Best forward in Europe 07/08

[soggy biscuit]

I am sure there are many other names that could have gone in here but these are probably the most obvious ones, and no I did not include C. Ronaldo because his job is not just to score goals.

For me it would be a very close call between Toni, Torres & Benzema, first season in a new country for Torres & Toni. I would say Torres just edges is due to the fact his European goals were scored at a higher level than Toni.

[Coppell's Right Footed 11]

No option for the little magician David Villa?

For me you cant look any further past Fernando Torres. Comes to the premiership hits 24 goals and looks world class imo.

Luis Fabiano has had a fantastic goals tally in Spain and Toni has settled in perfect alongside Klose at Munich.

Have to say im a big fan of Adebayor though, if he could sort his temprament and finishing out a tad he will be almost unstoppable, same goals return as Torres aswell.

Surely Ronaldo is a forward? Likewise Messi.

Benzema looks like a gem of a player at Lyon, be great to see the likes of him and hopefully Eto'o strutting their skills in the prem in the next couple of years

[soggy biscuit]

No option for the little magician David Villa?



For me you cant look any further past Fernando Torres. Comes to the premiership hits 24 goals and looks world class imo.

Luis Fabiano has had a fantastic goals tally in Spain and Toni has settled in perfect alongside Klose at Munich.

Have to say im a big fan of Adebayor though, if he could sort his temprament and finishing out a tad he will be almost unstoppable, same goals return as Torres aswell.

Surely Ronaldo is a forward? Likewise Messi.

Benzema looks like a gem of a player at Lyon, be great to see the likes of him and hopefully Eto'o strutting their skills in the prem in the next couple of years

Used the word forward instead of Striker as Striker really grates on me, it is a word created for the Championship Manager generation though admittedly it probably would have clarified better who I was talking about. Didn't want to include Messi or C. Ronaldo as their job is not primarily to score goals it is to open up the defence and create for others (oh and while I am at it can I just say how much it irritates me when people say C. Ronaldo is a winger)

[g]

Ruud van Nistelrooy

[Alan Partridge]

Torres. The lad has 'got the lot'.

[papereyes]

Used the word forward instead of Striker as Striker really grates on me, it is a word created for the Championship Manager generation though admittedly it probably would have clarified better who I was talking about.

Existed and was used well well well before even commodore went bust.

[soggy biscuit]

Used the word forward instead of Striker as Striker really grates on me, it is a word created for the Championship Manager generation though admittedly it probably would have clarified better who I was talking about.

Existed and was used well well well before even commodore went bust.

I am well aware it existed before then but these days it appears to be used by all and sundry to describe a centre forward. I do believe though that CM has had a great deal to do with claiming there is a difference between a centre forward and a striker. For me it will always go hand in hand with 'easy easy' chanting, 'bring it on' cards and free flags

[gazzer, loyal royal]

Torres for me

The lad just looks quality, can use both feet and his head equally as well to finish and scores goals from inside and outside the box. The only foreigner in the league who takes a kicking and gets straight back up without complaining

[Apocalypse Now]

No option for the little magician David Villa?



For me you cant look any further past Fernando Torres. Comes to the premiership hits 24 goals and looks world class imo.

Luis Fabiano has had a fantastic goals tally in Spain and Toni has settled in perfect alongside Klose at Munich.

Have to say im a big fan of Adebayor though, if he could sort his temprament and finishing out a tad he will be almost unstoppable, same goals return as Torres aswell.

Surely Ronaldo is a forward? Likewise Messi.

Benzema looks like a gem of a player at Lyon, be great to see the likes of him and hopefully Eto'o strutting their skills in the prem in the next couple of years

Used the word forward instead of Striker as Striker really grates on me, it is a word created for the Championship Manager generation though admittedly it probably would have clarified better who I was talking about. Didn't want to include Messi or C. Ronaldo as their job is not primarily to score goals it is to open up the defence and create for others (oh and while I am at it can I just say how much it irritates me when people say C. Ronaldo is a winger)

Ferguson on Ronaldo.

