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View Full Version : Play Robert as a striker



jloome
06-20-2008, 02:00 PM
..yeah, I know, he's never played there and he's old.

So what? The guy is a lethal finisher, he has the best foot on the team, he can beat players on the run and he accelerates away from his coverage really well.

That equals better than Jarrod Smith as an upfront option, to me. Plus, it accounts for his increasing unwillingness as he ages to play defence.

We could always play Ricketts on the left and Smith on the Right. We'll still have great wing play. But this way we also get a guy who can finish in a position -- playing off Dichio -- where maybe he could make the full use of his talents; that includes drifting wide on either side up top to cross the ball in to target man Danny.

Thoughts?

Roogsy
06-20-2008, 02:10 PM
Hmmm...interesting idea. It would also rid him of some defensive duties, which I don't think he likes very much.

Maple Leaf Red
06-20-2008, 02:12 PM
I like the idea for all of the reasons stated. I think it wastes Smith's energy level a bit to have him up front so this addresses that as well.

Ossington Mental Youth
06-20-2008, 02:17 PM
Uh no.
We have 3 strikers, why not play them as astriker and play RObert naturally on the wing.

Why play a man out of position when hes great in his natural position.
We are not that hard up for a striker. Its fine if its either a) an emergency or b)training a young player to play another position but out of nowhere? no, you get what we had in Houston.

Cambridge_Red
06-20-2008, 02:20 PM
No way! I love Robert and all but no! He's a winger keep him there.

olegunnar
06-20-2008, 02:24 PM
No
you know what's really interesting? On the Euro Matchtrackers you can see where the player has been during the match. The wingers run less than the frontmen. Robert has a lot of skills he brings to the team...running isn't one of them.
Keep him on the wing.

Jack
06-20-2008, 02:33 PM
He doesn't have a goalscorer's instinct.

noochie
06-20-2008, 02:37 PM
Or implement the Christmas Tree and have him play alongside Guevara :)

Billy the kid
06-20-2008, 02:57 PM
The problem is he would need a winger like Robert giving him crosses.

sidney
06-20-2008, 03:03 PM
Bad idea...he's been doing great as a middy...keep em there

Northern Soul
06-20-2008, 03:04 PM
There's much more to playing striker than just putting the ball in the net. You have to work space, know how to get into positions to receive passes/crosses, and you have to be able to finish in tight quarters. You have to know how to anticipate a through ball and make a perfectly timed run to get there. So, aside from all of that, and he's not a prolific goalscorer....where is the benefit? Oh, and I agree with Billy....we'd need a "Robert-type" to get him the ball.

poppamidnight
06-20-2008, 03:05 PM
Okay i understand Cunny likes to pull the 'hands on the hips' kinda defense,

but christ... Robert wont even make a jog back....

This guy doesnt have the speed...
keep him back where he can use that boot of his right when we need it

Big Bruva
06-20-2008, 03:48 PM
Robert can not play with his back to goal and he will not run past anyone.

I don't think he would be a good striker at all.

Jack
06-20-2008, 03:53 PM
Robert can not play with his back to goal and he will not run past anyone.

I don't think he would be a good striker at all.

QFFT

Cashcleaner
06-20-2008, 04:05 PM
Robert is the set piece guy for Toronto FC and just doesn't have the turn of speed needed tolead the attack. Not knocking the guy either because I think he's doing a good job thus far, but he will benefit us more with what he's doing now (free kicks, corners, and proper forward passing) than if he were a striker.

Jack
06-20-2008, 04:05 PM
There's a reason he's played his whole career as a midfielder.

djking2
06-20-2008, 04:35 PM
You have seen the team play .... right?

Big Bruva
06-20-2008, 04:37 PM
You have seen the team play .... right?

What do you not agree with in regards to what Robert can or can't do?

zeelaw
06-20-2008, 04:45 PM
God no

djking2
06-20-2008, 05:31 PM
What do you not agree with in regards to what Robert can or can't do?

I think having Robert in the midfield is one of the keys to our improved results. Okay, the whole midfield but anyway I just can't seem to draw a mental picture of Robert diving headlong to redirect a cross into the net, ya know?

Bars92
06-20-2008, 05:41 PM
That would be like playing Gerrard or Lampard as a forward - duh.

joel
06-20-2008, 05:49 PM
And you take away all of his ball service, doesn't make sense.

gtaguy
06-20-2008, 06:15 PM
what about Edu moving to a striker position .. he's young and he knows how to put a ball in the net.. Also with a crowded midfield i think this would add to our chances of keeping a full midfield with guevara and roberts and then Edu and Dichio upfront.....

Bars92
06-20-2008, 06:49 PM
its gonna be a 4-5-1 tomorrow for sure.

Kooper
06-20-2008, 07:43 PM
That equals better than Jarrod Smith as an upfront option, to me. Plus, it accounts for his increasing unwillingness as he ages to play defence.


No it doesn't Smith is a better out and out forward than Robert ever will.

joel
06-20-2008, 08:12 PM
what about Edu moving to a striker position .. he's young and he knows how to put a ball in the net.. Also with a crowded midfield i think this would add to our chances of keeping a full midfield with guevara and roberts and then Edu and Dichio upfront.....

Have you seen him kick...I wouldn't exactly call what he does quality finishing. He's been drilling it high and wide all season.

jloome
06-21-2008, 12:35 AM
That would be like playing Gerrard or Lampard as a forward - duh.

Yeah, how weird would that be -- except for the fact that Stephen Gerrard played about two-third of this season at forward, right behind a lone Torres. Nice to see people commenting who don't have a fucking clue.


