First choice striker

I have observed this season that we do not have a first choice striker. Brendan Rodgers has played different strikers in the beginning of this season.

Benteke, Ings, Origi and a few games also Sturridge; all played their and no one kept his place because of certain reasons. Mostly because of injuries, out of form or both.

Rodgers was sacked and Klopp entered the scenario. Klopp found Ings and Sturridge injured and started playing with Benteke. Later on Firmino was played in this position as well and he changed our perspective about him. Before this many were already arguing about the transfer decision.

Benteke found it difficult under Klopp and even spoke out his mind. (I disagree with his decision doing so but that is for another discussion.) For once in a blue moon, Sturridge got fit and has played a number of games. Origi after his little injures here and there, Klopp believed in him and now Origi and Sturridge both are fighting for their places.

None of our strikers are scoring for fun

I quote Klopp:

‘I have no doubt about the quality of Daniel Sturridge,’ said Klopp. ‘But how could he be absolutely 100 per cent in his best shape in all his long breaks from training and matches? It’s only about what is best for the next game. It’s not about the name.

‘Daniel is really doing well. He had no problem when he saw he was not starting. He was really greedy to come on. He came on, did his job and could have scored in his first situation. The best for Daniel is to leave him to work and when he’s on the pitch, to give all he has, nothing else.

That means that we are left with out a first choice striker that our midfield can link and get to know better every game. Players need to play together for number of games to get to know others movement. Every team needs a first choice striker that when he is fit, he will be the first one on the teamsheet, example: Keegan, Dalglish, Rush, Fowler, Owen, Torres, Suarez, etc.

Klopp needs to have a first choice striker and I believe that Origi is still learning his trade; Sturridge needs to prove his fitness; Benteke needs to turn his form and his manager's idea about him; Ings needs to continue where he left after this long term injure; Firmino played very well in this position but our team would benefit much more to have a first choice striker and Firmino and other attacking midfielders in the same wavelength and form.

Big decisions this Summer for Klopp. Either deciding to have a first choice striker from what we already have or sell few of them to get his own first choice striker.

As a club, we need one or two to rely on them to score and the attacking midfielder to add some goals to the total.

Big decisions this Summer for Klopp. Either deciding to have a first choice striker from what we already have or sell few of them to get his own first choice striker.

Big decisions alright Clint and in way more positions than, maybe, Jürgen wanted to fill (Remembering his original quotes).

In a league where denfences are much of a muchness, we need goals more than anything, in my opinion, of course.

So, if Jürgen either, doesn't fancy what he has or can't get it to spark: he will have to delve into the market. That in itself obviously won't be an issue, given the money that we should have.

Nah... the problem then reverts to both scouting and assimilation of large numbers of players - two things fans despised about previous regimes.

On a personal note - I believe that Danny is, by far, our best striker and if Jürgen can accommodate a fit Danny and Bobby [who's not exactly exempt from injury either if we're honest] the same lineup, the way Danny and Luis worked then...

We could probably go without... til January anyhow  Otherwise the 'Three and No More' batallion are going to end up upset. Tell you what tho' - if Jürgen ends up signing a new striker, I personally hope to F**k it's not another "cheap kid with potential".

Big decisions alright Clint and in way more positions than, maybe, Jürgen wanted to fill (Remembering his original quotes).

In a league where denfences are much of a muchness, we need goals more than anything, in my opinion, of course.

So, if Jürgen either, doesn't fancy what he has or can't get it to spark: he will have to delve into the market. That in itself obviously won't be an issue, given the money that we should have.

Nah... the problem then reverts to both scouting and assimilation of large numbers of players - two things fans despised about previous regimes.

On a personal note - I believe that Danny is, by far, our best striker and if Jürgen can accommodate a fit Danny and Bobby [who's not exactly exempt from injury either if we're honest] same lineup, the way Danny and Luis worked then...

We could probably go without... til January anyhow  Otherwise the 'Three and No More' batallion are going to end up upset. Tell you what tho' - if Jürgen ends up signing a new striker, I personally hope to F**k it's not another "cheap kid with potential".

BBB, I agree that if we are going to sign another striker, he needs to be proven quality and avoid a Falcao slip.

Otherwise the 'Three and No More' batallion are going to end up upset.

