Modern Day Strikers - What if anything has changed?

[kerfuffle]

Having a discussion in the boozer yesterday about modern day strikers in the premiership and how they compare against a teams striker in the 80's and 90's and we could not think of a modern day striker that betters them.

Liverpool - Rush v Torres ... Rush
Everton - Sharpe v Johnson .... Sharpe
Man Utd - Hughes v Rooney .... Hughes
Arsenal - Wright v Van Persie …. Wright
Chelsea – Dixon v Drogba … Dixon

The point I am trying to make is: Has the modern day striker changed or it is just historical achievements made by the older strikers that perceive a change in the modern day striker?

[Johnny]

Having a discussion in the boozer yesterday about modern day strikers in the premiership and how they compare against a teams striker in the 80's and 90's and we could not think of a modern day striker that betters them.

Liverpool - Rush v Torres ... Rush
Everton - Sharpe v Johnson .... Sharpe
Man Utd - Hughes v Rooney .... Hughes
Arsenal - Wright v Van Persie …. Wright
Chelsea – Dixon v Drogba … Dixon

The point I am trying to make is: Has the modern day striker changed or it is just historical achievements made by the older strikers that perceive a change in the modern day striker?

Although i loathe the Man Drogba is the best striker in the PL at the moment and loads better than Dixon ever was IMHO.

[Chiccada]

I was having a similar discussion with a mate earlier.

I was trying to think of a top class 'fox in the box' type striker and I couldnt really think of one that I would consider a good purchase.

The modern day striker has to be able to do it all pretty much to be considered top draw.

[tomasjj]

Interesting topic.

I am not sure I agree with all your assessments above of modern versus older strikers quality though. In particular, Also, players like Rooney and Hughes and Dixon and Drogba are hard to compare. Different qualities. And if you did compare Henry, who certainly is a modern day striker even if he isn't at Arsenal at the present (which I assume is why he wasn't on your list), to Wright he will surely come out on top. But that isn't the main point of your post it seems.

I think that history and time favours the older ones - making them seem better than they were. Not that they were bad, but maybe we now look to the past, idolilsing them and making them out to be legends slightly more elevated than they actually were.

[fred_plasticine]

defenders are far more mobile these days, lurking about in the box isn't enough anymore.

[tomasjj]

I was having a similar discussion with a mate earlier.

I was trying to think of a top class 'fox in the box' type striker and I couldnt really think of one that I would consider a good purchase.

The modern day striker has to be able to do it all pretty much to be considered top draw.

Huntelaar is a proverbial fox in the box.

[Imy]

Having a discussion in the boozer yesterday about modern day strikers in the premiership and how they compare against a teams striker in the 80's and 90's and we could not think of a modern day striker that betters them.

Liverpool - Rush v Torres ... Rush
Everton - Sharpe v Johnson .... Sharpe
Man Utd - Hughes v Rooney .... Hughes
Arsenal - Wright v Van Persie …. Wright
Chelsea – Dixon v Drogba … Dixon

The point I am trying to make is: Has the modern day striker changed or it is just historical achievements made by the older strikers that perceive a change in the modern day striker?

Hughes Vs Rooney, i would argue Rooney, they've also had Van Horse face.

Drogba wipes the floor with Dixon.

Wright vs Van Persie is unfair as Wright was there for donkeys years and we don't know how good Van Persie will become, at the same age Van Persie is better then Wright. Also they had Henry.

Torres vs Rush is way to early to comapare too.

[calvoboy]

Having a discussion in the boozer yesterday about modern day strikers in the premiership and how they compare against a teams striker in the 80's and 90's and we could not think of a modern day striker that betters them.

Liverpool - Rush v Torres ... Rush
Everton - Sharpe v Johnson .... Sharpe
Man Utd - Hughes v Rooney .... Hughes
Arsenal - Wright v Van Persie …. Wright
Chelsea – Dixon v Drogba … Dixon

The point I am trying to make is: Has the modern day striker changed or it is just historical achievements made by the older strikers that perceive a change in the modern day striker?

Both - defences are better these days, and teams tend to be better organised. But the old tactics used to use partnerships up front, whereas these days most teams use a lone striker with a "second striker" really playing as an attacking midfielder linking defence and attack. So, tactics combined with rotation, it's harder for strikers these days to score huge numbers of goals like they used to.

That said, there are some outstanding modern day strikers. I'd say Van Nistelrooy is better than anything the Mancs had in the 80s. I'd have Drogba ahead of Dixon though too.

[Imy]

The league is much stronger now then it has been, 3/4 teams that could win the premiership and the usual 'surprise' packages too.

In the 80's there were more teams in the League so you could get more goals.

[friedk]

I think modern strikers are more honest, hard working and less money driven than the glory hunters of the past.

[kerfuffle]

Interesting topic.

I am not sure I agree with all your assessments above of modern versus older strikers quality though. In particular, Also, players like Rooney and Hughes and Dixon and Drogba are hard to compare. Different qualities. And if you did compare Henry, who certainly is a modern day striker even if he isn't at Arsenal at the present (which I assume is why he wasn't on your list), to Wright he will surely come out on top. But that isn't the main point of your post it seems.

I think that history and time favours the older ones - making them seem better than they were. Not that they were bad, but maybe we now look to the past, idolilsing them and making them out to be legends slightly more elevated than they actually were.

See, I think this is the reason also. I listed the teams current striker against the older ones to see what reaction there was.

If you change the striker to recent best V old is becomes harder to gauge who was better, Why ?, is it just the the recent best is more clearly remembered ? Has anything changed in the modern striker at all ?

Rush v Fowler .. Tough
Hughes v Van Nistlerooy ... Tight
Wright v Henry ... Argumentive

[tomasjj]

See, I think this is the reason also. I listed the teams current striker against the older ones to see what reaction there was.

If you change the striker to recent best V old is becomes harder to gauge who was better, Why ?, is it just the the recent best is more clearly remembered ? Has anything changed in the modern striker at all ?

Rush v Fowler .. Tough
Hughes v Van Nistlerooy ... Tight
Wright v Henry ... Argumentive

I think the game is much more professional now, and also much faster, so the modern strikers are even more athletic and there is more emphasis on physical abilities like pace and strength.

As for your comparisons, I suspect you are a bit older than I am.
Meaning that you seems to rate the older strikers more than I do.
For me, Van Horse is hard to compare with Hughes, but I still would place Van Horse above Hughes. Wrong or right, it is a hard call.

I do think that Henry is clearly better than Wright though.

And then comes the interesting issue, even though I love Fowler, I rate Rush ahead of him. But being a Liverpool fan and considering the heritage and history we all share, it is maybe not coincidental that it is just when it comes to LFC that I rate the older, legendary striker highest?

[red g]

See, I think this is the reason also. I listed the teams current striker against the older ones to see what reaction there was.

If you change the striker to recent best V old is becomes harder to gauge who was better, Why ?, is it just the the recent best is more clearly remembered ? Has anything changed in the modern striker at all ?

Rush v Fowler .. Tough
Hughes v Van Nistlerooy ... Tight
Wright v Henry ... Argumentive

the modern day ones apart from hughes offer more.

allen - berbatov

lineker - yakuba

[red g]

also the defences and keepers have improved beyond recognition

[keniget]

defenders are far more mobile these days, lurking about in the box isn't enough anymore.

Seems to work for RVN...