Which is the hardest league to score goals?

[Howard_lfc]

I thought initially that this was an easy question to answer: Italy's Serie 'A'. Done. Or so I thought - until I remembered Andrea Silenzi and Pierluigi Casirhagi.......... Both of these players scored goals in abundance in Italy and yet both flopped miserably in the Premiership (Note Casirhagi retired after injury I believe).

The spanish league is possibly the most technical league in Europe IMO and you would think if you can cut it here - then you can cut it anywhere. Step forward Fernando Morientes, who (sadly) couldn't adjust to the premiership and went back to La Liga only to hit the top of the goalscoring charts again.

Our own Dirk Kuyt scored bucketloads of goals for Feyenoord in the Erevidese - but hasn't really scored the amount of goals we were expecting of him. Nobody can doubt his willingness to work for the team etc but for me his finishing is still in question. Hopefully his second season will be more productive.

The French league has produced some good domestic goalscorers only for them to under-perform in Premiership after a big move. Djibril Cisse was prolific when playing for Auxerre and yet couldn't produce the goods when playing for us. Some may say he scored enough goals - and they may have a point - but he did look out of his depth. And who can forget Stephane Guivarc'h? Top scorer in Le Championat one season - and then a move to Newcastle wrecked his career - although that happens to most players these days!!!! I think the penchant for buying players from Le Championat has well and truly passed as it's definitely not a yardstick from which to judge players.

Off the top of my head - I can't think of somebody who did the business in the Bundesliga and then continued his goalscoring form in the Premiership.........apart from the man of the moment - Dimitar Berbatov. However, this lad looks special and I would suspect he could do the business in any league in the world........

I've only highlighted the transfers where things haven't worked out when goalscorers have moved between European leagues but there are obviosly players who've made a successful transition: Drogba for example - albeit after a season settling in. Bergkamp finally came good after a dreadful stint with Inter and little Zola will go down as one out of the top drawer also. Cantona, Hasslebaink, Van Hooijdonk (sp), Henry have all done well also. This proves that some players can make the move work for them; so long as they're prepared to adapt.

Eto'o, Villa, Torres, Amauri , Huntelaar, Klose are all good players who score goals in their current league - but could they do it here? Is scoring goals with their current club a yardstick to whether or not they can cut the mustard here in England?

I'll leave it for you to answer.

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

I think it depends mostly on the respective players attitude and abilities.

The hardest league to score goals? Hard to say. I think it's pretty much even between Spain, Italy and here. Though I would say it's slightly harder to score in Spain or Italy than it is over here. There are some really awful sides in the Premiership, the likes of Bolton, Sheffield United, Middlesborugh, Fulham and Man City would get relegated in Italy or Spain, no question about it. Yet over here they survive, somehow.

[animal magic]

you make some very good points there i dont think you can speculate who can score goals here because some strikers better suited to this league than others. i think the premierleague is the hardest league to score goals in.
that is why this summer is so important in that hopefully Rafa will make the right choice in which striker to buy

[Nic83]

Hmm. Tis a tough one.

Some players just fail to adapt to different countries and this leads to them struggling on the pitch.

I suppose you would say, the hardest league to score goals in, is the league with the best defenders, but then you could argue that fact by saying that the attackers are also of a better quality and are therefore better equipped to prize open the defenses anyway.

So I would have to go for the league that plays the least open, expansive football,which *is*, as you said first - the Italian league.

Check the stats over the last 10 seasons and see how many goals have been scored in each league and you'll have your answer.

I'd say it's Italy alright but then again, maybe the Italians have adapted by taking more long shots and therefore goals are going in by the bucketload

Gotta use the stats!

[Nic83]

I thought initially that this was an easy question to answer: Italy's Serie 'A'. Done. Or so I thought - until I remembered Andrea Silenzi and Pierluigi Casirhagi.......... Both of these players scored goals in abundance in Italy and yet both flopped miserably in the Premiership (Note Casirhagi retired after injury I believe).

The spanish league is possibly the most technical league in Europe IMO and you would think if you can cut it here - then you can cut it anywhere. Step forward Fernando Morientes, who (sadly) couldn't adjust to the premiership and went back to La Liga only to hit the top of the goalscoring charts again.

Our own Dirk Kuyt scored bucketloads of goals for Feyenoord in the Erevidese - but hasn't really scored the amount of goals we were expecting of him. Nobody can doubt his willingness to work for the team etc but for me his finishing is still in question. Hopefully his second season will be more productive.

The French league has produced some good domestic goalscorers only for them to under-perform in Premiership after a big move. Djibril Cisse was prolific when playing for Auxerre and yet couldn't produce the goods when playing for us. Some may say he scored enough goals - and they may have a point - but he did look out of his depth. And who can forget Stephane Guivarc'h? Top scorer in Le Championat one season - and then a move to Newcastle wrecked his career - although that happens to most players these days!!!! I think the penchant for buying players from Le Championat has well and truly passed as it's definitely not a yardstick from which to judge players.

Off the top of my head - I can't think of somebody who did the business in the Bundesliga and then continued his goalscoring form in the Premiership.........apart from the man of the moment - Dimitar Berbatov. However, this lad looks special and I would suspect he could do the business in any league in the world........

I've only highlighted the transfers where things haven't worked out when goalscorers have moved between European leagues but there are obviosly players who've made a successful transition: Drogba for example - albeit after a season settling in. Bergkamp finally came good after a dreadful stint with Inter and little Zola will go down as one out of the top drawer also. Cantona, Hasslebaink, Van Hooijdonk (sp), Henry have all done well also. This proves that some players can make the move work for them; so long as they're prepared to adapt.

