Put these strikers in order.........

[just]

Six Chelsea strikers past and present. How do you rate them? Their strengths. Their weaknesses. Why do you rate them? What made one better than the other? How influential were they to the Chelsea sides they played in? And how would they fare playing for Chelsea in 2007/08?

1. Peter Osgood

2. Jimmy Greaves

3. Jimmy Floyd Hasslebaink

4. Bobby Tambling

5. Kerry Dixon

6. Didier Drogba

Put them in order of personal preference.

If some of them are before your Chelsea supporting era, and you know little of the other names, then just comment and rank those you have a knowledge of.

[Guest Brian M]

[just]

:roll:

[Guest Brian M]

Such an o-b-v-i-o-u-s ploy to try to get people to rate Jimmy as the worst of the bunch. So again I say:

PS: and, no matter what order they were in (if you could compare players from different eras, which you can't, save in a striker's case in a 'stats / goal scoring record' kind of way) they are all fantastic players.

[loz]

1. Peter Osgood

2. Jimmy Greaves

4. Bobby Tambling

These three I have only seen on video so I will choose not to comment - although in the case of Ossie I have probably seen more than enough to comment.

3. Jimmy Floyd Hasslebaink

I have said it 100 times already so will try not to repeat too much. Strengths are that he was an explosive finisher, often caught defenders and goalkeepers off guard by shooting early and shooting with a power that would have knocked the down a prison wall and released a mass of scousers. Weaknesses are obvious. Lazy, moaned way too much, blamed everyone but himself, if he wasn't scoring offered absolutely nothing. Would fair badly in the 07/08 Chelsea team. Jose would have him on the bench in a second.

5. Kerry Dixon

Kery Dixon, Kerry Dixon.... Kerry Dixon - still makes my spine shiver to hear his name!! Strengths - he had the bloody lot as far as I am concerned. Pacy, comfortable with both feet, a monster in the air, could sniff out a goal even if you disguised its scent with a profusion of Grimsby mullets. Weaknesses - hell I just can't acknowledge that he had any. maybe if I could go back in time and watch him play again through older wiser eyes I would recognise a number of weaknesses to his game however my memories of him are through the eyes of soemone who truly believed he walked on water. Would do fine in today's team, lead the line well, be a handful for cenre halves, get on the end of crosses better than any of the strikers we curently have. I accept he wouldn't provide the assistance defending set pieces that Didier does.

6. Didier Drogba

Which brings us to the reason for your post mate Strengths - after a mediocre 18 months he is now deadly in front of goal, both close in and also far out. His first touch has improved considerably and he is now far better at holding the ball up and drawing other players into the game. based on last season he is pretty much faultless (other than his play acting although even that has improved dramatically) - for me he is not as good in the air as Kerry was but his all round contribution to the team is greater.

[Backbiter]

I'm not old enough to have seen Greaves and Tambling play for us in the flesh, so I'd go for:

1. Ossie - skill, goals, character, aerial ability, passion. Chelsea Legend

2. Drogba - workrate, goals, aerial threat, defensive work. Can be clumsy, temperament not the best. Vital player for us these days

3. Dixon - goals, pace (before his stomach injury), heading, honesty, character, commitment. Touch not the best. Could look a bit limited. Not in the same league as Ossie or Drogs in terms of natural talent

4. JFH - goals. Brilliant for a couple of seasons, great partnership with Eidur. Moody, declined rapidly after hitting the heights, workrate fizzled out.

From what I've seen Greaves was an unbelievably good goalscorer. Should have stayed with us for ever.

Tambling's record for us is superb, but I've not seen enough to give a proper rating.

[Backbiter]

Loz - Dixon was excellent in the air and scored loads of crackers with his head, but I seriously think Drogba is as good as we've ever head in terms of heading ability, both in attack and defence.

[loz]

In defence I'd agree, in fact I would say he is better than Kerry at defensive headers but I would place Kerry above him at being able to score with his head. Maybe that perception is as much to do with the quality of the service that Kerry got from wee Pat Nevin.

[Scott]

How about putting these in order ?

1.Osgood

2.Mutu

3.Kezman

4. JFH

5. Durie

[Englishman]

1. Peter Osgood

2. Jimmy Greaves

3. Jimmy Floyd Hasslebaink

4. Bobby Tambling

5. Kerry Dixon

6. Didier Drogba

At least three of those had a reputation for being 'workshy', which rules them out of the current team. The sight of Ossie and the two Jimmys all standing in the centre circle waiting for the ball would probably finish Jose off!

I have only seen two of those regularly, so it wouldn't be fair to rate the others. Despite not being that skilful, JFH was a great great goalscorer of whom I have many fond memories. The only trouble is, when he wasn't scoring he may as well have not been playing.

