Liverpool after David Villa

[Lemmy]

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez admits David Villa is on his list of potential striker recruits after Peter Crouch's impending departure to Portsmouth.

Villa, 26, was one of the stars of Euro 2008, scoring four times as Spain won their first major trophy in 44 years.

"We have Torres, Voronin, Kuyt, Babel and Steven Gerrard, who can play as a second striker," Benitez said. "But we will try to bring in another option.

"Villa we know all about. He is on our list. But maybe it will be difficult."

Fernando Torres scored 33 goals in a spectacular first season at Anfield, but the other strikers only managed a combined total of 17 goals to undermine any hopes of launching a sustained Premier League title challenge.

Villa scored 18 league goals for Valencia last season and was the top scorer at Euro 2008, notably scoring a hat-trick against Russia in a Group D match.

And he also proved he could form an effective partnership with Torres, despite pre- tournament concerns that Spanish coach Luis Aragones would be forced to leave one out in order to select a balanced team.

BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | Liverpool | Liverpool target Spain star Villa

[NJ10]

Such a tease Rafa. Make it happen. Go on.

[Vargas_4]

I don't think it will be such a good move. He shouldn't pile up so many good good players. It will be dificult later to make it work, IMO.

[Werdna]

Originally Posted by NJ10

Such a tease Rafa. Make it happen. Go on.

THAT would be a dream...

I said it a couple of times during the Euros...if we got Villa we wouldn't "need" to sign anyone else imo. Most of our attacking players are more providers than goalscorers anyway. And those two can play together!

[NJ10]

Originally Posted by Vargas_4

I don't think it will be such a good move. He shouldn't pile up so many good good players. It will be dificult later to make it work, IMO.

i disagree, at the moment he is piling up plenty of so-so players. we need more genuine class, and less "he will do a job"

[Jager]

I disagree with. Torres is a cream puff, now you add his twin?

Physical teams will relish playing against them.

[Dellas]

Originally Posted by Jager

I disagree with. Torres is a cream puff, now you add his twin?

Physical teams will relish playing against them.

As was proven with Spain in this Euro both Villa and Torres play well together and their speed can overcome the strong, slow cb's that exist eg. Germany.

They play well together and have such an understanding that I very much hope this doesn't happen because Liverpool might have enough decent players to actually challenge for something other than europe next season. Which I really don't want

Also look at their other strikers Voronin maybe worse than Sheva?

Crouch is leaving so you will need another gd striker, the question is do you guys have the funds to buy him?

[NJ10]

Originally Posted by Jager

I disagree with. Torres is a cream puff, now you add his twin?

Physical teams will relish playing against them.

Did you watch any of Torres last season? He stood up to any physical challenge put in front of him. I'm not quite sure what "cream puff" means, but I'm guessing it means a little weak and not up for the fight...well sorry but you are way off the mark with Torres. Ask any Premier League fan who doesnt have his head in his arse and they will tell you, its one of the things that has impressed people most about him. He doesnt roll round like a bitch, he gets up and gets stuck in. Look at his headed goal record, its pretty good for a cream puff.

Case in point. Reading away, Carling Cup. Sonko & Bikey, two man mountain centre halves, kicked shit out of him for 90 minutes. They genuinely didnt bother trying to tackle the ball, it was about Torres. He just gets up after he is tackled, keeps hunting the ball and gets himself a hat trick.

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Villa will be too expensive. It won't happen anyway.

[Jager]

Originally Posted by NJ10

Did you watch any of Torres last season? He stood up to any physical challenge put in front of him. I'm not quite sure what "cream puff" means, but I'm guessing it means a little weak and not up for the fight...well sorry but you are way off the mark with Torres. Ask any Premier League fan who doesnt have his head in his arse and they will tell you, its one of the things that has impressed people most about him. He doesnt roll round like a bitch, he gets up and gets stuck in. Look at his headed goal record, its pretty good for a cream puff.

Case in point. Reading away, Carling Cup. Sonko & Bikey, two man mountain centre halves, kicked shit out of him for 90 minutes. They genuinely didnt bother trying to tackle the ball, it was about Torres. He just gets up after he is tackled, keeps hunting the ball and gets himself a hat trick.

Teams will adjust, trust me. The same with David Villa.

As for Torres, I'm sorry I'm not sold. One good season, doesn't make a career. Now you add his twin to the mix, you might have to put a sandbox on the side of the pitch so they can entertain themselves during the half.

[NJ10]

Ha, and there was me expecting a sensible argument.

Pathetic.

[Dellas]

Jager take a look at this thread Torres goals this season?

In the beginning we all thought that Torres was a panzy that really wouldn't amount to much, personally I was really impressed by him, a lot of the CB's in England are pretty physical and to get so many goals in a first season for someone who really only has pace and finishing is imo a massive acheivement. I think the fact that you weren't a huge fan of the Spanish in euro 08 is clouding your judgment because both Torres and Villa are gd strikers and as a partnership they would be just as lethal for Liverpool as they are for Spain.

[Jager]

You play at forward for Liverpool, you will get goals. This guy wouldn't do anything in Italy. And if was that good, Real Madrid or Barca would bite. Did they?

And this arguement that CBs in England are more physical, I tend to disagree.

The English game from the past season, and that of ten or more years ago has changed dramatically. The English game is not longer that.

You lot play a Euro hybrid of sorts.

[NJ10]

Real Madrid couldnt bite, as he is an Atletico Madrid fan through and through, the captain of Atleti, he stated many times that he would never play for Real. That argument is mute.

Last summer, Barca had Etoo, Henry, Ronaldinho, Messi, Bojan. No need for Torres then, but if they could get him this summer, they most definitely would. Anyhow, Atleti were not in a position were they HAD to sell him, and like Villa this summer, they would much prefer to sell him outside of La Liga. In the end they wanted Luis Garcia from Liverpool and got themselves a decent deal.

You play centre forward for Liverpool, you get goals.....rubbish. Did you know that the last person to score 20 league goals in a season for Liverpool was Robbie Fowler, in 1997??? Even Michael Owen, a Liverpool hero, never managed 20 league goals in a season. Milan Baros, Nicolas Anelka, El Hadji Diouf, Florent Sinama-Pongolle, Emile Heskey, Fernando Morientes, Peter Crouch, Djibril Cisse, Craig Bellamy, Dirk Kuyt, Andriy Voronin. All of them played up front for Liverpool, none of them got close to what Torres achieved last season.

The defenders might not be as physical as the stereotype dictates, but then doesnt that render your argument pointless? You said there is no point signing Villa to go alongside Torres because they are weak physically.....well if English centre halves are not that physical in the first place then what is the problem. Personally I think you are a million miles off the mark with Torres, and using the hypothetical "wouldnt do anything in Serie A" argument is a nice easy way to criticise him without actually using any facts.

The facts are there. Torres in his last four seasons in La Liga, in an average Atleti side where he carried almost the entire attacking threat on his own, was only bettered by Villa, Diego Milito & Etoo in scoring terms. Last season, in his first season in a new league, again with in effect only Gerrard for consistent help goalscoring wise, he scored 33 goals- bettered only by Ronaldo on a ridiculous streak! Those goals came in the mundane games- home and away v Derby, in cup games- hat trick at Reading, in the CL- Marseille, Inter, and in the big games- Chelsea, Everton, Arsenal. Add to that the fact that he got the winner in the European Championships final, using his strength and determination strangely, and you see why your criticism is so hard to agree with.

[Vargas_4]

^ Well said.