Viktor Gyokeres: Gyok Hard

[Gooner Zig]

I also don't think we're doing him any favours taking him off after 60 minutes. One of his super powers is his ability to keep running at top speed all game, so when CBs are tiring he is still there. When Noni did brilliantly to provide that cut back late in the game we had fake striker Jesus not even in the box

I would like to see him come off the bench for a bit.

 

[MikelHadADream]

I also don't think we're doing him any favours taking him off after 60 minutes. One of his super powers is his ability to keep running at top speed all game, so when CBs are tiring he is still there. When Noni did brilliantly to provide that cut back late in the game we had fake striker Jesus not even in the box

I would like to see him come off the bench for a bit.

It comes to the point in the games though where we can’t just keep playing with essentially 10 men.

Agree though, using him like Martinelli may be the best course of action moving forward.

 

[Gooner Zig]

It comes to the point in the games though where we can’t just keep playing with essentially 10 men.

Agree though, using him like Martinelli may be the best course of action moving forward.

Yeah that's also fair - Havertz is back and once he's back to full fitness Gyökeres will be used as an impact player. I still think he'll be super useful late in games when things get a bit more stretched, especially if we're up a goal and teams want to come onto us a bit more for a potential equalizer.

 

[Trilly]

This is interesting because everyone saying we are not playing to his strengths and need major tactical overhaul to get the best out of him.

So he is a striker not good at cut backs?

There’s no excuse to not be ‘good’ at cut backs.

Just sprint into the open space and rely on your teammates to find you, if there’s no space then fake one run and then make another one.

Being a natural fox in the box is a gift but learning basic in the box movement is something anyone should be able to learn. I genuinely don’t understand how he’s struggling with this.

But who knows maybe we’re just overanalysing/overreacting because he hasn’t started well.

 

[Let's play Aubamawang]

This article from James Benge is an eye opener - we create the most cut backs itl but we don't score a lot from them. It's infuriating as Gyökeres was bought to be smashing these types of goals in.

That's a bit misleading though. How many of those cutbacks have been intercepted or passed to the edge of the area? There have been some good balls across goal, but nowhere near as consistent as the narrative would suggest.

Plus Benge is practically stealing a living as a "journalist".

 

[Clrnc]

That's a bit misleading though. How many of those cutbacks have been intercepted or passed to the edge of the area? There have been some good balls across goal, but nowhere near as consistent as the narrative would suggest.

Plus Benge is practically stealing a living as a "journalist".

Not to mention, cut backs are literally for players at the edge of the box or midfielders running into box to finish them off. Pure strikers thrives on early crosses or ball fizzing across the box.

 

[blaze_of_glory]

Just saw someone on Reddit call him Mediokeres

 

[A_G]

Being a natural fox in the box is a gift but learning basic in the box movement is something anyone should be able to learn. I genuinely don’t understand how he’s struggling with this.

RVP became a genius at this around 2010, Gyok should watch videos of him

 

[grange]

Tick Tock, Vikna

 

[Penn_]

 

[PrinzPoldi]

It is what it is.
In the end, we have 3 different strikers on our team, and it is good for different matchups and for rotation.

I like Kai more (so obvious) but I also root for Viktor and Jesus. Every single player is important for our title run.

 

[MATHEO]

Awful touch and ball control, non existent link up, atrocious hold up play, and even our DMs are outscoring him from open play

 

[PrinzPoldi]

Just keep moving in the box, chances will come.

 

[Trilly]

View attachment 42449

Awful touch and ball control, non existent link up, atrocious hold up play, and even our DMs are outscoring him from open play

No excuse to be that bad at duels at his height and weight, passes completed is also on him as he’s terrified of getting on the ball and doing anything besides a 5 yard pass.

It’s a real shame.

 

[Red London]

I have prevented myself from giving my deep down opinion on Gyokeres because ultimately I always want to give players time here (and still hope he makes it work).

However I think it’s time, and to be honest it was in my mind from pretty early but I was in denial out of hope it would work out eventually.

Gyokeres even from the first few games you watched him here was giving very alarming signals, even despite scoring vs Leeds and Forrest. In Portugal, most of the goals he scored were from bulldozing, utilising speed and power to get through defences. He scored these goals often coming off the left half space marauding into the box etc.

