Manchester United Banter Archive January 13 2020

13 Jan 2020 18:32:05
Who do you think is or has been the best striker in the PL era? There are the usual suspects like Rooney, Henry, Shearer, Drogba and Aguero. My United affiliation makes me go for Rooney but l my brain says Aguero has been sensational and continues to be.

Thoughts?

13 Jan 2020 18:56:42
Drogba was unplayable in his prime. Class player - mind you they all were on your list.

13 Jan 2020 19:03:33
nistelrooy and aguero have to get it from me. Boy do they know where the back of the net is and both have more to their games than just goals. I'd say two completely different styles but both are magnificent strikers.
Then you have the likes of ronaldo who didn't even make the list.

13 Jan 2020 19:04:13
I would put RVN on that list as well, shame he wasn't at the club longer or joined earlier, he was one of the best finishers I've ever seen.

13 Jan 2020 19:19:13
Aguero for me. Supremely consistent, big game player and can do everything. Still haunts us that we missed out on him and David Silva.

13 Jan 2020 19:31:50
That's a tough one. So many great strikers, it really depends on how you want to set your team up.

RvP had so much talent, the way he floated around the pitch was graceful, and no one strikes the ball as well as he does. Clean, no back lift, the ball sweetly struck would fly off his boot.

Shearer was a beast, no CB wanted to play against him, he just knew where the goal was, scored every type of goal imaginable and was a really tough physical player who could go toe to toe with any EPL CB.

Henry was amazing, you knew what he was going to do, but no one could stop him. He carried a very good Arsenal side on his back at times, and was so important in the invincible season.

Then you have players like Cantona or Bergkamp who were not only strikers but because they played deeper offered so much more of a complete performance for their sides.

Aguero has been phenomenal over the past 8 years or so since he joined City. Scoring some of the most important goals in Citys history.

Drogba is an iconic EPL striker and a key player in José's Chelsea side that established themselves as a top side in England.

All of them have been so important to their sides and to great EPL teams, very difficult to separate them.

13 Jan 2020 19:38:44
You cannot look beyond Shearer then Henry as the best strikers to have graced the Premier League era.
Best United striker if you look at statistics, RVN with 95 goals, 4 seasons scoring 20+ followed by Andy Cole, 94 goals 5 seasons scoring 20+ but my personal favourite will always be RVP. Apart from Ronaldo, best player I have seen at United since the days of Jesper Olsen.

13 Jan 2020 19:58:04
What about Owen or Fowler, and no mention of Dwight Yorke.

13 Jan 2020 20:02:22
Shearer was the best number 9 .

{Ed025's Note - henry 1...shearer 2...aguero 3..

13 Jan 2020 20:11:42
Henry for me. Had everything you could want from a forward. Pace, strength, got a huge amount of assists, great ability on the ball and a great finisher. Also as much as he scored he fair share of screamers he did score all types of goals.

Also have a soft spot for Le Tissier, not strictly an out and out striker and not in the class of many of those mentioned above but his highlight reel rivals anyone. Comes across as a really nice guy who simply enjoyed his career at a club he loved.

13 Jan 2020 20:13:10
Park has said it best for me, aguero all day long and what a kiss along with silva.

13 Jan 2020 20:19:37
Rvn aguero shearer in no particular order as best cf. Honourable mention for fowler. But aguero just pips it for me as his goals delivered lots of big prizes for a club that won nothing for years.
Cantona bergkamp and henry were just a bit more than goal scorers and all great players and influences on their teams.
As usual hard to compare over different eras.

13 Jan 2020 20:49:25
Shearer surely, 7 times scored 20+ league goals and 30+ 3 times. The guy was incredible, imagine Shearer in that 90’s united team.

13 Jan 2020 21:09:35
Shearer 370 odd goals playing for Southampton newcastle and Blackburn.
Imagine him in the city team .
Was never the same player after his first season at newcastle when he done his ankle . Which is a shame for 10 year of his career he was half the player he was at his peak .
I think he was 23 when he knocked in 31 league goals for Blackburn followed by 34 and 31 . 26 years old had just scored 96 league goals in 3 seasons .
Unbelievable player at the time then moved to newcastle got Injured and was never the same, said he had to change his to a target man .
Still scored goals, most ever in the epl but says himself played over half his career at 75%.
If you where lucky enough to see a young Shearer at Southampton and him in his prime at blackburn ( both limited teams ) he wasnt playing with the silva or giggs of this world, he is very hard to look past.
I woukdnt judge him on his newcastle days tho.

13 Jan 2020 21:26:11
Shearer, just ahead of aguero with rooney third for me.

13 Jan 2020 21:32:28
Shearer, Henry and Aguero could have played in each other’s eras comfortably so are the stand out three but Henry played the sexiest football so takes it for me! Close call though.

13 Jan 2020 22:04:11
RVN Rooney Shearer.

13 Jan 2020 22:13:12
Shearer, a phenomenon. Particularly considering who he played for.

13 Jan 2020 22:27:06
Some of these would have struggled in the days of Rush, Hughes, Lineker etc. The days that defenders were not penalised for breathing on the forward.

13 Jan 2020 22:52:46
Shearer, I hate him for not joining us, but he's the best striker I've ever seen live. Could have played in any team in the world, against any opposition, and he would have scored goals. Head, feet, free kicks. Could score from anywhere, and his stats, in non-elite teams, are just silly.

14 Jan 2020 00:02:16
99 I agree, united have had a couple of great teams but if we had of got Shearer in his prime?
At Blackburn he was unbelievably, I honestly think a lot have only seen a watered down version of him .
Same goes for gazza and rooney, a few didn't see them at there best .
I was lucky enough to see gazza at newcastle, best english player I have ever seen, by a distance.

