Henry & Gnash ought to be disqualified on the basis of being cheating cnuts - beyond the pail.
Best front three in history
- Thread starter Kazi
- Start date
If Barca had bought henry 2-3 years earlier Henry-Eto-Messi would be comfortable winners.
With Ronaldinho in his prime feeding them too
I don't remember Rooney - Ronaldo - Tevez being all that great.
Why are so many just mashing any old 3 attacking players in successful sides together and calling them front 3's?
Shouldn't the default criteria for this question be reliant on those who actually played in a 4-3-3 formation?
Generally, any 2-man front line with an AM behind them is seen as a partnership, not a trio... so this thread is rather confusing.
Shouldn't the default criteria for this question be reliant on those who actually played in a 4-3-3 formation?
Generally, any 2-man front line with an AM behind them is seen as a partnership, not a trio... so this thread is rather confusing.
Well then Messi wouldn't have been in his prime.
Obertan-Bellion-Dong.
Barcelona have had a number of exciting front threes given they've mainly employed 4-3-3 and 3-4-3 over the last 20 years and had first dibs on most of the brightest talents. One that's not been mentioned but which was complementary and beautifully balanced was Rivaldo-Kluivert-Figo. Much like Benzema, Kluivert played the back-to-goal foil role to perfection.
Strange to talk about "best front three in history" when until fairly recently most teams played with a front two.
91 vs. 88 doesn't tell the whole story. Cristiano, Benzema, Bale have played 10,930 minutes of football this season. Messi, Suarez, Neymar have played 9,720 minutes. The difference comes from Suarez' ban, Ancelotti not rotating his players while Luis Enrique takes off Neymar and Suarez from time to time and from Madrid playing some extra games (Supercopa, Club World Cup ...). So per 90 minutes it is:
Messi, Suarez, Neymar: 0.84 goals per 90 minutes.
Cristiano, Benzema, Bale: 0.72 goals per 90 minutes.
Which is a 17 % difference after all and that is quite a lot considering how good and almost unimproveable Madrid's front 3 already is (the Barca players excluded one would take Robben over Bale and that's about it I guess). To get some more perspective: If you compare Madrid's front 3 with the top 3 goalscorers of Chelsea for example, who are walking the Premier League and are one of the best teams in the world, you get:
Costa: 19
Hazard: 17
Oscar: 7
= 43 goals
= 0.42 goals per 90 minutes
By the way, just read this today:
Tweet
— Twitter API (@user) date
Don't know about "best in history" but it's stupidly good. Besides the pure numbers they also complement each other so well. Messi the playmaker who can do everything. Neymar with the pace, movement and trickery. Suarez with the physicality and relentless workrate.
Last edited:
To be honest, as good as they've been, I still dont think that they've quite clicked yet. Which isn't to criticise them, more to say that there remains the prospect that they could improve.
When I watch them they don't have the kind of telepathic reading of each other's games that the very best pairs/trios/etc have when they play with each other. If they can further develop that while each keeping their ability to make game changing contributions as individuals, well, the sky's the limit.
Surprised nobody has mentioned
Hidegkuti
Puskus
Kocsis
Hidegkuti
Puskus
Kocsis
While true, up until around the early 60s the majority of teams played with a front 5 with two wingers, so the three central players could certainly be described as a front three. In which case you have to talk about the Hungary trio of Hidegkuti, Kocsis and Puskás from the early 50s with 19 goals in 5 games in the '54 WC, or 198 goals in 222 games throughout their combined national careers!
Formations have never been that rigid so I see no reason to apply strict rules here. Last year Madrid played a lopsided 433/442 in much the same way we played a 433/4231 in 06/07 in much the same way Brazil played a 424/433 back in 1958. It all depends on your interpretation. I personally would say they're all closer to a 433 variant than a 442/424/4231 variant. Di María/Giggs/Zagallo as the left-sided centre mid providing width on the left when needed but primarily leaving that Marcelo/Evra/N. Santos while they tucked in and created from a slightly deeper central position, with Bale/Ronaldo/Garrincha much more advanced on the right hand side.
It's entirely appropriate to describe Pelé/Vavá/Garrincha and Pelé/Tostão/Jairzinho as trios, in my opinion. On topic it's entirely relevant to mention them in this list too!
Kocsis - Puskas - Hidegkuti
You're effectively selecting the three best attacking players then.
I personally would never associate Pele in a trio, nor a large percentage of those named as such in here. Zagallo and Didi were key components in what made them a 5, if anything - I've never heard of an associative trio of Pele/Vava/Garrincha, personally.
With Pele and 'partnerships' it's more likely you'll hear: Pele-Garrincha or Pele-Coutinho than anything else; 3's, 4's 5's.
