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Beefy
February 17th, 2014, 8:42 AM
So the Bleacher Report have attempted to draw together a list of the top 60 strikers of all time. They've defined striker as being the player who "played as the furthest man forward, played in a partnership or had clear striking responsibilities" in the team so Messi, Maradona, Bergkamp and a number of others have been excluded (not sure how Bergkamp missed the cut based on that definition though).

Lists are subjective and this one is a weird mix of subjective favourites and players from decades ago judged solely on their stats and trophies won but I thought it might generate some conversation not necessarily quibbling about who should have finished where (Shearer should have been higher...) but about who we think are the best strikers of all time. And also because it is great to remember some of these names.

60. Filippo Inzaghi
59. Denis Law
58. Marcelo Salas
57. John Charles
56. Alan Shearer
55. Georgi Asparuhov
54. Ivan Zamorano
53. Davor Suker
52. Patrick Kluivert
51. Hernan Crespo
50. Henrik Larsson
49. Mario Kempes
48. David Villa
47. Oleg Blokhin
46. Telmo Zarra
45. Samuel Eto'o
44. Wayne Rooney
43. Alessandro Del Piero
42. Rudi Voller
41. Gary Lineker
40. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
39. Just Fontaine
38. Didier Drogba
37. Miroslav Klose
36. Ian Rush
35. Ruud van Nistelrooy
34. Kenny Dalglish
33. Raul
32. Jimmy Greaves
31. Silvio Piola
30. Jurgen Klinsmann
29. Guglielmo Gabetto
28. Andriy Shevchenko
27. Thierry Henry
26. Roberto Baggio
25. Hristo Stoichkov
24. Jose Aguas
23. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
22. Jean-Pierre Papin
21. Hugo Sanchez
20. Leonidas Da Silva
19. Uwe Seeler
18. Gabriel Batistuta
17. George Weah
16. Giuseppe Meazza
15. Emilio Butragueno
14. Gunnar Nordahl
13. Paolo Rossi
12. Josef Bican
11. Fernando Peyroteo
10. Arthur Friedenreich
9. Marco Van Basten
8. Romario
7. Sandor Kocsis
6. Alfredo Di Stefano
5. Gerd Muller
4. Ferenc Puskas
3. Eusebio
2. Ronaldo
1. Pele

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1954831-ranking-the-top-60-strikers-of-all-time/

Simon
February 17th, 2014, 8:43 AM
Steffen Iversen must have been #61.

Bad Collin
February 17th, 2014, 9:11 AM
This is the worst list ever. How is Ronaldo a striker but Messi isn't?

How do you compare Zlatan and Just Fontaine? Ridiculous.

#61 was Sean Dundee

Simon
February 17th, 2014, 9:22 AM
I think it's the original Ronaldo, so that is fair enough. But yeah these comparisons are a waste of time because the game has changed so much. On the weekend I heard three different pundits claim that Tom Finney would have been valued at £70m if he was around now. Based on what?

It's impossible to compare really because so many things have changed over the years, the game is not really comparable. The fundamental shift in tactical setup over the decades means it is pretty much entirely pointless trying to compare modern strikers to, say, strikers from before the 50s and 60s, but even then the increase in professionalism, fitness etc make it very difficult to compare. How do you compare Bican who played in the 30s as the focal point of a 2-3-5 formation with Baggio who played in a withdrawn role in a 4-4-2? It's impossible.

P.S. Inverting the Pyramid: The History of Football Tactics (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Inverting-Pyramid-History-Football-Tactics/dp/1409102041) by Jonathan Wilson is a great read for football nerds. Incredibly dry but very informative.

Beefy
February 17th, 2014, 9:27 AM
This is the worst list ever. How is Ronaldo a striker but Messi isn't?

How do you compare Zlatan and Just Fontaine? Ridiculous.

#61 was Sean Dundee

Ronaldo, not Cristiano Ronaldo. The good one.

MMH
February 17th, 2014, 9:27 AM
No Dixie Dean in the top 60 strikers ever? Fuck right off. If they have Igor Biscan or whatever his name is in there then Dean can go in too.

Beefy
February 17th, 2014, 9:28 AM
Yeah when I got down to the top ten and realised Dixie Dean wasn't in it I thought you wouldn't be impressed.

