Am i missing something ...

[Rooky9]

As an interesting aside, last night was exactly 8 years on from Liverpool's 0-4 win against Derby in the league, when one Emile Ivanhoe Heskey scored a hat-trick to silence the Derby fans who were singing "you're just a Leicester reject".

Heskey was terrific in O'Neill's Leicester team. Created shed loads of goals for Cottee in his last hurrah. Watched him hundreds of times including his debut at QPR as a 17 year old.

When Liverpool paid £11m for him i think maybe they and their fans thought they were getting the "next big thing" but he's never been a 20 goals a season man, more a provider and a foil for others as say for Zaki at Wigan now

Top marks to Capello for going against conventional wisdom and picking such an unfashionable player and getting the likes of Rooney to play off him to such good effect.

In Heskey's first season for us he scored 23 goals, we won 3 cups and two legends, Owen and Fowler were fighting to start alongside him. Houllier then made him play with his back to goal to suit Owen and ruined him. When he runs at defences he can be unstoppable.

Come on. Any decent striker can have a good season and grab a fair amount goals. He has never been a finisher, thats the main reason he doesnt score more goals.

The Liverpool manager probably realised that he his partnerships would get more by changing Heskey's game (if indeed he did). If I was playig against Heskey I'd be more than willing to let him run at me all day rather than take me on physically (I think I could take him both ways to be hnest but one would be easier than the other!)

I disagree with all of that.

Firstly his lack of goals is not only down to his finishing. He's been asked to perform another role to the one he used to. With his back to goal he's a team player and a useful link up guy - nothing more. His best parts on Wednesday were going at people where he's far more threatening and he draws more than one defender away from danger areas to make holes.

The Liverpool manager at the time got it wrong though didn't he. Heskey scored less and the team scored less when he changed Hesey's game.

I like hearing what people would do against Heskey lol. As Heskey said before Wednesday's game "people who comment on how easy it is to play against me are usually people who've never played against me".

Erm, best English player with back to goal in last 10 years scored plenty of goals in that role. Not only down to lack of finishing quality - but surely a massive part no?! He belted a lot of those 23 goals in whilst he was high on confidence.

As for the team results I'd be interested in those. Surely so many factors to striaght compare. Did Houiler overnight, after winning three comps, change Heskeys role?! All pretty difficult to substantiate. I'm pretty sure that out of the 13 season Emile Heskey has had he at top level he hasn't actually only had one season showing his true class and goals and the other 12 curbing his natural goal scorering to be a team player.

The people who do comment always say that he is difficult. But he is difficult because of his presence. 90% of PL defender can live if not surpass his pace. PL defenders rarely get skinned alive by anyone for pace these days, and when they do its by the quickest 4 or 5 around. If I was a PL player I wouldnt be commenting on how easy it is either. There would be absolutely no sense in that.

[DUNK619]

England are the best team in the world again!

   [  ]  england have ever been the best team in the world at football

[Longy]

England are the best team in the world again!

   [  ]  england have ever been the best team in the world at football

Must have been at some point, we invented the sodding game.

[The Baron]

Erm, best English player with back to goal in last 10 years scored plenty of goals in that role.

Eh?

Not only down to lack of finishing quality - but surely a massive part no?! He belted a lot of those 23 goals in whilst he was high on confidence.

The biggest part is not being in a position or being given a role whnereby he's facing the net a large part of the time. Finishing is secondary if he's not taking shots. Cisse at Sunderland cant finish but when you look at how much he shoots every game he'll score you quite a few.

As for the team results I'd be interested in those. Surely so many factors to striaght compare. Did Houiler overnight, after winning three comps, change Heskeys role?! All pretty difficult to substantiate.

Not really as it's what happened. He did the same with Hamann (AM to DM), Carragher (CB/RB to LB), Murphy (CM to RM), Gerrard (CM to DM), Riise (LB to LM) and several others.

I'm pretty sure that out of the 13 season Emile Heskey has had he at top level he hasn't actually only had one season showing his true class and goals and the other 12 curbing his natural goal scorering to be a team player.

This I agree with to an extent. However playing for Birmingham and Wigan who've been in relegation scraps haven't allowed him to play the role he once did for Liverpool and Leicester where he can be more offensive, selfish and destructive rather than construtive and hard working.

The people who do comment always say that he is difficult. But he is difficult because of his presence. 90% of PL defender can live if not surpass his pace. PL defenders rarely get skinned alive by anyone for pace these days, and when they do its by the quickest 4 or 5 around. If I was a PL player I wouldnt be commenting on how easy it is either. There would be absolutely no sense in that.

I'd love to see someone try to stop a guy that size in full flight no matter how quick they are. Especially the pundits. The only guy I've seen do it successfully when he's on the front foot and playing how he can is Sol Campbell. When he's got his back to goal he's far easier to defend against because his control is average and his turn isn't very quick. All he can do is bring it down and lay it off.

[Rooky9]

Quote 1 - Alan Shearer. Massive back to goal player for basically every season at SJP, still got himself in positions to shoot and get on the end of crosses. Heskey doesn't do that either because he can't (because he isn't as good a footballer) or doesn't have the confidence to do it. there is no way his manager is stopping him from getting the same sort of opportunities.

On the otherones we're either agreeing or agreeing to differ!

[The Baron]

Quote 1 - Alan Shearer. Massive back to goal player for basically every season at SJP, still got himself in positions to shoot and get on the end of crosses. Heskey doesn't do that either because he can't (because he isn't as good a footballer) or doesn't have the confidence to do it. there is no way his manager is stopping him from getting the same sort of opportunities.

On the otherones we're either agreeing or agreeing to differ!

Yes but Shearer was a ridiculously good exception. You may never see a big man as good as him ever again. He's the best I've ever seen by light years. That's like comparing Bebeto to Benayoun as they're both link up players.

IMO Heskey vs Carew is a better comparison and look which one has been on the front foot for most of his career and had the greater success. Interesting now that Carew is getting older that O'Niell wants Heskey.