Greatest Striker Since 1960? (Prem/Div 1)

[Bold Seagull]

I think Fergie says that Best was the greatest player to play for him, and although I take what he says with a pinch of salt, it's still pretty high praise.

Fergie's been at ManUtd a long time, but not that long....

 

[Mellotron]

Well, we all have our opinions, no matter how strange. Dennis Bergkamp wasn't even the best striker in his own team, let alone anything else!

Perhaps not at "striking" at goal, fair enough. All round footballer, yes he was.

 

[Triggaaar]

Imagine Dennis Bergkamp against the COMEDYFENDING of the 60s. He'd score a hattrick every game.

Stick the Dennis Bergkamp of a few years ago against your average Division One defence back in the 60s, he would score 2-4 goals per game. He would also look LIGHTNING, as fitness is that much better now.

He'd be fitter, but the defending in half the premiership is still pretty bad now. England were also pretty good at football in the 60s, they won the WC without Greaves (injured in some of it I think), and Bobby Moore would breeze into our national team now and laugh at the idiots around him.

Bergkamp was a great player no doubt, but either he is playing in behind Greaves, or he's on the bench, as he's not getting in any team ahead of Greaves.

Except the Dutch.

 

[Triggaaar]

Fergie's been at ManUtd a long time, but not that long....

good point - maybe he just said he was the best player he saw

 

[Bold Seagull]

But then have you seen Ronaldo's stats in Spain? Does that make him better than Greaves? Surely.

2009–

Real Madrid

78 games

83 goals

As I say, that's against a higher standard of defending.

Yes of course, Ronaldo may well be regarded as a better striker, he was outstanding in the Premiership, and now he is outstanding in La Liga. If he keeps those rates up, he may well top this list in a few years.

Greaves played at a time when a defender could smash you into the stand from behind, and he'd get a pat of the back. Some of today's strikers wouldn't last 5 mins against a well drilled 1960's defence, they'd be kicked out of the game, against the likes of Norman Hunter, Chopper Harris, Bill Foulkes etc. Today, the pitches are better, the training, professionalism, athleticism are all better, but in some ways, with those horrible boots on those awful pitches with players kicking 10 bells out of you, makes someone like Greaves record all the more impressive.

 

[Danny-Boy]

Ian Rush, surely the best strike rate (bar one wasted season at Juve)

Yes he should be on there, instead of Clive Allen. If you combined the talents of ALL the Allens they wouldn't register I reckon.

 

[Mellotron]

He'd be fitter, but the defending in half the premiership is still pretty bad now. England were also pretty good at football in the 60s, they won the WC without Greaves (injured in some of it I think), and Bobby Moore would breeze into our national team now and laugh at the idiots around him.

Genuine question: would Bobby Moore not be PAINFULLY slow if he was dropped into the current side? Also his opponents on average would be fitter and technically superior to the players he faced back then (with the exception of the world's best, Pele, Maradona etc) so he'd surely find it tougher than he did back then.

 

[Mellotron]

Yes of course, Ronaldo may well be regarded as a better striker, he was outstanding in the Premiership, and now he is outstanding in La Liga. If he keeps those rates up, he may well top this list in a few years.

Greaves played at a time when a defender could smash you into the stand from behind, and he'd get a pat of the back. Some of today's strikers wouldn't last 5 mins against a well drilled 1960's defence, they'd be kicked out of the game, against the likes of Norman Hunter, Chopper Harris, Bill Foulkes etc. Today, the pitches are better, the training, professionalism, athleticism are all better, but in some ways, with those horrible boots on those awful pitches with players kicking 10 bells out of you, makes someone like Greaves record all the more impressive.

Understand what you mean there, Ronaldo would struggle big time with that back then, however if it was nowadays, those players would all be sent off immediately, leaving Ronaldo to dance around the 7 players left on the pitch.

 

[Danny-Boy]

PS I voted for Wrighty, knew no-one else on here would. But he was the best striker I ever saw play, up close. Used to play and juggle the ball during the game when at Selhurst, it wasn't show-boating though, he just loved doing it.

 

[Danny-Boy]

He'd be fitter, but the defending in half the premiership is still pretty bad now. England were also pretty good at football in the 60s, they won the WC without Greaves (injured in some of it I think), and Bobby Moore would breeze into our national team now and laugh at the idiots around him.
.

Don't forget the old heavy leather ball, especially in the wet. I woinder how many modern players could have done a "Ronny Radford"? Maybe Darren Ambrose...

 

[Randsta]

Out of that list thierry henry is my favorite that guy scored some amazing goals, each goal was a masterpiece!

 

[Triggaaar]

Genuine question: would Bobby Moore not be PAINFULLY slow if he was dropped into the current side?

