
Lucas top tackler eh….who lost the most tackles for us last season??
You really dont need me to tell you that do you.
Stats…..you can make em say whatever you want.
Liverpool exist to win trophies and we haven’t been doing enough of it.
The whole Ngog thing is like a boring rerun of the Babbel debate. How many years do we need to give players these days before people finally admit that he is not good enough to be in a league winning side.
You’re a numptey
Last time I checked comolli was buying all our players on stats but hey what do I, Kenny or our director of football know?
As for stats, As a defensive midfielder is judged on the number of tackles made much like a striker is judged on goals or Assist even.
The more tackles the better… it’ also an achievement to be in the 5 of such a stat and it’s great to be TOP of that list.
What can you possibly say? These tackles were made not in the championship or foreign league? Oh he I know he makes too many fouls right in dangerous places right? Lol well as a DM when you tackle the amount times he does you will occasionally get it wrong and sometimes he deliberately will give away fouls to save our team and this usually is in dangerous areas.
This is football! Having played at a low level I do have a very limited understanding, but even I know what he does is nothing short of great for our club and the stats verify this.
Our defence must love having in front them making their jobs easy
As a hardened Liverpool fan for 30 odd years myself, it makes me proud that a player of ours has achieved such a position for himself and OUR club.
I hope Iv educated abit on stats, but after being a season ticket holder for 30+ plus yrs, as you say. I guess maybe you can’t teach an old dog new tricks 😉
Gmon
Whatever team KK lines up for the coming season, i’m sure it will be one good enough to challenge for atleast top 4 and more..,
let’s just support the players and not start pointing fingers at players who have limited oppertunity to make a difference.
I thought YNWA meant something?
Exactly. And to Dave. I have been watching Liverpool play football since 1976. And Roz, you are being blinded by watching too many other team play, I think. I could name a lot of players all those team have signed that were a lot worse than Ngog. Chevchenko anybody?????
Shevchenko* he was passed his best by the time he came to the PL