4 hours ago, bluelightening said:

60 million for one goal contribution every 317 minutes... compared to the maligned Jackson at a contribution every 123 minutes.

If Jackson wasnt the answer to our striker problem, is this lad? he seriously needs to up his game over the rest of the season.

In defence of the Pedrophile, a comparison to Nkunku would be much fairer as I think it’s generally accepted he isn’t a 9 (Which makes the transfer all the more baffling as we didn’t need a SS as that’s the reason we shipped out Nkunku in the first place)

Just the Brazilian Christopher Nkunku.

3 hours ago, axman2526 said:

Just the Brazilian Christopher Nkunku.

He's a much harder worker than Nkunku.

I’m not sure he is a 9 or a 10 to be honest.

I think he’d be a better option in the Enzo role when he plays nearer Caicedo. He understands the position from his days in Brazil. He’s a good player but won’t excel in our version of a 9 or 10 I reckon.

8 hours ago, The Boehly Babes said:

I think it’s generally accepted he isn’t a 9 (Which makes the transfer all the more baffling as we didn’t need a SS as that’s the reason we shipped out Nkunku in the first place)

Not sure that is the case, since the other concrete option was Hugo Ekitike, who is also a playmaker/second-striker like Pedro. The SDs were clearly looking for another Jackson-type. Ekitike has been objectively poor for Liverpool too given he cost 89m, it's just that he is not nearly getting enough heat in the context of Isak's/Wirtz's failures.

I would have liked to see him in that Ross Barkley/RLC role that Sarri used to play.

Three man midfield. Lavia/Santos deepest, Caicedo destroying and then J.Pedro just roaming in the left half space.

40 minutes ago, GarnachoCheese said:

I would have liked to see him in that Ross Barkley/RLC role that Sarri used to play.

Three man midfield. Lavia/Santos deepest, Caicedo destroying and then J.Pedro just roaming in the left half space.

Who are you leaving out, out of Palmer and Estevao ?

3 in midfield is only going to leave you 3 attackers instead of the current 4 ... and if the #10 role disappears then you only have one slot at RW to fit our two best flair players into ...

Obviously I haven't bothered mentioning what you then do with Fernandez LOL. Neto probably also has no role in this 4-3-3 set up, unless you play him at LW or CF

13 minutes ago, Sexyfootball said:

Who are you leaving out, out of Palmer and Estevao ?

3 in midfield is only going to leave you 3 attackers instead of the current 4 ... and if the #10 role disappears then you only have one slot at RW to fit our two best flair players into ...

Obviously I haven't bothered mentioning what you then do with Fernandez LOL. Neto probably also has no role in this 4-3-3 set up, unless you play him at LW or CF

More of a comment that this is where i think he'd shine, not necessarily that i think we should play it.

However if it means Palmer and Estevao share RW and Neto is banished to the shadow realm then i'm all for it.

2 minutes ago, GarnachoCheese said:

More of a comment that this is where i think he'd shine, not necessarily that i think we should play it.

However if it means Palmer and Estevao share RW and Neto is banished to the shadow realm then i'm all for it.

The reason I like 4-2-3-1 is because I can fit both Palmer and Estevao into it, one nominally RW and one #10, although I'd give them licence to swap about as they see fit. I'd probably have Neto on LW, as he is a better option there than Gittens and Garnacho.

No role for Joao Pedro like this, though, unless he plays at CF.

I think we have to play the players that can hurt the opposition. Opponents will always be happy if they see one of Palmer and Estevao on the bench.

15 hours ago, Sexyfootball said:

The reason I like 4-2-3-1 is because I can fit both Palmer and Estevao into it, one nominally RW and one #10, although I'd give them licence to swap about as they see fit. I'd probably have Neto on LW, as he is a better option there than Gittens and Garnacho.

No role for Joao Pedro like this, though, unless he plays at CF.

I think we have to play the players that can hurt the opposition. Opponents will always be happy if they see one of Palmer and Estevao on the bench.

With a better manager, perhaps not. Having to deal with Palmer for 60 minutes only to have a fresh Estevao come on, or vice-versa, is pretty tough to deal with. Both could play together when the system calls for it.

There's also no issue with playing two RWs and having them move around. We won titles with it before.

I actually quite like a striker in Pedros mold. Very good hold up play and link up play.

For someone like him to work, we need goals from elsewhere though. If we stick with 4231, I like the idea of Palmer and Estevao sharing the RW and the number 10 with a marauding fullback right of them, a direct left winger who makes lots of runs (in the Neto or Garnacho mold, but better) and Pedro for those 3 to play off of. A bit like Firmino with Mane and Salah or Benzema when CR7 and Bale were still at RM (although Benzema is clearly better).