14 Jan 2020 04:48:53
Shearer, Henry and Rooney.
Rooney in his prime was an absolute beast.

14 Jan 2020 08:50:41
Henry no question.

14 Jan 2020 09:11:31
Surely Ian Wright, Suarez and Hasslebaink must be honoroubale mentions as well. Even Ole :)

14 Jan 2020 09:27:18
Rooney was no doubt a great player but scoring 20+ league goals twice in the Premier league doesn’t compare to Shearers record. When you think of the players / Teams at United Rooney played in then compare them to the teams that Shearer played in, for me Shearer is head and shoulders above him as a Striker. I honestly think had we got Shearer before he went to Blackburn we’d of won multiple Champions leagues in the 90’s, that’s how good he was. Shearer with the service the 90’s United strikers got would of been a revelation.

14 Jan 2020 10:37:19
I am surprised nobody has even mentioned Harry Kane (136 Pl goals in 198 games) . But my top 3 would be Shearer, Wazza, Henry/ Aguero.

14 Jan 2020 12:40:53
In 5 years time Kane might be in the equation, but as yet his 4 good years can't seriously have him in the conversation as best EVER.

14 Jan 2020 13:34:32
I know were mentioning premier league strikers but I think shearer massively underachieving for England. Probably the best goalscorer but Henry just edges it for me but all mentioned are top drawer strikers.

14 Jan 2020 14:40:39
Blackpool red, by that logic them Messi can't be considered the greatest of all time as he has won naff all with a very talented Argentina team.

14 Jan 2020 15:53:24
Messi is not the greatest of all time. He shouldve moved clubs or done something internationally to be considered the greatest.

Ronaldo is even better then him or has achieved more.

14 Jan 2020 16:05:24
Oh come on Shappy. Messi is in a different league to Shearer. Are Argentina really that talented.

14 Jan 2020 18:31:56
Using that logic Singh, Pedro is a better player than Giggs.

14 Jan 2020 18:37:31
Messi bottles it and sulks when it doesn't go his way far too often to be considered the best of all time.

Best in recent times, though.

13 Jan 2020 15:04:14
Lewis Dunk
Anybody else think he is worthy of a cheeky bid . Very good defender and Premier league experience. It won't be long before he is sitting next to Big H for country so why not club aswell 😁😁.

13 Jan 2020 15:42:47
I'd rather play Jones than waste money on Jones 2.0.

13 Jan 2020 16:35:27
The problem is these good defenders who you should be able to get for 30m max are going for like 60m.

13 Jan 2020 16:43:44
We’d be better off recalling Smalling from his loan.

13 Jan 2020 16:50:37
scholes_18_18.really! You would really play Jones ahead of Dunk.

13 Jan 2020 16:57:36
Yes, just as bad as each other. Championship quality.

13 Jan 2020 17:25:19
Sorry pal. Jones has fell to a different level, every time he plays he gets worse.

13 Jan 2020 18:07:06
Jones’ confidence is shot. He needs a move to kickstart his career again. Sad really because I remember when he was going to be the next John Terry 😳.

{Ed047's Note - I’m sure SAF said he was going to be the next Duncan Edwards.

13 Jan 2020 18:34:50
Smalling is better, and he’s not good enough.

13 Jan 2020 20:49:39
Yeah you’re right ed, he did lol
I think the comparisons with Terry came after a game between Blackburn and Chelsea. Sadly, he’s really not come close to fulfilling that potential. The poor guy gets hammered on social media too.

{Ed047's Note - haha, it’s a real shame though that he gets so vilified, he puts his all into every game he plays, probably trying too hard.

At 27 he could still do well else where.

13 Jan 2020 23:28:34
It's a real shame that some fans think it's acceptable to destroy the confidence of a player. Behind the glamorous facade of a professional football player there is a real human being who like all of us has emotions.

Constructive criticism is acceptable but to be hostile and get a kick out of doing so with no sensitivity for the victim of such abuse is deplorable. Jones has always struck me as being a player who does try. There is definitely a decent player lurking in him some where and I sincerely hope he gets his career back on track wherever that may lead him.

14 Jan 2020 00:55:39
Ed047, saf also said there's no value in the market and allowed City to buy Silva and Aguero. We all know what happened after that.
I think the starting setting at United at exactly that time.

{Ed047's Note - I remember that too AAA and what two incredible players they turned out to be. Silva one of my favourite ever players.

13 Jan 2020 08:57:06
Do we have a Mason and Brandon hype train?

Any room for one more?
Need a driver?

Massive silver linings this season.

13 Jan 2020 10:21:13
Absolutely, I would much prefer to see 1 or 2 academy kids step up and contribute to the first team every season than big money signings.

If Garner and Henderson step up and force their way into the first team next season I would enjoy that much more than the potential signings of Bruno and Saul.

13 Jan 2020 12:13:11
Shappy,

Whilst I agree with you, we need to experienced quality players.
Ideally another RW, James is still Young. Another forward, LB, CB DM and AM.

Hopefully the Fernandes deals goes through, but I can imagine It going wrong again.

We actually have a better chance of CL qualification than we did last season. Hopefully we buy a couple of players this Jan transfer window.

13 Jan 2020 12:39:05
I think that the top 4 is a real possibility if we get the Bruno deal over the line, and if we can get Pogba, Mctominay fit and playing well until the end of the season without any more injuries.

13 Jan 2020 07:39:01
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new article entitled, Review Of The Day 13th January 2019