Update: Best Striker in The Premier League

[Pablo]

Right, last season I would have said it was a two horse race between Torres and Drogba. However, this year Rooney has absolutely banged them in, and with the resultant media jizzfest about him being the bestest striker ever, ever ever I thought I would take a closer look at how things stand based purely on the stats from this season:

Mins Per Goal - Premier League 2009/2010 - Without Pens

Rooney - 95 mins
Drogba - 96 mins
Torres - 97mins

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It's amazingly close at the top and it certainly builds a case for Wayne Rooney now being in the same class as Drogba and Torres, although comparions with Messi are still absolutely laughable. Based on those stats how is he noticeably better than even Drogba?

But one things the stats don't show is that of those listed Torres is the only one who doesnt take pens or free kicks. Now I personally think free-kicks should be included in comparisons, they are a real skill in themselves, and always only an outside chance of a goal. Penalties on the other had unfairly warp the stats, so let's see what happens when we remove them:


Mins Per Goal - Premier League 2009/2010 - Without Pens

Rooney - 118 mins
Drogba - 96 mins
Torres - 97mins

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And let's imagine for a second that Drogba and Torres had taken pens this season, like Rooney, with the same success rate as Lampard and Gerrard et all had. How would the stats look then:

Mins Per Goal - Premier League 2009/2010

Rooney - 95 mins (Has scored 5 pens)
Drogba - 72 mins (Lampard has scored 8 pens!)
Torres - 82 mins (we've only had 3 pens! )

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So there you have it, based in this season Drogba has been the best striker in the Premier League, edging out Torres (who's spend large sections of it injured and finding his feet again), with Rooney in thrid. It's not what the media would have you believe is it? I guess Drogba is better than Messi too then

[Taxi]

Why is it absolutely laughable when there are comparisons with Messi? What are his mins per goal ratio?

I don't know what it is in this country but we always look at the best players abroad as being at a different level or being some god like genius compared to what we have here, yet time and time again over the last few years we've done better in Europe than any other country.

Rooney is absolutely at the top of his game at the moment, Torres is peaking just when we need him and Drogba on his day can be the most influencial striker in the league.

I took the piss out of my manc mates last year when they sold Ronaldo and Fergie said Rooney would become the main focus for goals. Lets be fair, we all thought he'd get 10-15 goals and that would be it, but we have to admit, he's been ****ing superb.

[Armchairkopite]

Rooney has been absolutely amazing this Season and its fair enough to class him alongside messi imo.

Argh, i feel sick

[Pablo]

You really need me to explain why Messi is the best player in the world?

Messi - 78 mins per goal (only 1 pen), plus 9 assists.

Point proven yet? If not just watch him play for maybe 15-20 minutes, come back to me and I defy you to tell me he's not comfortably the best player on the planet.

And as for your pathetic anti-England argument, I couldn't care less which country any of them are from or what league they play in, so keep your out of control paranoia in check.

[Armchairkopite]

You really need me to explain why Messi is the best player in the world?

Messi - 78 mins per goal (only 1 pen), plus 9 assists.

Point proven yet? If not just watch him play for maybe 15-20 minutes, come back to me and I defy you to tell me he's not comfortably the best player on the planet.

And as for your pathetic anti-England argument, I couldn't care less which country any of them are from or what league they play in, so keep your out of control paranoia in check.

Dont be silly, I think we all realise that Messi is the best but i do think that Rooney has been pretty ****in awesonme this season.....excuse me..

[Taxi]

You really need me to explain why Messi is the best player in the world?

Messi - 78 mins per goal (only 1 pen), plus 9 assists.

Point proven yet? If not just watch him play for maybe 15-20 minutes, come back to me and I defy you to tell me he's not comfortably the best player on the planet.

And as for your pathetic anti-England argument, I couldn't care less which country any of them are from or what league they play in, so keep your out of control paranoia in check.

I'm saying he's not the best player in the world, I'm saying its not stupid to compare Rooney to Messi as strikers.

Where is the anti England argument? I'm referring to the Premier league with its international players, not english players specifically.

[Pablo]

Dont be silly, I think we all realise that Messi is the best but i do think that Rooney has been pretty ****in awesonme this season.....excuse me..

I wasn't making Rooney out to be ****!

My point really is it's been overhyped and the stats back that up, Drogba has had at least as good a season but has had absolutely no hype whatsoever

And the Messi comparisons still irk me , like chalk and cheese.

[Armchairkopite]

I wasn't making Rooney out to be ****!

My point really is it's been overhyped and the stats back that up, Drogba has had at least as good a season but has had absolutely no hype whatsoever

And the Messi comparisons still irk me , like chalk and cheese.

My point is that Rooney has not been over hyped though, by the way i am Irish and I cant stand the cunt and its not because hes English although that doesn't help.

[Armchairkopite]

Rooney has scored header this season that you will never see Messi scoring, they have different styles but are both very effective.

[Shaggy]

Rooney has scored header this season that you will never see Messi scoring, they have different styles but are both very effective.

Messi is excellent in the air, especially so for his size.

[Pablo]

Rooney has scored header this season that you will never see Messi scoring, they have different styles but are both very effective.

Did you forget about the booming header he scored in the Champions League final last season when Rooney was absolute ****?

[Armchairkopite]

Messi is excellent in the air, especially so for his size.

I never said he wasn't, what I did say was you would never see Messi scoring headers using the same technique.

[Armchairkopite]

Did you forget about the booming header he scored in the Champions League final last season when Rooney was absolute ****?

That was a tap in.

[Pablo]

I never said he wasn't, what I did say was you would never see Messi scoring headers using the same technique.

You got absolutely owned on that point, just admit it.

[JohnDoe]

Rooney's a great player but to compare him to Messi is laughable. I'd also take a fit Torres over Rooney anytime if I had to choose. He's having an amazing season and has grown into a world class player, that is true.