Terry Venables :" Forget Owen , get Defoe ! "
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Terry Venables believes Steven Gerrard's hopes of Liverpool signing Michael Owen will be dashed because he can't see Newcastle United chairman Freddy Shepherd allowing the player to leave in the summer.
Instead of Owen, the former England boss believes Jermaine Defoe is the player that Rafael Benitez should be making attempts to sign.
Venables said: "Michael Owen will not leave Newcastle this summer so Rafa Benitez should make it a priority to get the next best thing - Jermain Defoe.
"Liverpool must sign a goal-scorer if they are to challenge Chelsea. If they do not, there is a very real danger the club will stand still and, in football, that means you go backwards as rivals improve.
"Who knows what will happen at Manchester United in the summer? A young Arsenal team will surely benefit from this season's experiences and get better results in the league next time, while Tottenham will continue to progress under Martin Jol.
"But if Benitez does not address the problem with his strikers, Liverpool - far from catching Chelsea - could struggle to hold on to what they have now.
"Steven Gerrard's comments about wishing Owen would re-join are interesting.
"I am sure a number of people at the club are regretting not making a move for him last summer. I think the directors were more willing to sign him than the coach. Maybe Benitez thought he was injury-prone.
"Unfortunately, Liverpool missed the boat. Owen would definitely have returned to Anfield instead of signing for Newcastle but now that he has arrived on Tyneside, I can't see any way their chairman Freddy Shepherd would let him go.
"Having spent much of the season injured, I would hope Owen feels he owes his new employers something, too.
"Certainly, the next manager of Newcastle will want assurancies that Owen is a part of the future at the club.
"I cannot see Shepherd getting the best man for the job if he starts by revealing Owen will be off at the end of the season.
"Defoe is exactly what Liverpool lack: a striker who gets one chance and buries it.
"Too many of Liverpool's strikers are nearly men - Peter Crouch, Fernando Morientes and Djibril Cisse.
"I was surprised Robbie Fowler was kept out of the Benfica game until late because, even at this stage in his career, I would fancy him to score if the ball breaks in the box. He might not out-run defenders but his nose for goal will not, have changed.
"Crouch is a very good player but he is not top-drawer. At the highest level, he is a sub at best.
"It is said Crouch's height unsettles foreign defenders and I agree. But when they play against him from the start, they soon realise he is not at the highest level and grow comfortable, while Crouch loses his impact.
"Like many of Liverpool's strikers, Crouch does not exude the vibe that says he thinks he is going to score. Yet Defoe has that touch of arrogance, even when he's down in the dumps - as he must be right now."
Hmm .... Venables does has his point here .
Hands up for Defoe , anyone ? -
brazil's ronaldo and holland's ruud....
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Actually , why not let Cisse do what Defoe can do , by showing him those video clips of Defoe's scoring and positioning .
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I agree.. Cisse is good.... dunno why he is not playing regularly and not even on the bench for today.... Mores.... can't make it ....Originally posted by Poolman:Actually , why not let Cisse do what Defoe can do , by showing him those video clips of Defoe's scoring and positioning . -
what venables trying to say is , we badly need a speedy forward in the calibre of Defoe , to break down opposition defense with the speed , currently we do not have one .Originally posted by hmsg:brazil's ronaldo and holland's ruud....
Crouch , Fowler , Nando is slow players for now , unless they became a sprinter overnight .
Cisse is , but wrongly used by Benitez .
That sums up Benitez's dilemma . -
look to south america for fast and good forwards to play of crouch..
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Carlos Tevez!!!!!
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yea i just had him in mind..but he's more of an attacking midfielder..Originally posted by Patrik:Carlos Tevez!!!!! -
No midfielder please .... we need Shaun Wright Phillips and Defoe .Originally posted by stellazio:yea i just had him in mind..but he's more of an attacking midfielder..
It's time for somemore BLACK heroes after Sissoko , Cisse and Sinama at Anfield , excluding Traore .
I always thought that black players has more stamina than white . -
Sell Nando and Cisse/Crouch....
and
........Sign both Owen and Defoe... -
eh if u want magic from players..get south americans..swp is over rated..i think stevie g is a even better winger den him..Originally posted by Poolman:No midfielder please .... we need Shaun Wright Phillips and Defoe .
It's time for somemore BLACK heroes after Sissoko , Cisse and Sinama at Anfield , excluding Traore .
I always thought that black players has more stamina than white .
tevez might be able to play right wing not so sure about that..but pool should either get joaquin or simao la.. -
Seeing that Rafa mya sign from la liga...........forget defoe, get Webo!!!!
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spanish guys like mista perhaps? or even torres? i tght liverpool wanted to sign dirk kuyt. defoe not bad. aiya replace all strikers la
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get ruud..
liverpool needs that type of stricker...
ops striker
haha,,,,,trade croutch. -
forget to buy any strikers, what liverpool need is to hire a striker psy to boost up their spirit, which i feel wat most of them in the squad lacked of. over the years we see strikers pool bought firing blank, from stars to average players, just look at cisse. often the midfielders are doing all the scorings, did the strikers leave their boots in the locker area?
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Torres ? This guy for me is a playmaker more like it , out-and-out striker he is not .Originally posted by anhydrouscoppersulphate:spanish guys like mista perhaps? or even torres? i tght liverpool wanted to sign dirk kuyt. defoe not bad. aiya replace all strikers la
We need a out-and-out striker , in a sense , this striker only direction is the goal . -
I've got a BL00DY feeling next summer , we'll get someone that the news will go Front Page all over the world .
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SWP is lousy. he trips very easily.Originally posted by Poolman:No midfielder please .... we need Shaun Wright Phillips and Defoe .
It's time for somemore BLACK heroes after Sissoko , Cisse and Sinama at Anfield , excluding Traore .
I always thought that black players has more stamina than white .
defoe is a good option for liverpool. spurs seems to be interested in RVN, thus they might be keen to offload defoe. -
the managers all not in a hurry..they'll be keeping a lookout in the world cup for gems..Originally posted by Poolman:I've got a BL00DY feeling next summer , we'll get someone that the news will go Front Page all over the world . -
it is a mistake signing players based on tournament performance.Originally posted by stellazio:the managers all not in a hurry..they'll be keeping a lookout in the world cup for gems..
remember diou, diao and many others. -
no la what i meant was strikers like dirk kuyt etc..whom many are looking for, then see how he perform for his country..not those unknowns..Originally posted by dragg:it is a mistake signing players based on tournament performance.
remember diou, diao and many others.
but those that are not proven at the highest level yet. -
Keep Cisse and play him regularly lar Dunno what is Ben's problem
Sell all the others away, time to get in new ones.
PLUS! Get some shooting coaches. They lack training + confidence! -
Not a good idea to sign players after the world cup , cos if that particular player LFC want has a good tournament , his price will shoot up .Originally posted by stellazio:the managers all not in a hurry..they'll be keeping a lookout in the world cup for gems..
It's better to grap first b4 the WC , just in case la . -
i dunno ar...got striker like dirk kuyt..score alot of goals in holland..Originally posted by Poolman:Not a good idea to sign players after the world cup , cos if that particular player LFC want has a good tournament , his price will shoot up .
It's better to grap first b4 the WC , just in case la .
if he come premiership either he turn out like ruud or kezman..
too diff outcomes..cuz dutch league standard not very good..so unproven at the highest level.. -
He does score at the international stageOriginally posted by stellazio:i dunno ar...got striker like dirk kuyt..score alot of goals in holland..
if he come premiership either he turn out like ruud or kezman..
too diff outcomes..cuz dutch league standard not very good..so unproven at the highest level..