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GARY LINEKER: Sorry Carlo, but I'd take Wayne Rooney over Didier Drogba any day
By Gary Lineker Last updated at 8:17 PM on 07th November 2009
I asked Alan Shearer and Alan Hansen on Match of the Day last week who they would rather have - Fernando Torres, Wayne Rooney or Didier Drogba?
Shearer went for Rooney, Hansen for Torres. And Shearer made us laugh, unwittingly I think, after the show when he said:
'Great question. If you asked 10 different people you'd get 10 different answers.'
Well, you know what he meant!
To prove the point, Terry Venables and Trevor Francis opted for Drogba when I asked them the same thing. Drogba and Rooney will be the central figures for today's clash between Chelsea and Manchester United, while Torres's Liverpool try to get back on track against Birmingham tomorrow.
So it's my turn to make the difficult comparisons between three of the greatest strikers the Premier League has seen. If current form was the sole determining factor, you would have to go with Drogba, the ultimate battering ram of a centre-forward.
He has been unstoppable in recent games and while his finishing has sometimes been erratic, at the moment it is lethal. I would love to have played with him.
Graeme Sharp, although not as skilful as Drogba, took the weight off my shoulders at Everton, helping create space for myself and the rest of the team. You can see the number of touches Drogba unselfishly gives Nicolas Anelka during a game and I bet it's a concern for Sir Alex Ferguson today.
Drogba will have spells, however, where he's a bit profligate in front of goal and that's not something you could say about Mr Hansen's choice, Torres. As regular readers know, I take a special interest in strikers and Torres is the best finisher I've seen in a long time.
Most strikers have to miss chances to score them but it is rare to see the Liverpool man scuff an opportunity - and that's down to being equally good with either foot or in the air.
If Torres could guarantee his fitness he'd be priceless but injuries are part of the game and it is a deficiency for the Spaniard. When he's not 100 per cent fit his form suffers.
At times I'm sure it's only courage that keeps him out on the pitch when he's got a knock - particularly as Liverpool have no-one to replace him - but it means he sometimes can't make the all-round contribution Drogba does.
It's fantastic for English football that we have a player, Rooney, who is even mentioned in the same breath as those two players.
But I would go even further. Although he might not have the brute power of Drogba or natural goal instinct of Torres, his all-round ability means if I had £60million to spend on anyone in the Premier League, he'd be the striker I'd go for.
Rooney is three world-class players in one and doesn't have an identifiable weakness, which is incredible for a player who has just turned 24. I hadn't even won my first England cap at that age.
He is the consistent goalscorer whose ratio for Manchester United and England is the 'magic' one-in-two only the best strikers achieve. He is the pure footballer who can unlock a defence with a killer pass or create space with a sudden clever movement.
And he is the unselfish team player who works harder than anyone else and can play anywhere on the pitch to help the cause; able to drop into midfield, go wide, operate as a lone striker or play in the hole, whatever the manager requires.
Drogba might outshine Rooney if he takes his blinding form into today's game but, over the course of a season, Rooney is the first name you'd want on your teamsheet.
He's not the greatest English player of all-time - yet. But he has the potential to overtake Sir Bobby Charlton and Tom Finney.
It is inevitable if he stays fit he'll break the England appearance and goals records (he currently has 25 goals in 55 internationals), although Ryan Giggs's appearance record for United might be beyond him as I'm not sure we'll see Rooney play into his late-30s, having a different body shape to Giggs's wiry build.
Rooney has won everything at club level bar the FA Cup. And this summer he has the chance to make amends for being sent off in the 2006 World Cup by joining the legends by going to South Africa and making it 'his' tournament.
Talent-wise, Rooney has everything and it must give Ferguson a huge advantage when he's planning for games like today's. He can play Rooney up with Dimitar Berbatov, use him as a lone striker if he's worried about Chelsea's power in midfield or even have him as a wide player if the priority is to stop Ashley Cole breaking forward.
I've never seen anyone create space for himself so well on a pitch. It's a great lesson for kids to learn. Add to that his fiercely competitive nature, and you can see why Chelsea will fear him today.
I'm not sure becoming a dad will change his personality or will to win. It might make him grumpier on the pitch through lack of sleep! Show me a player who's not competitive and I will show you one who isn't successful.
I've seen Michel Platini whack a tree with his golf club because he was frustrated. Having kids might give Rooney a new perspective on life but it won't change his passion for the game.
And people shouldn't be holier than thou about it. The best players in history have lost it on the pitch - Zinedine Zidane, Diego Maradona and Dennis Bergkamp to name three.
Apart from the Drogba-Rooney showdown, United's main challenge will be trying to stop Chelsea in the centre of the pitch. Chelsea look stronger in that department, with Michael Essien, Frank Lampard and Michael Ballack.
It's a position Ferguson might need to strengthen, with Giggs and Paul Scholes in the veteran stage. Anderson's time will come, Nani has been average this season (and that's being kind), while Antonio Valencia works hard but is no Ronaldo.
I would pair Berbatov and Rooney together as they have to cause Chelsea problems rather than just matching them in midfield. The game is significant in terms of the title race and I am sure the winners will be made favourites.
But, although Chelsea are leaders, they are under pressure too because they will want a healthy gap going into January when Essien and Drogba will be at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Carlo Ancelotti will already be looking at the January window, possibly his last chance to buy anyone for a year.
If I were him the first thing I'd do is make a discreet enquiry for David Villa and see if he'd come to the Premier League. I'm not sure he would but he's top drawer, the kind of player Chelsea need if they want to stay ahead of the rest.