For that to have continued here, he would have had to have that speed and power advantage over PL players. From the 1st game (I was hoping he wasn’t 100% fit at the time) it’s been apparent that he is not fast and he is not ultra strong.

We of course could be better in terms of getting the ball to him in better areas, but he has shown a lot of signs he doesn’t have the speed or capabilities to properly create a gap between him and oncoming defenders when we do…

So without this speed and strength advantage, you rely on instinct, positioning, a knack for being in the right place at the right time. Gyokeres has proven that he never really developed this part of his game to a top level. His goals at Sporting came mainly from the aforementioned reasons + his good finishing. Not from being an Edison Cavani or Huntelaar type striker who just always manages to get on the ball in dangerous areas round the 6 yard box.

He is not capable of creating his own xG whether it be from technical ability (tbf we knew from the get go he wouldn’t be top at this) or positioning. Without these, paired with average speed and strength, what does Gyokeres provide apart from allegedly good finishing- which we don’t see due to the above issues?

Speed average, strength average, technical ability poor, creating his own xG poor, holdup play poor, finishing good (but don’t see it). What’s the difference between this and United’s Hojlund?

I am gonna give him the rest of the season but if these signs continue with no clear improvement, I will be of the opinion we need to cut our losses this summer.

 

[Gooner Zig]

Kai CF and Gyok coming on vs tired defences is the way forward.

 

[Trilly]

I have prevented myself from giving my deep down opinion on Gyokeres because ultimately I always want to give players time here (and still hope he makes it work).

However I think it’s time, and to be honest it was in my mind from pretty early but I was in denial out of hope it would work out eventually.

Gyokeres even from the first few games you watched him here was giving very alarming signals, even despite scoring vs Leeds and Forrest. In Portugal, most of the goals he scored were from bulldozing, utilising speed and power to get through defences. He scored these goals often coming off the left half space marauding into the box etc.

For that to have continued here, he would have had to have that speed and power advantage over PL players. From the 1st game (I was hoping he wasn’t 100% fit at the time) it’s been apparent that he is not fast and he is not ultra strong.

We of course could be better in terms of getting the ball to him in better areas, but he has shown a lot of signs he doesn’t have the speed or capabilities to properly create a gap between him and oncoming defenders when we do…

So without this speed and strength advantage, you rely on instinct, positioning, a knack for being in the right place at the right time. Gyokeres has proven that he never really developed this part of his game to a top level. His goals at Sporting came mainly from the aforementioned reasons + his good finishing. Not from being an Edison Cavani or Huntelaar type striker who just always manages to get on the ball in dangerous areas round the 6 yard box.

He is not capable of creating his own xG whether it be from technical ability (tbf we knew from the get go he wouldn’t be top at this) or positioning. Without these, paired with average speed and strength, what does Gyokeres provide apart from allegedly good finishing- we don’t see due to the above issues?

I am gonna give him the rest of the season but if these signs continue with no clear improvement, I will be of the opinion we need to cut our losses this summer.

Yeah I remember pretty early on after we’d played a few through balls to him I was thinking “ah okay he’s fast enough to stay ahead if through on goal but that’s about it”

I really liked the Leeds goal though as he showed the ability to carry the ball and take on defenders, even if it was something as basic as cutting in. At least he made defenders have to tackle him. You don’t really have to be that technically gifted to do what he did against Leeds, you just have to be confident. There’s literally no reason as to why he isn’t trying to run with the ball like he used to.

There are two types of people, those who deep how much harder the league is and say f*ck it and keep trying anyway and those who let the difficulty get into their head and give up.

Biggest disappointment about this signing is his mentality imo, even when people were praising him for the Burnley game I had already noticed he was playing within himself and hiding.

I hope this leads to more confidence in his own ability. Yesterday was a good game but Kai can still have games like this. I want to see more of what he’s like in terms of being a striker, being our main goal getter.

if you click that quote it’s eye opening to see how much things have changeg, he was getting a lot of praise for that game but I spotted the timid mentality from early unfortunately.

 

[A_G]

 

[Rasputin]

I'm actually surprised this player scored so many goals at Sporting. Or he's forgotten how to play.

 

[2Smokeyy]

The fella who made the tweet thought he could get away with drawing similarities between one of the best strikers in terms of movement in the past decade to Gyokeres and saying they share similar strengths and weaknesses.

Surely one of the worst takes of 2026 already should have gone with Danny Ings or someone else.