Much will be written about which strikers are going to set the Barclay’s Premier League alight in 2011/2012 and head the goal scoring chart.
The focus will inevitably be on last season’s mis-firing Fernando Torres, Manchester United’s star performer Javier Hernandez, Liverpool’s £35million man Andy Carroll or his sidekick Luis Suarez, and any of Manchester City’s four forwards (new recruit Sergio Aguero, talisman Carlos Tevez, bad boy Balotelli or Eden Dzeko). However, I’d like to concentrate on someone who won’t be written about nearly as much as even one of the aforementioned marksmen but who I’m sure will improve on the 8 goals he scored in his debut season in the English top flight last season.
After a few questionable performances to start ex-Leeds United striker Jermaine Beckford started to find his feet and more importantly the net towards the latter stages of last season and I wouldn’t put it past the former Leeds United hitman to fire Everton into the top ten and beyond.
Beckford shares attributes with last season’s surprise hero Javier Hernandez: an eye for goal paired with sharp finishing as he plays off the shoulder of the last defender patrolling the oppositions penalty box waiting to pounce. And pounce he certainly will as his finishing seems to improve with every outing.
West Bromwich Albion’s Peter Odemwingie gatecrashed the top of the goalscoring chart last season, a mantle I feel Beckford can and will inhabit especially as Everton boss David Moyes seems to have kept hold of the likes of playmaker Mikael Arteta and provider Leighton Baines who will provide ample service to the lively forward.
My suggestion pivots on the style of play Moyes adopts and of course the formation in which he set’s his team up to operate in, if, like last season Moyes mirrors how he and indeed Sir Alex Ferguson set up their teams – United with Wayne Rooney playing behind the previously mentioned Javier Hernandez and in Everton’s case- five men in midfield with Tim Cahill playing behind the front man (that front man being Beckford) then surely both Everton and Jermaine would benefit a great deal.
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