Slare
February 17th, 2014, 9:59 AM
Henrik Larsson is top 3 at least. Probably first.

Red Dog
February 17th, 2014, 10:34 AM
He isn't Slare. Its Eusebio, Ronaldo and Pele.

Slare
February 17th, 2014, 11:00 AM
top one, he is top one.

MikeHunt
February 17th, 2014, 11:36 AM
larsson is the best footballer i've ever seen. unbelievable. i'd have him in my top 5 without a doubt.

Simon
February 17th, 2014, 11:40 AM
Might as well say Shug McLumpfur that plays in your 5 a side team is in the top 5 ever because he's the best you've played with.

The Rosk
February 17th, 2014, 11:51 AM
Yeah Dwight Yorke should be in there. FFFSSS

Slare
February 17th, 2014, 11:53 AM
1. Henrik Larsson
2. Dwight Yorke
3. Shug McLUmpfur
4. Stephan Iverson
5. Simon

My list.

Simon
February 17th, 2014, 11:55 AM
I'm better than Shug McLumpfur :mad:

Slare
February 17th, 2014, 12:10 PM
You've flattered to decieve in recent seasons, your goal tally is beyond doubt, but the quality of finish and overall workrate leaves a lot to be desired. Also don't seem to be a very intelligent player, often questioning basic instruction. Always manage to find a gap between defenders though.

I've done a few jokes in there Simon and I hope you enjoy them.

MikeHunt
February 17th, 2014, 12:19 PM
Might as well say Shug McLumpfur that plays in your 5 a side team is in the top 5 ever because he's the best you've played with.

you are a fucking stupid bastard.

Peter Griffin
February 17th, 2014, 12:22 PM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Bloomer

:mad:

Simon
February 17th, 2014, 12:36 PM
you are a fucking stupid bastard.

No mate, you're stupid for promoting a very good striker to one of the best strikers of ALL TIME when he was probably never even in the top five of current strikers at any point in his career.

BBF
February 17th, 2014, 12:38 PM
He was definitely in the top 5 strikers in Glasgow at one point mate.

MikeHunt
February 17th, 2014, 12:41 PM
sorry forgot about the subjective nature of an opinion simon. you fucking stupid bastard.

Simon
February 17th, 2014, 12:43 PM
Your subjective opinion is objectively stupid.

MikeHunt
February 17th, 2014, 12:46 PM
He was definitely in the top 5 strikers in Glasgow at one point mate.

and holland, spain and england

MikeHunt
February 17th, 2014, 12:47 PM
Your subjective opinion is objectively stupid.

fantasic. did fucking kano say that in his new rap?

BBF
February 17th, 2014, 12:48 PM
fantasic. did fucking kano say that in his new rap?

To be fair, mate, thats why he makes more P's than you.

Slare
February 17th, 2014, 12:52 PM
SELECTA

MMH
February 19th, 2014, 9:25 PM
and holland, spain and england

He barely played up front in Holland.

wardy
February 19th, 2014, 9:59 PM
Fuck Dixie Dean where's Jimmy Mcgrory? He scored about 600 goals and half with his head. Surprised he didn't do a Benoit when you consider how heavy the ball was back then.

El Capitano Gatisto
February 20th, 2014, 4:14 AM
I can't see many there in my era of watching that have been overlooked. Probably Christian Vieri and David Trezeguet are the only ones that spring to mind. Again, out of the ones I've seen, I'd probably have those guys ahead of Wayne Rooney and Patrick Kluivert. Kluivert should be in there on talent alone, but his career just never turned out as it should have. He peaked very early, in his first few games he'd scored the winner in a CL final. I'm not sure he justifies being ahead of Vieri or Trezeguet overall. Michael Owen and Robbie Fowler are probably players that deserve a mention too, but again their careers never quite hit those heights. I never saw Paolo Rossi play obviously, but I would wonder why he's in there and so high up when seemingly it's based on performance at one World Cup. Not sure how they've managed to exclude Dennis Bergkamp, yet manage to include Roberto Baggio, Del Piero, Raul, Kenny Dalglish and Wayne Rooney on that basis, since most of those guys were deep-lying forwards no matter how many goals they scored. Stoichkov and Villa too played a fair bit of their careers operating deeper or out wide.

Robbie Keane of course should be firmly in there.