Well he was never that quick then, but he read the game better than anyone else and timed his challenges to perfection. I imagine he'd do fine.

Also his opponents on average would be fitter and technically superior to the players he faced back then (with the exception of the world's best, Pele, Maradona etc) so he'd surely find it tougher than he did back then.

Players should be fitter now, but it wasn't just Pele and Maradona that were great back then - the whole Brazilian 1970s team were amazing, and Bobby played them and Eusebio etc.

Attacking players in the 60s also had to deal with being hacked to shit by tough defenders, whereas the rules have now changed to protect modern players, which makes scoring easier and comparing harder.

 

[Pevenseagull]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLdRuLZNvgg


my favourite English forward of all time - and as I've posted earlier whoever played along side him for a full season would be pretty much guaranteed 30 goals

 

[Max Paper]

Pretty sure I would have Bergkamp in that list somewhere.

It took the first post to find exactly what I was going to say

 

[hitony]

Perhaps not at "striking" at goal, fair enough. All round footballer, yes he was.

But the thread starter is asking who is the greatest STRIKER since 1960, not the greatest all round footballer.

 

[Storer 68]

errrr, I think you'll find the greatest striker must be the one that put in the greatest performance on the greatest stage in the biggest game on the planet . So that would be who put in the greatest performance in a World Cup Final

and that is

SIR GEOFF HURST. The ONLY player EVER to have scored three goals in a World Cup Final.

and he's not even in your poll, though jimmy Geaves is (who was in the World Cup squard but not picked!)

 

[Bold Seagull]

SIR GEOFF HURST and he's not even in your poll, though jimmy Geaves is (who was in the World Cup squard but not picked!)

Greaves was without a shadow of a doubt first choice striker going into the world cup and started all the group games until he got injured against France in the final group game. With Greaves injured, Hurst started the game against Argentina in the knockout phase and scored the only goal. Possibly Charlton's finest game in an England shirt won the semi final, with Greaves still not fit. With Ramsey unsure if he'd recovered from the knock and not wanting to change a winning side going into the final, Greaves remained on the bench.

To say Greaves was not picked is to bend the truth somewhat.

 

[Pavilionaire]

It's got to be Greaves.

I'm presently trying to teach my 5 y.o. to "pass the ball into the back of the net" like Greaves. His leagcy lives on.

Of the modern era Ian Rush takes some beating. He had a real knack of finding the corner of the net, making it incredibly hard for the keeper. If only he'd been English!

 

[Mo Gosfield]

Greaves was without a shadow of a doubt first choice striker going into the world cup and started all the group games until he got injured against France in the final group game. With Greaves injured, Hurst started the game against Argentina in the knockout phase and scored the only goal. Possibly Charlton's finest game in an England shirt won the semi final, with Greaves still not fit. With Ramsey unsure if he'd recovered from the knock and not wanting to change a winning side going into the final, Greaves remained on the bench.

To say Greaves was not picked is to bend the truth somewhat.

Agreed....Greaves was clearly first choice striker at the start of the tournament. He didn't score in the group games but from memory set up both goals for Roger Hunt v France. He suffered a gaping leg wound in that game, that required 14 stitches and admitted in his autobiography that he knew his tournament was over. He held out hope that Ramsey would recall him but Alf couldn't take that chance. Had there been one substitute then I'm sure it would have been Greaves and I'm equally sure he would have come on in extra-time.
The man was awesome. At his peak, one of the three top strikers in Europe ( Eusebio and Denis Law being the others )
His positional sense was brilliant and he took the ball round goalkeepers more easily than any other player I have ever seen.
The most natural, accomplished finisher that English football has ever seen and first name on my team sheet ( as a striker ) since 1960.

 

[Danny-Boy]

Agreed....Greaves was clearly first choice striker at the start of the tournament. He didn't score in the group games but from memory set up both goals for Roger Hunt v France. He suffered a gaping leg wound in that game, that required 14 stitches and admitted in his autobiography that he knew his tournament was over. He held out hope that Ramsey would recall him but Alf couldn't take that chance. Had there been one substitute then I'm sure it would have been Greaves and I'm equally sure he would have come on in extra-time.
The man was awesome. At his peak, one of the three top strikers in Europe ( Eusebio and Denis Law being the others )
His positional sense was brilliant and he took the ball round goalkeepers more easily than any other player I have ever seen.
The most natural, accomplished finisher that English football has ever seen and first name on my team sheet ( as a striker ) since 1960.

Yes I saw him play but only towards the end of his career. From memory he was transferred out to West Ham after Spurs lost a cup game to Palace around 1970, it was considered a disgrace. That was when Big Chiv (Martin Chivers) took over from Gilzean up front.

Greaves like all relatively short players had the advantage of a low c of g and being closer to the ball. Maradona was another example of that virtue.