Rising French star to 'replace' Suarez

Alexandre Lacazette is a 23-year-old forward who plays for Lyon in Ligue 1 and the France national football team.  He's got great ball skills, passing vision, and is a solid finisher.  Last season he came into his own, netting 15 goals in 36 appearances.  Here is his output from that campaign:

npgp90	gcp90	ccp90	ap90	ccv
0.47	0.56	1.27	0.09	7.3
pass%	bp%	sacc%	shot%	TTI90
77.3	52.9	47.6	17.9	11.2
gsp90	gap90	gop90	tgop	gopd90
1.58	1.09	0.49	0.32	0.17

At first glance, that chance created value is dismal.  It basically means he is not setting up his teammates with good looks at goal or his teammates take bad shots or they are horrible finishers.  The fact that his teammates took 51% of their shots outside of the box leads me to believe answer number two is most likely why his ccv was so poor.  Still, it's an area in need of improvement.

His passing could see some development as well, a 52.9% back pass percentage tells me that his 77.3% passing rate is misleading, but at least he isn't turning over the ball at an obscene rate.  An 11.2 true turnover index is about what Sterling and Coutinho post.

There are other positives, he is only 23 and will only probably only cost about £16m.  I don't know if we necessarily need him though and maybe another year at Lyon would be best for all.  If he can improve on last season and score 20+ goals, he probably won't go up in value more than £25m, but he'll be a proven talent, not just a flash in the pan. A 'replacement' for Suarez though? I think not.

Here is a video of him that shows his fancy footwork. 

Let Man United waste their dosh on Cavani

Is Edinson Cavani the most overrated player in the world? If not, he's up there.  He can't pass, he can't shoot, he can't dribble, and he does not create goals.  What is the big deal?

His stats from last season do nothing to justify his £50m+ estimation:

npgp90	gcp90	ccp90	ap90	ccv
0.55	0.71	0.9	0.08	8.7
pass%	bp%	sacc%	shot%	TTI90
85.5	62.3	36.5	16.7	9.5
gsp90	gap90	gop90	tgop	gopd90
2.12	0.63	1.49	1.61	-0.12

His pass success rate of 85.5% is excellent, at being misleading.  I'm not sure If I have ever seen a back pass percentage above 60, even Iago Aspas had 58.1% last season.  He does have a low turnover rate, but he wasn't exactly the primary ball carrier for PSG, they do have a few other well-known footballers on their squad.  In fact, he only averaged 28 pass attempts and 3.8 shots per 90 minutes last season, for perspective, Ibrahimovic averaged 50 and 5.2 respectively.

Further proof that his passing rate from last season was an anomaly:

year	age	club	comp	app(sub)	pcom	patt	pass%
2012-13	26	Napoli	Serie A	33(1)	544	598	77.9
2011-12	25	Napoli	Serie A	32(3)	551	758	72.7
2010-11	24	Napoli	Serie A	32(3)	495	678	73
2009-10	23	Palermo	Serie A	31(3)	523	682	76.7
				totals	2113	2716	77.8

His previous four year average is nearly 8 points lower.  All those expensive teammates make him look like a Pirlo, when he's really just a Kevin Nolan.  Oddly enough, his 8.7 ccv is his lowest in five years, while his career high was 18.8, his first season in Napoli.  His five year average though is only 11.

Cavani is far from worth £50m, he's probably not even worth £15m. I hope Van Gaal buys him though, it will just add to the horrible deals they made this summer.

The best 'unknown' striker in the world and why Rodgers should sign him

Seydou Doumbia is not completely unknown, Arsenal and Newcastle have both been linked to him in recent years, yet he continues to terrorize defenses of the Russian Premier League.  Prior to that, he made minced meat of the Swiss Super League, winning player of the year honours in 2008-09 and 2009-10.

The 26-year-old Ivorian's scoring rate at CSKA Moscow is Suarez-esque, 54 goals in 82 matches, but that's not the only indication he is worthy of a £25m transfer fee.  Here are his stats for his club from last season:

npgp90	gcp90	ccp90	ap90	ccv
0.81	1.45	1.34	0.41	30.4
pass%	bp%	sacc%	shot%	TTI90
77.3	45.2	51.7	31	10.1
gap90	gsp90	gop90	tgop	gopd90
0.7	2.56	1.86	0.77	1.09

Those numbers in blue are outstanding and he's been posting such for six years now.  Sure, the RPL and the SSL are not the EPL, but even if his production drops by a third, he'll still produce a goal a match.

It's not just goals though, it's his efficiency. A 30.4% chance created value combined with a 31% goal for shot rate is ridiculous, Sturridge was the closest player for us last year with a 23.3% ccv and a 21.2% shot percentage.

His feet are quick, but not Suarez-level quick, few are.  His finishing is not clinical, it's extraordinary.  He also has the knack to be in the right place at the right time, which is something that can't be taught.  He's a unique talent who knows how to score no matter the given situation and that's why Rodgers should try and sign him.

Need more evidence? Start with this video. 

Will Suarez succeed at Barca?