But I dunno *shrug* just reducing it to stated 4-3-3's and 3-4-3's would reduce the trios and options considerably, so probably best to leave it as is.
Maybe not the greatest names but the Ma-Gi-Ca trio at Napoli was pretty renowned, and they were an actual triumvirate.
Laudrup, Romario, and Stoichkoff were a pretty effective three for a short time - but as with all of these formation arguments you can say Hagi joined in as well so they were not a true three... that said you could say the same with Iniesta at Barca now.
Anyway my vote still goes to the Magical Mygars but that Bacra three were pretty special
Anyway my vote still goes to the Magical Mygars but that Bacra three were pretty special
I don't think it's a case of just selecting the three best attacking players, personally. Zagallo was the legs in midfield, Didi was the brains from deeper and Pelé, Vava, Garrincha were the explosive force up top. I'm fairly certain Brazil scored a classic counter-attacking goal in that final with Pelé picking up the ball in his own half, knocking it out wide to Garrincha who then crossed it for Vavá to tap in in a way that was entirely indicative of their relationship. Zagallo for me was not part of that and Didi just roamed where he pleased, whereas the other three where regularly playing off of each other.
Perhaps it's more of a stretch but Pelé-Tostão-Jairzinho was a trio in every sense, for me. Zagallo described it as a 433 and Jairzinho's goals against England and Uruguay in back-to-back knockout ties is an entirely accurate representation of their interplay.
Has no one really said BEST-LAW-CHARLTON? and there I was thinking I'm on a united forum!
I did, but as part of a front 5, not 3.
I mentioned those when listing fours (add Zagallo and Rivelino). They were front fours, not trios, so I'm inclined to agree with @Fortitude in that this has turned into "list any three big names that happened to play together".
Graziani-Rossi-Conti
Müller-Rummenigge-Hoeness
Rensenbrink-Cruyff-Rep
could argue Raúl-Morientes and Zidane, more so than Del Piero-Inzaghi and Zidane
Some awesome front fours (Zagallo-Pelé-Vavá-Garrincha, or Rivelino-Tostao-Pelé-Jairzinho, or Boniek-Rossi-Bettega with Platini behind them) and fives before that.
It is largely correct to say the great teams moved from front 5s to front 4s, then suddenly dropped to 2/or 1-2, and 3 has been more common since the 00s.
Zagallo has mentioned in the past that he didn't like Saldanha's 424 and changed it to something more akin to a 433, so I completely disagree on the 1970 side. The 1958 and (to a lesser extent) 1962 sides were generally seen as front fours but I think that has a lot to do with them being seen in the context of tactical conventions in their time.
If that's the case, the BBC, last season wasn't a front three(Di Maria). Then it could be argued that barca always played with a front four(iniesta). It could be argued that Tevez, Rooney and Ronaldo weren't a trio(giggs)
Essentially its about understanding players' roles in a team and what each player contributes to an outfit. Watch the old games over and its obvious those sides have a front three just on the face of it, it doesn't look like it. Rivelino was the vertical side midfielder(ditto giggs, iniesta, di maria) while the others were strictly attackers. He'd join in later than them as the 4th attacker, but in essence he's the 3rd midfielder. The one that's able to breach the opposition midfield lines with vertical dribbling or intelligent playmaking.
Our 07/08 side was using pretty much the same formation as the 1970 brazil side. Tosta(Rooney), Pele(Tevez), Ronaldo(Jairzinho), Giggs(Rivelino), scholes(Gerson), Carrick(Clodoaldo).
Zico, Eder, Serginho deserves a mention.
Gadocha - Szarmach - Lato at World Cup 1974
Gadocha - 7 assists
Szarmach - 5 goals, 2 assists
Lato - 7 goals, 2 assists
And Szarmach wouldn't even be in the squad, if not Lubański's (greatest Polish player of all time) injury.
Gadocha - 7 assists
Szarmach - 5 goals, 2 assists
Lato - 7 goals, 2 assists
And Szarmach wouldn't even be in the squad, if not Lubański's (greatest Polish player of all time) injury.
Did anyone mention Young - Rooney - Mata yet?
It's exactly the same as the '58 side with a more incisive/attacking right winger (Garrincha/Jairzinho) and a slightly withdrawn/midfieldery outside left (Zagallo/Rivelino).
Fair point. But then, I suppose it is on that basis that you mention Zico-Eder-Serginho and ignore Socrates. And what about Falcao? Wasn't he a vertical player? You basically end up with a messy definition based on individual takes on what players were supposed to do. On the other hand, I do agree in that it has always grated me how profoundly ignorant people can be of how that 4-2-2-2 worked and how it wasn't "narrow".
