16 Jun 2025 10:31:01
Thinking over the last couple of days of the dearth of top strikers out there and I wonder why there's such a lack of them. I'm not into tactics or coaching and I wonder is it the change in formation in the last 20 years, away from 442, and the main striker having to do more defensive/ creating work? Although didn't seem to affect strikers like Ian Rush for example, but slowly over the decades since I was a kid, a good number 9 seems to have disappeared.
I remember in the 80s you'd have Rush, Aldridge, Lineker, Sharp, Romario, Klinsmann, Butragueno, Hugo Sanchez, Rossi, Palin, Rummenigge, Roller, Maradona, Van Basten, then hitting the 90s it was Suker, Morientes, Inzaghi, Fowler, Shevchenko, Wright, Raul, Weah, del Piero, Shearer, Romario, Bergkamp, Batistuta, Baggio, Ronaldo.
As we get into 2000s the pool gets smaller although some carry over from the 90s, and only players like Torres, Villa, Rooney, Kaka, C Ronaldo, ibrahimovic, Henry, Messi, Totti stand out, but were players who could play wider or deeper, only some like klose, van nistelrroy Drogba and Owen being out and dout striker possibly.
2010s has only given us apart from some of the above plus suarez, van persie, lewandowski, aguero, kane and benzema.
I'm missing lots, I know, but my whole point is, there seems to be fewer and fewer in the game, hence the ridiculous prices quoted for average strikers.
16 Jun 2025 11:57:28
The game has changed and wingers are a big source of goals rather than purely creators now. Messi, Ronaldo, Salah, Mbappe. But there are still elite strikers in the 2020's: Lewandowski, Haaland, Benzema, Kane.
16 Jun 2025 11:58:40
It's often said that players have been overcoached which could be the most simple answer.
Overcoaching and repurposing can lead to a player losing a bit of the individual flair they had with the ball at their feet as a young cub.
It's most evident in the midfield where players come through academies in specialist roles. The complete midfielder is nearly non existent now. Don't think we will see a Gerrard again at Liverpool for example.
A lot of clubs follow peps formula now which leaves one striker up top. A lot of the great strikers of old played as a two which does help. It requires a different skill set which is coached into players when they are young.
Another point could actually be hunger. Money in the game is different now. The game itself is different. Do players respect the game and their coaches the same. There have been a lot of players with potential in the last 10 to 15 years that don't see it realised. Is this due to thinking they have it all already? Can they not take a coach's criticism. The money in today's game gives players too much power over coaches and managers. They would rather moan on social media than put the effort in on the training ground.
To counter that argument maybe managers just aren't as good in today's football?
Maybe it's just a bad cycle.
Slower build up play from most teams hurts a striker in today's football compared to the days of old. Defenders are fitter which allows better recovery when there is bad shape.
All of it could just be in our heads too. Maybe the stats show that most strikers on average now score more goals per season than the strikers of old did at similar ages.
A lot of the flair has been taken out of the game. And the flair is what you remember when looking back. I can hardly remember a haaland goal since he joined city. Yet I can picture a few of his for dortmund.
Defences sit back in blocks of 8 or 9 now. Strikers are afraid to shoot from long range or don't get the same opportunities to do so.
Flair and technique may have been replaced by pressing ability and positional awareness.
80 to 100 million for a striker who can't strike a ball well tells you where the game is at in general today.
Maybe it's just mental bias of a time when you were younger and football was a bit more special. I know as I have gotten older the spark of it has faded a little. I still love watching my team but I find that I wouldn't be dying to watch a madrid barcelona derby anymore as there's not many players outside of my team I'd be dying to watch play.
Maybe that's a fault on my part and not the games. All sports evolve and you have to be prepared to evolve with them or be stuck writing long rambling messages that don't have an answer lol.
16 Jun 2025 12:07:30
Has the striker talent really dried up or has modern coaching shifted the goal threat to wide forwards with a facilitating number 9 being preferred by the systems? If the latter, the opportunities for traditional goalscoring no9s are less.
If you are going to make it as a no9 today, you either need to be able to drop in and facilitate (false 9) or be equally comfortable running channels as playing through the middle. And in all cases you you will be asked to be a relentness and intelligent presser.
16 Jun 2025 12:39:44
Pelican, great question you ask in your first paragraph. It all depends now cos there are a decent amount of teams that now play with no striker and it works well fi the setup and the movement from midfield works out.
Now regarding the top CF you described, you are literally decribing either a Marco Van Basten or a George Weah cos both could do both the dropping deep to facilitate (something Marco was great at and Weah was recruited to do the exact same thing) . And comfortably play thru the middle which they both could do so, obviously as well as press.
So if my premise above is true, it's a specific CF from the past that is needed to be the CF of today and pretty much, the future. What say you, sir?
16 Jun 2025 13:51:19
I suppose that you can classify a number 9 again into different categories can't you. The so called old fashioned types that won the ball, shielded it, gave it to a winger and was there on the end of a cross like a Weah, Drogba, Mark Hughes type, then there were the more technical like Marco van Basten, Suarez, Torres type.
Agree with what you're all saying, that possibly being coached out of the players, to be more team players, and looks like the one that stands out to me as not a team player and only there to score goals, (which is what you are paid to do i think) is Haaland. Doesn't really assist, or so I read.