In a perfect world, they'd be able to sign Rooney. But I do
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...#ixzz0WGDqngBr
GARY LINEKER: Sorry Carlo, but I'd take Wayne Rooney over Didier Drogba any day
By Gary Lineker Last updated at 8:17 PM on 07th November 2009
I asked Alan Shearer and Alan Hansen on Match of the Day last week who they would rather have - Fernando Torres, Wayne Rooney or Didier Drogba?
Shearer went for Rooney, Hansen for Torres. And Shearer made us laugh, unwittingly I think, after the show when he said:
'Great question. If you asked 10 different people you'd get 10 different answers.'
Well, you know what he meant!
To prove the point, Terry Venables and Trevor Francis opted for Drogba when I asked them the same thing. Drogba and Rooney will be the central figures for today's clash between Chelsea and Manchester United, while Torres's Liverpool try to get back on track against Birmingham tomorrow.
So it's my turn to make the difficult comparisons between three of the greatest strikers the Premier League has seen. If current form was the sole determining factor, you would have to go with Drogba, the ultimate battering ram of a centre-forward.
He has been unstoppable in recent games and while his finishing has sometimes been erratic, at the moment it is lethal. I would love to have played with him.
Graeme Sharp, although not as skilful as Drogba, took the weight off my shoulders at Everton, helping create space for myself and the rest of the team. You can see the number of touches Drogba unselfishly gives Nicolas Anelka during a game and I bet it's a concern for Sir Alex Ferguson today.
Drogba will have spells, however, where he's a bit profligate in front of goal and that's not something you could say about Mr Hansen's choice, Torres. As regular readers know, I take a special interest in strikers and Torres is the best finisher I've seen in a long time.
Most strikers have to miss chances to score them but it is rare to see the Liverpool man scuff an opportunity - and that's down to being equally good with either foot or in the air.
If Torres could guarantee his fitness he'd be priceless but injuries are part of the game and it is a deficiency for the Spaniard. When he's not 100 per cent fit his form suffers.
At times I'm sure it's only courage that keeps him out on the pitch when he's got a knock - particularly as Liverpool have no-one to replace him - but it means he sometimes can't make the all-round contribution Drogba does.
It's fantastic for English football that we have a player, Rooney, who is even mentioned in the same breath as those two players.
But I would go even further. Although he might not have the brute power of Drogba or natural goal instinct of Torres, his all-round ability means if I had £60million to spend on anyone in the Premier League, he'd be the striker I'd go for.
Rooney is three world-class players in one and doesn't have an identifiable weakness, which is incredible for a player who has just turned 24. I hadn't even won my first England cap at that age.
He is the consistent goalscorer whose ratio for Manchester United and England is the 'magic' one-in-two only the best strikers achieve. He is the pure footballer who can unlock a defence with a killer pass or create space with a sudden clever movement.
And he is the unselfish team player who works harder than anyone else and can play anywhere on the pitch to help the cause; able to drop into midfield, go wide, operate as a lone striker or play in the hole, whatever the manager requires.
Drogba might outshine Rooney if he takes his blinding form into today's game but, over the course of a season, Rooney is the first name you'd want on your teamsheet.
He's not the greatest English player of all-time - yet. But he has the potential to overtake Sir Bobby Charlton and Tom Finney.
It is inevitable if he stays fit he'll break the England appearance and goals records (he currently has 25 goals in 55 internationals), although Ryan Giggs's appearance record for United might be beyond him as I'm not sure we'll see Rooney play into his late-30s, having a different body shape to Giggs's wiry build.
Rooney has won everything at club level bar the FA Cup. And this summer he has the chance to make amends for being sent off in the 2006 World Cup by joining the legends by going to South Africa and making it 'his' tournament.
Talent-wise, Rooney has everything and it must give Ferguson a huge advantage when he's planning for games like today's. He can play Rooney up with Dimitar Berbatov, use him as a lone striker if he's worried about Chelsea's power in midfield or even have him as a wide player if the priority is to stop Ashley Cole breaking forward.
I've never seen anyone create space for himself so well on a pitch. It's a great lesson for kids to learn. Add to that his fiercely competitive nature, and you can see why Chelsea will fear him today.
I'm not sure becoming a dad will change his personality or will to win. It might make him grumpier on the pitch through lack of sleep! Show me a player who's not competitive and I will show you one who isn't successful.
I've seen Michel Platini whack a tree with his golf club because he was frustrated. Having kids might give Rooney a new perspective on life but it won't change his passion for the game.
And people shouldn't be holier than thou about it. The best players in history have lost it on the pitch - Zinedine Zidane, Diego Maradona and Dennis Bergkamp to name three.
Apart from the Drogba-Rooney showdown, United's main challenge will be trying to stop Chelsea in the centre of the pitch. Chelsea look stronger in that department, with Michael Essien, Frank Lampard and Michael Ballack.
It's a position Ferguson might need to strengthen, with Giggs and Paul Scholes in the veteran stage. Anderson's time will come, Nani has been average this season (and that's being kind), while Antonio Valencia works hard but is no Ronaldo.
I would pair Berbatov and Rooney together as they have to cause Chelsea problems rather than just matching them in midfield. The game is significant in terms of the title race and I am sure the winners will be made favourites.
But, although Chelsea are leaders, they are under pressure too because they will want a healthy gap going into January when Essien and Drogba will be at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Carlo Ancelotti will already be looking at the January window, possibly his last chance to buy anyone for a year.
If I were him the first thing I'd do is make a discreet enquiry for David Villa and see if he'd come to the Premier League. I'm not sure he would but he's top drawer, the kind of player Chelsea need if they want to stay ahead of the rest.
In a perfect world, they'd be able to sign Rooney. But I do
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...#ixzz0WGDqngBr
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