Why does England struggle to produce an abundance of quality strikers?

[steds]

Cadamarteri*cough*

Haha. Squid was such a gun. That goal the scored in the derby was ****ing awesome.

 

[DireWindies]

I'd say the exact reverse was true, actually. We're forever talking England & English players up only to end up with egg all over our faces when we crash & burn against less heralded but more skillful & better organised teams.

The Gerrard/Lampard situation is a case in point. Anyone with the vaguest acquaitance with the sport can see they're too similar as players & seem to be too ****ing dim to work out how to play with each other. What's needed is a strong manager who'll have the testes to take the issue on & drop one of them; instead we have "Not Bloody" Steve McClaren who continues to attempt to make a system around the big name players rather than vice versa..

And you would be correct to do so.

And as for the Gerrard/ Lampard "debate" well as time passes it becomes less and less of an issue (if it ever really was one for anyone who actually knows the game) It's a no brainer that Fat Frank should be the one for the axe.

And the reason isn't that they are "too similar" as you put it, but that Stevie G is quite clearly better, with the gap only widening.

 

[TT Boy]

Agreed but the players you mention are from areas as widespread as Africa, Western Europe and Eastern Europe. It isnt a fair comparison regarding a nations strength.

Counting Owen and Rooney as 1 and 2 and therefore Crouch at 3 and Dafoe at #4. Who are the 4th ranked Bulgarian and Ivorian strikers?

Chelsea's Salomon Kalou, Arouna Koné or if S. Kalou has now taken the second striker role it would be Aruna Dindane of RC Lens. Kone and Kalou > Crouch, Defoe?

 

[Pup Clarke]

Kone and Kalou > Crouch, Defoe?

No chance. I'd rather have Defoe than Kalou who has not impressed me for Chelsea this saeson. Crouch and Kone however are totally different players so it's very difficult to say which one is better.

 

[pinchy81]

You people just wait the next big thing in Daniel Sturridge will be ripping it p soon for Man City

 

[marc71178]

Claiming him as one of your own then?

 

[Cloete]

Chelsea's Salomon Kalou, Arouna Koné or if S. Kalou has now taken the second striker role it would be Aruna Dindane of RC Lens. Kone and Kalou > Crouch, Defoe?

Yes. Kalou's come on leaps and bounds this year. Definitely better than Crouch IMO, although Crouch could be considered to be more valuable.

Kone is an excellent player and is better than Defoe. Dindane is better than all four though, been a vastly underrated player for a long time. The guy has a sensational passing game for a striker and can find the net with ease. Just his inconsistency that has let him down, but he almost always puts in a good performance in the big games.

 

[aussie]

Not really. How many defenders and midfielders do England have that are genuinely world class? At a push, possibly Neville and Gerrard.

I'm not saying all are world-class but its the kind of back-up in mid-field & defense that most sides would love to have, behind the main central defensive pair of Terry/Ferdidnad if one is injured England can call on Carragher, Woodgate, King & on the flanks Bridge & Richards are solid enough backups to Cole & Neville.

In mid-field regardless of all the debate & confusion of who should play & who should play where their enough talented depth around the country in most positions.

 

[Neil Pickup]

The problem is not one of talent but of motivation.

 

[aussie]

Back in the mid-late 90s all the talk was on how England produces more strikers than anyone else and how the then current young players would be a legendary group by 2004 and 2006. That group included guys like Jeffers, Owen, Defore, Joachim, Scholes, Cadamarteri*cough* etc

It just obviously hasnt panned out that way. I dont think there is an issue with England producing strikers I just think people overreact when things are good and also when things dont look so rosy.

These guys also had a tough task of taking the mantle from a very good group including Fowler, Shearer, Sheringham, Ferdinand, Le Tis, Cole etc

I also think there is an English disease that underrates English talent compared to the more exotic and fashionable foreign players (maybe less so now than it was).

I dont think England are particularly worse off than many other countries, especially since things are at a particular low right now. Give it a few years and it will right itself. I dont think there is anything fundamentally wrong with the system

Fair statement, but looking at some of the other strikers you have mentioned i don't know other than Sheringham i don't rate the likes of Cole, Fowler especially that highly but i can't say that about Le Tissier since i didn't see much of him at this best. Cole IMO only looked quality during the treble season, Fowler a great penalty taker and thats about it, Ferdinand i never saw him at his best so can't give a fair judgement on him.

 

[Matteh]

Andy Cole scored goals for fun in the early days of the Premiership, Fowler was second only to Shearer around the 94/95 time in terms of goals scored and Ferdinand had that gun season or two in about 96/97. Le Tissier wasn't a striker as such either, definitely should have played more than 8 times for England though.

 

[Neil Pickup]

You are far too young, then. Watched the Football/Premiership Years on Sky today (half term rocks) whilst eating loads of Jammie Dodgers and I swear the finishing ten years ago was infinitely better than it is today. The class of players like Fowler (three minute hat trick anyone) and Ferdinand - who barely got a look in for England, remember - not to mention someone like Ian Wright, when compared to the current crap that keeps getting caps (Andrew, Darren, Jermaine...) is, quite frankly, ridiculous.

When did it all go wrong? Clearly with the renaming from Premier League to Premiership.

 

[Tom Halsey]

You are far too young, then. Watched the Football/Premiership Years on Sky today (half term rocks) whilst eating loads of Jammie Dodgers and I swear the finishing ten years ago was infinitely better than it is today. The class of players like Fowler (three minute hat trick anyone) and Ferdinand - who barely got a look in for England, remember - not to mention someone like Ian Wright, when compared to the current crap that keeps getting caps (Andrew, Darren, Jermaine...) is, quite frankly, ridiculous.

When did it all go wrong? Clearly with the renaming from Premier League to Premiership.

Indeed, I usually end up watching at least a couple of Prem Years each half term.

 

[GIMH]

On the 4th morning of Edgbaston 05, I woke at 7.30 with the worst hangover. I was too excited to go back to sleep so made myself a cuppa and went back to bed for the Prem years at 8

Good times

 

[Burgey]

Le Tissier wasn't a striker as such either, definitely should have played more than 8 times for England though.

Amen.

Couldn't he bomb them from long range?

 

[GIMH]

Yeah, scored some unbelievable goals

 

[Goughy]

He scored a goal approx every 2 1/2 games for the Saints which is an amazing record given where he played.

 

[Goughy]

Interesting to see the French are not blessed with an abundance of top forwards ATM as Anelka is their no. 1 right now and they are playing him as the lone striker.

 

[aussie]

Well we know Henry & Saha are injured. Don't know whats the case with Treseguet, Wiltord & Cisse though.

 

[Pup Clarke]

Interesting to see the French are not blessed with an abundance of top forwards ATM as Anelka is their no. 1 right now and they are playing him as the lone striker.

The French striking options would probably be in this order Henry-Saha-Anelka-Trezeguet-Cisse-Benzama-Wiltord. Not too impressive imo.