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Goal.com Debate: Is David Ngog good enough to lead the line for Liverpool in the absence of Fernando Torres?
How does the Frenchman measure up to other Premier League understudies?
30 Jul 2010 10:26:00
By Andy Brassell
David Ngog has given Liverpool lift-off in their Europa League campaign, and not for the first time. His double against FK Rabotnicki in Skopje last night tipped the balance for the Reds in an unfamiliar context, just as his late header against Unirea Urziceni at Anfield in February had assured a winning entry into Europe's second-tier club competition following Champions League elimination.
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Since arriving from formative club Paris Saint-Germain in 2008 for £1.5 million, he has made steady progress, but many doubt he is yet - or perhaps, will ever be - of sufficient quality to be Fernando Torres' stand-in.
Whether he can or can't do the job is crucial to Roy Hodgson's first season in charge. Torres' fitness concerns were never far from the minds of the Reds' followers this summer, as their talisman laboured his way through Spain's ultimately successful World Cup campaign; the Liverpool man was dropped to the bench for the semi-final and final.
That this is an ongoing problem is not lost on Torres himself, who recently publicly ruminated over whether he could, or should, put his body through another three or four years of Premier League football. He made just 24 Premier League appearances in 2008-09 (his absence arguably costing Liverpool the title) and only 22 last year, although he did crack 18 goals in that limited window.
Torres' difficulties brought Ngog to the fore in the last campaign. In fact, he ended up taking part in 24 Premier League games - two more than his illustrious senior colleague. He made important contributions too, scoring the clinching second goal against Manchester United at Anfield in October and opening the scoring in the December win against Wigan.
But this was a steep learning curve for a player who only played 18 league matches for PSG before moving across the Channel. There has clearly been some discussion within the club, as well as in the stands, over whether that curve has been too steep. Ngog has been linked with loan moves to West Bromwich Albion and Newcastle United, and a number of striking targets have been mooted, including Twente's Bryan Ruiz and Nice's Loic Remy.
Hodgson has publicly insisted that Ngog is going nowhere, mindful of the fact that the size of transfer budget available is still unknown and he may well need the Frenchman. So how does Ngog's record compare to second (and third) choice strikers at Liverpool's rivals at the top end of the Premier League?
Roman Pavlyuchenko (Tottenham Hotspur)
Age: 28
Signed from: Spartak Moscow, 2008, £14m
Games (09-10): 24
Goals (09-10): 10 (16/5 Premier League)
Goals to games ratio: 1 goal every 2.4 games
Nicklas Bendtner (Arsenal)
Age: 22
Signed from: Joined youth academy, 2004
Games (09-10): 31
Goals (09-10): 12 (23/6 Premier League)
Goals to games ratio: 1 goal every 2.58 games
Robbie Keane (Tottenham Hotspur)
Age: 30
Signed from: Liverpool, January 2009, £12m
Games (09-10): 25
Goals (09-10): 9 (20/6 Premier League)
Goals to games ratio: 1 goal every 2.77 games
Michael Owen (Manchester United)
Age: 30
Signed from: Newcastle United, 2009, free
Games (09-10): 31
Goals (09-10): 9 (19/3 Premier League)
Goals to games ratio: 1 goal every 3.44 games
Dimitar Berbatov (Manchester United)
Age: 29
Signed from: Tottenham Hotspur, 2008, £30.7m
Games (09-10): 43
Goals (09-10): 12 (33/12 Premier League)
Goals to games ratio: 1 goal every 3.58 games
Daniel Sturridge (Chelsea)
Age: 20
Signed from: Manchester City, 2005, £3.5m + bonus
Games (09-10): 18
Goals (09-10): 5 (12/1 Premier League)
Goals to games ratio: 1 goal every 3.6 games
David Ngog (Liverpool)
Age: 20
Signed from: Paris Saint-Germain, 2008, £1.5m
Games (09-10): 37
Goals (09-10): 8 (24/5 Premier League)
Goals to games ratio: 1 goal every 4.63 games
Roque Santa Cruz (Manchester City)
Age: 28
Signed from: Blackburn Rovers, 2009, £17.5m
Games (09-10): 22
Goals (09-10): 4 (19/3 Premier League)
Goals to games ratio: 1 goal every 5.5 games
Carlos Vela (Arsenal)
Age: 21 20/2 (11/1)
Signed from: Guadalajara, 2005, £150,000
Games (09-10): 20
Goals (09-10): 2 (11/1 Premier League)
Games (09/10): 1 goal every 10 games
David Ngog has given Liverpool lift-off in their Europa League campaign, and not for the first time. His double against FK Rabotnicki in Skopje last night tipped the balance for the Reds in an unfamiliar context, just as his late header against Unirea Urziceni at Anfield in February had assured a winning entry into Europe's second-tier club competition following Champions League elimination.
