Fewer world class strikers in Europe now than before?

[HaalandEffect]

Is it fewer good elite strikers in Europe then before? Have the competetion in European leagues getting better?
Before you did have Shevchenko, Ibrahimovic, Eto'o, Crespo, Del Piero, Trezeguet, Ronaldo, Totti, Drogba, Henry, Higuain, van Persie, David Villa, Raul, Rooney etc playing in the same era.

Nowdays you dont have that many: Haaland, Mbappe, Lautaro Martinez, Messi, Benzema, Salah, C. Ronaldo, Lewandowski, Harry Kane, Osimhen, Vlahovic.

Think that nowdays not all strikers are near the strikers level it was before. The aging strikers should maybe be put between these eras. Maybe those eras should be more divided in 2000s 2010s 2020s

What do you think?

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

View attachment 109873

Is it fewer good elite strikers in Europe then before? Have the competetion in European leagues getting better?
Before you did have Shevchenko, Ibrahimovic, Eto'o, Crespo, Del Piero, Trezeguet, Ronaldo, Totti, Drogba, Henry, Higuain, van Persie, Villa, Raul, Rooney etc playing in the same era.

Nowdays you dont have that many: Haaland, Mbappe, Lautaro Martinez, Messi, Benzema, Salah, C. Ronaldo, Lewandowski, Harry Kane, Osimhen, Vlahovic.

What do you think?

The game and tactics are evolving, meaning most fluent sides want a false 9 to link play and use their wide forwards as the goalscorers.

Kane has developed into a false 9 for England too.

There'll always be room for proper number 9s, but they’ll either have to be exceptional or play for more direct footballing teams.

 

[bluesmith]

The game and tactics are evolving, meaning most fluent sides want a false 9 to link play and use their wide forwards as the goalscorers.

Kane has developed into a false 9 for England too.

There'll always be room for proper number 9s, but they’ll either have to be exceptional or play for more direct footballing teams.

You've only got to look at the top 20 PL scorers at the minute to back that up, only Haaland, Watkins, Solanke, nunez and Adebayo have played as out and out strikers (could argue Isak but he played off the wing a lot too). Ten years ago 17 of the top 20 (24 as 5 tied 19th) were strikers. I'd say it the Pep effect, footballers all over = goalscorers all over.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

You've only got to look at the top 20 PL scorers at the minute to back that up, only Haaland, Watkins, Solanke, nunez and Adebayo have played as out and out strikers (could argue Isak but he played off the wing a lot too). Ten years ago 17 of the top 20 (24 as 5 tied 19th) were strikers. I'd say it the Pep effect, footballers all over = goalscorers all over.

Plus Bayern and Barca play with traditional 9s and aren’t doing as well as they were without them, whilst Madrid and Bellingham are filling their boots and Leverkusen are flying with Nathan Tella in their front 3.

 

[bluesmith]

Plus Bayern and Barca play with traditional 9s and aren’t doing as well as they were without them, whilst Madrid and Bellingham are filling their boots and Leverkusen are flying with Nathan Tella in their front 3.

Nathan Tella is a crazy story. Not wanted by Southampton for a team that went down, great year for Burnley then wouldnt resign despite little interest from elsewhere and goes at the end of the window to Bayer and looks like he'll beat Kane to a league winners medal!

 

[bennyboy]

The term world class gets branded about too easily now.
There never has been a lot of world class strikers playing at once all over Europe.

 

[Vienna_70]

View attachment 109873

Is it fewer good elite strikers in Europe then before? Have the competetion in European leagues getting better?
Before you did have Shevchenko, Ibrahimovic, Eto'o, Crespo, Del Piero, Trezeguet, Ronaldo, Totti, Drogba, Henry, Higuain, van Persie, David Villa, Raul, Rooney etc playing in the same era.

Nowdays you dont have that many: Haaland, Mbappe, Lautaro Martinez, Messi, Benzema, Salah, C. Ronaldo, Lewandowski, Harry Kane, Osimhen, Vlahovic.

Think that nowdays not all strikers are near the strikers level it was before. The aging strikers should maybe be put between these eras. Maybe those eras should be more divided in 2000s 2010s 2020s

What do you think?

I can’t believe you didn’t mention Sergio.