Harry, Harry Kewell

[Hoddy]

Tony Cascarino recently put Harry Kewell top of his list of signed flops for the season. Was this harsh for a player who was playing well before injury? And for a player who's come into a team with no confidence and little attacking intent? Would the 'lazy' jibes really be happening at Arsenal, where he'd be so busy jizzing over some of the football he was playing, that he'd have little time to even think about showing Ashley Cole how to attempt a tackle?

[Big Noel]

If scoring 11 goals from midfield constitutes being a flop, then Harry's guilty as charged. However, the last time I checked, that was seen as a pretty good return.

 

I think much of the criticism of Harry has been very unfair. It appears he genuinely loves playing for Liverpool and has come out on more than one occasion and said that he knows he's not playing well and wants to put it right. Compare this to the attitude shown by some of our French and African imports.

 

You make a good point concerning the fact we don't actually play much football and have little confidence. Zidane and Ronaldo would probably struggle in the present Liverpool side.

[Triggerj]

Got to disagree with you mate - Kewell can come out as many times as he wants 'confessing' that he hasn't played particularly well but when he makes Houdini-like disappearances match after match it simply ain't good enough. Take saturday, it looked like he deliberately narrowed the gap and hid in the shaddows of the opposition so he wouldn't receive the ball! Kewell is meant to be a top class attacker who can make things happen, what's the point in him if all his team mates needs to be playing well before he can actually perform himself? Regardless of goals (seven in 33 league matches), he's been crap for the best part of a season!

[danhaddad]

Bare in mind that Robert Pires was a flop in his first season at Arsenal.

 

I know Kewell is not new to premiership football, but to be fair playing under Houllier he will never show us his full capabilities.

 

Don't know how much injuries can acount for his poor performances but he has played with niggling injuries for the best part of the season.

 

I am certainly not going to call Kewell a flop.

 

Given a good holiday without the worries of international football, and a good injury free pre-season I'm sure he will be a lot more confident next season and will produce on a more regular basis.

 

A new manager and some more quality around him also wouldn't go a miss!

[Kurt]

Got to disagree with you mate - Kewell can come out as many times as he wants 'confessing' that he hasn't played particularly well but when he makes Houdini-like disappearances match after match it simply ain't good enough. Take saturday, it looked like he deliberately narrowed the gap and hid in the shaddows of the opposition so he wouldn't receive the ball! Kewell is meant to be a top class attacker who can make things happen, what's the point in him if all his team mates needs to be playing well before he can actually perform himself? Regardless of goals (seven in 33 league matches), he's been crap for the best part of a season!

 

Got to disagree with you ... There is no doubt Kewell can improve as he admits himself. But one thing you cant critisize Harry for, in my opinion, is that he hides. Even the games he struggled most in he always looks for the ball, and he tries. Too many times it has`nt come off, and he has to improve.

Another thing is he has played much of this season through a pain barrier. Apart from Gerrard and Carragher i dont think a single Liverpool player can look back at the season and be satisfied with his own appearances. Harry came to a new club, and it always takes time to settle in. There are many other players that has dissapointed me much more than Harry... Like Sami Hyypia and Michael Owen. Hyypia,Gerrard and Owen is the backbone of the side, but it`s only Gerrard that has led by example. When the going gets tough, these are the players you look to, to pull you out of the mud. Only Stevie has taken that responsibility!

[Paul]

Cascarino's a cheeky get after a career of injury and crises of confidence. Kewell's season has been frustrating but to describe a player in double figures for goals as a flop is ludicrous. He's our second top scorer isn't he?

[Duncan Clench]

Harry is quality and he will show it soon. Conversly, Cascarino is, and always was, a know-nothing fuckwit of a useless c*nt! Shit player, and obviously not much of a pundit either!

 

Have faith, Harry will shine next season.

[catinhat]

Kewell hasn't created as many goals as one might have expected, but for me scoring 11 goals means he can't possibly be 'top of the flops' list, especially given how little we paid for him.

 

What I find really depressing is how Houllier manages to drain players of their confidence - be it by the system that we play, or the roles that players are given. Seems too often our attacking players lack confidence.

[Kopite]

11 goals and he's a flop?

 

What does that make E**** H*****? ;)

[Truered]

Someone who's not worth a Donkey pile of poo.

[Total Longo]

The frustrating thing is that you absolutely know Harry has the talent and can get better.

