How highly do you rate... Robert Pires?

[cp40]

RE Fowler, he was f***ing immense him like. He was something special, with a great left foot, movement etc. Pisses all over Owen in terms of talent but injuries and perhaps a not so 100% professional attitude meant he will never be recognised outside of Liverpool.

 

KK took charge of a few under 21 games and worked with Fowler, he said at the time that if he could buy any one player in the world, it would be him. I'm sure he scored 5 for KK once in an under-21 game, I could be wrong. Anywa... I don't think there has been a more natural finisher than him in our league. He could play a bit too, he had such a clever brain. It is no wonder LFC fans refer to him as God, because for a short period he was like nothing else. The closest to Ronaldo (the Brazilian) we had at the time in terms of pizzazz.

 

Possibly the best finisher I've ever seen, brilliant player. Shame he never quite made it as big as he should have.

 

Aye, I'd go along with that myself like.

 

I loved Robbie Fowler, that left foot, his movement, his clever runs, his footy brain. He was making fools of goalies, defenders etc. at 18 like no-one else, not in our own country anyway. Shearer was regarded as something special at 18 but wasn't a patch on a then 18 year old Fowler. I truly believe only Ronaldo, and later Raul, Anelka and Kluivert at that age were as hot if you will in terms of ability, finishing etc. Like I said his talent pissed all over Owen who for me, at one point, was a great player.

 

Hadnt shearer already scored a top flight hattrick by 18? or did I imagine that?

[Mick]

 

 

I've not seen as much of NUFC as you Mick and with it as many forwards but I'd agree with that, easily.

 

What makes Sir Les all the more special is he was a late starter if you like and even had a spell in Turkey at one point.

 

Who would be your 3rd Mick?

 

Me its Shearer, Sir Les, Cole and then.... maybe by some distance, Ba. Although for a few games Duncan Ferguson looked capable of being on another level.

 

I'd probably put Malcolm Macdonald in third and Andy Cole 4th.

 

Les Ferdinand had virtually everything and the only thing Shearer had over him was that he didn't need as many shots to get his goals.  Ferdinand looked like he would need 3, 4 or 5 shots to get a goal and Shearer looked like he needed 2 shots at most to get a goal early on before his injuries.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

 

 

I've not seen as much of NUFC as you Mick and with it as many forwards but I'd agree with that, easily.

 

What makes Sir Les all the more special is he was a late starter if you like and even had a spell in Turkey at one point.

 

Who would be your 3rd Mick?

 

Me its Shearer, Sir Les, Cole and then.... maybe by some distance, Ba. Although for a few games Duncan Ferguson looked capable of being on another level.

 

I'd probably put Malcolm Macdonald in third and Andy Cole 4th.

 

Les Ferdinand had virtually everything and the only thing Shearer had over him was that he didn't need as many shots to get his goals.  Ferdinand looked like he would need 3, 4 or 5 shots to get a goal and Shearer looked like he needed 2 shots at most to get a goal early on before his injuries.

 

Someone I know says Supermac at the time was like no other player at the time, he says whenever he got n the ball, you expected him to beat his man and score. To this day despite Shearer, Cole, Sire Les, Beardsley, Ben Arfa, he says no player has ever excited him as much as Supermac.

[Mick]

 

 

Hadnt shearer already scored a top flight hattrick by 18? or did I imagine that?

 

He did against Arsenal on his full debut.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

You knew you were in it if Fowler received the ball with a chance to shoot. One of those players you'd watch through your fingers. Just a shame he didn't have the professionalism of a Shearer, because he was possibly even more lethal in front of goal.

 

He was far more lethal which says it all. That was some Liverpool side, they were very similar to us, very attacking and open. I used to love watching them and considered McManaman very underrated at the time. I always wanted us to sign him and of course Fowler. No chance though! He didn't get many goals but he was a nightmare to defend against McManaman, and a very good passer of the ball too which isn't something you'd expect of a winger.

[Mick]

 

 

Someone I know says Supermac at the time was like no other player at the time, he says whenever he got n the ball, you expected him to beat his man and score. To this day despite Shearer, Cole, Sire Les, Beardsley, Ben Arfa, he says no player has ever excited him as much as Supermac.

 

Macdonald had loads of power and that was seen when he scored against Burnley in the FA Cup and was getting dragged back by his shirt, or at least it was an attempt to drag him back but it made no difference.  He just kept on going as if nothing was happening and still scored.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

 

 

Someone I know says Supermac at the time was like no other player at the time, he says whenever he got n the ball, you expected him to beat his man and score. To this day despite Shearer, Cole, Sire Les, Beardsley, Ben Arfa, he says no player has ever excited him as much as Supermac.

 

Macdonald had loads of power and that was seen when he scored against Burnley in the FA Cup and was getting dragged back by his shirt, or at least it was an attempt to drag him back but it made no difference.  He just kept on going as if nothing was happening and still scored.

 

Would have loved to have seen him play.

 

RE Cole, he was probably the most clinical player when it came to scoring goals, for us anyway. I remember Sheff Wed away, Cole had been marked out the game all day by the excellent Des Walker and then bang, in injury time I think, he scored the winner. Walker looked absolutely devastated and I remember KK saying afterwards that even a player like Walker could do nothing to stop Cole.

