RVP every day. Goals and assists and great link up play, tho' still a long way to go to be a Utd great. Don't really rate RVN - he was a great striker but too greedy and demanded the team always play to his strength which was not the Utd way. I don't think it's a coincidence that the five years he led our line were the leanest of the last two decades, and as soon as he was out the door we were dominant again.
Both together would be epic. Was watching the premier league years this morning, 2002-2003 season. Ruud was sensational, he was the best goal poacher striker we ever had along with Dennis Law. A brilliant player.
Very tough question, but I'm leaning slightly towards RVN. He was the best out and out striker I think we've ever had. Swarbs....Abit harsh there, I don't think that lean spell had anything to do with the fact RVN was up front, more to do with Arsenal having there strongest ever side, and the emergence of a Russian billionaire at Chelsea
Harsh doesn't do it justice. Ruud was what he was, the best number 9 in the world at the time, and United played differently to how we usually do to accomodate him. Like you say, it's hardly his fault we didn't win as much as usual given the quite ridiculous amount of goals he himself scored. They just weren't as spread out amongst the team as they usually are. And yes, Arsenal were very strong in those days and then along came Roman. We shouldn't get carried away, RVN scored bags of goals without fail over four or five seasons, RVP has so far done it for half a season.
Maybe it's harsh, but like Ruff says we played differently to accommodate him and I don't think it worked for us. I've never liked us being too dependent on a single striker who has to be fed to score - all our other strikers have created for themselves and others. With Ruud you always felt that if he didn't score, we wouldn't score and that's a very dangerous situation to be in - we ended up being like Newcastle with Shearer. His first season summed it up for me - he started out ok, then scored once in eight games. We lost five of those games and that was our title challenge gone. Same problem in 03/04 - the Rio suspension hit us hard, but once again RVN stopped scoring and we stopped winning, right when we had the perfect chance to keep the pressure on Arsenal. We almost had the same problem in 02/03 when he went six or so games without scoring and we dropped to third - fortunately he came back to form late in the season and we shot past Arsenal. His last two seasons there wasn't much anyone could do, but I think we'd have mounted a better challenge with a more rounded attack. Not really Ruud's fault, I'm just not a fan of a side like Utd relying too heavily on a single player, particularly one who is purely a goal scorer. Have always been more comfortable with a player like Cantona, Yorke, Rooney, Ronaldo or RVP who doesn't just score but contributes in the build up as well, with less important players like Ole and Hernandez as the out and out goal scorers. Big Bad Dirk. He'll huff and he'll puff and he'll average eight goals a season
Not really a top striker though in reality, more of your workhorse type of player. There's almost an irony to his legend status, like Diego Forlan with us.
It has got to be RVP. Just phenomenal. RVN was good but nowhere near RVP. I think only behind Messi and Ronaldo as the top player in Europe. Like Ronaldo, when he is playing you know United can score. I still cannot believe that Wenger let him be sold to United.
RVN. Ruud did it over numerous year for United whereas as someone pointed out RVP has done it for half a season for us.
