Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Is Roque Santa Cruz The Best Answer For Liverpool's Striker Question?


Fernando Torres and Roque Santa Cruz a match made in heaven?

Put it this way, baked beans and custard would be a better combination.

Santa Cruz is just too similar in style to work alongside Torres for Liverpool.

Like Torres, he is tall and lithe. Like Torres, he is good in the air. And like Torres, he is best leading the line.

He's even good looking like Torres and while female Liverpool fans are probably going weak at the knees at the thought of the two pin-ups leading the line for the Reds, that would be just about the only plus he would bring.

The pair would find each other standing on each other's toes more often than Ian Rush and John Aldridge did when those two arch penalty-box predators were at Anfield.

Santa Cruz could not fit into Rafa Benitez's favoured 4-2-3-1 formation behind Torres because he would be of little use in the hole or out wide.

He would only be a back-up to the Spaniard - and considering Blackburn have put a £20million buy-out clause in his contract - he would be a pretty expensive one.

There's also the Paraguayan's injury record and he has been crocked more times than Jonny Wilkinson.

While there is no doubting his talent, he has been plagued by injuries his whole career and may not kick a ball again this season after having surgery on his knee last week.

Anyway, Benitez already has the ideal partner to play in the free role behind Torres in Steven Gerrard.

Together they destroyed Real Madrid at Anfield and Manchester United at Old Trafford (poor old Nemanja Vidic is only now recovering from his tormenting).

Benitez tried Robbie Keane, but the Irishman found himself being pushed out wide or dropping deep and that affected his confidence in front of goal.

Ryan Babel is perhaps the other natural forward to play in the role, but he is dogged by inconsistency and Benitez seems to doubt him.

Dirk Kuyt is too much of a targetman to operate beside Torres and Benitez prefers his unstinting work rate on the right.

Yossi Benayoun has had his moments, popping up with a late winner at Fulham, but again Benitez sees him more as a winger.

Benitez also has the emerging David Ngog and Nabil El Zahr and French Under-21 star Ngog has shown signs this season that he is progressing.

Rather than wasting another £20million on Santa Cruz, Benitez would be better off pursuing either - or both - David Silva or David Villa at his old club Valencia.

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