Top 5 Best Strikers & Top 5 Worst Strikers

[Guest Brian M]

Who do you consider the 5 best and the 5 worst strikers we've had since the Premier League kicked off? And I don't mean by reputation when we bought them (*cough* Sheva) but on how they performed when they played for us.

(Bit spoilt for choice, huh Just...)

Here's some in the 'best' category (in no particular order):

Jimmy. Goal scoring machine whose goal per game record alone makes grown women go weak at the knees. Formed a partnership with Guddy that was telapathic.

Zola. Has a more skilful striker played for our club? Ever?

Drogba. A monster who was instrumental in us winning our first two league titles since Loz was in short pants.

Luca. An eye for goal like no other. Would've scored a truck load more for us if Gullit had let him actually get on the pitch once in a while.

Guddy. A really intelligent striker, better at linking up the midfield and the attack than anyone else by far (save maybe Zola). Formed a partnership with Jimmy that led many to suspect they were dating.

(will get to the 'worst' list later!)

[evissy]

Anyone who is making the worst list, LEAVE Sheva out. Don't think how much he cost to chelsea, it was not out or our pockets. He has done fair amount of goals and still could be good to us..

[coco]

Some worst....

Fleck

Sutton

Stein

Furlong

Spencer

[c3blu]

Considering i spend about £2000-£3000 a year following the club i do consider the money spent on Sheva a waste of my money.

[Mike O]

Some worst....

Fleck

Sutton

Stein

Furlong

Spencer

You leave Steino and Spencer out of this, you tart. Mark Stein still holds (I think....) the club record for scoring in most consecutive matches (16 or so?) whilst Johnny Spencer scored one of the most legendary and seldom viewed goals of all time vs Vienna away.

More importantly, both of them worked their socks off, loved the club and also worked pretty well as a partnership.

You want some contenders?

I'll give you Fleck and Sutton (still the worst for me) but I'd also add Pizarro and, somewhat unkindly, Nicholls, Casirahgi and yes, Sheva.

Top 5:

1. Zola

2. Drogba

3. Flo

4. Eidur

5. Sparky

And not Mr Cocktail-Cabinet-For-An-Arse.

No Sirree

[c3blu]

i was gonna say that about Stein and wee john, a LITTLE harsh i think . Vienna away, what a goal i can still see his little legs scampering the length of the pitch now, classic.

[dkw]

i remember when we signed stein. i think hed just played against us for stoke, and had given us the run around. was chuffed to bits about the signing. and i thought he did ok for us. wee john was just funny. never seen anyone run like that. he looked like he was on fast forward constantly. can in nominate gordon durie? i know he did well for us, just cant stand him. anyone remember fillery? it was about the time of my first season. i just remember all his goals coming of either his arse or his elbow.

[coco]

Ok Pizzaro is in, forgot about him.

But i cant put Stein above Sheva, sorry i cant.

[midlandblue]

Stein and Spencer were more than decent and as stated played thier guts out for the team. Another player from years back who scored a shed load of goals for us is Steve Fineston.

Top 5 PREMIER.

J.F.H.

LUCA.

DROGBA

SPARKY

CRESPO (no one has mentioned him yet which I find suprising)

and as for Mickey Fillery he was a midfield player with the ability to fire one in from 25 yards every now and then.

[dkw]

i think crespo is a bit harsh. he did pretty ewll for us. just didnt settle in london. you cant put him in cos of that. ive maybe got fillery mixed up with someone else. i was only about 10.

[BlueBeard]

No particular order: -

Five best Chelsea strikers in the Premiership?

Gianfranco Zola (no explanation needed)

Hernan Crespo (our best striker since Ossie - could have been a legend)

Mark Hughes (110%er - hated him at Manure, loved him at Chelsea)

Gianluca Vialli (world class striker)

Didier Drogba (great player, shame he's such a w*nker)

Five worst Chelsea strikers in the Premiership?

Robert Fleck (say no more)

Joe Allon (should have stayed in Hartlepool)

Neil Shipperley (lots of promise, no end result)

Paul Furlong (journeyman - and that's being kind)

Mateja Kezman (very mixed up man, not good enough for CFC)

and just bubbling under, pop-pickers....

Tony Cascarino (his only success was scoring a hat-trick at WHL in some no-mark pre-season competition)

Mick Harford (hardly the classiest striker around, but he scared the crap out of defenders)

Chris Sutton (bought because of his great strength in the air, and then played in a team which didn't employ wingers, or indeed anyone who could cross a ball for him)

Unluckiest strikers?

