3 goals lately in hodgeson's time doesn't make up for 2-3 seasons of hopelessness. It's the same reason babel is so ******* overrated. Does absolute **** all the time, scores 1 fluke wonder goal, and everyone is on his ****.
So maybe he's finally come good? Possibly? No, thought not. You're unwilling to give anyone a chance. If you were the manager of Fulham, Bobby Zamora would have been sold a long time ago because good form "doesn't make up for 2-3 seasons of hopelessness". Likewise if you were the manager of Villa, Heskey would be long gone, for the same reasons, even though he's on absolute fire at the minute.
The same was being said when we signed him like 3 or so years ago? He's missed his chance to prove he'll live up to his potential. He just hasn't improved AT ALL since we signed him. Though I agree we should put him up front, as like the others he can't cross.
You've been playing him as a winger far, far too much. Against Villa he was playing as a forward, a mobile and pacey forward who took our back line to pieces. It's harsh on him to not even give him a chance in his own position.
Yes he has work rate, but tbh I don't recognize that as a talent as I would run all over the pitch if I was paid his flipping money, as should every other professional player. "Decent shot, turns up with the odd goal" exactly the reason he should be put up front, like I said. I rated him as A STRIKER before he came here and got put on the wing to no effect. Running around like a chicken doesn't cut it if you want to be in a top 4 team (which is where we need to get back to), so he should go up top with torres.
You don't recognise desire and work rate as a talent? More fool you. It's what's stopped good players becoming greats, and what's made good players become legends. Think how amazing Berbatov would be if he put in some hard yards.
Kuyt is a decent enough striker, but as recognised by Rafa and Bert van Marwijk (a point conveniently ignored by you) he is of supreme ability when played on the wing. Defensively solid wingers are invaluable: see Kuyt, Ji-Sung Park. Goran Pandev under Mourinho. "Running around like a chicken" can completely nullify an opposing full back, something you should give a LOT more thought to. Kuyt is a superb player, recognised by his continuing presence in the Holland starting 11.
I'll make a different sentence for you. He'll be what, 30 next season? He's not 24 anymore. In fact in the last few years when was he on top form for chelsea? He's past it, he's already peaked, and he sure as **** is not worth £90k a week.
So he's ageing, yeah alright. But the fact remains is that he's very good backup at least, and if he can rediscover that spark, that x factor that makes Joe Cole such a devastatingly effective player when on form, then you will have one of the best players in the Prem. You can't write him off at the age of 29.
I couldn't care less where he prefers to play. Fact is from watching him, he has several qualities to make him a decent forward, and no qualities that would make him a good winger (except pace). He's not technically good enough to dribble with trickery, and he can't cross. We don't play with inside forwards. Further down you say yourself that wingers should be "quick and whippet-like", (i.e. marko marin) and not bulky like johnson, so you've just ruled jovanovic out too.
Jovanovic isn't a very good player, let me make that clear. But let me make it clearer still that he would be an even worse forward. He has no strength, no lateral movement: he stays up front and waits for service. He's lazy. He's a decent enough dribbler, contrary to what you said, and whilst his crossing leaves something to be desired if he is put in front of a fullback like Aurelio he could cut inside, negating that disadvantage.
Since when was Jovanovic bulky? He's tallish, yeah, but not bulky.
So he's bulky but not strong? Obviously not at cr9's calibre but he's got enough to get past people and put in a decent cross, or cut inside and shoot. He does this time and again for us. The only problem is he's leaving RB exposed, so he'd be our best shot as a winger.
He's strong, sure, but technically he just isn't good enough. He's not one of those physical freaks like Ronaldo or to an extent Bale, who have all-round skills that allow them to play a variety of positions. Johnson is a fullback until proven otherwise, and no wise person is going to play him on the wing.
Everything you said there is invalid for the fact that you rubbish that tactic as we don't have the players for it, whilst recommending a wide tactic when wait for it - we have no wide men! We have no wingers, so there's no point, at all, in playing with them. It didn't work last season and it sure as **** isn't working this season. I can't remember I last saw someone dribble down the wing, put in a cross for torres to head in.
You DO have wide men, you ***. Rafa managed it to great success. You're thinking of a formation with two out-and-out wingers, a simple formation. If you played with two narrow wingers who look to come inside, backed up by Johnson and Aurelio (or another attack minded left back) providing the natural width down the outside, it'd be a very very good formation to use. The reason you can't remember the last time Torres headed in from a winger is because he's been injured so much, and your tactics have been awful long ball punts. You're not PLAYING with wingers as such at the minute, and it isn't working.
Furthermore, work rate and closing down is a team effort. That's why barca are so good, because every single player doesn't stop running till they have that ball back. But only kuyt does that in our team (and also masch before he left). If only 1 person is pressing constantly while everyone else jogs around, the effect is nullified.
So you'd rather he didn't? You'd rather NOBODY press at all? :S
To me masch was very good on the ball. Always composed, and long or short, his passing was amazing. Something lucas needs to pick up on.
Eh? Whilst a worse player, Lucas is far less one-dimensional than Masch.
If 1 player is going to have a hard working ethic, it really needs to be somone central. Kuyt doesn't have that much effect running up and down the flank closing down, since they can simply switch the play. Compare that to masch closing down, he broke up everything, whether he was holding the middle or drifting to the flanks. That's where it really makes the difference when only 1 player is doing it.
Where the **** do you get your ideas from? I have no idea why you devalue defensive wingers so much: with
fullbacks now the most important players on the pitch tactics-wise, defensive wingers are worth their weight in gold. We can compare Walcott against Chelsea recently, who closed down Cole and prevented him from getting forward, with Arshavin in their fixture before that, where he left Cole unmarked and he provided a cross for a goal.
Defensive wingers are absolutely vital. There's a reason why SAF preferred Valencia over Nani for much of last season. Take a look at Marc Albrighton. Not only is he a great crosser and a superb winger, but he works so hard that the right flank is protected a lot more. Being defensively sound adds so much to the team.
