Jermain Defoe

[RSS61]

The enigma that is Jermaine Defoe. Personally, I have rated him very highly since he joined the first time from West Ham.
Unfortunately for him, he has never been given an extended run in the side, as part of a 2 striker set up, mainly due I guess to the fact that we dont play 442 all the time.
He really needs to play alongside Adebayor, not instead of him. This would result in leaving out VDV admittedly, but I think Defoe would score a lot more goals in this role.
Any views on this one ?

[RiffHard]

Firstly, there is no such player as Jermaine Defoe (I've edited the thread title for you) and secondly, using Caps Lock in headings is not considered to be polite.

Thirdly, I personally agree with you. Strikers need to play because they tend to get rusty when they don't. It was the case with Keane, it is the case with both Defoe and Pavlyuchenko. Other players who have followed the same pattern are Berbatov and Owen who seemingly lost their touch when they were not playing week in week out anymore.

I'm still convinced that 4-4-2 (whether with flat midfield or diamond) is the best formation for us and actually we could well use it as we have someone injured each and every week anyway. Defoe should be in starting lineup as he is by far the best finisher we have. Adebayor is leading the EPL table with offsides (39 so far) and I think that says a lot about him playing as the lone striker.

[spursjoolz]

RSS. Consider yourself told off.

[YankSpur703]

Are you two mental? Defoe is nowhere near the class Adebayor is. They are roughly on a par from a finishing perspective, but Adebayor's superior aerial threat and positioning sense, not to mention passing ability, means he is the far better player for me. Defoe just doesn't understand spacing and how to create space or opportunities for others. Adebayor, and players like him (big, strong #9s) definitely fit our system better. The stats bear this out.

                     Goals   Ast   Apps  Gl Ratio
Defoe               13     3     24     0.54
Adebayor            9     6     19     0.47

[RiffHard]

Are you two mental? Defoe is nowhere near the class Adebayor is. They are roughly on a par from a finishing perspective, but Adebayor's superior aerial threat and positioning sense, not to mention passing ability, means he is the far better player for me. Defoe just doesn't understand spacing and how to create space or opportunities for others. Adebayor, and players like him (big, strong #9s) definitely fit our system better. The stats bear this out.

                     Goals   Ast   Apps  Gl Ratio
Defoe               13     3     24     0.54
Adebayor            9     6     19     0.47

How many of Defoe's appearances have been games as a substitute?

[ugs]

Are you two mental? Defoe is nowhere near the class Adebayor is. They are roughly on a par from a finishing perspective, but Adebayor's superior aerial threat and positioning sense, not to mention passing ability, means he is the far better player for me. Defoe just doesn't understand spacing and how to create space or opportunities for others. Adebayor, and players like him (big, strong #9s) definitely fit our system better. The stats bear this out.

                     Goals   Ast   Apps  Gl Ratio
Defoe               13     3     24     0.54
Adebayor            9     6     19     0.47

If you compare the two over their careers you get
 
Defoe   Pl'd - 372  Goals - 138  Ratio - 0.37
 
Adebayor  Pl'd - 304  Goals - 111  Ratio - 0.36
 
Plus take into consideration Defoe has for the last couple of seasons been coming on off the bench, so I think it's a bit unfair to compare the two.
Both players are fine strikers but both play in different ways Adebayor plays on the shoulder and holds the ball up creating as well as scoring. Defoe uses pace and runs into the channels and space to score goals
 
The way we play at the moment suits the style of Adebayor because it allows Modric, Van der Vaart and the two wingers to get involved. To be honest I really don't think we can afford to drop Van der Vaart at the moment but what a player to be able to bring on from the bench, someone that gives us a different dimension.
 
 

[YankSpur703]

I'm not saying that Defoe isn't a good player, he very much is, and would likely be a weekly starter for  any other squad in the Prem outside the top 6. But a) he doesn't fit our system very well, and b) He has no concept of his role within our squad.  He's stated at least once this season that he thinks he should be a weekly starter for us, which is just daft. When you have the talent around you that he has (Adebayor, Pavs, VDV) for him to expect to start every week is mind-boggling to me.  For me, we'd be better off moving him for $10-12mil and reinvesting the money in a younger #9 type striker (Llorente comes to mind).