Pierluigi Casiraghi (I reckon he'd have been a top, top player for us if not for his horrendous injury)

Mikael Forssell (if he'd been given more chances in the first team instead of being continually loaned out he could have been a top player)

Carlton Cole (see Forssell)

[midlandblue]

i think crespo is a bit harsh. he did pretty ewll for us. just didnt settle in london. you cant put him in cos of that. ive maybe got fillery mixed up with someone else. i was only about 10.

I'm a huge fan of Crespo, he is/was without doubt a world class striker.

[Chippy]

No particular order: -

Five best Chelsea strikers in the Premiership?

Gianfranco Zola (no explanation needed)

Hernan Crespo (our best striker since Ossie - could have been a legend)

Mark Hughes (110%er - hated him at Manure, loved him at Chelsea)

Gianluca Vialli (world class striker)

Didier Drogba (great player, shame he's such a w*nker)

Five worst Chelsea strikers in the Premiership?

Robert Fleck (say no more)

Joe Allon (should have stayed in Hartlepool)

Neil Shipperley (lots of promise, no end result)

Paul Furlong (journeyman - and that's being kind)

Mateja Kezman (very mixed up man, not good enough for CFC)

and just bubbling under, pop-pickers....

Tony Cascarino (his only success was scoring a hat-trick at WHL in some no-mark pre-season competition)

Mick Harford (hardly the classiest striker around, but he scared the crap out of defenders)

Chris Sutton (bought because of his great strength in the air, and then played in a team which didn't employ wingers, or indeed anyone who could cross a ball for him)

Unluckiest strikers?

Pierluigi Casiraghi (I reckon he'd have been a top, top player for us if not for his horrendous injury)

Mikael Forssell (if he'd been given more chances in the first team instead of being continually loaned out he could have been a top player)

Carlton Cole (see Forssell)

Very accurate list mate,

I had a pen and paper here and had said the same as you about Crespo

I was putting Casiraghi on an unlukiest list aswell.

I think Mutu was pretty talented, should we have a stupidest list as well?

[just]

Top five in the Premiership

1. Zola - Everything you could ever want in a forward, a footballer, and a man

2. Drogba - The best in the world right now and hugely influential in our two title wins

3. Hughsie - Loved him. Brave as a lion. Would die for the cause.

4. Crespo - Why Ranieri ever left him out for Mr Cocktail Cabinet is a bigger mystery than what happened to Lord Lucan.

5. Weah - Not with us a very long but still a top class act.

[Guest Brian M]

5. Weah - Not with us a very long but still a top class act.

He scored 4 goals in 11 matches for us. That's one more than Chris Sutton. So what the?!?! And yes, I know one of Weah's goals was a winner against Sp*rs, so that counts double. But really, the fact that you put Weah on your list rather than Jimmy 'a goal every two games for Chelsea' FH shows once again that you have a myopic inability to judge strikers on their goals (what they're bought to do) but rather prefer to judge them on how much they 'try' or how much you like them.

Me, I judge them on goals more than anything (and assists), not on how much I like them. For example, horseface for Manure was a fantastic striker. Don't know how many goals he got while he was under Sir, but you can be damn sure it was a truck load. Personally I couldn't stand the c*nt. But if you ask me was he a great striker, I will nod my head and say, 'you bet your arse he was'.

And JFH, a player who by your own admission formed 'the best ever Chelsea strike partnership' with Guddy, doesn't get a look in with you just because he moaned a lot and didn't track back enough. Typical.

[just]

5. Weah - Not with us a very long but still a top class act.

He scored 4 goals in 11 matches for us. That's one more than Chris Sutton. So what the?!?! And yes, I know one of Weah's goals was a winner against Sp*rs, so that counts double. But really, the fact that you put Weah on your list rather than Jimmy 'a goal every two games for Chelsea' FH shows once again that you have a myopic inability to judge strikers on their goals (what they're bought to do) but rather prefer to judge them on how much they 'try' or how much you like them.

Me, I judge them on goals more than anything (and assists), not on how much I like them. For example, horseface for Manure was a fantastic striker. Don't know how many goals he got while he was under Sir, but you can be damn sure it was a truck load. Personally I couldn't stand the c*nt. But if you ask me was he a great striker, I will nod my head and say, 'you bet your arse he was'.

And JFH, a player who by your own admission formed 'the best ever Chelsea strike partnership' with Guddy, doesn't get a look in with you just because he moaned a lot and didn't track back enough. Typical.

God you're such a knob sometimes Brian. There is so much wrong with that post it's hard to know where to start.

