Strike partnerships...

dohboy

Seem to be a dying breed.

Whatever happened to two guys, up front, banging in 40+ goals a season?

Who killed it? Cautious managers? Squad rotation? Goal scoring midfielders? Go-it-alone strikers?

Xavi6

Yeah the days of SAS (Shearer and Sutton) are long gone it seems in terms of two 20-goal a season strikers but there are a couple of pairings in the Premiership that aren't bad.

Rooney and Saha are the obvious number one partnership simply because United are so limited in the players they have to play up front. There isn't really an option for squad rotation. Liverpool also have two up top, unfortunately they can't seem to decide who is best to play there.

After that, some of the 'smaller' teams could have some success this season with partnerships. Samaras and Corradi came good for Man City at the weekend now Pearce has finally realised that Samaras isn't a winger. He's a 20 goal striker. If Charlton can find some form then I think Darren Bent and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink are more than capable of each reaching double figures. Johnson and Beattie at Everton will be used often enough, especially if anything happens to Cahill, while Zamora and Harewood are both pacy and powerful and have caused problems so far (except against City!! )

The main problem I think is the continental influence of the attacking midfielder, meaning just the one up front like at Arsenal, or Chelsea last season.

Personally I prefer the twin attack and hope it doesn't die out completely.

Töpher

Jason Byrne and Glen Crowe. 25 goals combined in 22 league games. 8 to go, could hit 40 combined (in 6 games less than the Premierships season).
There was rotation between Crowe and Gary O'Neill before Gary got injured, he's hit 7 in the games he's played.

Seems effective enough from my viewpoint.

gustavo

yeah most teams in Ireland play 442 domestically anyway.
The only place it seems to be "dying" is the English Premiership

KdjaCL

Ehh not the lack of strikers it the lack of wingers Ripley and Wilcox criminally left out in the shadows again.

Noone plays wingers much anymore and when they do other teams more worried about stopping them then attacking hence the death of the cross

Granted it forces teams to play more which is nice, but not when they **** and end up just passing to full backs to lump forward .


kdjac

KdjaCL

Einst&#252 wrote: »

Jason Byrne and Glen Crowe. 25 goals combined in 22 league games. 8 to go, could hit 40 combined (in 6 games less than the Premierships season).
There was rotation between Crowe and Gary O'Neill before Gary got injured, he's hit 7 in the games he's played.

Seems effective enough from my viewpoint.

Against decent professional defenders?

kdjac

Töpher

I'd consider the likes of Gavin and Gartland, or say, Hutton and Kelly very decent. Then again, when you're used to seeing, say, Brennan and Foley, I can understand where you get your impression of Irish defenders from.

I was just pointing out the numbers of games comparison. No need for (the poor) trolling there KdjaCL

KdjaCL

Einst&#252 wrote: »

I'd consider the likes of Gavin and Gartland, or say, Hutton and Kelly very decent. Then again, when you're used to seeing, say, Brennan and Foley, I can understand where you get your impression of Irish defenders from.

I was just pointing out the numbers of games comparison. No need for (the poor) trolling there KdjaCL

Not trolling the OP posted in regards to pro soccer, 4 teams does not make a pro soccer league so including El players is not really proving a point, didnt Ferguson off Linfeild hit 40 on his own last season? Doesnt really add to the Ops point tho.

kdjac

gustavo

I never seen mention in the OPs post of pro leagues ?
Anyway with regards to wingers the only clubs i can think of that utilise wingers effectively in Europe from a "big" league point of view would be Manchester United and Valencia

dohboy

I was on about the how it's lost it's appeal in the wider scheme of things.

The trend has certainly lost some of it's lustre in English and in European football - at the very top levels.

A powerful strike duo was what every team once craved, but these days it doesn't as necessary or as vital to cultivate them anymore. Managers seem more interested in having one potent goalscorer, and a number of players who'll chip in with 10+ a season.

Attractive Nun

Yorke and Cole, heroes.

gustavo

Top clubs that play with 2 up front these days
Chelsea :Shevchenko Drogba
Real Madrid : Van Nistelrooy Cassano/Ronaldo
Valencia : Villa /Morientes
Atletico Madrid : Torres/Aguero
Milan : Inzaghi Oliveira/Gilardino
Roma : Montella Totti
Inter :Crespo Ibrahimovic
Manchester United : Rooney Saha

So i think the theory is somewhat flawed as most do still play with 2 up however i will concede that a lot of these clubs are more defensive when playing away to a better team

wheres me jumpa

Cole and Yorke were unbelievable for a brief period of time. Im trying to find the goal they got in Europe, I think it was against Barcelona, certainly away from home. They played two, one-twos, great link up.

mike65

Chelsea :Shevchenko Drogba

I'd wait a bit before confirming that pair as being a regular (and successful) partnership.

Back in the early-mid 90s there were 3 great partnerships the two mentioned, the other was Rush and Fowler and none of the clubs involved have found replacement pairing of similair success with one or other faltering or leaving for stupid money. Still who knows maybe Kuyt and Bellamy will actually get the chance to be prolific.

Mike.

kinaldo

Beardsley/Cole > Yorke/Cole

kinaldo

gustavo wrote:

Real Madrid : Van Nistelrooy Cassano/Ronaldo

Nobody knows how Capello plans on using Ronaldo and u left Raul out there.

kinaldo

mike65 wrote:

I'd wait a bit before confirming that pair as being a regular (and successful) partnership.

Back in the early-mid 90s there were 3 great partnerships the two mentioned, the other was Rush and Fowler and none of the clubs involved have found replacement pairing of similair success with one or other faltering or leaving for stupid money. Still who knows maybe Kuyt and Bellamy will actually get the chance to be prolific.

Mike.

Only 3? Do u not consider Wright/Bergkamp, Beardsley/Cole, Shearer/Ferdinand, Shearer/Sheringham and Fowler/Collymore great strike partnerships? I'm sure there's one or two others I'm forgetting too.

mike65

I said great! Watching some 90s prem stuff on Sky I'd nearly forgotten Colymore could be so good.

Mike.

kinaldo

Ok well I'm slighlty biased (as you probably are with Rush/Fowler) but Cole and Beardlsey scored over 60 goals between them in 94/95 and Shearer and Ferdinand hit 50 in 96/97, despite both of them being out injured for long spells. I consider that pretty damn great and won't even mention what I'd give to have them back playing!

gustavo

Morientes /Raul tops the lot of them

MrJoeSoap

Yorke and Cole were the main reason United won the treble. They had such a great understanding.

finnpark

KdjaCL wrote:

Not trolling the OP posted in regards to pro soccer, 4 teams does not make a pro soccer league so including El players is not really proving a point, didnt Ferguson off Linfeild hit 40 on his own last season? Doesnt really add to the Ops point tho.

kdjac

Errrr......Derry are part time and beat 2 professional sides away, one at home and drew with 2 at home. Professionalism does not necessary mean top class. Many of the foreign players are over rated and over paid.

kinaldo

gustavo wrote:

Morientes /Raul tops the lot of them

Aye, 3 Champions Leagues together - can't argue with that!

eirebhoy

Hasselbaink and Gudjonsson wasn't a bad partnership.