 

Whereas our no. 8 has had his chips and over 4 and a bit seasons only the mentally challenged would still believe he can "turn it around"

[Hermes]

I was not as excited as some by Kewell's signing because as he's proved this season he is not consistent enough. His last two seasons at Leeds he was crap and then turned it on for the final 3 months. This is what we'll get with Harry, apart from his goal tally this season he has been very disappointing.

[Paul]

He'd play much better in a more fluid and attack minded side, though. However, I still say we should have coughed up the £17m for Duff instead of trying to get him on the cheap because of some supposed "agreement" we had with the player. I know it's huge money and that he's been injured a lot, but he is world class and consistently so. If that had happened, we wouldn't be having these discussions about whether Kewell has been a disappointment or not as he wouldn't be here.

[Kurt]

He'd play much better in a more fluid and attack minded side, though. However, I still say we should have coughed up the £17m for Duff instead of trying to get him on the cheap because of some supposed "agreement" we had with the player. I know it's huge money and that he's been injured a lot, but he is world class and consistently so. If that had happened, we wouldn't be having these discussions about whether Kewell has been a disappointment or not as he wouldn't be here.

 

If Kewell has been a flop?...Then what about Duff??..Has`nt excactly set Stamford Brigde alive. Has`nt scored many goals, injuried as often as Owen. He is worth nowhere near £17m.

 

I would prefer Kewell any day of the week!

[Paul]

Duff has been class every time I've seen him play for the last three seasons. The only question mark over him this season has been his fitness. Anyway, given a choice, I'd have both of them.

[Hermes]

Anyway, given a choice, I'd have both of them.

 

Eh?, doesn't a choice mean one or the other?

[Stephen Adams.]

I don't think Kewell's been all that bad, but aren't wingers always easy targets for criticism? Just because he's not running up and down the touchline like a half-wit, doesn't mean he's not trying. I think he was one of the few bright spots during the first half of the season, up until his injury problems really.

I agree that he's a bit of a fair-weather player in that he does his best work when the rest of the team is playing well and results are going his way, but I think that comes with the territory of being an attacking midfielder. If we don't give him the ball there's not much he can do.

Just in case you're thinking there's another Rashid-Mourinho thing on the go here, I do admit that Kewell has been shit in some games this season, but if anything he appeared to be tryig too hard back in January/February. His recent form I put down to injury.

"Plus he has been very unlucky. He has hit the post more than any other plier"

[Dr.Filth]

I thought he was starting to play well before he got injured. Apparently he's having an operation on his ankle in the Summer so we'll hopefully see the best of him next season, especially if there's a more attack minded manager in charge.

[Stephen Adams.]

Is anyone else having trouble putting smiley's in their posts? I tried putting one in after that Houllier quote about Kewell and post-hitting, now it might look like I've gone as mental as the man himself!

[Truered]

I thought he played alot better on Sunday.

 

If he plays next Saturday and the saturday after like that I will be happy.

[Agent Smith]

Cascarino doesn't know what he's talking about.

 

To say Kewell has been a flop at all let alone the biggest flop out of the summer signings is ridiculous. He's got into double figures with goals and he's been carrying an injury for ages.

 

What about Djemba-Djemba, Kleberson and Bellion for the mancs. Chelsea signed 3 keepers in Macho, Sullivan and Ambrosio and Veron hasn't exactly been world class. Then there's Bowyer at Newcastle and these are just off the top of my head.

 

Where did he say this? Was it on Talksport by any chance? Because they're not biased at all.

[Hoddy]

He said it both on Talksport and then in 'The Game', that football supplement in 'The Times' on Mondays. I get that supplement every week, and to be fair it is quite a good read. But Cascarino's a crank. They always seem to get him to do the 'relevant' articles, such as players cheating on their wives (he's done that), players taking supplements (he's done that) and players gambling (actually he was the one who caused all the hooplah by revealing that Michael Owen had spent a specified amount on gambling.

 

It seems to me that Cascarino takes pride in 'telling it like it is', as if a willingness to talk about anything makes up for a career of mediocrity. The guy seems to forget that his whole 'international' career is a complete joke, achieved only because he fabricated an Irish family member.

 

He also seems to have something against Liverpool, as he's done a few articles against them this year.

[sammya]

he's a liverpool fan i think

[MLB]

I wouldn't take it to heart, lads. No one is going to listen to the opinions a bloke whose name sounds like a brand of laxative.

[Anubis]

Perspective - Ronaldo and Giggs have less than 10 league goals between them for Utd. Kewell will get better, and needs more consistency, but why are the other two hailed as great players when his record probably outshines both.