Best Striker in the World now

[Teso Dos Bichos]

No Totti plus no Rooney equals joke list.

[Glavisted Big Soccer]

No Totti? Really?
No, for me Totti isn't a striker.

[Latin Pride]

Drogba

[Teso Dos Bichos]

No, for me Totti isn't a striker.

Yet you included the likes of Messi in your list...

Drogba

Not in a million years. He's simply not clinical enough, even in seasons when he gets hyped beyond belief.

[schafer]

Not in a million years. He's simply not clinical enough, even in seasons when he gets hyped beyond belief.

Good to see you've now included Drogba in your list of overrated Chelsea players. Leading Prem goalscorer, 3 goals in 2 cup finals, 20 league goals, 6 CL goals, 39 in 71 in all competitions including internationals last season. Regardless of how clinical he is, as his combination of pace, power and unpredictability more than make up for that, he scored a lot of goals last season, important ones as well. Especially considering how dire Chelsea played at times.

And he has 6 in 11 in all competitions so far for Chelsea this season. How can you possibly argue that he wouldn't be in the top 10 'in a million years'?

[SirManchester]

Based on form at the moment, I'd say:

1. Klose
2. Totti
3. Ibrahimovic
4. van Nistelrooy
5. Mutu
6. Rooney
7. Messi
8. Toni
9. Drogba
10. Trezeguet

[phil80]

Based on form at the moment, I'd say:

1. Klose
2. Totti
3. Ibrahimovic
4. van Nistelrooy
5. Mutu
6. Rooney
7. Messi
8. Toni
9. Drogba
10. Trezeguet
Messi is too low on that list and Ibra has looked more impressive than Totti this season.

[Teso Dos Bichos]

Good to see you've now included Drogba in your list of overrated Chelsea players. Leading Prem goalscorer, 3 goals in 2 cup finals, 20 league goals, 6 CL goals, 39 in 71 in all competitions including internationals last season. Regardless of how clinical he is, as his combination of pace, power and unpredictability more than make up for that, he scored a lot of goals last season, important ones as well. Especially considering how dire Chelsea played at times.

And he has 6 in 11 in all competitions so far for Chelsea this season. How can you possibly argue that he wouldn't be in the top 10 'in a million years'?

My opinion of Drogba has never faltered. He is simply not clinical enough to be rated as the best striker in the world, which the poster I responded to had claimed. For all the outlandish praise he got last season his goal output was still not that great and he has only had two good seasons in his entire career. He's 29 years old he has yet to score 100 league goals. I never stated that he would not be in the top 10 but if he was he would be in the latter two placings.

[Teso Dos Bichos]

He's 29 years old and he has yet to score 100 league goals.

[thejuggernaut]

He's 29 years old and he has yet to score 100 league goals.

WTF!! Three Seasons! 100 goals!... Teso Logic: Nelson Mandela would have been a great leader if he wasn't a political prisoner all those years.

[SirManchester]

Messi is too low on that list and Ibra has looked more impressive than Totti this season.

ehh...not really. One can argue for either case. In my opinion, I'll always give Totti an edge because he's not surrounded by the superstars other players have available.

[jefflebowski16]

anyone mention Benni McCarthey? I wouldn't put him at the top of the list but he is certainly worth consideration for the top 10 right now.

[Yañez]

hes not a striker, neither is persie or messi.

[KumarsS]

hes not a striker, neither is persie or messi.

If you don't consider Robin van Persie a striker, your definition of a striker is more along the lines of a no. 9 forward. We're speaking more broadly here.

[jefflebowski16]

if McCarhty isn't a striker then Messi and Totti certainly are not

[thejuggernaut]

ehh...not really. One can argue for either case. In my opinion, I'll always give Totti an edge because he's not surrounded by the superstars other players have available.

So you would agree with me in thinking Rooney should probably not be considered.

[schafer]

My opinion of Drogba has never faltered. He is simply not clinical enough to be rated as the best striker in the world, which the poster I responded to had claimed. For all the outlandish praise he got last season his goal output was still not that great and he has only had two good seasons in his entire career. He's 29 years old he has yet to score 100 league goals. I never stated that he would not be in the top 10 but if he was he would be in the latter two placings.

How can that possibly be the case? That's an absurd position to hold on any player. How can you fail to re-evaluate a player when he improves and has a career season? If this is your way of judging players, by having an opinion on them that doesn't change despite an elevation in their performances, well, that just doesn't make any sense at all. I would think that the vast majority of football fans would have had their opinions about Drogba altered after last season and the beginning of this one, so for you to claim otherwise highlights what is IMO an extremely flawed way of judging players.

Do you still hold the same opinion about C. Ronaldo that you did before last season? Kaka? Essien? Scholes? Giggs? Or is this a standard you only apply to players you dislike?

And the idea of excluding him from the discussion on the basis of him not being clinical enough to be one of the best strikers in the world is flawed as well, because it fails to take into account the fact that his physical and technical ability help him to create more chances for himself and for teammates than someone who may be more clinical but doesn't work as hard for the team or have the same physical presence. I could turn around and say I don't consider Van Nistelrooy strong enough in the air to be the best striker, but that of course would simply be a way of highlighting his weaknesses without taking into account the fact that his strengths far outweigh them, which is what you've done with Drogba.

As for Drogba not having 100 goals, that's a fair point, although the fact that he was a late starter in terms of his professional career and that he started in defence may explain that somewhat. But this isn't, to my knowledge, a discussion of where he will fall in terms of all time greats. It's about currently, what 10 strikers are the best in the world, and considering his domestic and European goalscoring form over the past 16 months, I would think that he certainly deserves higher than the latter 2 spots on the list.

I would also say that given the context of Chelsea's season last term, that his goal output was in fact very impressive, especially considering the importance of some of the goals.

[thejuggernaut]

As for Drogba not having 100 goals, that's a fair point.

An excellent post aside from this. It's NOT a fair point. Teso frames arguments to his convoluted logic. He picks out criteria that doesn't answer the question to promote his views and then belittles people who fail to understand the (in)significance. If someone says who the best car salesman at their dealership, they're not making this assesment based on when they were a detailer. And most likely wont discriminate due to age. If drogba stayed in France and did score 100 goals, he still wouldn't be in anybody's Top Ten (aside from Juninho and dead ball kicks no one in the french league is ever considered the best at anything), fine... while in France he wasn't very prolific in terms of goals but really how may F'n goals did Henry have before he joined Arsenal. It's very simple debate but leave it to know it all's to put their Fox News-esque spin and bastardize the debate to the point that you don't even know what's being discussed.

[KumarsS]

on top form i dun fink u can beat Emile Heskey he 2 powerfull n fast any 1 who finks any diff is stupid and no nothin about football

Your opinion is as ignorant as your username.

[KumarsS]

comin from a german who tried to kill dem all i fink dats funny

I'm not German, I have no ancestral ties to Germany and I do not live in Germany.