Who is Premier League’s Finest Striker? – Part 2
In Part Two, we continue to analyse the attributes of our top four strikers. We have completed two of our six attributes; Finishing and Team Work. This part discusses the remaining four:
PACE
Torres – There are certain things in which he is simply a cut above the rest. His blistering pace and acceleration mark him as hard as catching a fish by hand, an absolute nightmare of an attribute to have.
9/10
Drogba – It’s his turn of pace accompanied by balance and strength that makes him quick enough to beat his man. He makes others look slow due to his intelligent running at defenders.
8/10
Rooney - More like Drogba but he knows how to create that bit of space to run into and then use his strength to get pass defenders. Rooney is quick but certainly lacks the acceleration of the Liverpool’s hit
man. 8/10
Tevez – When he runs, it looks as if he is too short to run fast but his dribbling ability makes up for that slight lack of pace and like Drogba, he makes defenders look slow. His quick turns and change of pace
is enough to take him past his man. 7.5/10
FITNESS
Torres – A serious problem for the Spaniard has been to stay fit. He has been unfortunate to have picked up injuries while on international duty but he hardly needs time to kick back into gear on his return
to full fitness. You only need to look at his goal to game ratio in his Liverpool career so far.
7/10
Drogba – He is getting older and has picked up a few injuries over the years. His playing style means that there will be plenty of physical activity. Overall, he hasn’t been sidelined for a long period.
8.5/10
Rooney – It was not until the later part of last season that he picked up a few injuries. He has hardly played this season and has been going through a lot. Usually a fit lad but he might be starting to feel
the effects of excessive football. 8.5/10
Tevez – Considering the amount of running he does, one feels that Tevez would get niggling injuries here and there. However, he has been an ever present player in the Premier League. He too like Rooney has started
to feel the effects of too much football. But he is surely the fittest amongst his competitors.
9/10
DISCIPLINE
Torres – A quiet player who seems to carry on doing what he does best; scoring goals. He like any other player loses his temper every now and then but hardly gets into argument with either opposition players
or referees. He is a top drawer model pro. 9/10
Drogba – He just wants to be involved in everything. His red card against Manchester United in the final of Champions League and his after-match antics in Chelsea’s semi final defeat to Barcelona suggest that
he can lose his temper quite badly. 7.5/10
Rooney – A major problematic area for the Manchester United forward. We have lost count on how many occasions Mr. Rooney has lost his cool. He seems to be frustrated every time things are not going his way.
Red cards instead of goals in big matches are a huge shame for such a talented footballer.
7/10
Tevez – A mix bag is possibly the best way to describe his temperament. He is always at you and does commit a few fouls. However, he is neither a Wayne Rooney nor a Fernando Torres but he is maturing all the
time. 8/10
BIG MATCH CREDENTIALS
Torres – One only needs to ask Vidic about Torres and his big match credentials. His two goals on the weekend have only enhanced his reputation as a big game player. His record against Manchester United is stunning
to say the least. His debut goal came against Chelsea and he has scored winners at San Siro and against Arsenal in the Champions League and of course the only goal of Euro 2008 Final. He is your ideal big match striker.
9/10
Drogba – If big matches only included Arsenal than it would have been an easy 10. However, Drogba is either brilliant or pretty ordinary in big games. His record against Arsenal and Liverpool is more than decent
but he has failed to live up to the expectations against Manchester United. But, he certainly is the man Chelsea would look at in any big game.
8.5/10
Rooney – Not sure if Rooney can be characterised as truly a big match player. He has faded away in big games more often than he has starred. He in some ways like Drogba either runs the show or goes completely
missing. If he keeps hold of his temperament and keeps things simple, he has the potential to perform in big games.
7.5/10
Tevez – His goal against Chelsea was certainly a massive one. However, he gives his all but never has been a great goal scorer. Still, he is improving and this season he has performed in every big game.
8/10
Here are the final results:
Torres – 50.5/60
Drogba – 49/60
Rooney – 48/60
Tevez – 49/60
Torres is the clear winner here. If he can only improve his fitness, he has the potential to be the best player let alone the best striker in the Premier League. Drogba and Tevez have shown that they have got nearly everything and Wayne Rooney’s temperament
seems to be the root cause for his last position amongst the top 4 strikers in the Premier League.
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