[IMHO, Nordahl was MUCH more of a "W-M"-mould No.9 than he was a "target-playing" centre-forward: http://talesoffootball.blogspot.com/2011/08/legendary-gre-no-li-trio-in-brief-g-re.html http://www.tssonnet.com/tss3012/stories/20070324009603300.htm http://www.world-football-legends.co.uk/index.php/swe/69-nordahl-gunnar I saw Nordahl in action; so if you happen to have any questions...]
Another cult hero whose official career was effectively wrecked by WWII: Wolves and England "W-M"-type No.9, Dennis Westcott: http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/WOLwestcott.htm http://www.thewolvessite.co.uk/dwestcot.htm http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/live...ott-s-great-game-is-recalled-100252-23454552/ Once again, I hope that you will find this information helpful...
Y'all may be too young to know but for me the "king" Denis law was the best, follwed by Jimmy Greaves, then Tony Hately
In the 2nd post (actually a scanned chapter) entitled "How We Signed Tommy Taylor"; Jimmy Murphy goes in to some then-contemporary thought about the changing nature of the No.9 centre-forward by discussing Sir Geoff Hurst and Tommy Taylor: http://manutdnetwork.com/group/murphysbar/forum/topics/matt-united-and-me-by-jimmy Just LMK if you can't find the passage that I'm talking about and I'll copy & paste it here...
mark hughes was amazing, great outlet. one of the strongest forwards ever ,great taking the long ball under pressure
[Because of Lawton's aerial DOMINANCE it's often overlooked that he was also a fantastic "leather-on-leather" finisher. Lawton knew how to use his powerful frame and on-the-ball skills to get his shots propelled towards the opposition's goal. He was also so athletic and physically strong that a runaway train couldn't knock him off the ball back in the days when harder challenges to the player w/the ball at his feet were practically ignored...]
W/inspiration from "PDG" in a different thread; Leeds & England "target-playing No.9" Alan Peacock: http://www.mightyleeds.co.uk/players/peacock.htm http://www.lufctalk.com/stats/players/318.html http://www.ozwhitelufc.net.au/players_profiles/P/PeacockA.php
[I've been toying around w/the idea of doing a Roy Bentley v. Drogba comparison thread here or over at XT.org. Mostly because I think that many more modern fans essentially have no idea who Roy Bentley is/was...]
[Apart from being a FANTASTIC aerial "finisher"; Kocsis was about as far as you could get from lining-up or playing as a "target"-type of C-F IMHO...]
You can't leave out WHU and England's Sir Geoff Hurst from a discussion of "target-playing" centre-forwards IMO: http://www.geoffhurst.com/home.html Make sure that you check out the print scans of The Mirror back pages on the left hand side of the profile page: http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/archive/Geoff-Hurst-article373.html http://www.quotesdaddy.com/author/Geoff+Hurst http://cotswold.greatbritishlife.co...-hurst-our-1966-world-cup-winning-hero-21428/ http://www.smh.com.au/world-cup-201...nglands-accidental-striker-20100516-v611.html http://www.thefa.com/England/News/2013/top-10-goals-hurst-second-germany
[Bentley was almost the exact opposite of a "target player": he was one of the early versions of the "withdrawn"-type of C-F. Wikipedia gets this wrong and calls him a "deep-lying centre forward"; but he was a forward, not an "AM". Bentley was also no "wilting lilly": he could get up there and take his knocks as a "spearhead" No.9 w/the best of them. Bentely was also a fine ball-winner/forward-&-back "two-way" player was well: he moved into the centre of defence for Fulham later in his career and many fans wanted England to take him to '58 Sweden as a ball-playing centre-half: http://www.cfcinnyc.com/roy-bentley/ http://www.englandfootballonline.com/TeamPlyrsBios/PlayersB/BioBentleyRTF.html http://www.friendsoffulham.com/forum/index.php?topic=12154.0;wap2 http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail...s-roy-bentley-harris-right-news-photo/3378227 http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/8923-les-stubbs/ (Although the above link is about Les Stubbs; there is a little info about Bentley playing as a "withdrawn" C-F and John McNichol lining-up as the Blues "roving"-type of I-F) Bentley is actually still w/us the last that IK at the age of eighty-eight...]
