Steven Gerrard is taking a big risk on Jermain Defoe – opinion

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Steven Gerrard is taking a big risk on Jermain Defoe – opinion


The Jermain Defoe deal, which is now into its second or third day, depending how you look at it, is certainly an eye-opening signature.

The 36-year old’s best days are certainly behind him, and his goal tally for this season in eight appearances is a pretty painful zero, while last time around in 24 appearances a mediocre 4.

An assumption is being made that ‘he’ll score a tonne in Scotland’ as if this league hasn’t made fools of players like Ian Wright, Joey Barton and even Basile Boli back in the day. The sheer disrespect for the standard of Scottish football and assumption that he’ll be great because he just will is dangerous.

We don’t deny his CV – he was once an excellent striker, who scored with quality and assurance – and he still does – just nowhere near as often.

But Steven Gerrard, if this deal does go through, is taking a bit of a gamble on the former Spurs man. This isn’t the 18 in 34 free-scoring White Hart Lane goal machine of nine years ago, or even the very effective 15 in 37 for Sunderland only two years ago, this is an older, more injury-prone and less capable striker who, unlike the Kenny Miller comparison, isn’t at the level he was.

Miller, amazingly, remains almost as good today as he did when he was 10, 15 years younger. Defoe has a lot to prove to show he still has what he even did at the Stadium of Light in 2016.

We are not lambasting this move, incidentally – we have a lot of respect for Defoe as you’ll see from our previous piece on him.

But in terms of what he will bring Rangers it is an undeniable gamble given the man hasn’t scored since March.

No, we’re not ‘writing him off before he’s even arrived’ – we’re stating the facts of this deal and of his recent form and injury status.

Hopefully he’s fully recovered and, if he does join, tears up the SPL in the way he could pre-injury. But that is a big if.

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12 COMMENTS

  1. Defoe is a penalty box player according to the so called experts so where does that leave us in our team formation play him up front along with Morelos or is there someone else coming in for him to to play off ie Solanke and Morelos is on his way it is all intriguing as we have played for most of the season with Morelos up front as a lone striker

  2. He is a different type of striker to Alfie which gives us options .He may play with him , he play instead of him or he may be a sub .I don`t think he will come up here with the attitude that it will be easy ,he will be out to prove a point and he is still quick and a great finisher .Miller is still scoring for a shit Dundee team and he is neither.Don`t think he will be playing off Solanke though unless he stays .

  3. mabye should have kept sadiq then LOL. defoe would outscore edouard or griffiths over a full season in any league end of. it's what he brings to the dressing room along with davis in terms of experience in the run in? gerrard would not sign or be allowed to sign on reputation alone. i seem to remember SEPTIC fans claiming davie weir and clint hill were to old, the rest is history.

    • So what has Defoe ever won. What experience has he got of a title run in?
      This experience didn't help Sunderland 2 seasonss ago. 2 players coming in at a joint age of 70 to get one last pay day

  4. You make a good point.
    My feeling is he might be the answer to the growing number of spl teams that pack the defence for 90 mins and take points off of us. We need to sharpen things up in forward positions and Dafoe certainty has the ability to bag goals for us. He will def get the service he needs into the box that's for sure.
    This is likely a good signing

  5. 36 years old. He might be useful as a sub against packed defences when we haven’t scored. Might.

  6. Concerned about lack of game time. However, I have a friend in and around AFC Bournemouth and he says he saw Defoe on Wednesday night and he looked in great shape. He's confident he will score goals for us. I'm not so sure.

  7. If we get him in I have a feeling Morelos will be sold to cover his wages, he's supposedly on 90k a week at Bournemouth. Even if we only pick up 30% that's still just under 30k a week

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