I've just written a post about the demise of the goalscorer/poacher and, after doing so, felt it deserved it's own thread. Why is it that when you leave league 1 and all the various leagues below and take the meteoric rise to championship/premiership/international level, the revered goalscorer goes from hero status to that of a leper? Someone that football people sneer at and avoid at all costs!! If you're a team at the very top, it's likely you'll have a wealth of goalscoring talent so it may seem less important. Spain don't need one simply because they have so much possession they're bound to score eventually. But for england, with so little, our chances of getting close to winning anything would be greatly I improved by having a player up front who can't pass, tackle or link up, but at the mere sniff of a hint of chance puts that ball in the back of the net. It is completely underestimated how much fear it puts into opposition defenders and goalkeepers when you have someone like that in your team. The premiership is trying to crack the American market and they will struggle because all they want see is goals. It's no coincidence that chelsea and man city were involved in two games over there that produced 15 goals!! Ian wright, Andy Cole, Michael Owen, Robbie fowler, Alan shearer, sir Les etc. Go back further to the likes of jimmy greaves, Eusebio, Pele... How many of those players didn't excite fans when they played? I think now is the time for the rise of the selfish, greedy, "there's no I in team but there is me" goalscorer to take the footballing world by storm again!! #darkagesfootball.
You have to go back to Sir Les for our last proper 'hitman', what would he be worth today? £60 million?...
How about this guy? please log in to view this image Robbie Keane is now the fifth-highest international goalscorer in European history with 59 goals. Only German duo Miroslav Klose (67) and Gerd Mueller (68) and Hungarian pair Sandor Kocsis (75) and Ferenc Puskas (84) have scored more.
While I get what you are saying, I'm struggling with the inclusion of Eusebio and Pele in your argument about he demise of poachers. Clive Allen is still one of my all time favourite players. His game plan wasn't complicated. Ball, net, thank you.
......and still a youngster at the ripe old age of 32 (33 in July), and in the Kevin Phillips tradition (40 in July), still lots of goals in him.
My 12 year old nephew got an award last night for the top scorer in the local u12 regional league. He scored 47 goals. Seems to have all the basic skills but just always seems to be in the right place at the right time. A real fox in the box.
Put him in the team now - somebody who finds the net and has years on his side - it's a winner for me!
Would love to see that sort of player at QPR...but that said, there are risks. For all the great players that have been mentioned, there are countless others (many of whom have tried their luck at QPR) who see themselves as out and out strikers, but aren't anywhere near the standard of Shearer, Fowler, Sir Les and co. The problem is, unearthing these players is like striking gold, but if you unearth fools gold, you've got a player who wastes a spot in the starting 11 because they shoot from unrealistic situations. We've seen a fair few of those over the years, but I guess with the right player, the risk really pays off.
This isn't just about qpr but football in general. And these players get goals for fun so it never seems to be a waste.
I'm not just talking about a Gary Lineker who sits on the six yard line, just out and out goalscorers who could put it in from anywhere with both feet, head, chest, arse! Players who just love to score goals, and live for the thrill of it. That's why Eusebio and Pele are in that list, there are many more but not these days. Van persie is the only player in the top flight now that I can think of.....
He would be in my list as well, I was just trying to explain why I put others in there to roller. England could do with him right now!!
Totally agre..never scored a great goal, but scored some great goals......Did exactly what you want you striker to do....His job I couldt care if out CF ran, tackled defended etc, If he guaranteed me a goal again he would be the first name on the team sheet every week. Note: Just do your job...Its a simple game made difficult by the idiots who play it !