Talking about the modern game .with modern speed ,modern strength and all the advances in the evolution of the game and without question Drogba reigns over anyone else. He was before he bailed Chelsea out against Bayern with the equalizing goal of heroic standard. People can talk romantically about past legends but how would they fair against the defenders Drogba has had to battle with over the last 7 years and it should settle things. You look his impact in the chelsea title winning games and there is no other player at his level today and that includes Messi or Ronald. He is above and beyond the biggest big game player in recent memory and he defended his own goal better than many other striker ever to boot. An unselfish player that went out of his way to make sure Anelka won the golden boot when he knew he couldn't win it ,never complained when he really should have been Chelsea penalty taker based on his statistical superiority over Lampard who could miss three out of his last four and still be given that role. You put Drogba back in the 70's or 80's and he would manhandle teams ,you put him in la liga in the last 5 years and he would have won the Balon d'or every year he played there .
While I agree drogba was very important for Chelsea in his last 4,5 years there and also he was kinda under rated with Chelsea form, but your last bold was a bit too much exaggerated! If you put him back to 70 or 80s depends on which league and team?he would shine or maynot be at all.. For example, if he would play in SerieA in 80s. he might not score more than dozen gaols a season. and surely he could not compete with Platini, Zico, Basten, Gullit ... and Maradona If put him in liga, could he compete with Messi or CR7? I don't think so
[It also depends on which specific C-F that you're comparing Drogba to as well IMO: Drogba is almost certainly a superior "spearhead" No.9 compared to the likes of Kerry Dixon or Derek Kevan. But, Drogba isn't/wasn't clearly "better" or more effective than, say, Tommy Lawton, "MVB" or Gunnar Nordahl as an "out-&-out" centre-forward (also IMHO)...]
Over at XT.org I was recently reminded of another intriguing Chelsea No.9 (centre-forward and shirt-wearers) comparison thread: Bentley v. Fernando Torres...
One of the most target-like target players that ever functioned as an "aerial" target () and the "hammer" to Jackie Milburn's "scalpel", cult crowd favourite "Camel" Keeble: http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=13223 http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/WHkeebleV.htm http://www.11v11.com/players/vic-keeble-26676/ The "White Emile Heskey"... !!
For "PDG", frasermc & a few others; Arsenal, Man. United & Scotland's very own David Herd: http://www.redcafe.net/f6/david-heard-156263/ http://www.trulyreds.com/tag/david-herd/ http://www.manutd.com/en/Players-And-Staff/Legends/David-Herd.aspx http://www.aboutmanutd.com/man-u-players/david-herd.html
IDK where to post this; but a VERY good profile of Denis Law: http://www.firsttouchonline.com/2011/10/greatest-player-in-the-world-denis-law/ "a magical, mercurial goalscorer who could fashion an ocean of space from a matchbox of grass, the better to give him room to place the ball into the net." !!
@ and for "PDG": Because of his undoubted success as a manager; it's often forgotten that Brian Clough once wore the No.9 on the back of his shirt and was QUITE good at finding the back of the net: http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/d...tory-12222748-detail/story.html#axzz2KoFtasII http://www.openwriting.com/archives/2011/05/24_marking_bria_1.php http://www.readytogo.net/smb/showthread.php?t=562547 http://www.not606.com/showthread.php/61577-Brian-clough-legend "PDG" are you aware of the debate during Clough's playing days as to what his best forward position/role actually was?
Thanks and no I'm not aware of the debate. I was aware of some debate about who was the better player out of Brain Clough and his son Nigel Clough who played for Forest under his father and won a few England caps. I recall Shoot magazine I think it was doing a comparison and awarding scores in several categories. Brian scored much higher for pace and I think got a few more points overall, though didn't score as high as a passer of the ball for example. I always assumed Brian was mostly an 'out-and-out' striker to be honest. Perhaps he also played as a WM-type number 9?
[Possibly the best way to describe Clough in his playing days was as an "out-&-out" striker that wore the No.9 shirt: at club level he was often the closest thing that they had to a "card-carrying" centre-forward on the books. Many fans at the time thought that Clough should wear the No.8 or the No.10 shirt and be "paired" w/a "telegraph pole" of a No.9 like Alan Peacock like the two of them did in the England youth set-up. As is mentioned in that profile of Peacock from that Leeds Utd. fansite that I posted a link to...]
Great stuff Roy. However, its time to bring out the big guns... Presenting the one and only Jimmy McGrory - http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/clubfootball/news/newsid=1319928.html http://www.world-football-legends.co.uk/index.php/sco/27-mcgrory-jimmy http://videocelts.com/2010/12/blogs/james-mcgrory-the-original-king-of-kings