Our strikers situation and looking forward into the future

[Despiadado.Maleante 1,046]

Carlo on why our strikers don't score

"Chelsea's style of play is essentially false 9, You never see them whipping in crosses, or putting through balls for the striker. Neither do their three attacking midfielders play around the striker.

They play among themselves, Their only problem is that instead of deploying a player to protect the defense and playing outright false 9, they use that player as a striker who is essentially useless.

They could put Falcao, Cavani, Lewandowski, Messi, Rooney, Van Persie, absolutely anyone as a no.9, their striker will never score 30 odd goals a season or bang hat-tricks with this system. And also they will keep losing games because while playing false 9, one player is required to protect the defense. Instead that one player (striker) is doing nothing on the field."

[HD3D 1,038]

Out of the strikers you mentioned:

Suarez - ZERO chance he would leave Liverpool for us.

Diego Costa - Possible. But not before summer.

Rooney - According to the media, he does seem to want out. According to commonsense, he HAS to want out of that sinking boat. That said, I don't believe he would leave United for Chelsea. The United fans would hate him forever and he doesn't strike me as a player who would want to go through that. When he leaves, he will go to PSG. I'm sure of it.

Falcao - Would come overpriced.

Cavani - Would come overpriced.

--------

Personally, I think Diego Costa is the only realistic option we have.

Diego Costa, Lukaku and Torres, and the striker debate will be over in Chelsea.

[Mouri_Matic 560]

Carlo on why our strikers don't score

"Chelsea's style of play is essentially false 9, You never see them whipping in crosses, or putting through balls for the striker. Neither do their three attacking midfielders play around the striker.

They play among themselves, Their only problem is that instead of deploying a player to protect the defense and playing outright false 9, they use that player as a striker who is essentially useless.

They could put Falcao, Cavani, Lewandowski, Messi, Rooney, Van Persie, absolutely anyone as a no.9, their striker will never score 30 odd goals a season or bang hat-tricks with this system. And also they will keep losing games because while playing false 9, one player is required to protect the defense. Instead that one player (striker) is doing nothing on the field."

Sort of true back then but now with all these attacking mid we got I think that can change, and even then Drogba managed 30 goals, the only time in the last 10-15 years for us in the league?

[Las7 951]

I don't know If our problem is just strikers.

Our Strikers have a total of 8 goals in the EPL for the Year 2013

It's definitely not the only problem we have in the team but it's the most glaring problem we have had over the last 3 years. If we had a World Class striker it would have made a World of difference and I think we would have won the title a few times, currently we have a bunch of strikers who would not be first choice in any top club in the continent.

Also supposedly Torres is a player who links up well with our midfield and plays a lot of our most important matches is the worst passer in the team. There is a myth that he holds up the ball and links up play with our creative midfielders better than the rest of our strikers(including the lad we send on loan). Yet this myth is disapproved by how bad his passing is, only half of dozen outfield players(with over 5 starts in the EPL) have worse passing percentage in the EPL this season:

Libor Kozák 55%

Cameron Jerome 56%

Christian Benteke 57%

Modibo Maiga 58%

Steven Fletcher 59%

Shane Long 62%

Peter Crouch 63%

Théophile-Catherine 64%

Torres 64%

Demba Ba 71%

Eto'o 76%

So it's not only finishing that appears to a problem for our strikers, they also have difficulty keeping the ball and combining with their teammates in the final third. It's no coincidence that we usually pressure teams much better with Eto'o in the team. Because he doesn't needlessly lose the ball thus we keep possession in dangerous areas instead of allowing opportunities for opposition to counter attack.

None of our strikers are able to constantly score; but also they are by far our worst players in the final third. None of them are match winners and we continue relying for midfielders and defenders to bail us out - it puts extra pressure on our players to get goals and they end up taking the wrong decision. A cable striker can make a huge difference - it's a confidence booster for the whole team when you have a striker banging goals in and all you need to do when he is in form is get the ball into his feet. I remember that season Drogba was unplayable virtually he would take the ball on the halfway line and opposition defenders would shit their pants.

[Special Juan 28,091]

Three strikers that are not better than average, say no more.

[MHL 47 378]

Carlo on why our strikers don't score

"Chelsea's style of play is essentially false 9, You never see them whipping in crosses, or putting through balls for the striker. Neither do their three attacking midfielders play around the striker.

They play among themselves, Their only problem is that instead of deploying a player to protect the defense and playing outright false 9, they use that player as a striker who is essentially useless.

They could put Falcao, Cavani, Lewandowski, Messi, Rooney, Van Persie, absolutely anyone as a no.9, their striker will never score 30 odd goals a season or bang hat-tricks with this system. And also they will keep losing games because while playing false 9, one player is required to protect the defense. Instead that one player (striker) is doing nothing on the field."

I think Carlo has this one spot on, the brief interlude being Carlo's own time here.

We could have Luis Edison Falcao playing for us and he'd have trouble getting 20 goals a season in the PL for us because of this style.

Drogba was exceptional, now he's gone, there's a Drogba sized hole - that won't get filled. There truly was 'one Didier Drogba' and we've not found a solution to the situation since he went.

[Mouri_Matic 560]

I think Carlo has this one spot on, the brief interlude being Carlo's own time here.

We could have Luis Edison Falcao playing for us and he'd have trouble getting 20 goals a season in the PL for us because of this style.

Drogba was exceptional, now he's gone, there's a Drogba sized hole - that won't get filled. There truly was 'one Didier Drogba' and we've not found a solution to the situation since he went.

If we had Ronaldo here now I am sure he would still bang in 30 goals for us min

[MHL 47 378]

If we had Ronaldo here now I am sure he would still bang in 30 goals for us min

He might, although it's no certainty for us. I'd have money with you he wouldn't get 50+ like he does in Spain.

Our goals, and for a good few seasons get shared around. That's why when the midfield doesn't score we struggle a bit.

[Las7 951]

He might, although it's no certainty for us. I'd have money with you he wouldn't get 50+ like he does in Spain.

Our goals, and for a good few seasons get shared around. That's why when the midfield doesn't score we struggle a bit.

I guess it's no coincidence our strikers have started struggling ever since Drogba got malaria; Anelka got old and we signed Torres and started playing him up top

No one can actually tell me that 17 goals in 94 matches over three years is normal even if we were bloody Stoke pumping the ball up for Crouch I'd expect him to score more League goals than that in 94 matches(Just checked Crouch has 26 goals in 93 matches for bloody Stoke). Torres has been holding us back and the strikers we have signed since he came are only decent backups for a club with our aspirations.

Had Lukaku or Sturridge had actually been played as much as Torres they would have been developed by CFC and would comfortably dwarf his contribution to us in the League

[LegenTerry 273]

Lewandovski or Mandzukic would be great.

[MHL 47 378]

I guess it's no coincidence our strikers have started struggling ever since Drogba got malaria; Anelka got old and we signed Torres and started playing him up top

Had Lukaku or Sturridge had actually been played as much as Torres they would have been developed by CFC and would comfortably dwarf his contribution to us in the League

The point I was making was Drogba in him pomp and at his best was a beast, it was like having two men up there. We've done nothing to replace him or create a style where a striker, any striker will flourish.

It's not Torres's fault or any single player, it's the short-term ism that's been created by the club.

Sturridge was not and Lukaku may not be the answer. Sturridge, in my opinion will crash and burn at Liverpool, just an opinion I have of him and his persona. Lukaku wants space to run into, we don't play like that. Liverpool built their attacking style around Torres and won knob-all because of that.

Things have to change, systems and personnel, for us to see a 20/30 goal a season man - or find another Didier.

Drogba played the last 4 seasons for us managing a knee condition, makes him that bit more remarkable really.

[Mouri_Matic 560]

He might, although it's no certainty for us. I'd have money with you he wouldn't get 50+ like he does in Spain.

Our goals, and for a good few seasons get shared around. That's why when the midfield doesn't score we struggle a bit.

The thing is our mid might have scored enough goals for us to remain competitive, but they are never going to make that 'WOW' moments that only top class strikers do. For example Suarez against Spurs, Messi a few years ago against Arsenal when he scored 4, Ronaldo like he did for Portugal, Falcao against ourselves in that Super Cup, RVP through so many games last season and so on...

Yes Hazard, Schurrle, Oscar...etc will/just score enough goals for us to beat the likes of Hull, Fulham and sometime just about like against Man City, but when we really need inspiration are they really going to be able to deliver? That Hazard performance against Sunderland was a 1 off rather than signs of things to come imo. We need a striker that put that sort of performance in weekly.