No it doesn't Smith is a better out and out forward than Robert ever will.
Based on what, exactly? Let's see...Former paris-st germain attacking winger (which is a forward position, by the way), who also scored one-in-four games for Newcastle for close to four seasons, versus kid from New Zealand with one professional goal, on a header from a set piece.

Look, don't get me wrong, Jarrod Smith has a bright future, maybe even where he started out as a target forward, but to compare him to Laurent Robert is totalling fucking asinine.


You have seen the team play .... right?
And that contributes what, exactly? I can see arguments that say we can't lose him in the mid, but to suggest a guy who is probably one of the best finishers we've got, is small, hard to pin down and shakes men easily, can accelerate quickly (despite the idiots here who think slow and "doesn't play defense" are the same thing), and he would bring way more to forward than either Cunningham or Smith are right now.

So yeah, I can see playing him up front, and the only even moderately supported argument I've seen against it here so far is that we need him more in the mid.

Maybe so. But if Edu WAS a capable winger -- and given his decent footwork and excellent technique he might be -- I don't see what the harm would be in trying Robert in the hole working off Dichio, with Guevara and Robinson in the middle and Edu or Smith wide on one side, Ricketts on the other.

I think Robert would give defenders fits, he creates so much space. Hey BB, you've seen him play more than most here, what's your take?

Bars92
06-21-2008, 02:48 AM
Yeah, how weird would that be -- except for the fact that Stephen Gerrard played about two-third of this season at forward, right behind a lone Torres. Nice to see people commenting who don't have a fucking clue.


Based on what, exactly? Let's see...Former paris-st germain attacking winger (which is a forward position, by the way), who also scored one-in-four games for Newcastle for close to four seasons, versus kid from New Zealand with one professional goal, on a header from a set piece.

Look, don't get me wrong, Jarrod Smith has a bright future, maybe even where he started out as a target forward, but to compare him to Laurent Robert is totalling fucking asinine.


And that contributes what, exactly? I can see arguments that say we can't lose him in the mid, but to suggest a guy who is probably one of the best finishers we've got, is small, hard to pin down and shakes men easily, can accelerate quickly (despite the idiots here who think slow and "doesn't play defense" are the same thing), and he would bring way more to forward than either Cunningham or Smith are right now.

So yeah, I can see playing him up front, and the only even moderately supported argument I've seen against it here so far is that we need him more in the mid.

Maybe so. But if Edu WAS a capable winger -- and given his decent footwork and excellent technique he might be -- I don't see what the harm would be in trying Robert in the hole working off Dichio, with Guevara and Robinson in the middle and Edu or Smith wide on one side, Ricketts on the other.

I think Robert would give defenders fits, he creates so much space. Hey BB, you've seen him play more than most here, what's your take?


Dirk Kuyt plays forward with Torres you FUCKING TWAT!!!!!!!!!!

Cambridge_Red
06-21-2008, 02:57 AM
LoL and Look how well Liverpool did. You overlooked something else Stevie G CAN run.

CLOSE THIS THREAD :D

Bars92
06-21-2008, 02:59 AM
Come on you REDS!!!!!!!!!

UltraSuperMegaMo
06-21-2008, 03:34 AM
I think playing Robert at striker we be a strange decision - to say the least, unless there was some sort of major injury crisis with TFC.

If we were going to convert a midfielder to a striker, I think Edu would be the best candidate. He’s got a strong shot, good movement, and the right body shape for the role.

Jack
06-21-2008, 07:23 AM
Gerrard is one of the best and most versatile players in the world. Robert is not. That argument is useless.

Robert is a midfielder. He could conceivably play behind DD, but Guevara does just fine there.

Daveisonfire
06-21-2008, 07:32 AM
I think having Robert in the midfield is one of the keys to our improved results. Okay, the whole midfield but anyway I just can't seem to draw a mental picture of Robert diving headlong to redirect a cross into the net, ya know?

Yeah, me neither, I always picture him doing this:rolleyes:

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/eWjXwB5Oajk&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/eWjXwB5Oajk&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

:D But yeah, keep him where he is for sure

Northern Soul
06-21-2008, 09:23 AM
Dirk Kuyt plays forward with Torres you FUCKING TWAT!!!!!!!!!!

Actually, in the last half of the season where Liverpool had their good run, the formation was as follows:


--------------------Reina------------------------
Carragher-----Hyypia------Skrtel-------Aurelio
-------------Mascherano-------Alonso-----------
Kuyt--------------Gerrard------------------Babel
--------------------Torres-------------------

jloome
06-21-2008, 09:43 AM
Dirk Kuyt plays forward with Torres you FUCKING TWAT!!!!!!!!!!

Actually, no, Kuyt played forward with him in the first third of the season, was found to be fucking useless and moved to the wing. Get a clue mate, I'm a liverpool fan, follow every game. You don't know what you're talking about.

trane
06-21-2008, 10:03 AM
He doesn't have a goalscorer's instinct.


Dichio is the only one with true strikers instincts on the team, Guevrra has shown some as well, but still more of a playmaker. However, Robert can score, and I would like him to take more shots, he does have a level left foot. I would not mind putting him behind Dichio for one game and giving him orders to just fire aways whenever the ball is at his foot and he has even half an opening. If he has a quick trigger he would score some.

joel
06-21-2008, 10:38 AM
Gerrard played behind Torres and to the left, just like he is doing recently with England. Kuyt was still more forward than Gerrard. I don't think it's much of a point becuase it's Steven Gerrard, not Laurent Robert