[cp40]

wasnt supermacs game about running onto dare I say- Long balls? remember being taken to the leazes end to see him as a kid but limited memories of what I saw- mostly of the ground and crowds tbh.

[Mick]

wasnt supermacs game about running onto dare I say- Long balls? remember being taken to the leazes end to see him as a kid but limited memories of what I saw- mostly of the ground and crowds tbh.

 

Long balls are OK when you've got people to make the most of them.  And no, his game wasn't about running onto them, it was just one of his strengths.

[TRon]

 

 

I've not seen as much of NUFC as you Mick and with it as many forwards but I'd agree with that, easily.

 

What makes Sir Les all the more special is he was a late starter if you like and even had a spell in Turkey at one point.

 

Who would be your 3rd Mick?

 

Me its Shearer, Sir Les, Cole and then.... maybe by some distance, Ba. Although for a few games Duncan Ferguson looked capable of being on another level.

 

I'd probably put Malcolm Macdonald in third and Andy Cole 4th.

 

Les Ferdinand had virtually everything and the only thing Shearer had over him was that he didn't need as many shots to get his goals.  Ferdinand looked like he would need 3, 4 or 5 shots to get a goal and Shearer looked like he needed 2 shots at most to get a goal early on before his injuries.

 

I think Shearer was mentally tougher as well which HTT already mentioned. But as a side I thought we looked better with Beardsley behind Ferdinand than with Shearer and Ferdinand together. I know those two looked great on paper but as a pair I never thought they were quite right, I liked the balance of the team we had the year before when we should have won the title.

[ujpest doza]

My memory of Ferdinand is that he unfortunately couldn't hit a barn door when we really needed him to.

His goals dried up in 96 compared to 95 in the 95/96 season.

[nobby_solano]

do i remember Sir Les ending the 95-96 season playing with a broken toe?

[Hughesy]

Fowler was horrendously overrated.  Hated the natural finisher cliche.

[Incognito]

Fowler was horrendously overrated.  Hated the natural finisher cliche.

 

Sorry but that is absolute bollocks.  I hated the little scally twat but he was lethal in front of goal

[Disco]

Fowler wouldn't get a sniff of a game today due to his type being almost finished at the top level. Cracking player though, scored all the goals n all.

[Hughesy]

Fowler was horrendously overrated.  Hated the natural finisher cliche.

 

Sorry but that is absolute bollocks.  I hated the little scally t*** but he was lethal in front of goal

Don't get me wrong - he was a good player. But the hype that went along with him... Just no. Of that era of strikers, he wouldn't make my top 3.

[Ronaldo]

Fowler wouldn't get a sniff of a game today due to his type being almost finished at the top level.

 

Don't agree with that, like. At his best he was fantastically clinical and instinctive. Always a place for strikers when they're that good.

[Interpolic]

Agree, Fowler was superb before the injuries got him.

[Mr. Snrub]

Think Ian Wright was better than Fowler.

[Hughesy]

Think Ian Wright was better than Fowler.

 

Wright's goal against Everton in 94/95 was just brilliant. Love watching that goal.

[Guest firetotheworks]

I wouldn't have him in the top 3 strikers of that time either, but not because he was anything other than brilliant. The strikers that were around then and the amount of good English strikers around at that time was ridiculous. All of these players were at or around their peaks, at around the same time.

 

Shearer,

Sheringham,

Wright,

Fowler,

Ferdinand,

Cole,

Owen,

Le Tissier.

[Hughesy]

I always thought it was a shame Collymore never fulfilled his potential. He had everything at his peak.

[Interpolic]

I wouldn't have him in the top 3 strikers of that time either, but not because he was anything other than brilliant. The strikers that were around then and the amount of good English strikers around at that time was ridiculous. All of these players were at or around their peaks, at around the same time.

 

Shearer,

Sheringham,

Wright,

Fowler,

Ferdinand,

Cole,

Owen,

Le Tissier.

 

Was amazed to see in that Sporcle thing the other day that Le Tissier scored 25 Premier League goals one year, that's phenomenal for someone who wasn't an out-and-out forward.

[Interpolic]

I always thought it was a shame Collymore never fulfilled his potential. He had everything at his peak.

 

Looked like a world beater at Forest.

[Guest firetotheworks]

I wouldn't have him in the top 3 strikers of that time either, but not because he was anything other than brilliant. The strikers that were around then and the amount of good English strikers around at that time was ridiculous. All of these players were at or around their peaks, at around the same time.

 

Shearer,

Sheringham,

Wright,

Fowler,

Ferdinand,

Cole,

Owen,

Le Tissier.

 

Was amazed to see in that Sporcle thing the other day that Le Tissier scored 25 Premier League goals one year, that's phenomenal for someone who wasn't an out-and-out forward.

 

Aye, I really liked him aside from when he was playing against us, or since then when he's been on telly. People say that his type aren't good enough for this league anymore, but it's bullshit. He was lazy, but in this age he'd pretty much be a deeper lying Berbatov.