The best Striker of the modern era

[teamwork]

Who is the best goal scorer of the modern era. Now when I say modern era I am talking about the last ten years or so. Basically since the Premier League began. I have done this because going beyond that give’s you too many players to consider,

I have based this on their ability, their skill, their goal scoring record, the clubs they have played for, and the opposition they played on a regular basis (level of ability) and also their reputation across Europe and very much the footballing world.

The list is in order so cast your eye over it and tell me what you think, I dare say people will either agree, or more realistically disagree with the top ten and the following players, so who do you think should not be there, and who have I missed out, come on lets hear it.

THE TOP TEN

1) Andriy Schevchenko
2) Thierry Henry
3) Ronaldo (Brazilian one not c ronaldo)
4) Rudd Van. Nistelrooy
5) Didier Drogba
6) Michael Owen
7) Raul
8) Alan Shearer
9) Gabriel Batistuta
10) Dennis Bergkamp



11) Henrik Larsson
12) Alesandro Del Piero
13) Francesco Totti
14) Samuel Eto’o
15) Hernan Crespo
16) David Villa
17) Ronaldinho
18) FernandoTorres
19) Wayne Rooney
20) Lionel Messi
21) Carlos Tevez
22) Miroslav Klose
23) Adriano
24) Luca Toni
25) David Trezeguet
26) Christian Vieri
27) Patrick Kluivert
28) Fernando Morintes
29) Filipo Inzaghi
30) Dimetar Berbatov
31) Mark Viduka
32) Robbie Keane
33) Claudio Pizzaro
34) Roy Makkay
35) Kevin Phillips

[glennaldo_sf]

Last 10 years? So I guess that discounts Romario, Weah, and Stoichkov, who more or less peaked in the mid-90's, or Van Basten - going back even further.

I'd have to say, just off the top of my head...:

1) Ronaldo
2) Henry
3) Batistuta
4) Shevchenko
5) Shearer
6) Del Piero
7) Bergkamp
8) Van Nistlerooy
9) Raul
10) Eto'o

[comme]

Who is the best goal scorer of the modern era. Now when I say modern era I am talking about the last ten years or so. Basically since the Premier League began. I have done this because going beyond that give’s you too many players to consider,

I have based this on their ability, their skill, their goal scoring record, the clubs they have played for, and the opposition they played on a regular basis (level of ability) and also their reputation across Europe and very much the footballing world.


A few quick points here.

1. The Premiership is 14 and a bit years old, so if you are going back to 1993 it will make a difference in who you do and do not include.

2. Your criteria seem out of sync. You say you are trying to find the best goal scorer and then go on to talk about ability, skill etc.

3. Your list has a number of players who just aren't strikers. Totti for instance is not a striker, he's a forward and until recently has almost never been the most advanced player, the same applies for players like Ronaldinho, Messi, Rooney and Tevez. Comparing them to pure strikers is not particularly useful and if you're going to then you need to include a number of other like Signori, Baggio, Rivaldo etc.

That said .... and assuming we are talking about the era since the start of the Premiership.

Massive ommisions
Romario, Klinsmann, Weah, Stoichkov, Zamorano, Bierhoff, Jardel, Amoroso, Suker, Sukur, Ulf Kirsten, Andy Cole, Fowler, Sonny Anderson, Montella, Chiesa, Salas, Elber

Players who should not be included
Kevin Phillips (had one brilliant season at Sunderland), Viduka, Tevez, Berbatov, Pizarro, Adriano, Messi, Keane, Torres

Players who are too high
Drogba (until last season he was rubbish), Michael Owen (injured to much), Totti (like I said before, he's not a striker), Rooney, Eto'o, Villa, Toni

Players who are too low
Batistuta, Vieri, Morientes, Inzaghi

[Moishe]

A few quick points here.

1. The Premiership is 14 and a bit years old, so if you are going back to 1993 it will make a difference in who you do and do not include.

