EPL:Liverpool v Arsenal|Tuesday, April 21, 2009@2000

[KY]

My personal opinion but i feel it's foolhardy to compare torres with ade or RVP. Different type of strikers. Torres is brilliant. But every man has his weaknesses. Yes he can score any type of goal imaginable. But he still relies on good service. Mark out his supply and you mark him out. (not saying you don't need to mark him at all of course). Thats why he works so well with gerrard together.
Adebayor is the typical big man striker with very good technique. He even has the inconsistent quality which are the common traits of (almost)all big strikers to boot.
RVP is all about tricks and getting out of tight corners and the sublime moments.

It's not necessarily 100% like that but don't go attacking me! It's just my personal opinion.

 

[General]

Are you telling me his aerial threat is on par with Ade's? He's no more a competent header of the ball than Henry and both are at least a level below Adebayor.

Again, look how anonymous he was against Chelsea in the CL because he had no space to work. He simply doesn't work the channels to good effect the way Ade does. Deny him space and he coils into his shell. The few times Tweety man marked him, he resorted to diving. He looks to receive, hit into space and run NOT hold to outmuscle or bring others into play. And this is an important observation when evaluating an isolated lone striker. I'm not saying he can't execute it, just simply not to Ade's level of effect. This is why Ade will give you goals whiles accumulating a respectable number of assists.

Had Ade served that performance at Stanford Bridge, he would’ve been bashed to no end. This isn't a who is better than who argument in the literal sense. It’s looking at what both bring to the table and who excels at what. They are fundamentally different type of strikers but when isolated upfront, Ade will always come out on top. It's very easy to get carried away with Torres partly due to him being easy on the eye but dig beneath the surface and you'd realise he's an easier player to negate than Ade. The subtleties also suggest that Ade has a better variation to his game partly due to his sheer unpredictability.

I realise I'm having this argument at the wrong time, especially on the back of his double last night BUT 3 months ago many people were putting Robin forward as the best in the league.

 

[marco]

i have no idea why anyone thinks adebayor can head a ball!
for his size and height he is appalling in the air!
how many knock ons does he ever win!

van persie is a very good player but his finishing has a lot to be desired for him ever to be truly world class.
torres is at that stage already and is without a shadow of a doubt the best striker in the league since henry left

 

[Asmo]

Torres is a great header of the ball.

 

[outlaw_member]

Are you telling me his aerial threat is on par with Ade's? He's no more a competent header of the ball than Henry and both are at least a level below Adebayor.

Again, look how anonymous he was against Chelsea in the CL because he had no space to work. He simply doesn't work the channels to good effect the way Ade does. Deny him space and he coils into his shell. The few times Tweety man marked him, he resorted to diving. He looks to receive, hit into space and run NOT hold to outmuscle or bring others into play. And this is an important observation when evaluating an isolated lone striker. I'm not saying he can't execute it, just simply not to Ade's level of effect. This is why Ade will give you goals whiles accumulating a respectable number of assists.

Had Ade served that performance at Stanford Bridge, he would’ve been bashed to no end. This isn't a who is better than who argument in the literal sense. It’s looking at what both bring to the table and who excels at what. They are fundamentally different type of strikers but when isolated upfront, Ade will always come out on top. It's very easy to get carried away with Torres partly due to him being easy on the eye but dig beneath the surface and you'd realise he's an easier player to negate than Ade. The subtleties also suggest that Ade has a better variation to his game partly due to his sheer unpredictability.

I realise I'm having this argument at the wrong time, especially on the back of his double last night BUT 3 months ago many people were putting Robin forward as the best in the league.

The fact that you think Torres is no more competent in the air than Henry, leads me to believe that you have not seen enough of him. He is absolutely brilliant in the air, and I'd like to know just how many goals he has scored like that for Liverpool. (Alonso, LeTallec?)

It's pretty unfair to highlight one or two games of Torres, and conclude that he is easy to mark out, when you could do the exact same thing with Adebayor. It was only the other day that Adebayor went missing against Chelsea. It's also ironic that you picked out Chelsea as an example, when Torres hit a late double to beat them earlier in the season. If I am not mistaken, Torres has actually scored more goals in big games than Adebayor.

You also said that no-one has troubled Ferdinand more than Adebayor, yet he can only dream of the performance Torres gave at Old Trafford. I wouldn't even be surprised if Ferdinand has updated his new worst nightmare.

You made a good observation in the difference between their lone striker styles, but Adebayor's isn't necessarily better. We could use Torres's style, as much as we currently need Adebayor's. Plus, Adebayor doesn't really work the channels to good use, anyway. It's more of a hindrance, if anything. Besides, we deploy 2 strikers in a fully functioning team, and in that case Torres is the better option.

I'd like to know how you came to the conclusion that Adebayor would always come out on top when isolated up front, as opposed to Torres? As I think that the answer is impossible to determine. Also, how did you conclude that Torres is easier to subdue than Ade? Lastly, how does Ade have better variation?

 

[True Gooner]

Torres is the best striker in the league, followed by Drogba and then Adebayor.

 

[krengon]

agree with that Truegooner..

 

[A_Gooner_Matata]

Torres is the best striker in the world imo. If I was a 'Pool fan, I'd be in love with him...

