Thompson: Ngog Improvement For All To See

THERE is no more difficult task for a striker than being asked to fill the boots of the best in the business.
It is impossible to expect anyone to come in to a team and do what Fernando Torres does but you can only give David Ngog credit for the way he knuckled down to the task against Arsenal on Sunday.
Ngog has made a promising start to the season and, clearly, the three goals he scored against FC Rabotnicki had done wonders for his confidence; at times he looked a different player to the one we had seen during the past 12 months.
Strong and powerful, he led the line with aplomb and I was impressed by the number of headers Ngog won against Thomas Vermaelen and Laurent Koscielny, despite their best attempts to ruffle him.

When you then take into account the fabulous goal he scored – more on that in a moment – I’d say it was the best performance Ngog has produced in a Liverpool shirt; one that augurs well for the future.
I’ve heard a lot of people talk about Manuel Almunia’s role in what happened and the criticism he has come in for, having been beaten at his near post; I’ve certainly been critical of the Arsenal keeper in the past but not on this occasion.
When you see a striker hit a ball with such ferocity into a tight angle from close range, goalkeepers have little chance of making a save but their hopes become null and void when a shot is executed as well as the one from Ngog. It was a corker.
To focus solely on Almunia does Ngog a disservice and it’s a little unfair that his great start is not being spoken about more; at the same time, however, there is little doubt he will have been told in the days since that one goal doesn’t make a season.
The hard work, quite simply, starts now but if he can maintain a sound level of consistency, more performances like the one against Arsenal will follow – and, hopefully, more goals of that calibre, too.