2. Your criteria seem out of sync. You say you are trying to find the best goal scorer and then go on to talk about ability, skill etc.

3. Your list has a number of players who just aren't strikers. Totti for instance is not a striker, he's a forward and until recently has almost never been the most advanced player, the same applies for players like Ronaldinho, Messi, Rooney and Tevez. Comparing them to pure strikers is not particularly useful and if you're going to then you need to include a number of other like Signori, Baggio, Rivaldo etc.

That said .... and assuming we are talking about the era since the start of the Premiership.

Massive ommisions
Romario, Klinsmann, Weah, Stoichkov, Zamorano, Bierhoff, Jardel, Amoroso, Suker, Sukur, Ulf Kirsten, Andy Cole, Fowler, Sonny Anderson, Montella, Chiesa, Salas, Elber

Players who should not be included
Kevin Phillips (had one brilliant season at Sunderland), Viduka, Tevez, Berbatov, Pizarro, Adriano, Messi, Keane, Torres

Players who are too high
Drogba (until last season he was rubbish), Michael Owen (injured to much), Totti (like I said before, he's not a striker), Rooney, Eto'o, Villa, Toni

Players who are too low
Batistuta, Vieri, Morientes, Inzaghi

Even though you mentioned Rooney being to high on his list, how do you include him and not Tevez? As for the rest of the post, a good one that I mostly could agree with.

[Yañez]

Agreed, you have players who arent even strikers there. Off the top of my head in no particular order

1.Ronaldo
2.Romario
3.Batistuta
4.Zamorano
5.Salas
6.Vieri
7.Inzaghi
8.Henry

[Glavisted Big Soccer]

01. Ronaldo (Brazil)
02. Romario (Brazil)
03. Thierry Henry (France)
04. Gabriel Batistuta (Argentina)
05. Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine)
06. Roberto Baggio (Italy)
07. Ruud van Nistelrooy (Holland)
08. Dennis Bergkamp (Holland)
09. George Weah (Liberia)
10. Hernán Crespo (Argentina)
11. Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgaria)
12. Jürgen Klinsmann (Germany)
13. Alan Shearer (England)
14. Alessandro Del Piero (Italy)
15. Raúl (Spain)
16. Christian Vieri (Italy)
17. David Trezeguet (France)
18. Filippo Inzaghi (Italy)
19. Miroslav Klose (Germany)
20. Henrik Larsson (Sweden)
21. Carlos Tévez (Argentina)
22. Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon)
23. Roy Makaay (Holland)
24. Iván Zamorano (Chile)
25. Lionel Messi (Argentina)
26. José Saturnino Cardozo (Paraguay)
27. Giovane Elber (Brazil)
28. Luca Toni (Italy)
29. Wayne Rooney (England)
30. Bebeto (Brazil)
31. Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast)
32. Davor Suker (Croatia)
33. Fernando Morientes (Spain)
34. Patrick Kluivert (Holland)
35. Mario Jardel (Brazil)

[zenden]

Agreed, you have players who arent even strikers there. Off the top of my head in no particular order

1.Ronaldo
2.Romario
3.Batistuta
4.Zamorano
5.Salas
6.Vieri
7.Inzaghi
8.Henry

A litle biased, no?:p

[Yañez]

A litle biased, no?:p

not really since i did say "off the top of my head". There are a lot more than those i mentioned who are better plus that list that was not a ranking.

And to glavisted, if that is a rank i dont think Tevez would be up there since he is still young and has not accomplished much yet.

[phil80]

1. Ronaldo
2 Romario
3 Batistuta
4. Nistelrooy/Bergkamp/Klinsmann

[sidis]

1 - romário
2 - van basten (ok not in 10 years)
3 - ronaldo
4 - batistuta
5 - henry
6 - bebeto
7 - bergkamp

[Jawz10]

I consider the "modern era" to be since the late 90's.
Making these lists is terribly bothersome but I will say this, anyone who doesn't have Andriy Shevchenko in the top 3 hasn't been paying attention... Oh and Salas has to be somewhere in everyone's top 20.

