This is a goals compilation video I made of Marco van Basten at Ajax. Captures 122 out of 152 goals (around 80%) he scored at Ajax.
Thoroughly enjoyed that, even if in some parts, the video quality wasn't the best. Thank you very much for that. KUTGW!
Thanks for this video. Where did you get these goals from? Do you have accaess to the matches that he played under Cruyff by any chance? His finishing technique is probably only surpassed by Gerd Muller. He hits the ball so cleanly.
I found these goals littered all over youtube. As for full matches, I don't see too many. Just three matches: Here is the 1987 Uefa Cup Winners Cup Final against Leipzig (MvB scored the game winner here): UCWC Semi-final first leg vs Zaragoza: (first half) (second half) UCWC Semi-final second leg vs Zaragoza: (first half) (second half)
Thanks. I've seen those already. It's very difficult to find Ajax games when Cruyff was coach. Do you reckon you could also try and do a similar video for Gerd Muller?
I'd argue his finishing technique is quite superior to Muller. I've seen him score some ridiculous goals.
My opinion is that consistency is part of technique. If one could be repeatedly effective using one or two types of technique, I would say that person has better technique than someone who can finish all sorts of ways but not as consistent in any of them.
Penalty conversion rate is where finishing happens in a controlled environment and ticks this logic. That is where you see consistency in a recreated setting. Gary Lineker might be put in the mix too, then. Since his OPTA data for the World Cup is more outstanding than other great strikers (shot/goals, shooting accuracy). Not very varied in scoring, but consistent by that measure.
Lineker is a great shout for this type of player. I also remember Bacca in his last year at Sevilla having the most efficient goal-to-shots ratio but having little variety in the ways he scored.
I guess the misunderstanding comes from our different definitions of finishing technique then. For me, technique defines the ceiling of difficulties someone can reach, and very little to do with consistency.
I back down from claiming who is the better (or best) finisher - at their best state - and certainly in a categorical sense but here are the penalty stats. http://www.transfermarkt.de/marco-van-basten/elfmetertore/spieler/74471 https://www.transfermarkt.com/gerd-muller/elfmetertore/spieler/35604 Not unsurprisingly the misses came near the end of his career (in the year 1992, in the euro92 shoot-out as well). In Serie A the conversion is 24/26 which is one of the best in history. At Milan he shared penalty duties with Baresi and Virdis (later Papin) - in case of Baresi quite often drawn by MvB himself I saw. For the national team R. Koeman was the default first pick throughout his time. Muller shared penalty duties with Breitner. Breitner himself was a very skilled penalty taker (30/36 in league) which also underlines that penalty taking isn't fully interchangable with 'finishing' (however: Lineker and CR7 also do great here). But it is a setting that lends to consistency and "repeatedly effective using one or two types of technique" instead of showing all sorts of extreme stuff but not being consistent.
Depends on perspective. Next to a CR7, Le Tissier, Rush or Lineker it is "many". Next to Baggio, Maradona, Messi, Romario it is fine.
I don't think Baggio and Maradona missed more penalties or had a worse penalty conversion rate than Muller.