Striker
3 Goals
16 Appearances (as of 4/25/2009)
Signed from Paris St. Germain in 2008 for 1.5 mil
BACKGROUND BEFORE LFC
As a key player of the French U-21 side, David Ngog had been playing for Paris St. Germain for two seasons before joining Liverpool. His goal scoring was never prolific, scoring 3 goals in 19 matches for PSG last season… which is odd because he has 3 in 16 in this campaign. Similarly to this season, though, Ngog spent most of his time at PSG coming on a late sub, so these statistics are a bit unfair as a tool to measure his strike-rate. At PSG, he was widely heralded as an up and coming talent who was great with the ball at his feet and a tricky customer to deal with. His shooting accuracy needed work, and he wanted the opportunity to play at a club playing at a higher level than PSG. The only blight on his background? He is the cousin of Jean-Alain Boumsong, formerly of Newcastle United… you know, the bloke who made more mistakes than Titus Bramble!? We’ll forgive him.
SIGNING FOR, AND SETTLING INTO, LFC
David Ngog arrived at Anfield shortly before Robbie Keane, so his arrival was widely forgotten about… and for 1.5 mil and little to show for his career up to this point, it was only natural that most of us were viewing him as “backup” to the likes of Torres and Kuyt. Backup strikers WERE in need, though, so it was a good move by Rafa. He signed for a small fee, as well, which was pleasant. The news behind Ngog was that he was a raw talent with plenty of ability. Signs of this were immediate, as he looked even better than Robbie Keane during preseason. Turns out that this would be a sign of things to come, unfortunately, but it was good for him to start well. He scored his first goal against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League brilliantly with his left foot and has added a few more. When he’s come on as a sub, he’s rarely disappointed nor dazzled. He has done well for himself, though, and has settled nicely into the side. Let’s just say that though he isn’t as talented as Voronin, he’s also less frustrating and has a chance of sticking with us.
STYLE OF PLAY
Ngog is a well-built striker… one that is gifted with both pace and a good frame. Though he is tall, he doesn’t play all that tall… which is perhaps something he’ll need to work on. The best attributes to his game as a striker, though, have to do with ball control. He is comfortable with both feet, can shoot with either, and feels confident moving down the flanks or down the middle. Unlike the more talented Ryan Babel, Ngog will move either direction to find space… something that will serve him well as he developes rather than hampering his progress (a bit of a dig on Babel, I know…). N-Go’s shooting accuracy needs a bit of work, but like I said earlier, he is a raw talent with ability. Composure will come with experience. After all, he just recently turned 20. A bit more pace to his game might help, as well.
BEST MOMENTS
When you are a perennial substitute in your first season as a teenager, you’d have to say any goals you score would be your best moments. This is true for Ngog more than most, because he has actually bagged a few nice ones. His first goal for the club was definitely of top quality, banging the ball past the PSV keeper to give us a 3-0 win in Holland. He took it very well, bringing the ball outside with his left, completely putting the defenders off balance and opening up the space. His next goal was the most important of his trifecta, as it was the first in a 2-0 win over Sunderland 2/3 of the way through the game. Albeit a tap-in, it was a chance well taken and one that had sparked a very impressive run of form from Liverpool. Had he not scored that goal, who knows if Liverpool would have been able to challenge for the 2008-2009 Premiership title. His third was a header from about a yard out, but goals are goals!
TOUGH TIMES
Warming the bench, maybe? You can’t really say that Ngog feels all that hard done by with the lack of playing time, and you could also say he hasn’t had many “worthless” chants from the fans or “sell Ngog” threads in the internet chatrooms. All and all, I guess you could say his performance against Aston Villa at Villa Park when Torres came out injured was uninspired… but that’s just digging for a tough time.
2008-2009 SEASON VERDICT
From a backup’s point of view, this has been a decent season for Ngog. Three goals is not prolific, obviously, but it also suggests that he is capable of scoring goals when called upon. Think about Voronin, Morientes, and other higher profile strikers at the club. Their strike rate was similar, yet they were given more starts and more chances than David. So who would you rather have? In my mind, I’d rather have the backup scoring like that rather than a regular starter who lets you down. Ngog will definitely want to work on his finishing, mind you, but overall he’s done his part in this season’s success story.
LFC CAREER VERDICT
It is his first season, so what you see above applies here, as well. He has done himself no harm in keeping his place in the team. When Voronin returns next season, if he is not sold, Ngog will be fighting for a spot on the bench with the Ukrainian. Unless, of course, we buy a striker of a high pedigree, in which case he can just continue banging in goals for the reserves like he has been doing all season.
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