 

[Alfonso]

David Villa is better than Torres.

 

[alonso14]

i do love him

is Villa better? dunno really...different players

 

[Alfonso]

Every time they have both played for Spain, Villa has outshone him.

 

[AnthonyG]

I rate Villa extremely highly. He's also not as despicable as Torres when it comes to the diving and play acting.

 

[outlaw_member]

David Villa is definitely better than Torres, but that shouldn't take anything away from the latter. At International level, Villa has been head and shoulders above his strike partner.

 

[General]

The fact that you think Torres is no more competent in the air than Henry, leads me to believe that you have not seen enough of him. He is absolutely brilliant in the air, and I'd like to know just how many goals he has scored like that for Liverpool. (Alonso, LeTallec?)

Hahaha Outlaw. Come on now. I find this ‘not seen him enough’ argument quite tedious in debate. You claim he’s brilliant in the air yet seek out how many goals he’s scored like that from Pool supporters. Surely you’d have examples readily available as ‘you’ve seen him enough’. Like Henry, Torres is adequate in the air. He’s hardly known for his aerial prowess. I mean Christiano Ronaldo is good in the air but I wouldn’t call him brilliant.

I'd go with the notion that Bendtner is probably a more composed header of the ball. Ade's problems are largely poor composure and concentration, just like his finishing and susceptibility to the offside rule. When he's clued on, there's none better in the air. I remember when the pundits were creaming themselves over that header he planted in Fulham's net last season with many calling him one of the best ever. Torres is incapable of matching even half the leap Ade has in him. That was as good a header you’re ever going to see in the league. It’s one of his biggest strengths yet rather bizarrely, it’s been watered down. Ade has scored headers for fun, for Torres, it’s a rarity. This should jog a few people’s memory.

Oh and using his double against 10 man Chelsea is hardly concrete evidence of his big game performances. I haven't the energy to drag out that part of the argument.

 

[outlaw_member]

I said that because Henry was poor in the air, and Torres is far better in that department. I had no choice but to conclude that, when you claimed he was no better in the air than the Frenchman. Also, I asked how many he has scored in the air, because it's quite a significant number.

Edit: Well than there's the performance at Old Trafford, or the two goals he scored against us yesterday. Than there's that brilliant strike against Inter Milan last season, or the other goal he scored against Chelsea.

 

[alonso14]

firstly Torres is a fantastic header of a football..technically as good as I have seen for a long time

as for Villa.....yes he has out scored him, but thats because Torres plays much much better as a lone striker....when Villa plays with him you dont get the best out of him, but you do out of Villa

 

[alonso14]

The fact that you think Torres is no more competent in the air than Henry, leads me to believe that you have not seen enough of him. He is absolutely brilliant in the air, and I'd like to know just how many goals he has scored like that for Liverpool. (Alonso, LeTallec?)

Hahaha Outlaw. Come on now. I find this ‘not seen him enough’ argument quite tedious in debate. You claim he’s brilliant in the air yet seek out how many goals he’s scored like that from Pool supporters. Surely you’d have examples readily available as ‘you’ve seen him enough’. Like Henry, Torres is adequate in the air. He’s hardly known for his aerial prowess. I mean Christiano Ronaldo is good in the air but I wouldn’t call him brilliant.

I'd go with the notion that Bendtner is probably a more composed header of the ball. Ade's problems are largely poor composure and concentration, just like his finishing and susceptibility to the offside rule. When he's clued on, there's none better in the air. I remember when the pundits were creaming themselves over that header he planted in Fulham's net last season with many calling him one of the best ever. Torres is incapable of matching even half the leap Ade has in him. That was as good a header you’re ever going to see in the league. It’s one of his biggest strengths yet rather bizarrely, it’s been watered down. Ade has scored headers for fun, for Torres, it’s a rarity. This should jog a few people’s memory.

Oh and using his double against 10 man Chelsea is hardly concrete evidence of his big game performances. I haven't the energy to drag out that part of the argument.

mmmm a rarity? this season

Man City away
Chelsea at home
Portsmouth away
Blackburn at home
Arsenal at home

nearly half his league goals this season have been headers

 

[outlaw_member]

as for Villa.....yes he has out scored him, but thats because Torres plays much much better as a lone striker....when Villa plays with him you dont get the best out of him, but you do out of Villa

That's fair enough alonso14, but lone striker, or no striker, David Villa is hands down the best striker in the World at the moment, even if you only consider club form.

 

[alonso14]

as for Villa.....yes he has out scored him, but thats because Torres plays much much better as a lone striker....when Villa plays with him you dont get the best out of him, but you do out of Villa

That's fair enough alonso14, but lone striker, or no striker, David Villa is hands down the best striker in the World at the moment, even if you only consider club form.

tbh I dont really care

Torres is a very special player and we are lucky to have him.....i wouldnt swap him for anyone

 

[General]

I wouldn't call Henry poor in the air. It just wasn't major part of his game similar to Torres. I'm sure you'd remember him putting away a few headers including the one against United two seasons ago. They are both adequate in the air and I doubt Torres has scored a significant number of headers in the PL. I stand corrected if this is the case but I'm certain it isn't. I mean last night's header was pretty much a free header. You'd expect most decent strikers to put that away. The James Beatties of this world have planted better headers.