Firstly, when have I ever said Cocktail and Guddy were the greatest ever Chelsea partnership? Another figment of your control freak imagination I'm afraid Bri. Dixon/Speedie, Osgood/Hutch, Hughes/Zola ever heard of them?

And this:

"once again that you have a myopic inability to judge strikers on their goals (what they're bought to do)"

Zola was never a prolific goal-scorer. Or Hughsie. Or Guddy. Obviously then none of those will be making your top 5 list. Not enough goals you see. Ergo, in Brian M World = crap strikers.

George Weah won World Player of The Year and The European Player of the Year. Jimbo ever do that? He played for one of the biggest in clubs in world football ? Jimbo ever do that? And guess what? He led our frontline when we won an FA Cup Final. Jimbo ever do that?

So, I repeat just for it to sink in properly Brian. An amazingly talented all-round player. One that Jimmy, even on his best day, never got even remotely close to. It was a pleasure to watch him in a Blue shirt, even if it was at the end of his career and only for 11 games.

PS. Bri I know you like movies. Here's one for you. Watch the second goal on the clip then get your vaseline and tissue and spend some time in the bog picturing Jimmy trying to do that............. as if!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWJQjPjCNV8

[loz]

1. Zola - Doesn't really need much explaining

2. Sparky - For me the most complete striker that Britain has produced in the past 30 years, a shame he spent so much of his career at Utd but still a provilege to see him in a Chelsea shirt.

3. Guddy - technically speaking only Zola was a better footballer. So bloody good he made Jimmy look half decent! That alone shows the measure of the man!

4. Drogba - On last season's form he would have been challenging for second spot but fourth based over his entire time with us.

5. Crespo - this one is on out and out ability as obviously things didn't really work out for him at Chelsea due partially to Ranieri's insane selections and also the fact he never really settled.

[just]

2. Sparky - For me the most complete striker that Britain has produced in the past 30 years, a shame he spent so much of his career at Utd but still a provilege to see him in a Chelsea shirt.

Don't sell him short Loz. He had moments of unforgettable magic with us, the team he supported as a boy.

The Chelsea 4 Liverpool 2 second half. His effect in that game coming on as a sub was incredible. You wouldn't have believed it if you hadn't seen with your own eyes.

And the winning goal against Vicenza to get us into the ECWC final. Simply one of the greatest Chelsea goals ever.

I'd say he's the best "hold and pass" forward I've ever seen.

[loz]

Not selling him short at all. He was fantastic in his time with us - all I meant was that it would have been nice if he had been with us longer and the Mancs less. Not playing his down performances with us in relation with his performances for them.

Do you remember a show where Luca was interviewed about that ECWC run? he was describing the Vicenza game and when it came to the Sparky goal he simply looked skywards and just said 'Thank you Sparky' before describing it as one of the best goals he has ever seen in his life.

[BackInBlue]

[youtube:2d84geew]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNI0rsCbbdM[/youtube:2d84geew]

Puts a smile on my face, every time I watch this.

[loz]

Puts a smile on my face, every time I watch this.

Especially the moment it flicks from Mark Wright looking like he has just had a lobotomy to Ruud looking like he is preparing to order a Pina Colada.

[Guest Brian M]

Firstly, when have I ever said Cocktail and Guddy were the greatest ever Chelsea partnership?

Ah, yeah, just checked. That was Mike complimenting the Guddy / Jimmy partnership in an older thread, not you. A man who's not a huge Jimmy fan but at least knows how to appreciate - begrudgingly no doubt! - what Jimmy did for us. Should have known such clear sightedness was beyond you!

Zola was never a prolific goal-scorer. Or Hughsie. Or Guddy. Obviously then none of those will be making your top 5 list. Not enough goals you see. Ergo, in Brian M World = crap strikers.

Not sure which part of 'and assists' you're not grasping.

But hey, never let the facts get in the way of your argument, mate! You're too long in the tooth to try something new!

Me, I judge them on goals more than anything (and assists), not on how much I like them

George Weah won World Player of The Year and The European Player of the Year.

When he was with Chelsea? Hmmm...let's check the facts again (dictionary under 'F' - happy to send you the link. PM me)

"George Weah World and European Player of the year 1995."

George Weah, moved to Chelsea 1999, aged 33. His best years well and truly behind him. Still wonderful to watch. Still a top bloke. But one of Chelsea's 'best' strikers since the PL began, based on their contribution WHILE AT CHELSEA? And you're basing this on 4 goals? From a whopping 11 games? Well gee, that must mean you have a really, really REALLY low opinion of pretty much every other striker we've had in the last 15 years, if you rate his 4 goals from 11 games so highly.