[Excape Goat]

1) Ronaldo
2) Gabriel Batistuta
3) Andriy Schevchenko
4) Thierry Henry
5) Rudd Van. Nistelrooy
6) Weah
7) Klinsmann
8) Bergkamp (not sure whether he belonged to this catagory).
9) Vieri
10) Zamorano

I was not sure whether Romario and Stoichkov are young enough to be considered. Stoichkov in 1997 is half the player he was in early 1990's.

[sidis]

after 97 romario was brazilian league top scorer twice.

[Catel]

Trezeguet should be in Top 5. IMO he's far, far, far, far behind Henry.

[teamwork]

are you serious alot of you. No Michael owen in hardly any of your lists if any at all. Owen has a provedn scoring record where ever he plays - Liverpool, Real madrid - you cant get much bigger really. and look at what he has done with england - he always scores against top class opponents - brazil, argentina, germany portagul etc. He is top quality, if he was spanish or italian he would be in everyone's list/

[tjbirdsfan]

1. R. Van Nistelrooy
2. T. Henry
3. Raul
4. A. Shearer
5. A. Shevchenko
6. Ronaldo
7. M.Owen
8. H. Larrson
9. D. Bergkamp
10. P. Inzaghi

[celito]

My list of True strikers (except maybe for Henry). No specific order. Although top 5 for me are the best 5.

1 - Ronaldo
2 - Henry
3 - RVN
4 - Sheva
5 - Batistuta
6 - Shearer
7 - Owen
8 - Inzagui (Yes, look at his nubmers)
9 - Vieri
10 - Trezeguet

For me Del Piero is a support striker. But I could make a case for him.

[revelationx]

In terms of goal scoring Shearer scored 260 top flight league goals. That's staggering and puts into perspective the goalscoring records of other so called modern greats. He is 5th in the list of all-time top flight goalscorers in England. He would be in the top 3 of the all-time goal-scoring list in virtually every major country in Europe (except Hungary and Portugal). He has scored more top flight league goals than Zarra and Sanchez in Spain, Nordahl and Meazza in Italy, Lacombe and Revelli in France, Heynckes and Burgsmuller in West Germany, Albert in Hungary and Kist in Holland.

Ronaldo and Romario are also legends up there with the all-time greats. Sheva, Batistuta and Henry are also legendary strikers. In terms of measuring goalscorers I rate goals scored above all other criteria but I am crazy in that way ;)

[Yañez]

I will say this, anyone who doesn't have Andriy Shevchenko in the top 3 hasn't been paying attention... Oh and Salas has to be somewhere in everyone's top 20.

Although im a really big fan of schev, i dont think he is top 3. Definitely top 10 but not top 3. I consider Romario, Ronaldo, Henry, Batistuta clearly above him. Maybe 5th if we dont count Bergkamp

[lanman]

In terms of goal scoring Shearer scored 260 top flight league goals. That's staggering and puts into perspective the goalscoring records of other so called modern greats. He is 5th in the list of all-time top flight goalscorers in England. He would be in the top 3 of the all-time goal-scoring list in virtually every major country in Europe (except Hungary and Portugal). He has scored more top flight league goals than Zarra and Sanchez in Spain, Nordahl and Meazza in Italy, Lacombe and Revelli in France, Heynckes and Burgsmuller in West Germany, Albert in Hungary and Kist in Holland.

You're doing him a disservice - Shearer actually has 283 top flight goals. The 260 is just since the start of the Premiership.
Also, all of the players ahead of him played in times when the number of goals was at least 0.5 goals per game higher. If you weight the goals scored by the top five according to the average goals per game when they played then Shearer is only just behind Jimmy Greaves in second place.
He is the only player in the history of English top flight football to have three successive 30 goal seasons and his record at his peak (1992-1997) was 137 goals in 169 games.
Against him, you would have to say his international record is poor in comparison - 30 in 63 is below the very best records.