They are. Curiously these are often the same bunch of people who say the squad is "dross" or "sh!t" and that we can't do well until they are all Jürgen's players. At that rate they'll get their wish around 2023.

On a slightly more serious note. If we can buy a striker who is even 1% a better player than Danny Sturridge, he should become the first name on the team sheet.

They are. Curiously these are often the same bunch of people who say the squad is "dross" or "sh!t" and that we can't do well until they are all Jürgen's players. At that rate they'll get their wish around 2023.

On a slightly more serious note. If we can buy a striker who is even 1% a better player than Danny Sturridge, he should become the first name on the team sheet.

Origi is finding his name on the teamsheet before Daniel and rightly so based on form but I also believe that Sturridge is better than Origi on his day.

Origi is finding his name on the teamsheet before Daniel and rightly so based on form but I also believe that Sturridge is better than Origi on his day.

Clint in my honest opinion even if Origi improves way beyond what he is showing now, he will never reach the level of a Sturridge who is fit and firing.

Origi isn't ever IMHO going to even get to the level of  Lukaku, the bloke at Watford whose name escapes me etc, never mind Sturridge. He did well the other night and good luck to him. He can run fast, he's willing and strong.

Even the much maligned Benteke is IMHO  in a completely different stratosphere to Divok, and once again IMHO it isn'the going to change. If we are going to rely on the young fella for anything other than special, specific occasions, we're in for a bleak time.

BBB, I agree that if we are going to sign another striker, he needs to be proven quality and avoid a Falcao slip.

Whilst there's never a guarantee - I'm just not sure we can keep waiting on all this potential to be realised. It's probably just me but I feel the longer we 'wait' the further we regress (as a football team).

Listen; I know people have bought into this, open-ended, 'long-term plan' bollocks...  lock, stock and barrel and that's their prerogative but the fact is - it hasn't worked. Us fans watch on as the Company wash, rinse and repeat managers and blame them for not being able to get "potential" all firing, all together and all for long enough to win a title.

It has to end. Give Jürgen Klopp a fighting chance, not yet another a long-term project. If he needs a new striker - get him the best available [remember too that Jürgen "will be able attract top quality", where others couldn't]. I'm sure, if Jürgen can work his magic on 'kids', then making 'top quality' buzz will be a breeze.

Yeah... an interesting summer all round Clint.   

Clint in my honest opinion even if Origi improves way beyond what he is showing now, he will never reach the level of a Sturridge who is fit and firing.

Origi isn't ever IMHO going to even get to the level of  Lukaku, the bloke at Watford whose name escapes me etc, never mind Sturridge. He did well the other night and good luck to him. He can run fast, he's willing and strong.

Even the much maligned Benteke is IMHO  in a completely different stratosphere to Divok, and once again IMHO it isn'the going to change. If we are going to rely on the young fella for anything other than special, specific occasions, we're in for a bleak time.

I totally agree Mick, and that why I started this thread. Sturridge is class and arrogant with the ball as every quality striker needs to be. Origi is a good squad player with huge potential but we need a top first choice striker. Ings is the same as Origi. We need these type of players with a long, long season but we need to rely on top top striker to score for fun.

Yeah... an interesting summer all round Clint.   

An interesting and important one with the Euros intervening. We need to be that first choice striker that Klopp believes totally in him.

BBB, I agree that if we are going to sign another striker, he needs to be proven quality .

Need to .
No " potential" .
A serious 20 + goal a season proven player.

"Proven quality"? What, not like Danny Sturridge then? Not, even, like Christian Benteke then? They've "proven" over many seasons that they score heavily in games in which they play, both have excellent goals per minute ratios too.

I'm a little concerned with this "not Jurgens type of striker" thing which has become all the rage on here. If Sturridge isn't a Jürgen type of striker, and Benteke isn't Jurgens type of striker, what profile are we looking for when we are doing the rounds this Summer? Clearly a high goals per game ratio isn't the be all and end all or we'd just go with Sturridge and have done with it. Clearly we don't want to play with a big target man or we'd stick with Benteke (and also obviously we are disregarding that he too has a good goals per game ratio).

Origi seems to "fit" better recently and fairly obviously unlike the other two he has the backing and trust of the boss. So are we looking for a "better" and "more proven" version of Origi? Aubemyang for example, (was he injured the other night BTW or is that actually what he is?). I would assume he's much better than Divok and judging by the other night plays in a similarish way, maybe Lewandovski or someone similar to him?

