Thanks ,,,, I ust relaized in other thread (you posted ) after this ... Agree 100% Greaves is the ONE (both clubs and NT)
[Now who should be wearing the No.9 shirt alongside Greaves up front is a different thread IMO. I've been debating whether we should start a different thread on this for a while now... Once again, you are quite welcome, mate. !!]
Hi Roy, So, if i understand correctly, you're saying that Greaves wasn't a pure #9 (like Shearer/Hurst), but could played in a twin spearhead. Close to Pele, Puskas, Labruna and Sanfilippo roles in the 50s/60s, let's said a Suport Striker.
[Or rather like an "SS" combined w/a more modern "out-&-out" striker: the main job of the "upfield"-type of I-F was to support and play-off of the (W-M"-mould) No.9. If you've ever seen footage of them in action; Denis Law and Dennis Wishaw both played the same position as Greaves in their "W-M" variant days...]
[This is a bloke over on YouTube pointing out that Greaves was a "goalscoring inside forward and that "Supermac" was a "centre forward":] "piler55 3 years ago hpy999 -You Dickhead. Greavsey did it for a laugh, not for the money bonehead, or certainly not money for him, charity yes Jimmy Greaves would do that.. Jimmy Greaves and Malcom MacDonald (Supermac) are the gratest goalscoring inside forward and centre forward respectively of my lifetime to date. Closely followed by a couple of unsung scorers of bagfulls of goals in Kevin Hector of Derby and Bobby Tambling at Chelsea." [...as in Greaves and "Supermac" were, in fact, two different types of front-runners/strikers. It's from this response thread: http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=Jo1ICedmJhg&page=1 It also shows that I'm not the only one that utilises these terms...]
[I've pointed this out elsewhere: because many fans tend to "blur" the "target"-type of C-F (John Toshack) and the "W-M" No.9 (Ted Drake) together; it's become commonly forgotten that the "W-M'-mould centre-forward position was VERY demanding at the highest levels IMO.]
A good outside contender for this "nod" might be Stan Mortensen of Blackpool & England IMO. W/Blackpool Mortensen was often overshadowed by other stars such as "Sir Stan" and the more currently under-appreciated Harry Johnston and Ernie Taylor. While w/England Mortensen was often in the shadow of Matthews yet again and his de facto striker partner Tommy Lawton.
To all members/posters: Now that he's retiring; where would you rank Michael Owen amongst the A-T English strikers?
Owen was a very good promising great striker that England produced. However he was quickly disappeared due to "bad choices" for clubs and "bad injuries" He would be in TOP10 best FW of ENgland, but would never make the all time 23 men team.
Generally agree. Could have been a truly great player for England, but he never fulfilled his potential for several reasons. Still, he can look back on a very, very good career.
yep I BLAMED it on Liverpool (tactics and strategy: mainly counter attack in his time) and then the "galacticos" bench warmer = KILLING Owen's skills : good dribble, very very fast and quick, and very good finisher (inside the box)
Just for the sake of OWEN's retirement, here shows his stats as "ONCE" a big hope in England football: Highest scoring teenagers in the Premier League: 1. Michael Owen (40) 2. Robbie Fowler (35) 3. Wayne Rooney (30) 4. Nicolas Anelka (19) 5. Alan Smith, Francis Jeffers (17) 7. Chris Bart-Williams (14) 8. Emile Heskey, Romelu Lukaku (13) 9. Robbie Keane, Ryan Giggs (12)
I'd say Lineker for his ability to show up in big games, scoring in two WC quarterfinals and a WC semi-final. Very clutch when it counted.
[A fine enough striker/goal-scorer; but Fowler wasn't fit to polish the boots of the trainee that would actually be tending to the boots of Jimmy Greaves IMO... ]