Strike Partnerships..

[LondonRed]

Torres and Kuyt seemd to link up well today, both worked very hard and complimented each other in the early stages of a partnership.

 

Crouch and Voronin didnt play to bad in mid-week either considering the hot conditions,plus i dont think Crouch is up to match fitness as he hasnt featured as much as the others in pre season but we all know what he's capable of..

 

Id like to see what Torres is like with Crouch with his silky footwork and classy goals, then again id like to see how he plays with Voro too, tough, hard working with a little vision too...i just cant decide, spoilt for choice!

 

But who would you choose as your starting 2 in your first eleven?

[Hassony]

torres and Kuyt every time, they are our best forwards and they seem to be developing a nice understanding. babel and torres in the long term

[Nebraska Red]

i am finding it hard to think of a time that Crouch is likely to start a PL game. Torres offers so much more for us up front.

 

i'd like to see Torres and Voronin given a chance to play together.

[San Diego Red]

Fernando and VoronIN.

[kacangpool]

torres and kuyt. their understanding gets better with each game. kuyt is working very hard and is such a pest for the opposing team but he still lacked that little bit of sharpness. hope he improves in the coming weeks, and scores soon. if not we still have voro.

[lawrie]

Torres and Kuyt definately, altough I think Torres and Voronin could be worth a go sometimes

[Smith]

Torres and Kuyt definately, altough I think Torres and Voronin could be worth a go sometimes

 

Indeed. From what I've seen, Voronin has more a bit more of game intelligence to him. Kuyt is a bit more gung ho.

[Guest Ant]

I know it's still early days but the way they both played yesterday struck me at how deep they both play, I lost count the amount of times they played just past the half way line and when one or the other had the ball, or the midfielder i.e Gerrard they just didn't make the run.

 

The way they both play they come towards the ball and very few times did they make a run, or one that could be picked out.

 

Although I think they will cause problems I do believe time will tell if they will be what we want from a Upfront Pair.

 

I think Babel will compliment Torres well and would like to see this partnership in future games, or even Torres and Crouch because I think Torres is going to need a player who will make the run, get picked out and play it through to him....

 

Time will tell I suppose

[Hassony]

So Kuyt is slow, stupid, bad finisher with an awful first touch, how the hell did he fool Rafa into picking him, and van basten into playing him for holland?

[Guest Sabre]

I don't think Babel could play with Torres. One has to be the provider...

[Guest Kaizer]

Voronin should play with Torres, they complement each other.

[Stevie H]

i'd love to know exactly how kuyt and torres are communicating at the minute.

[sean]

i'd love to know exactly how kuyt and torres are communicating at the minute.

 

 

They're throwing muck at each other.

[Bailo]

I thought the signing of Torres would release Kuyt into the box more, doesn't appear to be happening so far. Though I was glad to see Torres sniffing at the feet of Cech a few times yesterday after shots, no-one bothered doing that apart from Luis.

[allez les rouges]

torres was deffo further forward than kuyt, but i think the reason why it appeared the pair of them were deep, was because generally our back line was deep, which had a knock on affect to midfield and upfront etc.

 

I felt tactically we were trying to suck chelsea in, and then counter attack from midfield.

 

Personally, i was a little disappointed that we didnt try to impose our midfield on theirs. ours is much better.

[Huyton_Red]

Its not hard to see why torres played further forward than Kuyt and why Kuyt will never play as the main forward

 

Pace

 

torres can play on the shoulder of the last defender because he has the pace to beat him if put through, Kuyt does not

 

I cant see where all the people on here are coming from when they speak about Kuyt being played as a main striker, he does not have the pace nor the strength to play as the figurehead of a strikeforce

 

Torres will play as the main striker, kuyt off him

[Stevie H]

I thought the signing of Torres would release Kuyt into the box more, doesn't appear to be happening so far.

they've started one match together.

[cymrococh]

i'd love to know exactly how kuyt and torres are communicating at the minute.

nods and winks.

[Smith]

So Kuyt is slow, stupid, bad finisher with an awful first touch, how the hell did he fool Rafa into picking him, and van basten into playing him for holland?

 

Can't agree with you there.

[Huyton_Red]

they've started one match together.

 

Both league games actually

 

To be pedantic

[Guest Anders Honoré]

Crouch and Torres for me. To me, they are the strikers who have that extra bit of star quality about them. I can see why Rafa picks Kuyt, but I just don't think he has sufficiently outstanding qualities to more than just a good player.

[Guest Sabre]

Crouch and Torres for me. To me, they are the strikers who have that extra bit of star quality about them. I can see why Rafa picks Kuyt, but I just don't think he has sufficiently outstanding qualities to more than just a good player.

 

I'm not so sure that Crouch has star quality.

[Guest Anders Honoré]

I'm not so sure that Crouch has star quality.

 

A year ago I wouldn't have pecked him for it either, but I think he showed the tenacity of a genuine top striker last year, particularly from the new year. He seems to have acquired that ability to pull something out from nowhere or take a very difficult chance and convert that into a goal. Coupled with the footballing ability he got by on when he wasn't scoring any goals, I think that makes for a top striker. He's not quite there yet but if he can build on the progress he made last year and deliver on that level consistently, I think he has it in him to be genuinely good enough as a first choice striker for a top club.

 

I was critical of his performances in his first season, but he looks like a proper striker to me now.

Edited August 20, 2007 by Anders Honoré

[Shirohana]

So Kuyt is slow, stupid, bad finisher with an awful first touch, how the hell did he fool Rafa into picking him, and van basten into playing him for holland?

 

That is b******s. Unless you forgot to add a wink, in that case, move along, nothing to see here.

Edited August 20, 2007 by Naboo

[Guest Kaizer]

So Kuyt is slow, stupid, bad finisher with an awful first touch, how the hell did he fool Rafa into picking him, and van basten into playing him for holland?

 

Voronin and Torres withouth a doubt, they both have pace, they both have good technique and close control and with Voronin playing behind Torres they are the partnership that complement each other best.

 

I have not seen any evidence of this "great" partnership between Torres and Kuyt and I doubt we will ever see one either, Kuyt does not posess the qualities needed to make his strike partner better, he does not have the close control and he does not have the vision and ability to set his strike partner up on an consistant basis.

 

Last season Kuyt did not provide his strike partners with one single assist in the Premier League, its not a major part of his game and his endless running out of the area where a link player should be occupied most of the time does not help either.

 

The sooner we stop using Kuyt in this role, we will start creating chances and see a real partnership up front get born.