So anyway it seems to me we are looking for a striker with sh!tloads of workrate, who runs the channels all day long. He must close down defenders like a loony, be goodish in the air and score sh!t loads of goals. Ian Rush truly was born 30 years too early.     

None of our strikers are scoring for fun

That's the reason why we haven't got a first choice striker.  None of them have truly grabbed their chance.  That may be a little harsh on Origi who has done well when thrown in and has tended to be played either in trickier games or been played along more inexperienced players in cup matches etc.

Benteke looked like he was going to start the season as first choice striker but a couple of injury spells and obviously the lack of goals cost him his opportunity.  He has shown little in the various chances he has been given since - in fact in some of those cup games with the kids he looked one of our worst players on the pitch.

We've got four strikers at the club including Ings.  It's up to them to make themselves a first choice striker.  None of them have so it's back to the transfer market we go in the summer.  A club like Liverpool has to be proactive on this and can't simply wait around for one of their forwards to decide he wants to become irreplaceable.

That's the reason why we haven't got a first choice striker.  None of them have truly grabbed their chance.  That may be a little harsh on Origi who has done well when thrown in and has tended to be played either in trickier games or been played along more inexperienced players in cup matches etc.

Benteke looked like he was going to start the season as first choice striker but a couple of injury spells and obviously the lack of goals cost him his opportunity.  He has shown little in the various chances he has been given since - in fact in some of those cup games with the kids he looked one of our worst players on the pitch.

We've got four strikers at the club including Ings.  It's up to them to make themselves a first choice striker.  None of them have so it's back to the transfer market we go in the summer.  A club like Liverpool has to be proactive on this and can't simply wait around for one of their forwards to decide he wants to become irreplaceable.

I know that that's is the reason that we do not have a first choice striker. I agree with you JD that we need to be proactive. We need to buy a proven quality striker and the other striker that survive the exodus, need to improve their form.

At the moment Sturridge is the first choice striker, or at least should be. I think people have gone into panic mode about our best striker at the club. He's come back from injury and working his way back into things and people are having coronary's over the fact he isn't on form. Sturridge is a slow starter. Klopp should stick with him and play him into form, it will come, dropping him here and there and making statements about him isn't the way to do it.

If Jürgen can't get him firing, or accommodate the 'lazy, sulky' bugger then more fool him.

It does seem like horses for courses with Jürgen though, in that he'll play a striker to suit the oppo - not sure I agree with this method personally.

Benteke will be sold.
Sturridge is likely to be sold.

For those who cry about the above you should really read the article that HScRed posted in Jürgen's thread, it details exactly what he wants and why players considered lesser quality can and do often prove more valuable to a team.

Sturridge over the last 3 seasons has had the opportunity to play in 106 game or 9540 minutes. Out of those games he's managed just 2277 minutes played or 25.3 games. Granted his scoring record in those games that he did play is phenomenal, right up there with the very best in the world but is anyone seriously suggesting we should gamble again on Sturridge?

Hopefully we buy someone to compete with him; hopefully he stays fit next season and bangs in 30 for us. The drum beat is almost deafening that he's up for sale, if we do sell him I'd like to see 2 quality players brought in to replace him and Benteke.

We've got four strikers at the club including Ings.  It's up to them to make themselves a first choice striker.  None of them have

That's the thing JD; (excluding Ings) Sturridge, Benteke and Origi are three, fairly different, types yet none of them seem to fit when you would have imagined at least one would have. As Mick asks... what type would fit? What type will end up being prolific and first choice?

If you think about it: we could end up needing three new strikers  [if it's "a perfect fit" and depth we are after, that is].

Whilst the consensus appears to be that 'Jürgen is in full control of transfers and squad matters' I honestly can't see the money men sanctioning three strikers. Like every manager who has ever taken over at a club, I reckon that he will be told you work with and improve what he has - with maybe just one striker coming in, one out. That one is Christian.

EDIT: sh*t, I'd nearly forgotten Super Mario so make that two in, two out. Unless Jürgen fancies the challenge to make Mario Super once more, of course.

He won't; will he... tell me he won't. 

Benteke will be sold.
Sturridge is likely to be sold.

For those who cry about the above you should really read the article that HScRed posted in Jürgen's thread, it details exactly what he wants and why players considered lesser quality can and do often prove more valuable to a team.