[RiffHard]

I'm not saying that Defoe isn't a good player, he very much is, and would likely be a weekly starter for  any other squad in the Prem outside the top 6. But a) he doesn't fit our system very well, and b) He has no concept of his role within our squad.  He's stated at least once this season that he thinks he should be a weekly starter for us, which is just daft. When you have the talent around you that he has (Adebayor, Pavs, VDV) for him to expect to start every week is mind-boggling to me.  For me, we'd be better off moving him for $10-12mil and reinvesting the money in a younger #9 type striker (Llorente comes to mind).

Pavlyuchenko, that lazy and inconsistent Russian imbecile is a talent? I don't think so. Defoe could be fitted into our system but for some reason Redknapp mainly uses a formation with one striker.

[YankSpur703]

Pavs isn't a talent in relation to the rest of our squad, but he's certainly better than what most other Prem teams possess in their 3rd striker. Our current "system" is either a 4-1-3-1-1, or a 4-4-1-1, depending on how you want to break it down. That means only one main striker (Ade), and one #10 (VDV). You'd honestly drop either Ade or VDV for Defoe? Again, I think Defoe can serve a purpose but he simply doesn't fit either of those roles for me. Harry mainly uses a formation with 1 striker because it allows us to have 4 players on the pitch spread across the pitch (Bale, Mods, VDV, Azza) putting tons of pressure on the D while still keeping a player sitting deeper (Parker) who can bust up counters and link the back four with those attack-minded players.

[RiffHard]

Pavs isn't a talent in relation to the rest of our squad, but he's certainly better than what most other Prem teams possess in their 3rd striker. Our current "system" is either a 4-1-3-1-1, or a 4-4-1-1, depending on how you want to break it down. That means only one main striker (Ade), and one #10 (VDV). You'd honestly drop either Ade or VDV for Defoe? Again, I think Defoe can serve a purpose but he simply doesn't fit either of those roles for me. Harry mainly uses a formation with 1 striker because it allows us to have 4 players on the pitch spread across the pitch (Bale, Mods, VDV, Azza) putting tons of pressure on the D while still keeping a player sitting deeper (Parker) who can bust up counters and link the back four with those attack-minded players.

I just think that Adebayor has not been very prolific lately.

[YankSpur703]

Agreed, he hasn't been. But my point is, what makes Ade a top-class striker is that when he's not scoring, he still brings stuff to the table.  Defoe does not.

[ugs]

Pavs isn't a talent in relation to the rest of our squad, but he's certainly better than what most other Prem teams possess in their 3rd striker. Our current "system" is either a 4-1-3-1-1, or a 4-4-1-1, depending on how you want to break it down. That means only one main striker (Ade), and one #10 (VDV). You'd honestly drop either Ade or VDV for Defoe? Again, I think Defoe can serve a purpose but he simply doesn't fit either of those roles for me. Harry mainly uses a formation with 1 striker because it allows us to have 4 players on the pitch spread across the pitch (Bale, Mods, VDV, Azza) putting tons of pressure on the D while still keeping a player sitting deeper (Parker) who can bust up counters and link the back four with those attack-minded players.

The four players spread across the pitch are Lennon, Parker, Modric and Bale, Van der Vaart plays a free role in behind Adebayor in effect a 4-4-1-1. The option is to play 4-4-2 with Defoe and Adebayor thus dropping Van der Vaart and playing a more rigid formation, Parker does not link the midfield and back four he is a box to box midfielder and most of our attacks start with BAE or Walker.
 
Sell Defoe for £10-£12 million and buy who that is better and is willing to play a bit part, wise up and smell the coffee, and who was it who score our first goal against Citeh ?
 
 

[RiffHard]

What I was trying to say in my first answer was that we always have lots of injuries and van der Vaart is  very injury prone too, so we could implement 4-4-2 quite often. I am very much against selling Defoe and ugs brought out why.

[RSS61]

RSS. Consider yourself told off.

LOL At leest he agreas withe mee LOL

[RSS61]

Agreed, he hasn't been. But my point is, what makes Ade a top-class striker is that when he's not scoring, he still brings stuff to the table.  Defoe does not.

Do you believe that Adebayor will be here next season ? I do not.