As for DD, imo he was better for us during his first two seasons than he was given credit for. He goals record was respectable and he gave us glimpses of what he was capable of. He just didn't do it consistently enough. So it's to his credit that he's gone from being a player many wanted to get rid of to being virtually undroppable. I'd take him over JFH.

[Star]

1 OSSIE - The reason why many of us 40 year old + Chelsea fans started supporting the blues. The King of Stamford Bridge you'd better believe it, sublime but hard, had it not been for his broken leg he'd have rightly won 100 England caps.

2 Jimmy Greaves - Never seen him play, before my time, BUT my late father always said he was the best striker he'd ever seen Chelsea or not. That's good enough for me.

3 Didier Drogba - Despite ridicule, brave enough to rise above it and eventually be acclaimed as the best striker in the World in some parts. Our centre forward in successive Premiership title campaigns with so much more to his game than goals. Over 30 goals last year, won us the Carling and FA Cup a Chelsea legend? Too 'kin right !

4 David Speedie - I love Kerry Dixon but he was never the same without Speedo. One of the most underrated players to wear the blue shirt, dare I say it a perfect foil for Drogba in this day and age.

5 Jock Finneston - One of the most natural finishers in our history. Injury stopped him from smashing Bobby Tamblings Chelsea scoring record and I honestly believe that.

Ian Hutchinson, Kerry Dixon ...

[Kenn]

Comparing strikers or footballers generally across the era-divide is fraught with ?danger? ? different competitions, different technology, different motivations, etc. But beauty is transcendental ? a good striker is a good striker whenever.

(1) Jimmy Greaves: A striker?s main goal is to score goals. Put him in any team and he would deliver. For his consistency, proficiency and phenomenal strike rate, he?s my number one, but just.

(2) Peter Osgood: My personal favourite Chelsea striker of all time. For his vision, physical presence, panache, skill, grace and sense of style, he?s a close second. He represents for me everything Chelsea. He and Bonetti were my first Chelsea heroes.

(3) Bobby Tambling: For talent, proficiency and leadership.

(4) Kerry Dixon: for his all-action, all-round ability with the ball and the great memories through hard times.

(5) Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink: For his power-packed shots and his single-minded devotion to the art of scoring.

Didier Drogba is still at the top of the game, so I?m not going to rate him now until the end or almost the end of his playing career. Of course, he?s got the lot and capacity to be the very best, but I do not think he qualifies yet to be in that list.

[BlueBosnian]

Dixon is one of the reasons I started to watch Chelsea. He is on top of my list for sure.

I won't comment others. Some were way before my time, and some are still around.

[just]

I've had good think about this and I intend to write a piece about each of the players, but I will do it in two halfs.

I've seen five of the six in the flesh although I was a very young boy, going to the Bridge with my father, when I saw Tambling play. I didn't see Greaves play but I will rank him in my list as my dad has told me much about him. And indeed I have read much about him, including his autobiography.

1. Didier Drogba

Perhaps, to many, a controversial choice to top the list. However, I feel Drogba is the complete forward. There is NOTHING he can't do. Unbelievably strong, skilful, good pace, (though not lightening quick), an animal in the air, can tackle like a demon, works all over the pitch. The list just goes on and on. And I agree with Englishman's previous comment, although Drogba is undoubtedly a better player now than when he first arrived, he was better for us during that first season and a half than he was given credit for. We would not have won the title without DD working his nuts off all over the park. Finally, of all the other strikers on the list I don't think any of them at their peak could realistically have laid claim to be being the no:1 striker in the world. Didier Drogba can, and is.

2. Kerry Dixon

The sight of "Wee" Pat Nevin jinking past a defender out wide and sending over a deep cross would invariably have me off my seat screaming "goal". Why? Because in those circumstances it generally followed that a mop of blonde hair would rise higher than anyone in the oppo's box and, with a flick of the head, the ball would fly past the keeper and into the net. Who would that be? King Kerry. As Frank Lampard is a modern day Chelsea icon for most female Chelsea supporters, so Kerry Dixon was for all us 'erberts who used to congregate in the Shed and North Stand. When he first arrived at the Bridge, although he always scored goals, his all round play wasn't the best. But, as time went on, Dixon worked hard at the finer points of the game and his touch, control and passing improved to an amazing degree. For a big man he was also blessed with great pace, (much quicker than Drogba) and was strong as an ox. These natural attributes made him a real handful for any defender. And in the era of modern football where money is king and loyalty is a forgotten word, I like to think back to when Kerry was at his peak and Le Arse came calling with a big fat cheque and a library card with his name on it. KK, god bless him, told them to get lost and stayed at the Bridge. For that reason alone every Chelsea fan past and present should love him.

