Gary Lineker says Viktor Gyokeres needs to start out scoring against the ‘top teams’ to avoid being labelled a ‘flat-track bully’.
But Rio Ferdinand doesn’t consider it is a concern and is convinced the striker will win the Premier League title for Arsenal.
The Gunners paid Sporting Lisbon £64million for the Sweden international whose early performances have left fans and pundits divided.
While there may be praise for his work-rate, tenacity, hold-up play and talent to disrupt defences, he has scored just six goals in his first 14 appearances across all competitions.
Furthermore his 4 strikes within the Premier League have come against sides near the underside of the table, namely Leeds, Nottingham Forest and Burnley last weekend.
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Because of this, some have dubbed the 27-year-old a ‘flat-track bully’, a term used for sportspeople who thrive against inferior teams but don’t deliver in the large games.
‘I don’t wish to call him a flat-track bully, that’s a bit unfair,’ former England striker Lineker said on the Rest is Football.
‘The criticism that folks perhaps would say is that what he did in Portugal, he didn’t really rating many goals against the highest teams, and thus far his goals have been against Burnley, Forest and Leeds.
‘He must do it in among the big games, but I believe he’s had an affordable start.’
Gyokeres was largely anonymous during Arsenal’s hardest matches of the season thus far against Liverpool and Manchester City, the one two games the Gunners have didn’t win.
He did bag a brace against Atletico Madrid within the Champions League nevertheless and Ferdinand has passionately defended the striker, saying his goals against ‘smaller’ teams will lead his side to glory.
‘I don’t agree with all this, “he’s a flat track bully, etc.” Who cares if he’s?’ the Manchester United legend said on Rio Ferdinand Presents.
‘That could be just what Arsenal need. Of all the good strikers who’ve played within the Premier League, none of them scored most of their goals against the most important teams.
‘Whenever you win the league, the large games against your title rivals maintain themselves normally. More often than not, you lose your games if you don’t beat the teams you’re meant to beat.
‘Where did Arsenal drop points within the back end of last season? The smaller teams. If he’s the kind of player that’s going to go and bully those kinds of teams, it is best to go and win the league. That’s the missing a part of the jigsaw you were in search of.
‘So, all this, “but he can’t do it against the larger teams”, who cares? Another person will discover a way. Arsenal have gotten 11 different scorers within the Premier League. No person else has greater than that.
‘In order that tells you they’re sharing enough goals around. If he can bully the rubbish teams and the common teams, I believe you’re going to win the league.’
Is Viktor Gyokeres a flat-track bully?
Gyokeres scored a remarkable 97 goals in 102 games for Sporting and while he almost certainly won’t reach those figures in north London, Ferdinand remains to be backing him to hit 25 goals this season.
‘I might not be surprised if he does that because he’s going to get the probabilities to do it. It’s whether he’s clinical enough to complete him,’ the previous England defender added.
‘But I agree with what [Mikel] Arteta said about him. He gives him something different. He’s a unique profile of striker that’s going to release others. If he stays fit, Arsenal win the Premier League.’
Gyokeres did suffer a minor injury against Burnley and has not travelled for Arsenal’s Champions League game against Slavia Prague on Tuesday.
It stays to be seen if he’ll be fit enough for the Premier League match against Sunderland on Saturday evening.
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