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Carragher says Jota is Liverpool's best finisher in the Premier League era, do you agree?
I'm reminded of some of the forwards I've played alongside – Irving, Suarez, Torres, Fowler – but he's the best finisher. ”
Carragher opened up the debate over 'who is the best finisher of Liverpool's Premier League era'. The Sky Sports pundit and former Reds defender has remained adamant in the days since his initial statement.
There is some evidence to back up Carragher's opinion of Jota: Jota scored his 10th and 11th goals of the season in Liverpool's 4-0 Bournemouth, while his shot conversion rate for the league season is 193%。
Ahead of last Wednesday's Carabao Cup semi-final second leg at Fulham, Liverpool assistant coach Linders spoke about Jota's performance and explained how Liverpool's coaching staff kept the 27-year-old Portugal international in the right game mentality.
Linders said: "When Jota is in a state of euphoria, he can do almost anything. He can do incredible things. We have to keep him in this mood as much as possible. We're really happy to have a player like Jota. ”
But is Jota really Liverpool's greatest finisher in 32 years of Premier League history? Here some of the authors of TA also expressed their views. You can also let us know what you think in the comments section at the bottom of this article.
Fowler. oliver kay
There will be some very good shooters on this list. In terms of pure shooting ability, I would put Torres, Owen, Sturridge and Jota in front of Suarez, Sadio Mane and Salah. Let's not forget Ian Rush, who was still scoring for Liverpool when the Premier League started in 1992.
But when it comes to finishing ability, I'd put Fowler ahead of everybody.
And it's not just because of the number of goals he scored (183 goals under Liverpool, 171 of which came in his first period with the Reds). He has a variety of goalscoring tools and a strong nose in front of goal. He instinctively knows when to shoot with a curling ball, when to hit the goal hard, and when to shoot early and catch the goalkeeper off guard.
Most of Fowler's goals are textbook-calibre, and his improvisations in certain moments can be a stroke of genius. In Fowler's first three or four years at Liverpool as a teenager, before injuries robbed him of some of his acumen and confidence, you would expect it every time the ball reached his feet within 25 yards of goal: he was going to score again.
Fowler's best goal: Manchester United 2-2 Liverpool (Premier League) 2 October 1995.
Fowler's stunning shot from the outside of his left foot flew past Schmeichel's 10 fingers and into the back of the net at the near post from a 'ridiculous' angle.
Sturridge. andy jones
Considering the seemingly never-ending injuries plaguing Sturridge's Reds career, it's easy to forget his impressive performances in front of goal.
But Klopp didn't ignore that. When it was confirmed in 2019 that the striker was leaving Liverpool, he said: "He's one of the best finishers I've ever seen, capable of scoring goals that you thought were impossible. ”
Sturridge, who scored 67 goals in 160 appearances for Liverpool, has also shown his ability to capitalise on every fleeting opportunity. From a brilliant shot against West Bromwich Albion to a perfect curling ball against Chelsea, you'll be ready to do your best whenever the ball lands at his feet.
Like his outgoing personality, Sturridge's every goal is a sight to behold. He seems to possess a confidence that borders on hubris, which at the same time proves his composure and composure in front of goal. He always finds the back of the net with grace and every shot he has the perfect combination of skill and power.
If it weren't for the injury, Sturridge's goals and celebrations at Liverpool could have become more frequent.
Sturridge's best goal: Liverpool 1-3 Sevilla FC (Europa League final), 03/05/2016
Although Liverpool ultimately lost the game, Sturridge still scored a high-quality goal in the Europa League final.
Suarez. philip buckingham
If this debate takes place at the end of 2013 – when Liverpool, led by Brendan Rodgers, are confidently chasing the Premier League title – the case for Suarez will be compelling. Even Carragher said at the time that his performance was "perfect".
Suarez's scoring tools are abundant: headers from close range, those shots from tight angles, and free-kicks from long distances, ......There are many other ways. Even though his goal tally (82 in 133 games) came largely from the destruction of Norwich – he scored an insane 12 goals in six games for the "Canary", but he also had some of his most valuable qualities – that composure, the ability to suddenly slow down in front of goal and then send the ball into the opposition's goal.
Suarez's goals have been impressive. His shots past the goalkeeper usually give the opposing defenders no time to react, and the movement of the ball with the outside of his right foot is very natural.
