Fernando Llorente (12 Viewers)
- Thread starter Mark
- Start date
I didn't think he was that bad. Won some fouls, set up Pereyra once, almost scored after taking down Pereyra's pass with a sweet first touch. As others have mentioned, it is very hard sometimes for strikers to score against parked bus defences. He'll score against Cesena or Atalanta the week later, and the goals will come in 
I didn't think he was that bad. Won some fouls, set up Pereyra once, almost scored after taking down Pereyra's pass with a sweet first touch. As others have mentioned, it is very hard sometimes for strikers to score against parked bus defences. He'll score against Cesena or Atalanta the week later, and the goals will come in
He isn't poacher, never was actually. Lacks proper movement, agility and quickness to be labeled as one. He's been always type of player that would get involved in build up, in a way to compensate the lack of other attributes and his strong physique, ability to hold the ball well under pressure helped him to profile himself as a pure targetman.
He is the opposite of a poacher (how many times have we seen a low pass or cross into the box and he isnt just there because he didnt have the foresight to run into the proper area), he lacks the instinct to sniff out chances with his positioning and his off the ball movement in the box is not good, he is quite clearly a big target man with decent technical feet, though bit sluggish. He is all about soaking pressure and laying it off with any part of his body, this guy can go almost whole game without shooting at goal or really getting into real proper positions, while spending rest of the game keeping a whole defence occupied with his presence and giving his teammates a focal point upfront to play off. a poacher would be just be more limited player who would do most of his work entirely off the ball, with runs and movement (while Llorente fvcks up our few counter movements due to slowish movements). A poacher is someone like Chicarito type (even is the smaller kind). Llorente is clearly not just a poacher, in fact he needs a poachers instinct and hunger for the goal more IMO.
You could even see it last night. Licht had plenty of times penetrated down the right side, putting in low crosses in the middle of the box, but Llorente was almost never in the right place. The reason why I find it ridiculous when people blame Licht for his end product when Llorente's movement is atypical for a striker. The last thing I'd call this guy would be a poacher, but he's a good forward on his day, pure target man, someone who can give lot of trouble to defenses, open up space for other players to operate, release the pressure from Tevez.
that pass to evra
