The counter to that is the quality of the supply chain around those strikers... would Cole (or any of the others) have been as prolific at Stoke or West Brom? ... but that's the beauty of these discussions...
Bellamy was class, I think his final year at City he was probably their best player. He was also a transformative signing for Bobby Robson at Newcastle. It was his attitude everyone hated.
Pretty sure nobody would be as prolific at Stoke or West Brom as at peak United. Anyway the answer is Sir Les with honourable mention for Bobby Zamora.
Sir Les came to us in the twilight of his career ... still a class act. Would also give a shout out to Tony Cottee another class act that we picked up late in his career... won his only domestic trophy with us, bless him ... an inspired signing by Martin O'Neill...
Sir Les had the best leap in the game in his era. He was ****ing unreal in the air for a man of his size. Cottee was a favourite of mine, but often got ignored, as ‘all’ he ever did was be in the right place at the right time and stick the ball in the back of the onion sack. Famously fell out with HK at our place for that exact reason, that I never understood. Tit head Mike Walker sacked him clean off iirc.
Saw Tony Cottee and Frank McAvennie play a few times together for West Ham. That's way before the PL era, so can't really include them on here. But that West Ham team around 1985/86 was one of the best in the league.
When he fancied it he was virtually unplayable. The issue with Big Dunc was he was always on the sick. I remember Sir Bobby talking about him after his spell at Newcastle, and he said he’d stopped asking him if he felt right to play, and just stuck his name on the team sheet. He was primarily known for his ability in the air, but he had much more to his game than that, scored some absolute screamers over the years, and was technically a very good footballer, which he rarely got credit for. He’s a legend at Everton obvs, and he loves the club, his passion is infectious, still makes me smile when he grabs Carlo who in terms of his touchline persona is the complete opposite. I hope he stays with us, but I think someone will offer him a managers job in the none too distant, and tbh I think he could be brilliant at it.
He was also a ****ing unit who used to put the ****s up CBs. The old school game was often about big defenders kicking seven bells out of little centre forwards, but Dunc was equal to that and he could play football too.
3rd best in the league t be precise. best team in London though, funny how these things come around yeah, any excuse.
I used to go to Upton park fairly regularly back then. Growing up in London, you had a choice every weekend where to watch football. Obvs Arsenal at home was my regular, but if we were playing away up north and I couldn't get tickets or afford to go, then I had mates who were West Ham, Chartlon and Millwall fans, so I'd go with them. Wouldn't have dreamed of going in the home end for a Spurs or Chelsea game though.