3. Peter Osgood

I saw Ossie as a young kid when my dad took me to the Bridge, and I then watched him when he returned to us in '78 for a short period in which it was obvious he wasn't anywhere near the same player he was previously. My immediate memories of him are of a tall man who had a great touch and was good in the air. Like many great players of his generation Ossie was an extremely skilful player. Perhaps that has something to do with the crap surfaces they played on in those days! I also remember he could be a lazy player, and my father would sometimes moan at him for this, but he was also extremely brave and if the boots were flying Ossie wouldn't flinch and could give as good as he took. Ossie is also the reason why some of the older generation first hated Liverpool. A broken leg, from a vicious, muderous, pre-meditated lunge by Emlyn Hughes ensured that. Osgood had a grace and elegance about him and his football brain meant he saw possibilities and tried things that other players couldn't. Much like Zola. Because of this, I believe Ossie would easily hold his own in modern football. His legacy? No-one empitomised the swagger and style of the 60's King's Road era more than Peter Osgood and his name will be forever synonymous with Chelsea Football Club.

[BlueBeard]

1 OSSIE - The reason why many of us 40 year old + Chelsea fans started supporting the blues. The King of Stamford Bridge you'd better believe it, sublime but hard, had it not been for his broken leg he'd have rightly won 100 England caps.

2 Jimmy Greaves - Never seen him play, before my time, BUT my late father always said he was the best striker he'd ever seen Chelsea or not. That's good enough for me.

3 Didier Drogba - Despite ridicule, brave enough to rise above it and eventually be acclaimed as the best striker in the World in some parts. Our centre forward in successive Premiership title campaigns with so much more to his game than goals. Over 30 goals last year, won us the Carling and FA Cup a Chelsea legend? Too 'kin right !

4 David Speedie - I love Kerry Dixon but he was never the same without Speedo. One of the most underrated players to wear the blue shirt, dare I say it a perfect foil for Drogba in this day and age.

5 Jock Finneston - One of the most natural finishers in our history. Injury stopped him from smashing Bobby Tamblings Chelsea scoring record and I honestly believe that.

Ian Hutchinson, Kerry Dixon ...

Agree with all of that, except I'd have Hutch, Tambling and Kerry ahead of Drogba.

1. Peter Osgood

2. Jimmy Greaves

3. Kerry Dixon

4. Bobby Tambling

5. Ian Hutchinson

6. Didier Drogba

7. David Speedie

8. Steve Finnieston

9. Tommy Baldwin

10. JFH

Apart from Greaves, I've seen all the above players play for Chelsea, some of them many, many times (though I saw Greaves play against us a few times when he was at N17).

I saw Ossie & Co far more times than I've seen the more recent players, so that probably explains my bias towards them.

Sticking Drogs in at #6 is no insult - I thought he was brilliant last year, not just for his goals but for his all round play.

How would some of them play in this day and age? -

Peter Osgood & Co. would absolutely revel in todays game, can you imagine the likes of Ossie or Tambling playing in an era where defenders are hardly allowed to tackle anymore??? Further to that, for players of that era to be able to play on present-day pitch surfaces would be a dream come true.

Ossie and other skill players of his time (Cooke, Best, Gray, etc....) would be absolutely priceless in todays game.

Alternatively, can anyone imagine Drogba or JFH coping with the pitches of yesteryear, with the likes of Jack Charlton or Tommy Smith breathing down their necks?

[geezer]

Jock Finneston - One of the most natural finishers in our history. Injury stopped him from smashing Bobby Tamblings Chelsea scoring record and I honestly believe that.

Definitiely agree with Jock being a huge talent, an absolute goal machine. That he should be deprived of true greatness by injury is one of life's travesties.

[just]

Such an o-b-v-i-o-u-s ploy to try to get people to rate Jimmy as the worst of the bunch. So again I say:

PS: and, no matter what order they were in (if you could compare players from different eras, which you can't, save in a striker's case in a 'stats / goal scoring record' kind of way) they are all fantastic players.

Com'on Bri. Don't go having a hissy fit. It's a serious topic. Have a go at the list. To keep you happy and ensure Jimmy doesn't finish bottom of the pile, I'll add another forward. Chris Sutton.

And anyway, as I remember, didn't you once try to argue JFH was better than Kerry? So now's the chance to state your reasons.

[Guest Brian M]

And anyway, as I remember, didn't you once try to argue JFH was better than Kerry?

