At one time last season David Ngog was Liverpool’s top scorer. That time lasted for several months, despite barely starting a game. There will be those that will use the argument that more than half of this goals came in Europe but to me, that is neither here nor there because at a time when Liverpool were having a rough spell, Ngog stepped up when the like of Torres, Gerrard and even Dirk Kuyt weren’t delivering the goods.
Without his goals, we would never have made the latter stages of the Europa League, that much is a fact.
During those months the young Frenchman went unchallenged at the top of the Red’s scoring charts. And during this time, there wasn’t a murmur of discontent in his direction. Sadly, that’s as good as it got and that’s about as positive as a lot of fan’s feelings toward him have ever been. But why? He was never bought to be a Torres or a Drogba and he certainly cost nowhere near as much as either of them. He cost us around £1.5 million in 2008 and has played the same role for the past 3 years: bench warmer. Unlike a lot of players though, he’s played that role without complaint, he appears happy to learn from those more experienced around him and to play wherever it’s required of him, yet he still can’t please some fans.
For the fee we paid for him, I believe we’ve got more than enough back. Particularly, if he does end up being sold at any kind of a profit. He has managed 8 goals in each of his last two seasons and when, in the past season, the Reds scored 70 goals overall, in all competitions, Ngog contributed 12.5% of these. That’s 1/8 of our entire haul for last season. For somebody who has made twice as many substitute appearances in his Liverpool career than starts, that is a pretty impressive contribution as far as I’m concerned. As always though, there is a section of fans that expect every single one of our players to be world class and score 20+ goals a season regardless of their own situation.
If we look at it from another angle, we have here a young French striker who, at the age of 22 has scored 19 goals in his Liverpool career; it’s not hugely impressive, sure but weren’t we just prepared to pay over £10 million for a young English striker who’d scored about 3 goals in his entire career? And Ngog has played less than 100 games for Liverpool so that’s about 1 in 4, which is not bad at all.
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Agree. Ngog deserves much more respect for his attitude.
Not agreed: I have a pair of eyes. Whilst Ngog is a decent player – do you really think he would get anywhere near the Chelsea, City, Arsenal or Utd’s first team?
He wouldn’t – which is why, in my opinion, he is just not good enough for Liverpool
He is our third or fourth striker now – and I also think he must stay!!!
Still learning, and without the pressure of being Fernando Tores replacement Ngog is quite a good option.
If he goes – we have to ask for at least 8 mln. pounds.
Unfortunately you are talking to the close-mind crowd. Whatever you say or , indeed , David does , they will never concede to his having any talent whatsoever. There is similar attitude to Lucas. Their minds have been closed to his talent also. Aquilani is following on this “tradition” it would seem . May I also add that any player that has even the slightest connection with Benitez insenses this group to deride.
Spike, that is the point, he isnt in our first team either, would u take bentdner, owen, sturridge (before last season)?
As third / fourth choice he is a great asset. If we were to replace him it’d prob cost the same amount if not more than we’d get if we sold him.
“Not agreed: I have a pair of eyes.”
Ahahahaha !!!!
Good’un Spike !
Listen lads ,
If we want to stay mid table ?
Lets all praise N’Gog & keep him in the squad along with Jovanovich & Poulsen .
If we want to challenge for a title ?
Lets move him on & buy an improvement .
I think Ngog has the talent but he needs to play more games so a loan move is the best option. Whenever i have seen Ngog play, he looks like he has no confidence in his abilities, so he if joins a team where he can play regularly, it will boost his confidence and then he will be a completely different player. Right now he is not good enough to start in a Liverpool shirt, so i would like to see him out on loan to another premier league club.
his first touch is either godlike or appauling, when he starts relaxing (and starts showboating) he looks like a top player. he’s too important backup to send out on loan unfortunatly because i think he would flourish, for someone who as stated plays so infrequently but consistently well, how can people not rate him? i bet he’s on low wages also (unlike others who we DO need to get rid of)
Errr…are you his agent? Ngog is rubbish and he has never shown anything to suggest he has potential. The goal against arsenal was a one off that he swung his right leg at and it sliced a bit into the top corner. Otherwise, he should be really showing now if he was going to make it. He’s not, shame, but sell him and give someone else a go.
First you post an article touting Insua for the left back spot, now a piece talking up Ngog…whats next? The campaign to partner Ronnie Rosenthal up front with the mercurial Ngog?
Pure Drivel.
not good enough
So United have Macheda, Chelsea have Sturridge, Arsenal have Bendtner and we have Ngog. I’d say that wasn’t such a bad deal, considering how much he cost and what he can give the team. You have to remember that we aren’t the club we once were and are currently on the way up. Players like Ngog, who are happy to play second/third/fourth fiddle when called upon and contribute much more than they take, are what we need when the stars get injured or need a rest.
Strikers live off confidence. Look at Sturridge when he went out on loan – now he’s acts like he’s the man and I really can’t see him being happy with living on the bench behind three or four other strikers. Bendtner thinks he’s the bollocks, when he’s really just bollocks. And Macheda? The CR7 clone?
I’d take our boy over that bunch of prima donnas any day.
Really?
How many league games did “out boy” start when the King took over? Even though Carroll was injured he hardly got a look in. Also we have tried to sell him this season, but nobody wants him. So it would appear that the King doesn’t really rate him either, and neither does anybody else in the Prem.
Its painfully obvious that, although a decent player – there is no way on gods green earth that he has the quality to for any of the top 6 teams in the Prem.
We have 2 excellent academy prospects about to break through. If Ngog stays he will be taking up game time away from them (league Cup games) and surly it would make more sense to try and buy an experienced Pro for cover.
If Suarez or Carroll gets injured, and Ngog has to play a significant number of league games – then you can forget champions league football next season.
Well, I think a lot of us are missing the point of the article. Whether he is going to be sold OR KD and folks did try to sell him earlier (would like to correct something here – Sunderland did want him and the negotiation broke down so the argument that no one wants him doesn’t wash. How would we know no one wants him when LFC and KD work behind the scene. It is at best a guess only).
The idea of the article is he deserves better from the fans. Anyway, even if he will be sold soon…I would look at it that it is due to numbers and that perhaps he may not be sufficiently good enough for a top 6 teams but I would definitely see him better than some Premierships’ starting strikers in the mid table. His attitude, as stated in the article, was never in doubt, which is a lot more than what you can say with some Premiership players and yes he does deserves better from us fans.
“so the argument that no one wants him doesn’t wash”
Really? Liverpool tried to include him as part of the Henderson deal. Sunderland didn’t want that; or to bid for him outright. The same with Villa, and as nobody else has bid for him, despite the fact Liverpool appear ready to do business, means that the no one wants him argument stands firm I’m afraid.
We know what KK thinks by his actions. He dropped him as soon he took over the team, hardly played him again (despite Carroll injury), and has tried to offload him at every possible opportunity this transfer window.
I think you’re missing the point if you think that I am wrong for having my own opinion, even though Ngog is CLEARLY 2nd rate. Just because you and the author tell me (and others who have my opinion) he’s not really that bad and he’s better than most mid table Prem strikers – which is utter bollocks anyway – we should back him.
Have you ever heard Liverpool fans boo him, or sing negative songs about him? Or not cheer when he scores a goal? Liverpool fans almost always back our players.
He is backed – he’s just not good enough if we want to challenge.
“At one time last season David Ngog was Liverpool’s top scorer”
Yes, when we were in the relegation zone at Christmas.
No thanks
SPIKE !!
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SPIKE !!!
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SPIKE !!!
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SPIKE !!!!
As far as i’m concerned i have not seen a worse header challenger in a long time. Except for a diving header he scored which required not skill but guts, i can only rem him flipping his arms and completely missing the long balls to him. Granted he does not cost much for us to complain, he is young and he does not have much confidence. But my take is we have plenty of younglings to milk and groom, unless a youngster shows so much potential that we got to go for him, i say we give our own kids a chance instead of buying a cheap alternative as a bench warmer.
N’Gog did alright in that period but its just that our better players werent performing it kind of makes him look good, N’Gog really shouldn’t be part of the team and i’ll be happy when he leaves.