"His goal record is phenomenal, and 90 per cent of the time he has been playing as a winger."

Torres has been the best striker in Europe this season, although at 24 it's about time he finally stepped up and had a great season. The only negative is that he's only scored 3 away goals in the league all season. Benitez said he was a player that's better suited to away games as he had more room to get in behind the defence, so it's strange he's got 21 at Anfield and only 3 away.

[sheshnu]

Ferguson on Ronaldo.

"His goal record is phenomenal, and 90 per cent of the time he has been playing as a winger."

It's a bit like saying Henry scored most of his goals as a winger because he drifted around all over the place. (Which is clearly tosh).

How can you have a 'best striker in Europe' poll without a mention of UEFA-Cup-near-winner Jean-Claude Darcheville?

[Apocalypse Now]

Ferguson on Ronaldo.

"His goal record is phenomenal, and 90 per cent of the time he has been playing as a winger."

It's a bit like saying Henry scored most of his goals as a winger because he drifted around all over the place. (Which is clearly tosh).

How can you have a 'best striker in Europe' poll without a mention of UEFA-Cup-near-winner Jean-Claude Darcheville?

It's not like that at all.

Look back at the Arsenal team with Henry in it. It was always Henry plus another striker and 2 wingers in Ljungberg and Pires. The current United side has two strikers in Rooney and Tevez and Ronaldo with another winger.

Ronaldo is simply an attacking midfield that roams. Henry was a striker that roamed. Theres a difference. Ronaldo looks half the player when he plays as a striker, he can't play with his back to goal like the other great strikers around. Likewise Henry is half the player when he plays on the wing.

[Coppell's Right Footed 11]

Jean-Claude Darcheville is a black Dean Windass...enough said

[Kes]

Claudio Pizarro.

[Hoop Blah]

It's not like that at all.

Look back at the Arsenal team with Henry in it. It was always Henry plus another striker and 2 wingers in Ljungberg and Pires. The current United side has two strikers in Rooney and Tevez and Ronaldo with another winger.

Ronaldo is simply an attacking midfield that roams. Henry was a striker that roamed. Theres a difference. Ronaldo looks half the player when he plays as a striker, he can't play with his back to goal like the other great strikers around. Likewise Henry is half the player when he plays on the wing.

Utd have played with three forwards and three midfielders for a lot of this season though. Ronaldo has been one of those three or even upfront in a two for a lot more than 10% of the season. Just because Fergie says it it doesn't mean it's true.

You have to hold your hands up and give Ronaldo the credit for an amazing season but you also have to accept that he's played in a very attacking role that gives him the freedom to shoot almost at will as many times during a game as humanly possibly. He's not been a wide midfielder, or a 'winger' in the traditional term this season, but he has been outstanding either way.

That Arsenal team you compared it too played a lot closer to 4-4-2 than this seasons Utd team, and Ljundberg and Pires were a lot more like conventional midfielders/wingers than Ronaldo has been for Utd.

I've always thought of Stiker as a bit of a playground term as it happens.

Torres and Villa have been the best 'strikers' I've seen this season, although I have to say I very rarely watch foreign football so I wouldn't say my opinion is that well informed. Torres gets a lot of respect from me for the way he takes a kicking like a man though. Bikey kicked lumps out of him at the Madejski this season but he didn't bat an eyelid and I can't remember him taking a dive all season.

[Huntley & Palmer]

The only thing Torres could not do, was score away in the league. Only 3 goals away from Anfield all season, which isn't exactly ideal and doesn't exactly fill you with confidence considering most teams would be less defensive playing at home than at Liverpool

[Apocalypse Now]

It's not like that at all.

Look back at the Arsenal team with Henry in it. It was always Henry plus another striker and 2 wingers in Ljungberg and Pires. The current United side has two strikers in Rooney and Tevez and Ronaldo with another winger.

Ronaldo is simply an attacking midfield that roams. Henry was a striker that roamed. Theres a difference. Ronaldo looks half the player when he plays as a striker, he can't play with his back to goal like the other great strikers around. Likewise Henry is half the player when he plays on the wing.