Nope, those blasphemous words have sure as hell never passed my lips! Kerry was a total legend playing for a sh*t team and still scoring for fun. If he'd been in the Liverp**l of the 80s (God forbid!) he would've relegated Rush's place in history to being some Welsh dude who squeezed the oranges at half time. A mark of a great striker is he can score in a mediocre side. JFH did that in Spain for a team that was relegated no less. That'd be like someone last season top scoring in the EPL while playing for Watford. JFH scored goals. Kerry scored goals. Osgood scored goals. And they did it for Chelsea. So they're all tops in my book.

Kerry was a Chelsea legend. Osgood. JFH. All of them. And they all deserve the respect for wearing the shirt and doing the business. Pulling apart their flaws (they all have flaws) on here serves what end exactly? None that I can see.

PS: Sutton? At least add Kezman!

[g3.7]

I can't really comment on the list having only seen two (1. drogba, 2. jimmy), but jimmy scoring for atletico isn't a bigger feat than it would have been because they were relegated. he played with valeron, then a top class provider- it wasn't quite the same thing as say scoring for a sh*t side to be honest.

p.s. sparky hughes and vialli?

[BlueBeard]

Kerry was a total legend playing for a sh*t team and still scoring for fun

The likes of Eddie Niedzwiecki, Joe McLaughlin, Colin Pates, Joey Jones, Johnny Bumstead, Mickey Thomas, Nigel Spackman, Paul Canoville, Pat Nevin, David Speedie - a sh*t team???????????

Wash your keyboard out this minute, sir!

[just]

Kerry was a total legend playing for a sh*t team and still scoring for fun

The likes of Eddie Niedzwiecki, Joe McLaughlin, Colin Pates, Joey Jones, Johnny Bumstead, Mickey Thomas, Nigel Spackman, Paul Canoville, Pat Nevin, David Speedie - a sh*t team???????????

Too right BB. I must have really been a sucker for punishment. I used to follow that sh*t side home and away every week.

That sh*t team produced some of the most entertaining, free-flowing, attacking football in the history of Chelsea Football Club.

[Star]

Kerry was a total legend playing for a sh*t team and still scoring for fun

The likes of Eddie Niedzwiecki, Joe McLaughlin, Colin Pates, Joey Jones, Johnny Bumstead, Mickey Thomas, Nigel Spackman, Paul Canoville, Pat Nevin, David Speedie - a sh*t team???????????

Wash your keyboard out this minute, sir!

Well said !

Had it not been for John Neal's health problems we would have won the league in Kerry's era instead of heading back to the second divison in later years - Johhny Hollins great player, great coach, sh*t manager !!

Eddie Mac's car, Vialli playing Duberry Centre Half instead of Desailly, other times when we might have won the league before Roman and Jose came along !

[Lofty]

Unless I'm mistaken there was at least one other occasion during the mid to late '60s, maybe earlier when we might have won the league except for a mini-collapse towards the end of the season?

[Guest Brian M]

Wash your keyboard out this minute, sir!

Fair call But you know what I mean. I too followed that Chelsea like this Chelsea. With equal passion. And most of my childhood memories where when we were in the old second division. And I'm sorry, but take off the rose coloured glasses as - great individual players though we had - we were pretty sh*t as a team (results don't lie). Chelsea were known more for their fans ability to win the fights after the matches than for the team's ability to win the actual matches themselves*.

Sh*t, used here, is purely in context with the Chelsea who have won 2 EPLs, Carling cups, FA cups et all. But if you like, feel free to use 'mediocre' instead. Because history remembers Liverfool, Everton, Nottingham Forrest etc from that era for footballing reasons, and NOT Chelsea.

Of course, in the 21st century, things are a lot different. Chelsea's fans are well behaved (as are most) and now Chelsea will be remembered for the titles, the home record, the trophies. And, yes, the money from RA. But the history books don't care who's bank rolling things. It only cares about the results.

*For the younger fans and the JCLs, google 'Ken Bates' and the words ELECTRIC FENCE to control the Chelsea hooligans...'

[Liam]

1. Peter Osgood

If 1970 was the reason I started supporting Chelsea then Osgood made me sure I'd made the right decision. Impossibly glamourous - my dim memories of him were of a player that stood out miles above every other on the pitch. My father raved about him too and the mantra osgood is good was repeated every week at home.

2. Kerry Dixon

Similar to Osgood he had an elegance all of his own and always seemed the most graceful player on the pitch. Fantasic goal scoring record and the cause of countless celebrations in an era when wins were not as frequent as they are today.

3. Didier Drogba

The perfect modern footballer - strong, athletic and powerful. Not really my type of player though due to a complete absence of subtlety and a certain meanness in his nature.

Finally, of all the other strikers on the list I don't think any of them at their peak could realistically have laid claim to be being the no:1 striker in the world.

Could this claim not have been made for Greaves? My old man certainly raved about him.

I like Jimmy but he doesn't belong on that list.