Strikers. As I said quite a while ago, I think the change to playing just one up to

[Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult]

As opposed to 4-4-2 has made it harder for pure CFs to come through.

At one point, we had Titi, RvP and Ade, all of who managed to score 30 goals in a season.

When you have two strikers, it basically ensures that three will be playing every week as one will come off the bench. So you can have three people of equal ability all fighting for the two starting places.

But nowadays, it's so much harder for a young striker from the youth team to break into the first team. And it means there are far fewer strikers to sign.

It's also meant that because they were a pairing, if one scored in the other didn't, it was still a good day at the office for your strikers. There wouldn't be any media noise.

In the PL for the last several seasons, teams have signed World class players in every single position. Except Centre Foward, where it's really only the Norgie at City who's blown everyone away.

Does anyone else think this is a reason why there's been a relative dearth of World class Centre Forward is coming through in football generally? It's why so many of them can play wide as well, as it gives them another route into the starting XI.

[John Bunnell]

I've never seen a striker perform so badly and score 30 goals than Adebayor that season. It's a mystery to me how he managed it.

[redgunamo]

As opposed to 4-4-2 has made it harder for pure CFs to come through.

At one point, we had Titi, RvP and Ade, all of who managed to score 30 goals in a season.

When you have two strikers, it basically ensures that three will be playing every week as one will come off the bench. So you can have three people of equal ability all fighting for the two starting places.

But nowadays, it's so much harder for a young striker from the youth team to break into the first team. And it means there are far fewer strikers to sign.

It's also meant that because they were a pairing, if one scored in the other didn't, it was still a good day at the office for your strikers. There wouldn't be any media noise.

In the PL for the last several seasons, teams have signed World class players in every single position. Except Centre Foward, where it's really only the Norgie at City who's blown everyone away.

Does anyone else think this is a reason why there's been a relative dearth of World class Centre Forward is coming through in football generally? It's why so many of them can play wide as well, as it gives them another route into the starting XI.

Essentially, nobody wants to play in that position as it's the most heavily-guarded area of the pitch; players who can thrive there are always going to be rare and you're lucky to have one, and you won't be able to justify having two. The so-called "Support Striker" was invented; basically someone who played upfront but didn't score enough goals, a midfielder who was too small and couldn't tackle but liked a potshot.

There are plenty of actual strikers about but most are simply not good enough so coaches have had to find other ways of getting goals.

[WES]

I've never seen a striker perform so badly and score 30 goals than Adebayor that season. It's a mystery to me how he managed it.

Because he was capable of astonishing moments of incompetence and then equally astonishing moments of skill.

The flick and volley against Spurs in the 3-1 at that sh1thole (I was there with Frimmers, good dayz). He never meant the flick, but the volley was exceptional.

That was Adebayor

[Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult]

I've never seen a striker perform so badly and score 30 goals than Adebayor that season. It's a mystery to me how he managed it.

20% were against Derby who came bottom with nul pwun.

[Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult]

Because he was capable of astonishing moments of incompetence and then equally astonishing moments of skill.

The flick and volley against Spurs in the 3-1 at that sh1thole (I was there with Frimmers, good dayz). He never meant the flick, but the volley was exceptional.

That was Adebayor

That's the difference between him and Bergy.

[redgunamo]

Because he was capable of astonishing moments of incompetence and then equally astonishing moments of skill.

The flick and volley against Spurs in the 3-1 at that sh1thole (I was there with Frimmers, good dayz). He never meant the flick, but the volley was exceptional.

That was Adebayor

Yep. Un force de la nature, on his day. Unplayable. Big, strong, fast and incredibly awkward.

The defending was rubbish back then, especially at set pieces

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao1sMT4YsHQ