Eto'o, Villa, Torres, Amauri , Huntelaar, Klose are all good players who score goals in their current league - but could they do it here? Is scoring goals with their current club a yardstick to whether or not they can cut the mustard here in England?

I'll leave it for you to answer.

Klinnsman.

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

By the way Roma beat Inter 6-2 in the Italian Cup tonight.

[Nic83]

By the way Roma beat Inter 6-2 in the Italian Cup tonight.

Cups don't count.

[Nic83]

Neither do Roma.

[dww]

I think it depends mostly on the respective players attitude and abilities.

The hardest league to score goals? Hard to say. I think it's pretty much even between Spain, Italy and here. Though I would say it's slightly harder to score in Spain or Italy than it is over here. There are some really awful sides in the Premiership, the likes of Bolton, Sheffield United, Middlesborugh, Fulham and Man City would get relegated in Italy or Spain, no question about it. Yet over here they survive, somehow.

Every league has some god awful sides. Bolton would survive in any of the major leagues in my opinion. I would probably have to say though that our crap teams have the worst tactical knowledge and basic technique. Probably they are harder though.

A few years ago most European teams laughed at the defences in England. I think that the top teams have improved but below about 7th they remain fairly hopeless.

I suspect that a wider variety of types of forward survive in France. England, Spain and Italy all require more specialists types of striker (possibly player in general).

[Howard_lfc]

Klinnsman.

Oh aye! Forgot about 'im.

Cheers Nic. I'm sure there are others but I was thinking on me feet as I was typing.

I was also trying to remember the spanish lad who went to Bolton - after doing really well for Santander and then flopping at Valencia......... but his name escapes me at the moment........
Walter Pandiani did well in Spain and didn't really do that much for Birmingham whereas Christoffe Dugarry failed almost everywhere he went except at Birmingham.....

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

Every league has some god awful sides. Bolton would survive in any of the major leagues in my opinion. I would probably have to say though that our crap teams have the worst tactical knowledge and basic technique. Probably they are harder though.

A few years ago most European teams laughed at the defences in England. I think that the top teams have improved but below about 7th they remain fairly hopeless.

I suspect that a wider variety of types of forward survive in France. England, Spain and Italy all require more specialists types of striker (possibly player in general).

I take your point about Bolton. They do have some good players; Anelka, Nolan, their keeper and Ben Haim are all half decent at worst. Still think they'd struggle in Italy or Spain though. Perhaps not get relegated, but they certainly wouldn't finish in the top 7-8 like they do in the Premiership.

Also think that how a player fits into a certain tactical system used by a club goes along way to determining if they fit in in said league. Take Thierry Henry for example, used as a winger by Juventus, was awful, used as striker by Arsenal, well we know the rest. Yet roughly at the same time Juve bought Trezeguet - who isn't as gifted albeit a different kind of player - yet they utilised him properly, and he's consistently scored.

I believe that all top players can play in any division, and be a success. In our case, recently, I think Morientes wasn't used properly, both tactically by Rafa and the players around him, we didn't play to his strengths enough. Still think we should've kept him. Nobody will tell me he's not better than Kuyt. But there you go.

[red g]

its ALL about the player, doesnt matter what leaague it is in. Some players are suited to certain teams, the way they play, how they settle, the support from midfield hence the reason there is no specific hardest league ask Morientes, maccaronne, bolaban and they would say the premiership ask rushy zola, di canio they would say italy. (insert spanish flops) and they would say spain!

I think spain, italy and England are much of a muchness and lots depends on the team and the quality of support

[red g]

I take your point about Bolton. They do have some good players; Anelka, Nolan, their keeper and Ben Haim are all half decent at worst. Still think they'd struggle in Italy or Spain though. Perhaps not get relegated, but they certainly wouldn't finish in the top 7-8 like they do in the Premiership.

Also think that how a player fits into a certain tactical system used by a club goes along way to determining if they fit in in said league. Take Thierry Henry for example, used as a winger by Juventus, was awful, used as striker by Arsenal, well we know the rest. Yet roughly at the same time Juve bought Trezeguet - who isn't as gifted albeit a different kind of player - yet they utilised him properly, and he's consistently scored.

I believe that all top players can play in any division, and be a success. In our case, recently, I think Morientes wasn't used properly, both tactically by Rafa and the players around him, we didn't play to his strengths enough. Still think we should've kept him. Nobody will tell me he's not better than Kuyt. But there you go.

Morientes said the premiership was to difficult for him or words to that effect. I would take kuyt over Morientes in the premiership but not in spain

[dww]

I believe that all top players can play in any division, and be a success. In our case, recently, I think Morientes wasn't used properly, both tactically by Rafa and the players around him, we didn't play to his strengths enough. Still think we should've kept him. Nobody will tell me he's not better than Kuyt. But there you go.

The Morientes thing is really tough. Sometimes a move doesn't come of for a player for no real reason. He seemed to lack confidence in front of goal for us. I really think that if a few of the near misses had fluked a way in it would all have been different. As it was we had to let him go, it was best for both parties.

At times Morientes looked ideal for our style, linking well with midfield but getting into the box. However he isn't as hard working as Kuyt or Crouch and so to be as effective in our team he had to pose the sort of threat that other teams really fear and thus make more than one defender watch him.

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

Morientes said the premiership was to difficult for him or words to that effect. I would take kuyt over Morientes in the premiership but not in spain

C'mon that's utter ****in nonsense. It's an excuse.

Remember the way he roasted John Terry and Desailly in those CL semi finals 3 years ago? He couldn't do that against the likes of Middlesborugh and Charlton? Do me a favour. We didn't have the right players around him to get him the service on which he thrives. Monaco back then, and Valencia now, do. Quality width and creative players.