[1st off, it's "RVN" or "RvN", not bloody "VNR"... 2nd, the terms a "complete forward" and a "complete CENTRE-FORWARD" don't mean exactly the same thing, mate...]
I under stood that ... Basten, Ronaldo were complete center forward Bergkamp, Baggio .. were complete forward RVN was neither type ... but a great goal scorer - "POACHER" type
["RVN" did line-up as a "predator"-type striker during his career; but @ United he was mostly utilised as a No.9-type C-F. Or at least a hybrid between a "No.9" C-F AND an "out-&-out" striker IMO...]
Although I agree with you in general a few nuancing observations: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-391141654430276718 (and this is one example)
Falcao is a very promising striker - a more complete type than RVN and closer to Etoo, Ibra with a "potential of very good" positioning and timing opportunism of RVN (it's a GIFT) . But we need to see him more in a bigger clubs (vs bigger teams) to evaluate him better. Falcao has a very good "nose" to goals ... in this crowd of good forwards (Kun, Higuain, Benzama, VanPersie, Ibra , Rooney Torress ...) who lack of that skillset
Interesting that you see Falcao as more complete. I like him by the way, he has an nice style. Anyway, I found an interesting picture, and because also an Ian Rush thread exists, this is a good one I think: October 1984: Ian Rush receives the Golden Boot. Claesen and Van Basten win silver boots.
nice pix ! As mentioned in other posts, this era "promotes" the "forward type" more so than a classic #9 or scorer center forward type of Nistelruud , Trezeguet, Vieri, Inzaghi, Crespo Owen ... Most forwards now a day are all skillful and somewhat "complete" as they should and could play different positions from center to out wide on either sides like Van Persie, Benzama, Ibra, Robinho, Kun, Dzeko, Balotelli, Silva , Villa Torres ... however none of them are "predator" type who could score goals from nothing, or from a poor pass ... unfortunately.
[A "goal-poacher" (especially saying that a given player is "JUST a poacher") and a "predator" doesn't mean exactly the same thing, mate...]
Luckily the 1980s had no Champions League and no Manchester City! This connects by the way MvB and RvN together: I wasn't able to find a proper video of the Italy 2008 game. Except for this legendary commentary. The shriek after the 2:0 of "we are 2:0 ahead. The world champion, THE WORLD CHAMPION is 2:0 down" has become legendary. But unfortunately, no good video of that game, where RvN also made a goal of course.
[I think that this might also cause a bit of confusion IMO: originally there was a difference between what a "goal-poacher" AND a "predator" actually meant in British/English football parlance. I think that computer games/management "sims" might have had a hand in mucking this up. Does anyone need me to clarify the difference(s)?]
[Again, this is because a true, ideal "W-M"-mould No.9 would be better thought of as a bit of a combination between your "target-playing" C-F and a "spearhead"-type of striker. Being a mobile, fearless explosive leaper w/a good "spring" and vertical height on their jump was more valuable than simple towering height. Lawton, Lofthouse and Nordahl were MUCH more than six-foot-two-plus 'telegraph poles" that the rest of their team aimed speculative aerial balls in the general vicinity of on the pitch...]
I'll post it here then. Found somewhere on a back-up an old interview of a couple of years ago (of 2010) and I think it is maybe a good thing to post, although it is brief. Indirectly it are also mostly reflections and ideas on his Ajax period.
I accidentally came across the actual comment (I was looking for Roger Milla and Platini but saw this). "Everyone is looking at me, but most of all the team has played well in the first place, and won. If we had ended second then my personal achievement had counted too, but it will be less sweet and spectacular as now. The goal? Well, some luck is involved. I was reasonably tired, I thought 'it is better to not trap the ball and kick the ball in one time.' Accidentally a net hung in between." [27-06-1988] http://kranten.delpher.nl/nl/view/index?query=van basten supermarkt&coll=ddd&image=ddd:010566687:mpeg21:a0301&page=1&maxperpage=10&cql[]=(date _gte_ 01-01-1988)&cql[]=(date _lte_ 31-12-1988)&cql[]=(content all van and basten and supermarkt) Some other quotes mentioned on the page. Van Basten: "Next week we all have to go to the supermarket again." Platini: "The victory for the Netherlands was deserved. The goal by Van Basten was of extraordinary class. A goal like that can be scored by only a very small amount of players." Johnny Rep: "When Michels is saying that this team was better as the one of 1974, I really think he has become senile. We had a fine team and even though we had sometimes a bad day too, the performances captured the imagination better."
Let's pair them' Holland 88 if they are inferior to their elder in 74 (in quality only) Holland 1988 Holland 1974: FW: Cruijff > Van Basten; Ressenbrink <= Gullit; Rep > Vaneburg MF: Van Hanegem > Woulter or E.Koeman; Neeskens = Rijkaard, DF: Surbier + Krol > Tiggelen+Aerle , Koeman >= Haan , GK: VBreukelen > Jongbloed Hence OVERALL Holland 74 still EDGED out their successors in 88 = by +1point FW same (0), MF 74 > MF88 (+1), DF 74> DF88 (+1), GK88 > GK74 (+1)
Went through the entire topic - very good read. Too bad I never had the chance to see him in action. PuckVanHeel, if you have anything interesting ( interviews, videos and stuff ) post it, please.
That was a great read, thanks. Its a shame some of the videos didn't work but still it was a very god read about the best centre forward I`ve ever seen.