Our worst strikeforce since the 70's?

[steve]

Well is it? (including Keane who I know has now left)

 

[Khilari]

no.

 

[Mr-T]

Rasiak, Postiga, Rebrov, Docherty, Zamora and a knackered Armstrong.

All worse than our current strikers.

 

[RuskyM]

No. Our strikeforce isn't even that bad, Defoe and Pavlyuchenko are good strikers who didn't have a great time last year due to injury/not being given enough chances.

Anyone remember Postiga/Zamora/Mido/Keane? Bar Keano, that was awful. Also any of the various mid 90s ones we had.

 

[Mr-T]

Is this the worst thread since Gibbs tried to blame Chris Hughton for everything?

 

[RuskyM]

He's referring to Dan Ashcroft's ridiculous post in the Daily ITK thread, not his own views.

 

[Dan Ashcroft]

Yep. To me Crouch, Defoe, Pav and Keane has been the worst striking options we've had since the season before we last properly overhauled and bought in Archibald and Crooks.

Since then we've always had at least 1 top calibre forward - Allen, Linekar, Sheringham, Klinsmann, Keane, Kanoute, Berbatov.

Yes we've had poor forwards, but we've never had no viable options.

From the 'Defrouchenko' 2008-11 line-up we've had Defoe (flat track bully who use to have 6 good games every 2 years), Crouch (can't head, can't hold the ball up, not really sure what he does), Keane (shadow of himself) and Pav (lovable and best of the lot, but inconsistant and lacking any particular physical attributes).

None have any movement, none are prolific goalscorers, none can hold the ball up, none can play as a partnership with any of the others, and none can link up with vdV and our AMs.

 

[steve]

Just to clarify this is the post that led to this thread being created....


Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan Ashcroft
1 down, 3 to go (to get shot of our worst strikeforce since the mid-70s).

Woodgate and Keane off the wage bill might have given us enough room to pay half of Adebayor's now anyway.

Pure comedy gold. Dan when did you start going to Spurs as a regular? And can you list all the strikers from the mid 70's you've seen loads of and think were better please?

 

[AngerManagement]

I remember we once lined up for a match with Rory Allen and Neil Fenn, with possibly Gary Doherty on stand by....that was fun times

 

[NEVILLEB]

The players themselves are good it's just that there isn't a balanced partnership.

Crouch and Defoe is the closest as each player has attributes that the other lacks. Sadly Crouch's pace and Defoe's hold up play don't make either of them top class.

 

[hybridsoldier]

No way, this strike force would still have us fighting for 4th place. Ashcroft is such a WUM.

You only have to look back to the shambles of Pavlyuchenko, Bent and Fraizer Campbell to see a REALLY shit strikeforce!

As mentioned the years of Armstrong, Iversen, Postiga, Rory Allen, Gregorz Rasiak, Rebrov.

Our worst strikeforce since the 70s? Take your pick of any strikeforce for about 15 years between 1991 and mid 2000s barring only the delightful 1 year of Klinsmann and Teddy. Only when we signed Keane and Kanoute did we have a good strikeforce.

 

[freeeki]

Defoe + Pavlyuchenko + Adebayor + A.N.Other + up-and-coming Kane and Coulibaly wouldn't be too bad, to be honest.

 

[AngerManagement]

I think you could argue that it is the first time since then that we have had a strike force that is disproportionately weaker than the rest of our squad, especially the midfield.

At the end of the day they are all established international strikers and we have pretty good strength in depth. The difference is more our ambition and position as a club and the extra quality we have elsewhere on the pitch compared to yesteryear.

We are in a stronger league with faster/stronger defences and our strikers are playing in a top four challenging team who are close to being good enough to mount a title tilt, as such many of our opponents are willing to sit back and play for a draw which in turn creates a whole new set of problems for our strikers (less space for example)

Our strikers are by no means as terrible as certain fans wish to make out, they are all decent EPL strikers and any one of them would do very well in a middle to lower PL table team (where we were for the last 20 years) they are just a poor fit for our current system, do not really suit the style of play our our midfield and are not as good frankly as the rest of the squad.