With Palmer not fit, Estevao not trusted/still green, and Neto and Garnacho good but not great, we're always going to be lacking goals, playing Joao Pedro as our number 9.

He is very combative and holds the ball up well. Actually think he does it better than Delap. Has the skills to go with it as well.

Often he just tries too much. Like holding it much longer than he has to and ends up losing the ball because of it. If he can just improve his decision making and efficiency a little bit, he will be a top top player.

23 hours ago, True Blue23 said:

I actually quite like a striker in Pedros mold. Very good hold up play and link up play.

For someone like him to work, we need goals from elsewhere though. If we stick with 4231, I like the idea of Palmer and Estevao sharing the RW and the number 10 with a marauding fullback right of them, a direct left winger who makes lots of runs (in the Neto or Garnacho mold, but better) and Pedro for those 3 to play off of. A bit like Firmino with Mane and Salah or Benzema when CR7 and Bale were still at RM (although Benzema is clearly better).

With Palmer not fit, Estevao not trusted/still green, and Neto and Garnacho good but not great, we're always going to be lacking goals, playing Joao Pedro as our number 9.

I agree with you. Not only Joao Pedro, but any player in the squad would look even better in a settled and more experienced formation. I said it a few times here already, but the next summer must be an important step into finally starting the next season saying "We want to challenge for this and that". Not only "We will wait and see, we are too young etc."

The core is built and most of them have played together for some seasons now and have plenty PL experience - James, Cucurella, Caicedo, Enzo, Palmer, Neto. We do not know how Colwill will look after the injury and a fit Fofana is somebody you can rely on. Joao Pedro, Estevao, Garnacho are valuable pieces in the squad, but I still think we are a top defender, central mid and a striker to really kick things up. Unless we address these positions and experiment in central defence again, leave Caicedo and Enzo to run the midfield all alone and have no quality center forward, I do not believe we can sustain a title challenge.

Fantastic today.

His finishing is seriously good, no chance Jackson scores either of those two goals today. The part Pedro needs to tighten up on is his awareness when he receives the ball with his back to goal. He regularly gives the ball away with a poor pass, a poor touch or just runs into trouble. Sort that out and he can become a top player.

When he's in form he's a brilliant player, just very inconsistent.

10 minutes ago, Scott Harris said:

His finishing is seriously good, no chance Jackson scores either of those two goals today. The part Pedro needs to tighten up on is his awareness when he receives the ball with his back to goal. He regularly gives the ball away with a poor pass, a poor touch or just runs into trouble. Sort that out and he can become a top player.

His hold up play is decent but he often takes one touch too many. He’s getting better at it though.

A fit Palmer adds quite a few goals to his tally I reckon. They seem to have a great understanding.

36 minutes ago, timetowaste said:

When he's in form he's a brilliant player, just very inconsistent.

It might be the team that is inconsistent?

1 hour ago, timetowaste said:

When he's in form he's a brilliant player, just very inconsistent.

It's impossible to judge a striker under Maresca's system. Two goals from midfield through-balls, and one a shot outside the box; Maresca would have had him executed had he so much as thought about those.

Maresca openly and repeatedly stated his disdain for a goalscoring #9. His ideas were to reduce the striker to a decoy, taking the central defenders away from the back post and top of the box. The striker's role was to press, act as a creator/facilitator, and be useful at set-pieces, but there was no conscious effort to try and create chances for him.

Pedro's poor output isn't entirely Maresca's fault, as he was clearly lazy/lacked energy and didn't make much of the few chances that were given to him. He was also poor on the ball when the team really needed him to step up in Palmer's absence. It looks like he's hitting a purple patch right now, but his career has been hallmarked by inconsistency so I'm not ready to pop the champagne yet. However, he is playing for a manager who actually wants their striker to score goals.

Credit where it is due. He tends to be a purplepatch player, this seems like one of them, but those two goals were brilliant hits.

He looks like the Club World Cup JP again now, and confidence is flowing. Great goals today, and been a difference maker recently.

Freed from the shackles of Maresca haram ball and the boy will shine.

Allowing him time on the ball from balls from midfield helps massively, something the clown simply wouldnt allow in his "system".

Or what SidneyChelsea wrote, putting it much better than I did.

Edited January 29Jan 29 by dkw

11 hours ago, Scott Harris said:

His finishing is seriously good, no chance Jackson scores either of those two goals today. The part Pedro needs to tighten up on is his awareness when he receives the ball with his back to goal. He regularly gives the ball away with a poor pass, a poor touch or just runs into trouble. Sort that out and he can become a top player.

This is why I always disagree with those who say he should be playing as a 10.

His finishing is simply too good to not have him playing upfront and his playmaking abilities are not good enough to make the sacrifice either