Utd have played with three forwards and three midfielders for a lot of this season though. Ronaldo has been one of those three or even upfront in a two for a lot more than 10% of the season. Just because Fergie says it it doesn't mean it's true.

You have to hold your hands up and give Ronaldo the credit for an amazing season but you also have to accept that he's played in a very attacking role that gives him the freedom to shoot almost at will as many times during a game as humanly possibly. He's not been a wide midfielder, or a 'winger' in the traditional term this season, but he has been outstanding either way.

That Arsenal team you compared it too played a lot closer to 4-4-2 than this seasons Utd team, and Ljundberg and Pires were a lot more like conventional midfielders/wingers than Ronaldo has been for Utd.

I've always thought of Stiker as a bit of a playground term as it happens.

Torres and Villa have been the best 'strikers' I've seen this season, although I have to say I very rarely watch foreign football so I wouldn't say my opinion is that well informed. Torres gets a lot of respect from me for the way he takes a kicking like a man though. Bikey kicked lumps out of him at the Madejski this season but he didn't bat an eyelid and I can't remember him taking a dive all season.

United have only played with three forwards in about 10 games out of over 50. If Ronaldo is a forward so is Gerrard because in Liverpool's 4231 system he plays just off Torres and has complete freedom. He has more freedom than Ronaldo because United do tend to play 442 more than they play 433. Theres been very few Premiership games this season they've started with 3 central midfielders.

[soggy biscuit]

It's not like that at all.

Look back at the Arsenal team with Henry in it. It was always Henry plus another striker and 2 wingers in Ljungberg and Pires. The current United side has two strikers in Rooney and Tevez and Ronaldo with another winger.

Ronaldo is simply an attacking midfield that roams. Henry was a striker that roamed. Theres a difference. Ronaldo looks half the player when he plays as a striker, he can't play with his back to goal like the other great strikers around. Likewise Henry is half the player when he plays on the wing.

Utd have played with three forwards and three midfielders for a lot of this season though. Ronaldo has been one of those three or even upfront in a two for a lot more than 10% of the season. Just because Fergie says it it doesn't mean it's true.

You have to hold your hands up and give Ronaldo the credit for an amazing season but you also have to accept that he's played in a very attacking role that gives him the freedom to shoot almost at will as many times during a game as humanly possibly. He's not been a wide midfielder, or a 'winger' in the traditional term this season, but he has been outstanding either way.

That Arsenal team you compared it too played a lot closer to 4-4-2 than this seasons Utd team, and Ljundberg and Pires were a lot more like conventional midfielders/wingers than Ronaldo has been for Utd.

I've always thought of Stiker as a bit of a playground term as it happens.

Torres and Villa have been the best 'strikers' I've seen this season, although I have to say I very rarely watch foreign football so I wouldn't say my opinion is that well informed. Torres gets a lot of respect from me for the way he takes a kicking like a man though. Bikey kicked lumps out of him at the Madejski this season but he didn't bat an eyelid and I can't remember him taking a dive all season.

United have only played with three forwards in about 10 games out of over 50. If Ronaldo is a forward so is Gerrard because in Liverpool's 4231 system he plays just off Torres and has complete freedom. He has more freedom than Ronaldo because United do tend to play 442 more than they play 433. Theres been very few Premiership games this season they've started with 3 central midfielders.

Personally I don't see Ronaldo as a winger or a forward, i see him as a midfielder who is allowed to roam anywhere he wants accross the middle. He spends far more time not on the wing that he does on it.

[TomTheRoyal]

Ibrahimovic is the most overrated striker in europe.

33 goals in 34 appearances for Huntelaar this season, and only 2 votes! One from me, seriously, and one from my mate, who thought he was rubbish and hadn't really heard of him.

[Apocalypse Now]

Ibrahimovic has been good in Serie A this season.

Huntelaar looks a decent striker but you can't judge him properly because he plays in a second rate league. Even Kuyt managed 30 goals in Holland.

[Thaumagurist*]

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