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MORE...
- Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson adamant that David Ngog will not leave the club this summer
- Rabotnicki 0-2 Liverpool: Match Report
- Rabotnicki 0-2 Liverpool: Player Ratings
- Goal.com Liverpool Fanview: 'Hopefully the new boss and his mate Joe Cole will mean an invigorated Steven Gerrard'
Since arriving from formative club Paris Saint-Germain in 2008 for £1.5 million, he has made steady progress, but many doubt he is yet - or perhaps, will ever be - of sufficient quality to be Fernando Torres' stand-in.
Whether he can or can't do the job is crucial to Roy Hodgson's first season in charge. Torres' fitness concerns were never far from the minds of the Reds' followers this summer, as their talisman laboured his way through Spain's ultimately successful World Cup campaign; the Liverpool man was dropped to the bench for the semi-final and final. That this is an ongoing problem is not lost on Torres himself, who recently publicly ruminated over whether he could, or should, put his body through another three or four years of Premier League football. He made just 24 Premier League appearances in 2008-09 (his absence arguably costing Liverpool the title) and only 22 last year, although he did crack 18 goals in that limited window.
Torres' difficulties brought Ngog to the fore in the last campaign. In fact, he ended up taking part in 24 Premier League games - two more than his illustrious senior colleague. He made important contributions too, scoring the clinching second goal against Manchester United at Anfield in October and opening the scoring in the December win against Wigan.But this was a steep learning curve for a player who only played 18 league matches for PSG before moving across the Channel. There has clearly been some discussion within the club, as well as in the stands, over whether that curve has been too steep. Ngog has been linked with loan moves to West Bromwich Albion and Newcastle United, and a number of striking targets have been mooted, including Twente's Bryan Ruiz and Nice's Loic Remy.
Hodgson has publicly insisted that Ngog is going nowhere, mindful of the fact that the size of transfer budget available is still unknown and he may well need the Frenchman. So how does Ngog's record compare to second (and third) choice strikers at Liverpool's rivals at the top end of the Premier League?
STRIKING REINFORCEMENTS
Roman Pavlyuchenko (Tottenham Hotspur)Age: 28
Signed from: Spartak Moscow, 2008, £14m
Games (09-10): 24
Goals (09-10): 10 (16/5 Premier League)
Goals to games ratio: 1 goal every 2.4 games
Nicklas Bendtner (Arsenal) Age: 22
Signed from: Joined youth academy, 2004
Games (09-10): 31
Goals (09-10): 12 (23/6 Premier League)
Goals to games ratio: 1 goal every 2.58 games
Robbie Keane (Tottenham Hotspur)Age: 30
Signed from: Liverpool, January 2009, £12m
Games (09-10): 25
Goals (09-10): 9 (20/6 Premier League)
Goals to games ratio: 1 goal every 2.77 games
Michael Owen (Manchester United)Age: 30
Signed from: Newcastle United, 2009, free
Games (09-10): 31
Goals (09-10): 9 (19/3 Premier League)
Goals to games ratio: 1 goal every 3.44 games
Dimitar Berbatov (Manchester United) Age: 29
Signed from: Tottenham Hotspur, 2008, £30.7m
Games (09-10): 43
Goals (09-10): 12 (33/12 Premier League)
Goals to games ratio: 1 goal every 3.58 games
Daniel Sturridge (Chelsea) Age: 20
Signed from: Manchester City, 2005, £3.5m + bonus
Games (09-10): 18
Goals (09-10): 5 (12/1 Premier League)
Goals to games ratio: 1 goal every 3.6 games
David Ngog (Liverpool)Age: 20
Signed from: Paris Saint-Germain, 2008, £1.5m
Games (09-10): 37
Goals (09-10): 8 (24/5 Premier League)
Goals to games ratio: 1 goal every 4.63 games
Roque Santa Cruz (Manchester City)Age: 28
Signed from: Blackburn Rovers, 2009, £17.5m
Games (09-10): 22
Goals (09-10): 4 (19/3 Premier League)
Goals to games ratio: 1 goal every 5.5 games
Carlos Vela (Arsenal)Age: 21 20/2 (11/1)
Signed from: Guadalajara, 2005, £150,000
Games (09-10): 20
Goals (09-10): 2 (11/1 Premier League)
Games (09/10): 1 goal every 10 games
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Goal.com Poll
Poll runs from 30 Jul 2010 to 3 Aug 2010
Poll runs from 30 Jul 2010 to 3 Aug 2010
Should David Ngog stay at Liverpool?
Yes, but another striker is needed as he is not good enough to be the second choice front man
61.8%
No, send him out on loan for a season to get more experience
14.48%
Yes, he is improving all the time and is good enough to fill in for Torres
13.23%
No, Liverpool should sell him. He is not up to the standard required
10.49%
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