Again, back to my point from above, similar to when there was a lack of holding midfielders, how much you had to pay for a half decent one once they became popular. What price now on a fowler or a torres or a Rush?
16 Jun 2025 14:01:29
Tactics have changed markedly in the last 20 years with wingers often (though not always) occupying space further up field, as well as breaking lines, more so than a forward as that’s where more space exists. Additionally, with the rise of the false 9 position, the demands on forwards themselves have been altered significantly. There is also a much greater emphasis on fitness, and ability to run and press tirelessly, and that has probably been at the expense of flair and individuality as a forward. It could also just be a lull - there are sometimes short gaps in history wherein a stand out group of players in a certain position simply aren’t present - but that doesn’t mean there won’t be. I imagine 5 years later they’ll be a few outstanding forwards on the tips of everyone’s tongue, these things often come in cycles.
16 Jun 2025 14:24:17
Rush and Fowler - you can put them in a bracket.
But how can someone put a Torres there with them?
Though he was decent, I don't think we can compare Torres to them.
16 Jun 2025 14:35:31
I agree with you, Seano. I think I'm right in saying, despite the "death of the number 9", there are more goals scored now than there were in the 70/ 80s.
16 Jun 2025 14:42:11
I chose Torres as an example as he played for us, and for the 4 years he was with us he hardly disappointed as his stats prove. And id definitely prefer to spend 80m on him as a 23 year old than on a Sesko or Ekitike of the same age.
16 Jun 2025 15:06:55
Strikers are a luxury you have to accommodate for one purpose. The rest of the team has to carry them when not in a direct goal scoring situation.
16 Jun 2025 15:13:03
That's a good point, Rome. It's a system game now where the CF is no longer the only/ main source of goals. A lot more goals are being scored from midfield and out wide right now which may be a contributing factor to your premise, as well.
16 Jun 2025 15:37:18
King Kenny signed Suarez to play with Torres as a front two, with Stevie G behind feeding them! What a mouth watering prospect, that is some massive fire power would have been the best ever in the Premier League History, and would have certainly equalled or even surpassed Rush, Dalglish, Souness of the old First Division Era.
As the same day Suarez signed, Torres left the same day to Chelsea and Andy "Barell" Carroll came in from Newcastle also in the same window? which left it less mouth watering!
16 Jun 2025 15:54:38
Just use Diaz. Pay him a bit more and use him as a striker rather than spend loads of money on a striker.
Wingers can also provide goals.
His number of goals last season was not bad.
16 Jun 2025 16:12:03
If we'd waited a few months and tried, we could've got Aguero for the same as Carroll.
16 Jun 2025 17:25:07
That's not true, 007. Torres and Suarez didn't play together.
We sold Torres and bought Suarez and Carroll in the same window.
16 Jun 2025 18:50:53
Rigsby, When was the last time you went to Specsavers, or do you only read one paragraph of two! I have no problems with being criticised for mistakes, after all the perfect human being will never exist, only with postings not fully read do I find irritating and ensuing criticism from not being read to the end!
Instead of chasing Vienna the Cat or Miss Jones up and down the stairs please concentrate Rigsby! the reason ye will always be Single and Miserly is "Ye wouldn't get ye @ole in a Barrel of Doughnuts" now if you had read the bottom paragraph, you may have noticed I spelled Barrel incorrect, which I would of conceded!
Regarding "that's not true 007", hence labelling me a teller of untruths in essence? though I do accept that Rigsby expressed that as not being with Malice or any Harm, because knowing Rigsby and your postings history for yonks, that will never be your intentions Rigsby, which I applaud) may I suggest what my Mother told me off for many, many years ago, when I also labelled someone else a miss teller of Truths!
You must never call anyone a Li@r, but merely point out instead that they are " a Stranger to the Truth" (same thing? more Tactful and Motherly! )
Ye better put Vienna the Cat out and the Milk Bottles out before ye forget Rigsby, unless ye get Miss Jones over a Barrel, knowing you Rigsby that Barrel will be well empty?
16 Jun 2025 19:24:11
It's a fair cop, 007 ?.
I didn't read the last paragraph because I didn't see it. I'm blaming being outside and the strong sunshine. I didn't read Oli's post earlier properly either.
But I didn't call you a liar! I said you were wrong. You can be wrong without lying.
In my defence, though; I don't think there was a chance that Suarez was going to play with Torres. Torres was being sold as Suarez was being bought.
So I'll apologise for not reading your post properly before commenting and I appreciate you taking my mistake in good spirits.
16 Jun 2025 19:31:33
I'm picturing Rigsby saying "ooohhh, Miss Jones, Miss Jones". I was waiting for you to get.
16 Jun 2025 19:34:49
I'm now picturing Rigsby saying "oohhh, Miss Jones, Miss Jones". I was waiting for you to get back, Bond, as I'd realised Rigsby's mistake. I think you've given him a severe reprimand, Bond.
16 Jun 2025 19:48:32
Hello Rigsby,
You have nothing to "atone" for Rigsby as you're not that kind of person in true life either! just a nice landlord.
P. S. Mrs Bond and I once had a solitary nice Miss "Jones" also! she left the fold ages ago!