Hodgson wants to keep Ngog
Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson says he has every intention of keeping striker David Ngog at the club for this season.
Ngog is a player who has always enjoyed mixed reactions from Liverpool fans due to the inconsistency and unpredictability of his performances. There have been stories linking him with a move away from Liverpool but Hodgson seems keen to keep him on.
Ngog has played quite well during Liverpool's pre-season campaign and this could be the sort of form that Hodgson has been looking for from the striker. He stands a very good chance of getting a run in the side in the new season if Fernando Torres does not stay at the club.
Ngog possesses a number of attributes that make it easy to see why Hodgson would want to keep him on. However, some pundits have suggested that Hodgson is wasting his time and would be better getting rid of the French striker.
Ngog's Qualities
There is a reason that Liverpool signed Ngog in the first place. He is a very small player and has quite a small frame yet he has survived the rigours of English style football and already played quite a lot of Premier League games.
He relies on his pace and agility to get beyond the better defenders who will simply brush and bully him off of the ball. He can beat anyone in a straight sprint contest but lacks the control needed to go with this.
His ambition and drive are clearly a large part of the man's makeup because otherwise he would have left the club a long time ago. It was clear during the reign of Rafa Benitez that Ngog was not the Spaniard's favourite striker.
Hodgson said: "I can't stop players being linked with other clubs. I certainly have never discussed him leaving. I think Ngog has done well in the pre-season matches so far and he has worked very hard in the training sessions. I was pleased that he crowned his performance with two goals."
An inevitable future
Some have already suggested that Ngog will suffer an inevitable move away from the club even though Hodgson has stated his desire for the striker to stay on at Liverpool. A number of clubs have already been linked with him and he may jump at a chance to move.
This is purely because Ngog has already been given a chance to have an extended run in the Premier League. Torres was injured for a large part of last season and Ngog could not step up and take control of the attack, which did not surprise a lot of media pundits and fans.
The boss added: "I thought his target play, his general movement and his ability to keep the ball for us was also very good. But front players need goals and that will be a very big weight off his mind. It will mean he doesn't have to worry too much about the coming matches."
Advice
Liverpool are a solid outside bet to do well in all competitions they play in next season. Ngog will not be the striker leading the front line and causing havoc in different defences. Don't waste your time by backing him to be top scorer at the club because this simply will not happen.
There are other players at Liverpool who will always pose a bigger threat. If you can get a special bet on the next club he may join then it could be worth a punt but Hodgson would not have made these comments if he did not think the player would stay.
Tags: