Where did all the traditional centre forwards go?

[Zlatattack]

I've been reading about Pogba describing Cavani as a different class to our current strikers, Cavani commented on it saying it's a lot about positioning and anticipation and you have to work on that and learn it through experience. I was thinking, we've kind of lacked that, a striker to gets tap ins, who gets scruffy goals, who also has the ability to hold up the ball, link up play, or drive forwards with the ball and attack the goal. Rooney was the last one we had i reckon. Ibra kind of did, but i didn't see him do much driving, Cavani i suppose does but it's early days.

Where do we get that in the future? Rashford, Martial and Greenwood don't seem to be that guy (although to early to judge Greenwood, we only play him wide). City seem to be looking for one too (Aguero replacement). Are there many around? In the strikers that are young or entering their prime I can only think of Haaland maybe?

 

[Zlatattack]

Just remembered Harry Kane, great example. Completely unavailable to us.

 

[Dyslexic Untied]

Haaland is the obvious answer I think.

 

[OleBoiii]

I need a CF
I'm holding out for a CF 'till the end of the night
He's gotta be strong, and he's gotta be fast
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight
I need a CF
I'm holding out for a CF 'till the morning light
He's gotta be sure, and it's gotta be soon
And he's gotta be larger than life
Larger than life

 

[Brightonian]

I don't know about 'traditional', but Greenwood will be a complete, orthodox CF when his game has matured. We play him wide now because he hasn't got the physique to hold up play against big CBs, because we have other options there, and because he's dangerous cutting inside at pace. But when he's a bit bigger and has more experience, he'll move into the middle and you'll see all kinds of goals from him. He's got the all-round game for it.

 

[Resch]

Not too many world class real CF left in the game
Levy at Bayern
Haaland at Dortmund
Old Aguero at City
Old Hannibal at Atletico
Icardi at PSG
Some good ones at smaller clubs but not too world class talent left, too many false 9s, etc. in the modern game.

 

[Zlatattack]

I don't know about 'traditional', but Greenwood will be a complete, orthodox CF when his game has matured. We play him wide now because he hasn't got the physique to hold up play against big CBs, because we have other options there, and because he's dangerous cutting inside at pace. But when he's a bit bigger and has more experience, he'll move into the middle and you'll see all kinds of goals from him. He's got the all-round game for it.

Has he demonstrated that at youth level?

 

[Trequarista10]

Most of the short quick ones went out wide, most of the big hold up men don't have the feet to play as the lone striker as they can't just flick a header to the short bloke running off them. Oddly the trend has been towards players who would have been second strikers a decade ago now leading the line by themselves.

Gotta be the hardest position to play these days, as a striker needs absolutely every attribute to succeed upfront by themselves.

 

[Smores]

It's no surprise with less traditional wingers in the game and more inside forwards that the traditional striker has all but disappeared. They now get less delivery and also have much of their normal area occupied by forwards coming inside.

I don't think it's helpful for forwards to be shoved out wide indefinitely either. You can't learn the same skills.

 

[Pavl3n]

Not too many world class real CF left in the game
Levy at Bayern
Haaland at Dortmund
Old Aguero at City
Old Hannibal at Atletico
Icardi at PSG
Some good ones at smaller clubs but not too world class talent left, too many false 9s, etc. in the modern game.

I would add Benzema to that list. Though you could argue he's been more of a false 9, while Ronaldo was back in Madrid.

There's plenty of alright forwards around - Ings, Calvert Lewin, Dzeko. Not so long ago the caf went mad for some Belotti guy, which I haven't heard of since then.
There's Jamie Vardy, too. Lukaku has made small strides in the right direction with every transfer move, albeit the questionable quality of the Italian league.

 

[Andersons Dietician]

Did this development sort of happen with the Pep barca team and the 433 with inverted wingers that became effectively the go to formation for everyone. Ask me Aguero is now the modern archetype of what most teams would want especially with so much football being played on the ground now.

No doubt guys like Cavani, Haaland Kane and that are fantastic at what they do but maybe through youth there is less development of these types of playersin to CF with everyone trying to mold smaller 2nd striker types in to the CF. This is why I think Laturo will probably be Peps go to replace Aguero.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Haaland is the obvious answer I think.

Doesn't seem to be the case. From what I read/see, he's much more of a poacher, get in behind defences kind of CF than a Drogba, RVN style one.

 

[TheNewEra]

People grow up watching Messi and Ronaldo and want to be them I'm assuming.

That's one reason why I think the current youngsters are not like the CFs of 10-15 years ago.

 

[Sea-Cow]

People grow up watching Messi and Ronaldo and want to be them I'm assuming.

That's one reason why I think the current youngsters are not like the CFs of 10-15 years ago.

Exactly. The most hyped youth players all look like number 10s. There is a lack of old-school Giggs-like wingers or Drogba-like strikers.

 

[davidmichael]

Players need to have more to their game now than 10-15 years ago to be a top forward, I think Brazil in 2002 was the first time I saw inside forwards (Ronaldinho and Rivaldo) with a complete forward who could do it all (Ronaldo) and it kind of evolved from there with Messi and Ronaldo.

Like most things though it primarily all goes in cycles as it was only 5 or 6 years ago people were talking about there being no 3-5-2 with wing backs or traditional wingers who played on the side of their strongest foot so had to beat a player to cross but over the past few years we’ve seen traditional wingers and wing backs both make a return so I wouldn’t be surprised to see old school centre forwards return soon too.

 

[DWelbz19]

Yeah, I think it’s a tactical thing. The game has changed — most young strikers now aren’t really ‘strikers’ but ‘forwards’ who can play across the front 3 to some degree.

Kane, Haaland, and Icardi are the some of the more true classic no.9s at the moment. And even Kane is a bit of a '9.5'.

How many (good) strikers in world football today would you say have heading as one of, if not their best trait? Calvert-Lewin and Icardi are the only two that come to mind for me.

 

[Dyslexic Untied]

Doesn't seem to be the case. From what I read/see, he's much more of a poacher, get in behind defences kind of CF than a Drogba, RVN style one.

I don't really agree with that. Anyway, the OP also asked for a forward who gets "gets tap ins, who gets scruffy goals" so he fits that bill even with your view on him.

 

[T00lsh3d]

It got bollocksed for a generation by Barca et al playing this false-9 or we’re-so-bloody-hip-we’ll-play-with-6-midfielders-and-no-strikers shite. No kids wanted to be a blood and thunder centre forward with taped ears and a head like a kettle drum.
Games gone soft lads
Brexit

 

[Devil may care]

Andy Cole talked about this a few years ago, he said when he visited academies these days all the young attackers want to be #10's or wide forwards, they weren't interested in being oldschool #9's. Wingers died out first with Messi and Ronaldo setting the blueprint for wide forwards, leaving the fullbacks to provide the attacking width and the striker role becoming more of an attacking pivot for the WF's to play off rather than the primary goal scorer.

I need a CF
I'm holding out for a CF 'till the end of the night
He's gotta be strong, and he's gotta be fast
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight
I need a CF
I'm holding out for a CF 'till the morning light
He's gotta be sure, and it's gotta be soon
And he's gotta be larger than life
Larger than life

Bravo sir!

 

[Irrational.]

Dominic Calvert-Lewindowski is the man we should be keeping very close tabs on. I think he can be the next Harry Kane, and is as traditional as you can get.

 

[Pass and Move]

Ashley Barnes. Just ask RAWK

 

[Scholsey2004]

I don't know about 'traditional', but Greenwood will be a complete, orthodox CF when his game has matured. We play him wide now because he hasn't got the physique to hold up play against big CBs, because we have other options there, and because he's dangerous cutting inside at pace. But when he's a bit bigger and has more experience, he'll move into the middle and you'll see all kinds of goals from him. He's got the all-round game for it.

I worry about this presumption actually as he's not the first one we've had who we presumed would be the main guy up front in a few years. Putting all our eggs in that one basket would be a huge mistake. Martial and Rashford were both pegged as future strikers and yet neither was really successful in that role. Martial was good last season and scored a decent amount but you can't rely on him to put in a shift there so when he isn't scoring, like this season, he just doesn't contribute enough. Just because Greenwood theoretically has the tools doesn't mean that's where he'll end up. He could just as easily end up staying on the right and competing with Diallo.

 

[Counterfactual]

No traditional wingers = no crosses from the byline = no traditional centre forwards.

Everyone's an "inverted winger" nowadays. They head straight for the congested middle rather than the byline.

In fact, if you can remember the word byline you're showing your age. Ahem.

 

[tjb]

Not too many world class real CF left in the game
Levy at Bayern
Haaland at Dortmund
Old Aguero at City
Old Hannibal at Atletico
Icardi at PSG
Some good ones at smaller clubs but not too world class talent left, too many false 9s, etc. in the modern game.

There weren't that many before either. Most strikers would be considered 10s or inside forwards today. True 9s at the top level have always been few.

 

[Acheron]

Haaland is the golden standard right now of what you're describing, he's so bloody good and so young it's absurd for you to expect to be other similar players around in the same age bracket. You would need to look for already veteran players such as Lewandowski or Harry Kane.

I also thought Jimenez for wolves was doing a lot of work for them before getting his head smashed, I mean not only scoring goals but the team would set up so defensively that almost every attack depended on getting the ball to him and him holding the ball long enough or link up with some other forward and immediately try to attack the space in order for something to happen for his team. He was also a good header so he seemed like a real good old fashioned striker that was well suited for premier league.

From Manchester United before Cavani I can think of Van Persie and Chicharito, at least they were very good at scoring goals and getting in good positions constantly. Anyway I also think you guys would benefit from having a similar striker like Cavani since he isn't super young so you would need to replace him in the near future.

 

[croadyman]

Don't know where they have gone but need to find one in the summer that's for sure

 

[Martial'sEmergingSmile]

Youssef En-Nesyri at Sevilla looks like one of the highest potential 'true' number 9s. He's a real throwback.

Joint top scorer in La Liga this season. He's tall, fast, strong - just a crazy athlete in general. He dominates in the air (his spring is something else), holds the ball up well, really intelligent off-ball runner...and he presses like a maniac. Such a high effort player - proper Tevez type annoyance, who's always running.

I'm really high on him. Sevilla are a very good club, but I expect him to be playing for a great one pretty soon. There were links with Barca recently...he'd be a nice Suarez replacement for them, finally. Nowehere close to as good technically, but makes up for it in other ways.

All goals this season

Last season highlights

 

[Nicolarra90]

The bald killed it

 

[Red Pumpkin]

Proven good/great players

Duvan Zapata - Atalanta.
Unfortunately turns 30 this year. 1,89 m tall, scores 0.5-0.75 in a season. Strong and fast for his size.

Wissam Ben Yedder - Sevilla.
Also 30. More of a Aguero-type. 1,70 m tall, scores 0.5-0.75 in a season.

Unproven but potentially great player

Patson Daka - Red Bull Salzburg.
22. I haven't seen him play apart from Youtube-clips.
17 goals in 19 games this season, 27 in 45 last season. Replaced Haaland.

 

[adexkola]

This is what you get when the Caf says traditional strikers are outdated and we need a fluid line of attackers (whatever the feck that means)

 

[devilish]

Strikers are expected to be able to do everything now. They need to learn to drop deep, work hard, create, score goals etc. No one asked that from the likes of RvN, inzaghi or vieri.

So strikers don't specialise anymore and we have this mess

 

[Isotope]

Diego Costa, Morata,

 

[Njord]

Was thinking about this some time ago. If you compare strikers born in the 80s to those born in the 90s there's a massive difference. Look at this list and see how many from the next decade would fit in (I have probably forgotten some, and I left out Messi and Ronaldo as I see them more as inside forwards):

Lewandowski, Ibrahimovic, Eto'o, Rooney, Suarez, Aguero, Benzema, van Persie, Cavani, Villa, Torres, Higuain, Dzeko, Tevez, Costa, Berbatov

 

[Resch]

Proven good/great players

Duvan Zapata - Atalanta.
Unfortunately turns 30 this year. 1,89 m tall, scores 0.5-0.75 in a season. Strong and fast for his size.

Wissam Ben Yedder - Sevilla.
Also 30. More of a Aguero-type. 1,70 m tall, scores 0.5-0.75 in a season.

Unproven but potentially great player

Patson Daka - Red Bull Salzburg.
22. I haven't seen him play apart from Youtube-clips.
17 goals in 19 games this season, 27 in 45 last season. Replaced Haaland.

Daka is good, he can score. He will run and press all day. But he needs space to attack. He can not hold the ball to save his life and his first touch needs improvement. In the air Daka is nothing special.

 

[JPRouve]

I would say that he never existed in the first place, as far as I can see all generations have had a mix of different type of strikers with different attributes. For example in 2000, Ronaldo wasn't like Batistuta who wasn't like Raul, who wasn't like Inzaghi and himself wasn't like Kluivert.

 

[romufc]

This is across the board though, generally the quality of players has declined over the years. This is why we see so many shocks in football.

Every player wants to be the player who gets the ball, make things happen but not do the other side of it, running, chasing, creating space.

This has alot to do with the modern day media / fans too where players get hyped too early and quickly meaning they become complacent and lose focus.

 

[RedDevil@84]

Post 2010, there was an increased talk about strikers doing much more fox in the box stuff. Back in 2013, I distinctly remember people wanting Chicharito gone because he was not a modern day striker. He could only score goals which wasn't good enough anymore.

 

[tenpoless]

There's a reason why Lukaku was one of the best traditional CF last season. There's a shortage of them. Imagine Lukaku being in top 5 CF.

 

[Zen86]

Forwards and defenders are increasingly required to have more general midfield skillsets, hence the emergence of the false 9 and playmaker defender. In 10 years time, matches are basically going to be 11 midfielders going up against eachother.

 

[Dirty Schwein]

Allow all these exotic names like Haaland and Cavani.

Troy Deeney is all you need. Proper center forward that.

Give him a sausage. Lather it up with mayo. Serve with some cheesy chips on the side.

Play him against arsenal.