Will Suarez succeed at Barca?
	Yes, he is a footballing genius.
	Yes, Messi and Neymar will play nice and share the ball.
	No, Messi and Neymar will play White Swan and Black Swan, there's no room for a third.
	No, the Liverpool curse will strike again.
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I don't know about 'succeed' in so much as he will progress as a footballer.  I think he'll do well, but I don't think he'll repeat last season, possibly ever again, unless he goes to MLS before he gets too old.  For Suarez to improve, I just think he needs to be the primary guy the ball goes through in the last third, unfortunately at Barca, that's not going to happen.  Buena Suerte to him otherwise, but I will never cheer for Barca unless they are playing United.

Would you take Fernando 'Judas' Torres back?

Would you take Torres back?
	Yes, but only on a free.
	Yes, but only on a free and he begs for forgiveness.
	Yes, but only on a free, he begs forgiveness, and he refunds all the Suarez shirts
	No, never, I hope he gets injured eating a hamburger and never plays again.
	No, he just isn't good enough.
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I'm actually on the fence about this one.  On the one hand, if he could somehow magically recapture his form that he had with us, yes, I would take him back in a heartbeat, but he would have to do a lot, and I mean a lot of PR work.  I'm talking handing out free ice creams at Ladies' matches, visiting every kids room in every hospital on Merseyside, and possibly freeing all of Africa of malaria.  He would practically have to walk on water to repair that bridge.

I honestly think he failed at Chelsea because they had no Gerrard.  Torres can create on his own, but not often and he gets by better with a little help from his friends.  He still has two years left on his contract, so I'm not sure if Chelsea is even considering a transfer, but like I said, only on a free and he can forget about making the same wages.  That's probably why Judas wants to stay there anyhow.

Salomon Kalou? No, just no.

Salomon Kalou is a conundrum.  Is he any good? Was he ever good?  When he transferred from Feyenoord to Chelsea in 2006, he was coming off two productive years where he scored 42 goals in 80 matches in all competitions.  Interestingly enough, his strike mate at the Eredivisie club was Dirk Kuyt, who scored 61 goals in 82 matches over that same span.

The first season for the 21-year-old Ivorian at Stamford Bridge was mildly successful as he bagged seven goals and assisted on five more in 1931 minutes played.  Though seemingly a 'transition' year, Kalou would fail to improve much on those numbers for his remaining stay with the Blues.  He would only manage 36 goals and 25 assists in 156 league appearances and was let go on a free to Lille.

Unfortunately, Ligue 1 hasn't treated him much better:

	npgp90	gcp90	ccp90	ap90	ccv
2013-14	0.32	0.64	1.57	0.17	11.1
2012-13	0.53	0.7	1.27	0.12	9.7
	pass%	bp%	sacc%	shot%	TTI90
2013-14	75.9	47.9	48.9	17	15.8
2012-13	75.6	45.7	46.5	19.7	17.9
	gap90	gsp90	gop90	tgop	gopd90
2013-14	0.7	1.28	0.58	0.53	0.05
2012-13	0.9	1.76	0.86	0.5	0.36

He has scored 30 goals in 66 matches, 6 of those were penalties though.  His passing is painfully average, he turns over the ball too frequently, and his chance created values are nothing to get excited about.  At 29, Kalou is the poster boy for 'unreached potential'.

The Liverpool is somehow linked to Kalou, but I don't think he's even worth the pitch time on a free.  I'd rather see Ibe get more playing time than waste it on a 29-year-old forward who couldn't prove his worth in six seasons at Chelsea.

Jay Rodriguez for £19m?! I must be taking crazy pills.

Jay Rodriguez isn't worth £1.9m, yet alone 19! That is absurd.  There just can't be any truth to Rodgers being interested in him.  If so, somebody needs to set his head right, because that's certifiable. Are these stats worthy of a £19m attacking midfielder/winger/forward?

Southampton 2013-14

npgp90	gcp90	ccp90	ap90	ccv
0.53	0.63	0.7	0.11	14.3
pass%	bp%	sacc%	shot%	TTI90
76.6	49	31.7	14.9	12.9
gap90	gsp90	gop90	tgop	gopd90
1.37	1.51	0.14	0.21	-0.07

Southampton 2012-13

npgp90	gcp90	ccp90	ap90	ccv
0.25	0.45	0.74	0.21	27.8
pass%	bp%	sacc%	shot%	TTI90
73.8	-	36	6.7	14.4
gap90	gsp90	gop90	tgop	gopd90
1.61	1.2	-0.41	-0.29	0.12

I'll save you the trouble and say 'Hell no!' Rodriguez is not good enough to wear the Liverpool shirt.  It's bad enough we grossly overpaid for his former teammate, but he shouldn't even be in the picture.  Whomever says we should buy him, should be committed, immediately.

Not a single stat above could be deemed 'outstanding'.  He does have great chances created value numbers, but that's mainly due to lack of created chances more than anything.  He had a total of 38 for the past two seasons combined.  For perspective, Glen Johnson had 74 over the same span.

Rodriguez is clearly poor on the ball.  His turnover rate and passing percentages are dismal.  He did see slight improvement from one season to the next, but he'll be 25 by the end of the month.  His performance curve can't go too much higher.

Seriously, Rodgers, Rodriguez? I'm hoping he was mis-heard and really said Ricardo Rodriguez.  If not, we need to find where the real Rodgers is being held and get rid of his reptilian humanoid doppelganger sent by Malcolm Glazer from his invisible spaceship.  This hyperreality is making me lose my mind.