Surprised this hasn't been mentioned more often. They were legendary.
I think every team is strictly never going to have three attackers but you can definitely pick out the three in a 4-3-3.
Including Giggs/ Iniesta for example is not necessary. Yes they add to the attack but it is clear that Rooney, Ronaldo and Tevez were our defined attackers and were part of a trio in general.
If anything Charlton scored way more goals than someone that can be classified as just a midfielder and Best, Law and Charlton shouldn't be ruled out at first glance because there might have been games where they did operate in tandem with less support from the others.
Anyway strictly speaking Neymar, Messi and Suarez is the sex as a trio. Has everything you'd need in an attack.. it needed Suarez to finally find his feet for it to catch fire.
Gotze Lewa and Reus I used to like, BBC and Ribery Robben and Mandzukic too .. excellent trios from recent years.
Historically:-
Raul Morientes Mijatovic
Henry Etoo Messi
Ronaldinho Etoo Messi
Rivaldo Ronaldo Ronaldinho
Zidane Del Piero Inzaghi
Gullit Van Basten Bergkamp
Cruyff Rep Rensenbrink
Gren Nordahl Liedholm
Charles Sivori BonipertI
probably more to add
Including Giggs/ Iniesta for example is not necessary. Yes they add to the attack but it is clear that Rooney, Ronaldo and Tevez were our defined attackers and were part of a trio in general.
If anything Charlton scored way more goals than someone that can be classified as just a midfielder and Best, Law and Charlton shouldn't be ruled out at first glance because there might have been games where they did operate in tandem with less support from the others.
Anyway strictly speaking Neymar, Messi and Suarez is the sex as a trio. Has everything you'd need in an attack.. it needed Suarez to finally find his feet for it to catch fire.
Gotze Lewa and Reus I used to like, BBC and Ribery Robben and Mandzukic too .. excellent trios from recent years.
Historically:-
Raul Morientes Mijatovic
Henry Etoo Messi
Ronaldinho Etoo Messi
Rivaldo Ronaldo Ronaldinho
Zidane Del Piero Inzaghi
Gullit Van Basten Bergkamp
Cruyff Rep Rensenbrink
Gren Nordahl Liedholm
Charles Sivori BonipertI
probably more to add
Not really…
In the mid 1960's we played 433 with Crerand, Charlton and Best in midfield and Herd, Law and Connelly/Aston up front.
In the late 1960's the 433 was Crerand, Charlton and Best in midfield with Kidd, Law and Aston up front. In 1967/68 when Best scored 28 goals Denis Law was injured much of the time. So Best was pushed into the front three and John Fitzpatrick came into the team and/or David Sadler pushed further forward.
Charlton played up front in the late 1950's and then on the left wing from 1960-1964.
Charlton, Law and Best never really played as a front three.
Last edited:
Cheers
Jimmy Greaves and Cliff Jones. Bobby Smith for the third.
In '62 Greaves was the best striker in the world, and Jones was considered the best left winger around. Smith was a bit of a workhorse but effective enough. For me, Greaves is still the best forward to ever play the game, what he did was outstanding. That spurs team won the double here and the cup winners cup.
Not as glamorous as most mentioned here obviously, but having two of the best forwards in world football in the three is something few others match.
In '62 Greaves was the best striker in the world, and Jones was considered the best left winger around. Smith was a bit of a workhorse but effective enough. For me, Greaves is still the best forward to ever play the game, what he did was outstanding. That spurs team won the double here and the cup winners cup.
Not as glamorous as most mentioned here obviously, but having two of the best forwards in world football in the three is something few others match.
Romario, stoickov and Laudrup were pretty devastating at one time too.
Romario, Bebeto, Zinho
Romario, Bebeto, Zinho
As individual talent goes? 100%, but the reason people say Villa-Messi-Pedro was a better frontline was because they played consistently for Barca as that side reached its absolute peak. I mean, throw Neymar and Suarez in for Villa and Pedro (in that team) and it would probably be a far better side -- although, tbf, Villa was at one stage one of the best strikers in world football.
Ronaldinho Etoo Messi would be my choice btw. Just for sheer entertainment value.
Front 4
Kanchelskis.....Cantona........Giggs
....................Shearer.................
If only!
Kanchelskis.....Cantona........Giggs
....................Shearer.................
If only!
The goal Neymar just scored now after a dummy from Suarez will go into the highlight reel for these 3. The narrator mentioned that's now 97 goals between the 3 of them this season.
Aye, scary proposition if they all click. The beauty of it is that non of them are truly "individualistic"/greedy. They rake up assist for one another like it is going out of fashion.
Imagine these front 3 with a prime Xavi and Iniesta behind them