If there hadn't been so much controversy and bans, he could have scored more. Three and a half years at Anfield have made Suarez one of the best players in European football. As Luis Enrique once said, he is a veritable "penalty area killer".
Luis Suarez's best goal: Liverpool 1-1 Newcastle (Premier League) 1/11/2012
Suarez caught his teammate's long pass with his chest and passed goalkeeper Krul in just one move. He made things ridiculously difficult seem so easy.
Torres. caoimhe o’neill
Torres accomplished this a little differently.
Remember when "El Nino" wore an all-red striped Adidas shirt with long sleeves drooping in the wind and the No. 9 jersey almost weightless?
Remember when white socks and tape were wrapped around the matching Nike Total 90s sneakers, and his feet were wrapped like gifts?
Remember the scenes of his cuts and finishes? How does it define an era in more than one way?
Remember the blonde hair on his headband?
Remember those clever passes from Steven Gerrard?
Remember how he got into his own passage? Nemanja Vidic isn't the only defender to be caught off guard against him. Torres made 142 appearances for Liverpool and scored 81 goals.
A painful breakup meant that the happy three-and-a-half-year period never seemed to happen, but the rift has healed. Time heals all pain.
Torres' best goal: Manchester United 1-4 Liverpool (Premier League) on 4 March 2009
That goal at Old Trafford must have been the most impressive. Cristiano Ronaldo gave United the lead shortly after the opening kick-off, before Fernando Torres fired back. The moment Torres high-fived his team-mate after scoring a goal, a fierce title battle seemed to be heading in Liverpool's favour.
Jota. james pearce
Let's be clear first: Mohamed Salah is Liverpool's greatest striker of the Premier League era. He scored 204 goals (151 in the league) in six and a half seasons, which is extraordinary. His consistent and consistent goalscoring ability puts him well suited to this accolade.
But if we're talking about the best finishers, that's a different story.
Carragher's assessment of Jota is on point.
If this season's title race continues until the final minute of the final round in May, Liverpool have a one-on-one chance to decide the title at Anfield against Wolves, and I'd rather that chance fall to Jota than anyone else.
Jota exudes a ruthless temperament, and he possesses a rare ability to remain calm under intense pressure.
Looking at his 52 goals at Liverpool (and probably more if it weren't for injury), he scored in a variety of ways – left-footed, right-footed, cool and powerful. For a player who is only 1.78m tall, his header performance is also very good.
Jota's shot almost gave the opposition goalkeeper no time to react, and he always found the ball in the opposition goal at the first time. When the ball is sent into the box, Jota is usually very alert. The stats don't lie – with 1 goal per 5 shots (38 out of 197) underlined his finishing prowess.
Jota's best goal: Liverpool 4-3 Tottenham (Premier League) 03/04/2023
When Richarlison equalised in stoppage time, Liverpool's 3-0 lead was instantly gone. At that time, Liverpool still had time to organise one last attack.
Alisson played the ball up front and Jota took advantage of Lucas Jr.'s return pass and cut it all the way into the box. He made the pre-shot adjustment with two touches before firing a low left-footed shot past Foster into the far corner. Anfield was also completely in a boil.
Jota's composure makes him the best finisher.
Data comparison. In the Premier League, Jota has taken around 1 5 of Liverpool's shots, a classic statistic used by Hoddle in his contemptuous response to Andy Cole. But no matter what era you're in, 20 per cent shots on goal is a pretty big stat. Still, it's a bit one-sided to just use this statistic, so let's take a look at the performances of other great strikers.
First of all, the disadvantage of Fowler and Irving is that they reached the pinnacle of their careers before the "big data" era began.
Fowler, who was a long-time holder of the Premier League's record for the fastest hat-trick – which Sadio Mane eventually broke – shows he is one of the calmest finishers in Premier League history. Owen may not have been so lucky, but he is still the only underage player (under the age of 18) to score a penalty in Premier League history, highlighting his maturity and composure in the early stages of his career.
When Carragher made his point, the lowest number of goals scored by a player entering the Sky goal conversion statistics ranking was 25, and Jota topped the list. However, if we reduce the minimum number of goals slightly to 20, we will first get a new name: Divock Origi.
In 107 Premier League appearances (73 of which were as substitutes), Divock Origi had 106 shots on goal and a goal conversion rate of 208%。Not only did this put him at the top of the stats, but his impressive series of goals had fans pumping.
After all, what could be more important to a finisher than scoring in the most crucial moments?