Sturridge over the last 3 seasons has had the opportunity to play in 106 game or 9540 minutes. Out of those games he's managed just 2277 minutes played or 25.3 games. Granted his scoring record in those games that he did play is phenomenal, right up there with the very best in the world but is anyone seriously suggesting we should gamble again on Sturridge?

Hopefully we buy someone to compete with him; hopefully he stays fit next season and bangs in 30 for us. The drum beat is almost deafening that he's up for sale, if we do sell him I'd like to see 2 quality players brought in to replace him and Benteke.

Yep, I think both are about to make their way out of the door too. There'll be no tears from me about either, my guess is that both will score heavily wherever they go but there's no point in saying you trust the boss if you don't actually trust him. I actually admire his confidence if and when he makes the sales.

If he stays fit wherever he goes Sturridge will obviously not just score goals but be a top player (you don't need a coaching badge to be able to see that). Equally, if a team plays remotely to his strengths it is likely Benteke will score fairly heavily too (simply because he always has in the past). If both are plying their trade in the Premiership with fairly regular success, Jurgens new strikers had better be good, and obviously he thinks/knows they will be, so we're all good. 

There'll be no tears from me about either, my guess is that both will score heavily wherever they go but there's no point in saying you trust the boss if you don't actually trust him. I actually admire his confidence if and when he makes the sales.

Amen to that Mick... whether they (or any of our lads) stay, go, get picked or are dropped... if you say you trust Jürgen (and aren't just paying lip-service to look good) then obviously you will accept his decisions. His is the only opinion which matters and as long as we replace what's leaving with 'better' there can be no complaints. That said; I can't see him selling Sturridge tbh.

Either way - the boss will be starting next season with his team/the team he wants ('financial' restrictions permitting, of course).   

I don't think Sturridge is going.  I think it would be foolish of Klopp to look to offload one of our most key and prolific goalscorers.

He's got the small matters of trying to offload Balotelli and Benteke, he needs them gone first.

Yep, I think both are about to make their way out of the door too. There'll be no tears from me about either, my guess is that both will score heavily wherever they go but there's no point in saying you trust the boss if you don't actually trust him. I actually admire his confidence if and when he makes the sales.

Personally think it has less to do with confidence and more knowing exactly what you need.

You asked the question above about what style he wants but then went on to answer it yourself. Rush would be perfect; Suarez would be perfect; Aguero if stayed fit would be perfect; Sturridge if he committed to Jürgen's style and stayed fit would be perfect.

Even the likes of Danny Ings seemed to tick an awful lot of the boxes I believe Jürgen would look for but we just don't know how much that injury will have robbed him of, not only in terms of getting back to where he was but the development of a 22/23 year old.

It does seem like horses for courses with Jürgen though, in that he'll play a striker to suit the oppo - not sure I agree with this method personally.

I also disagree if Klopp is in favour of horses for different courses. However, history showed that he always had a first choice striker, he is doing rotation because he does not have clear striker in mind that can implement his tactics in Klopp's way.

So when you say we need a proven striker rather than one with potential what exactly are we saying? 

Do you mean one that's say at least 24/25 years old who has scored a minimum 20+ goals consistently over the previous 3 seasons in the league, regardless of whether it's the top divisions in the 5 top European leagues? 

I'm guessing that if it's not acceptable for them to have potential then somebody from the 2nd or 3rd Division of the 5 top European leagues because they aren't proven at the top level. 

Same as it wouldn't be acceptable for them to have done it in Hungary, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Belgium or Holland or even further afield like Asia, Australia, South America or the States.

So when you say we need a proven striker rather than one with potential what exactly are we saying? 

Do you mean one that's say at least 24/25 years old who has scored a minimum 20+ goals consistently over the previous 3 seasons in the league, regardless of whether it's the top divisions in the 5 top European leagues? 

I'm guessing that if it's not acceptable for them to have potential then somebody from the 2nd or 3rd Division of the 5 top European leagues because they aren't proven at the top level. 

Same as it wouldn't be acceptable for them to have done it in Hungary, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Belgium or Holland or even further afield like Asia, Australia, South America or the States.

See it gets difficult. Luke was saying we need a Rush, Suarez, Aguerro type (and I must confess it's hard to disagree with him) but they aren't exactly thick on the ground.