 

[ackie]

I remember we once lined up for a match with Rory Allen and Neil Fenn, with possibly Gary Doherty on stand by....that was fun times

Those were the days my friend, we thought they'd never end,
we'd sing and dance forever and a day
we'd live the life we choose
we'd fight and ALWAYS lose
for we were CRAP and sure to have our way
La la la la...
THOSE WERE THE DAYS, OH HELL THOSE WERE THE DAYS

Through the door there came familiar laughter
I saw your face and heard you call my name
Oh my friend we're older but no wiser
For in our hearts the dreams are still the same

WE NEED A TOP NOTCH STRIKER BEFORE WE FALL AGAIN...OH DANIEL LEVY, PLEASE MAKE OUR DREAM COME TRUE!

La, la, la, la ...

 

[Dan Ashcroft]

I think you could argue that it is the first time since then that we have had a strike force that is disproportionately weaker than the rest of our squad, especially the midfield.

At the end of the day they are all established international strikers and we have pretty good strength in depth. The difference is more our ambition and position as a club and the extra quality we have elsewhere on the pitch compared to yesteryear.

We are in a stronger league with faster/stronger defences and our strikers are playing in a top four challenging team who are close to being good enough to mount a title tilt, as such many of our opponents are willing to sit back and play for a draw which in turn creates a whole new set of problems for our strikers (less space for example)

Our strikers are by no means as terrible as certain fans wish to make out, they are all decent EPL strikers and any one of them would do very well in a middle to lower PL table team (where we were for the last 20 years) they are just a poor fit for our current system, do not really suit the style of play our our midfield and are not as good frankly as the rest of the squad.

I guess so. For my who life we've been a great attacking side let down by a shoddy defence.

Now we have a world class midfield, a decent defence, but are totally impotent in the final 3rd. I think the greatness of our midfield does really magnify the inadequacies of our forwards.

 

[eddiebailey]

You only have to look back to the shambles of Pavlyuchenko, Bent and Fraizer Campbell to see a REALLY shit strikeforce!

Well quite. It is one thing to have blanked out the 90s, but not being able to recall the situation we were three years ago under his beloved dream team of Comolli and Ramos is straightforward denial.

 

[bomberH]

More cockshite from Ashcroft I see.

By the way, re Defoe, why 6 good games every 2 seasons instead of 3 good games every season?

So our worst strikeforce since the 70's got us into the CL for the first time ever. I'd rather have a shit strikeforce like that and end up with results like that rather than one great striker amongst a pile of toss. Yes we could upgrade on each but they have all served us well in different ways. Short memory, ungrateful, Poyet humping, clueless horrid poster.

And before anyone pipes up with 'what's with all the Ashcroft hatred', just search his posts since Harry came in. Unbelievably biased and constantly stating opinions as facts.

Probably a nice guy in real life though xx

 

[Mr-T]

Since then we've always had at least 1 top calibre forward


none can play as a partnership with any of the others, and none can link up with vdV and our AMs.

Firstly, VdV has been playing as a striker - I'd personally class him as top calibre.

Secondly, Crouch formed a pretty good partnership with VdV.

Thirdly, although they had an admittedly rubbish season, Crouch and Defoe have a proven premiership partnership. It was just because of VdV's inclusion that they rarely played together.

 

[am_yisrael_chai]

2 words to answer the ridiculous question:

ANDY BOOTH

 

[Dan Ashcroft]

More cockshite from Ashcroft I see.

By the way, re Defoe, why 6 good games every 2 seasons instead of 3 good games every season?

So our worst strikeforce since the 70's got us into the CL for the first time ever. I'd rather have a shit strikeforce like that and end up with results like that rather than one great striker amongst a pile of toss. Yes we could upgrade on each but they have all served us well in different ways. Short memory, ungrateful, Poyet humping, clueless horrid poster.

And before anyone pipes up with 'what's with all the Ashcroft hatred', just search his posts since Harry came in. Unbelievably biased and constantly stating opinions as facts.

Probably a nice guy in real life though xx

Because he tends to have 6 good games in a row roughly autumn time in even years.

I really don't remember the great contribution our strikeforce made to our 09/10 season - Defoe scored 18 against Wigan and Wolves, Gudjohnsen rescued us a bit and Pav found a bit of form in the run in. Our forwards contributed as much to us getting 4th that year as they did to us getting 5th last year - i.e they prevented us from getting 3rd.

Firstly, VdV has been playing as a striker - I'd personally class him as top calibre.

Secondly, Crouch formed a pretty good partnership with VdV.

Thirdly, although they had an admittedly rubbish season, Crouch and Defoe have a proven premiership partnership. It was just because of VdV's inclusion that they rarely played together.

That old myth! They didn't even play 10 games together at Pompey IIRc.