Table of Contents
- Disagreement Between Ferdinand and Lineker
- Ferdinand's Defense of Gyokeres
- Gyokeres' Performance at Arsenal
- Historical Context of Scoring
- Conclusion
Former Manchester United defender, Rio Ferdinand, has expressed his disagreement with Gary Lineker regarding the former Barcelona striker's assertion that Arsenal's Viktor Gyokeres must start scoring against the 'top teams' to avoid being labeled a 'flat-track bully.'
Ferdinand argued that it doesn't matter whether the former Sporting Lisbon star scores against major teams or not, asserting that the striker will help Arsenal secure the Premier League title.
Gyokeres transferred to Arsenal from Sporting Lisbon in a deal valued at approximately £64 million.
He scored six goals for the Gunners in his initial 14 appearances across all competitions, with four of those goals coming against a lower-ranked Premier League team, while the other two were scored in the Champions League against Atletico Madrid.
Consequently, Lineker referred to the Swedish player as a 'flat-track bully,' a term used for athletes who excel against weaker opponents.
“I don't want to label him a flat-track bully; that seems a bit unfair,” Lineker commented on the Rest is Football, noting that even during his time at Sporting CP, the striker struggled to find the net against top teams.
“So far, his goals have been against Burnley, Forest, and Leeds,” he added, emphasizing that the Sweden international needs to perform well in significant matches.
In defense of the player, Ferdinand stated that his goals against 'smaller' teams will be crucial for Mikel Arteta's squad in their title pursuit.
“I disagree with the notion that he’s a flat-track bully. Who cares if he is?” he remarked on Rio Ferdinand Presents.
“That might be precisely what Arsenal needs. Throughout the history of great strikers in the Premier League, very few scored the majority of their goals against the strongest teams.
“Where did Arsenal lose points at the end of last season? Against the smaller teams. If he can dominate those types of teams, then they should be on track to win the league. That could be the missing piece of the puzzle they were searching for.
“All this talk about him not performing against bigger teams—who cares? Someone else will step up. Arsenal has 11 different scorers in the Premier League, which is more than any other team.”
“If he can overpower the weaker and average teams, I believe you’re going to win the league.”
During his time in Portugal, the 27-year-old scored 97 goals in 102 matches for Sporting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do some people consider Viktor Gyokeres a 'flat-track bully'?
Viktor Gyokeres has been labeled a 'flat-track bully' because some critics believe he primarily scores against weaker teams rather than performing well against top opponents.
What did Rio Ferdinand say in defense of Gyokeres?
Rio Ferdinand defended Gyokeres by stating that scoring against smaller teams is important for winning the league and that historically, many top strikers have not scored most of their goals against the strongest teams.
