England football: The great number nine decline - where have English strikers gone?

The article discusses the current state of strikers in football, particularly in England. It cites examples of past great strikers such as Alan Shearer and Michael Owen, who were known for their goal-scoring ability and hold a different standard compared to modern-day forwards. The article also mentions that playing with two strikers is not an option for teams like England this week.

Key points:

* Modern-day strikers are often more focused on creative playmaking and wide areas rather than leading the line as a traditional number nine.
* Past great strikers such as Alan Shearer and Michael Owen had a different standard of goal-scoring ability compared to modern-day forwards.
* Playing with two strikers is not an option for teams like England this week, unlike in the past when it was more common.

Notable quotes:

* "We've got Kane, but then what?" - Chris Sutton
* "Just on numbers alone, the situation is incomparable to the 1990s." - Chris Sutton
* "Ferdinand only won 17 caps but he was phenomenal. Fowler, who only got a few more, was probably the most natural finisher you could ever see. But they were both behind Shearer because he was like a machine with the way he finished." - Chris Sutton
 
omg have you tried that new sourdough bread at the bakery downtown 🍞 it's literally life changing i went there last weekend and had the best saturday morning ever, just got to sit outside and enjoy my pastry while watching the people walk by πŸ‘£ anyway back to football, i mean if shearer and owen could score goals like that what's wrong with modern strikers? shouldn't they be able to do that too πŸ€”
 
I'm loving this football discussion! πŸ€πŸ‘Š The comparison between old school strikers like Alan Shearer and Michael Owen to modern-day forwards is really interesting. I think what's changed is that now, they want their strikers to be like... well, super versatile players who can do a bit of everything, you know? πŸ˜‚ Create chances for others, play wide, all that jazz. But at the same time, they still need someone who can score goals like it's nobody's business πŸš€πŸ‘.

It's funny what Chris Sutton is saying about Kane being up there but not quite reaching those legendary heights. I think we've just got to wait and see if he breaks that mold or becomes a legend himself πŸ’ͺ. One thing for sure, though, the way teams play now is so different from how it was back in the 90s... like Sutton said, just on numbers alone, it's incomparable πŸ“ŠπŸ’₯
 
πŸ€” I mean, it's pretty clear that the strikers today just aren't on the same level as those legends from back in the day... I mean, have you seen Harry Kane try to hold up the ball? πŸ˜‚ It's like he's not even trying to be a target man anymore! And don't even get me started on their finishing - I've seen better shots go in during training sessions. πŸƒβ€β™‚οΈ Anyway, it's just sad that teams can't rely on one guy to score goals like they used to... πŸ€·β€β™‚οΈ 2 strikers just isn't going to cut it anymore...
 
I think its crazy how much things have changed in football 🀯. I mean, these modern strikers are so focused on playing wide and creating chances that they're forgetting how to just score goals πŸ”₯. It's like we've lost the art of finishing with power and precision πŸ’ͺ. And don't even get me started on the lack of options for England right now πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§. Two strikers? No thanks, I remember when we used to have these dominant partnerships like Shearer and Sheringham, or Owen and Fowler 🀝. It's not just about numbers anymore, it's about execution πŸ‘Š. Let's get back to basics and focus on getting the big man up front firing on all cylinders ⚽️!
 
I think modern-day strikers are still great goal-scorers πŸ™Œ but they play differently now πŸ‘. It's not all about just putting the ball in the net, it's about creating chances and playing with your head up πŸ’‘. I mean, have you seen Harry Kane? He's a beast on the pitch 🐯! But sometimes he needs to drop deep and create for his team-mates πŸ”—.

And yeah, two strikers just isn't an option right now ⚽️. Teams need pace and width on the pitch, and that means having players who can play out of position πŸ€Έβ€β™‚οΈ. It's all about flexibility and adaptability these days πŸ’».

But you know what? I think it's cool that we're seeing more players come up through the ranks with different skills and abilities 🌟. It keeps the game fresh and exciting, even if they don't score as many goals as Shearer or Owen in their prime πŸ˜….
 
OMG u guys r killin me!!! πŸ˜‚ how can we even compare modern strikers 2 those legends like shearer & owen???! i mean, dont get me wrong, Kane is an amazing player but come on, its just not the same as having a machine like Shearer up front πŸ”₯. and whats with these new fangled strikers tryin 2 play wide all day?? πŸ€¦β€β™‚οΈ can't they just lead the line like a normal striker???! i mean, what happened 2 the game? where's the goal-scoring hero now?? 😭
 
I'm loving this convo about strikers in football... πŸ€”πŸ’¬ So I think what's changed is that teams now need players who can do more than just score goals, you know? Like, Harry Kane is an amazing striker, but sometimes I feel like he's not getting the service upfront because teams are playing so much 4-3-3 and trying to control the game. 🀝 It's hard for a traditional number nine to exist in this system, that's why they're saying two strikers isn't an option for England... πŸ‘Š
 
idk what's going on with football strikers rn πŸ˜‚οΈ! they all wanna be creative playmakers now πŸ€”β€β™‚οΈ instead of just scoring goals, lol. i mean alan shearer and michael owen were goal-scoring machines back in the day πŸ’₯ and it seems like nobody can match that standard anymore? what's changed? did they not teach them how to score properly at school? πŸ˜† seriously tho, playing with two strikers is a must for teams right now 🀝 but sometimes i wish they could just go back to the old days when a single striker was enough πŸ’‘
 
I don't buy it πŸ€”. Two strikers were a staple in teams back in the day, and Sutton's nostalgia for that era seems misplaced to me. What about all the great teams that used two up front successfully? Did they just magically become bad at scoring goals when those 'traditional' number nines retired?

And what exactly does Chris Sutton mean by 'behind Shearer because he was like a machine'? Is that even possible in real life? Wasn't it more just about hard work and dedication to score that many goals? Not to mention all the other factors at play like team defense, midfield creativity...
 
"It's not the years in your life that count, it's the life in your years" πŸ•°οΈ
I think modern-day strikers need to learn from the past greats like Alan Shearer and Michael Owen. They were goal-scoring machines! Nowadays, it seems like they're more focused on playing wide or making creative passes. I'm not sure if that's enough to lead a team to victory. Playing with two strikers might be an option for some teams now, but not for England this week. The pressure is too high and the competition is too fierce.
 
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