By your logic, I don't see why you don't have Sheva on your 'Top 5' list. After all, he was 2004 European Footballer of the Year. And Jimmy never was, so...

Crespo on the list I can totally see. Sparky? You bet. Flo? Loved the big lug. But George 'looking for one last big payday in England' Weah (and good luck to him, he'd earned his stripes in Italy and deserved a last big payday somewhere)? In place of Jimmy? A Chelsea legend?

Yeah, right. All that proves - once again - is that you refuse to take your emotions out of the equation when you judge players. And while we all have our favourites, most of us don't let that get in the way of the facts.

Most of us. JUST not you.

[barak81]

Some worst....

Fleck

Sutton

Stein

Furlong

Spencer

how can you have a go at the mighy midgets?

[just]

Here we go again Bri. You ask a question: "Who do you consider the 5 best and the 5 worst strikers we've had since the Premier League kicked off?" And someone gives you an answer you don't like and you get all arsey.

Things George Weah, ex-World Player of The Year, ex-European Player of the Year, 3 times African Player of The Year, did better than Jimbo during his time with Chelsea.

1. Head the ball - Weah is one the greatest there has ever been in the air. Witness his goal against Tottenham.

2. Run with the ball at his feet.

3. Pass the ball accurately with either foot

4. Dribble around an opponent.

5. Flair - witness his back heel flick over his own head in the cup final - what an outrageous display of skill

6. Hold the ball up. Had the strength of an ox, even at 33 years old.

7. Tackle

To even compare Jimmy and Weah technically, is just laughable.

And you don't think Weah showed any of these things during his short time at Stamford Bridge?

"Wonder Weah drives Blues on

ENGLISH PREMIERSHIP CHELSEA 2 COVENTRY 1

Cool Chelsea climbed to fourth in the Premiership with a second-half comeback that washed Coventry away at Stamford Bridge last night.

George Weah and Gianfranco Zola rescued Chelsea just as it looked like their heroics of last week in Europe and at Wembley would be submerged in a downpour on a skid-pan pitch.

The Champions League glory against Barcelona and the FA Cup semi-final triumph over Newcastle looked a world away as Gary McAllister gave Coventry an 18th minute lead with a splendidly-contrived goal and Chelsea's passing game was bogged down on a rain-soaked morass.

But manager Gianluca Vialli, who made five changes from Sunday's semi-final starters with Chelsea fielding just as many Englishmen as Coventry Dennis Wise, Jody Morris, who surprisingly wore the captain's armband, and Jon Harley added a trio of substitutes to the muddy mix after the break and his team never looked back.

Just eight minutes after the interval, Weah, replacing Tore Andre Flo, set up winger Gabriele Ambrosetti for a drilled low cross which Colin Hendry turned into his own net.

Four minutes later, Weah, galloping down the left after the cloying conditions confounded Richard Shaw's attempt at a routine clearance, laid on another perfect pass, this time for Zola to slot home.

Coventry, having looked likely to come away with a surprise success, finished only with an extension to their miserable away record, still without a win outside Highfield Road for a year.

It was anguish especially for Hendry who had been so instrumental in their early goal and battled with true Scottish grit to repel Chelsea's charge.

But once loan-star Weah got into the action, there was little doubt about Chelsea extending their unbeaten Premiership run to a 16th match.

He is ineligible for the European Cup, having already played in it for AC Milan this season, but the gifted Liberian is having a major say in Chelsea's bid to finish in the top three.

That's vital because although they will start favourites to make the semi-finals against Barcelona in the Nou Camp on Tuesday, they may still have to win it to be in it again.

Without injured Belgian goalscorer Cedric Roussel, Coventry appeared to carry little threat to Vialli's multi-national heroes.

But persistent rain had had turned the pitch into a midweek lottery, with the players raising spray with every kick and passes stopping short of their targets with frustrating regularity.

And it was Coventry, adapting much better to the dreadful conditions. Their persistence brought them a goal inside the first 20 minutes.

Centre-back Hendry, revelling in the mud, started it by robbing Flo just inside the Coventry half and kept running after funnelling the ball forward to Noel Whelan.

When the striker's low cross came in the big defender applied a marvellously delicate touch which set up fellow Scot McAllister to coolly tuck the chance away for his 10th goal of the season".

Taken from The Independent

[Tim W]

Haveaw**k did score one cracking goal with his head in a Chelsea shirt, unfortunately it was for Newcastle.