4) We don’t suit Rickie Lambert’s style of play, and Rickie Lambert doesn’t suit ours…
Fielding Lambert up top is a contradiction. The Englishman needs some aerial service, some diagonal balls, and midfield runners looking for his knockdowns, but he doesn’t get it. And in return, we need someone making clever runs, somebody working the channels, somebody willing to take on a defender – and perhaps most importantly – someone with a bit of pace. He works hard, and it’s not nice having to criticise a boyhood Liverpool fan; but it’s clear that our ability to play quick, intricate football is damaged when he’s fielded.
