Best City 11: Strikers
- Thread starter jb5000
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David Gwilliam
Well-Known Member
Arthur Rowley is a puzzle. His record for Leicester is superb and he was clearly a fine striker.
However, growing up in the early 1950s outside Leicester I don't remember ever hearing about him. People argued about whether Nat Lofthouse was even better than his predecessor Tommy Lawton and later whether Tommy Taylor (died at Munich) was even better than Lofthouse. The Welsh claimed John Charles was better than any of them. Geordies pushed the claims of Jackie Milburn while Ronnie Allen (WBA) and Stan Mortenson (Blackpool) had their supporters.
I don't remember anyone ever mentioning Arthur Rowley. He never got an England cap and I don't remember anyone even suggesting he should get one or mentioning him at all.
However, growing up in the early 1950s outside Leicester I don't remember ever hearing about him. People argued about whether Nat Lofthouse was even better than his predecessor Tommy Lawton and later whether Tommy Taylor (died at Munich) was even better than Lofthouse. The Welsh claimed John Charles was better than any of them. Geordies pushed the claims of Jackie Milburn while Ronnie Allen (WBA) and Stan Mortenson (Blackpool) had their supporters.
I don't remember anyone ever mentioning Arthur Rowley. He never got an England cap and I don't remember anyone even suggesting he should get one or mentioning him at all.
fitz
Well-Known Member
Did you miss all his cracking performances and goals too?
H T B
Well-Known Member
It's all about opinions and very subjective.
Why don't you make a worthwhile contribution instead of acting like Neanderthal man?
Lako42
Well-Known Member
Age?
fitz
Well-Known Member
I'd agree that anyone around my age or younger would have seen Heskey, Dickov and Yak as probably the best we've had. Mancini being on the list is farcical as he did pretty much feck all here, he was a great player before joining us of course. Suppose it depends if we're discussing players who were the best at somepoint and went to play for us or our best players.
Brown Nose
Well-Known Member
He played one pass that should have resulted in a goal that was simply astonishing. It was at the old Kop end and Izzet tried, but failed, to anticipate it. It was the best piece of skill I've ever seen from a City player. Granted, he didn't play for us for long or at anything like his best, but if you're looking for the two best strikers ever to play in a City shirt, he's got to be right up there.
The Sampdoria Mancini as second striker, supplying for the Everton Lineker at his pacy best, would piss all over your Worthington's and your Heskey's.
fitz
Well-Known Member
The last bit I agree with, though we didn't have him during that stage of his career. Maybe I'm misjudging what the debate is about, I expected it to be players who were great when they were with us.
Real Sharapova
Well-Known Member
I thought that might be the general gist. I wasn't that impressed when he played for us, he should have retired prior to joining us
David Gwilliam
Well-Known Member
It is easy to forget that Worthington was a hard striker used to facing brutal defenders. If in Brown Nose's elegant words Mancini had "pissed all over" him a wet and somewhat aggrieved Frank would have delivered a painful reprisal.
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western road
Member
Arthur Rowley ...best Striker none of you will see.......no-one in Leicester could ever understand why he never got an England call-up, although played just once for the "B" side
303 appearances for us scored 251 goals
played 18 times in the F.A. cup scored 14 times
Lethal left foot and was'nt bad with his weaker right one
could score from any angle around the box and outside it
Awesome striker of the old leather ball, it was a privilege to queue for an hour
or more to get into the Kop to see him play
303 appearances for us scored 251 goals
played 18 times in the F.A. cup scored 14 times
Lethal left foot and was'nt bad with his weaker right one
could score from any angle around the box and outside it
Awesome striker of the old leather ball, it was a privilege to queue for an hour
or more to get into the Kop to see him play
western road
Member
the only trouble with picking your best 11 is... differing formations, lighter footballs, fitness levels, management planning football is now a much faster game than what it was 10 years ago, never mind 50 years ago, my choice of a striker probably today would not have the space or the time to set off one of his thunderbolts, would Muzzy be just the same? how would Banks or Shilton deal with a swerving ball
to many equations to deal with to try and pick the best out of the best
to many equations to deal with to try and pick the best out of the best
That depends on the weather...
The old leather footballs were no heavier than modern balls. They only became heavier when they got wet.
SwedeFox
Well-Known Member
I think players should be judged by comparing them to other players of the era. Without ever seeing him play, I dare say Rowley wouldn't get into today's Leicester - but he might have done if he had had the training oppurtunities from an early age that today's players have.
David Gwilliam
Well-Known Member
There is a lot of truth in this. In another sport a top female sprinter today would beat the Jessie Owens of 1936; but not if Owens had been born in 1990.
I cannot speak about Banks. . A late friend was Shilton's PE teacher and loved to described his professionalism even as a schoolboy. He would have mastered a swerving ball and given hell to those defenders who allowed the forward to shoot it.
A great talent will always be a great talent but some are more able to adapt than others. I regard Nat Lofthouse as the best England centre forward but he would have had to be less aggressive and therefore less effective. The old time defence was a big brute of a centre half surrounded by two short and not always quick brutes of fullbacks. They would have struggled.
The two greatest British players I have seen would have coped.
Today Stanley Matthews would have had to help his defence and would never have played Championship football at the age of 50. However, his speed and balance and ball control would have been made more devastating by having referees to protect him. Then imagine Matthews playing on todays wonderful pitches.
To ask whether Duncan Edwards would have coped is like asking whether Ali would have coped in boxing. He had everything except a long life and perhaps that is English footballs greatest tragedy.
camberwell fox
Well-Known Member
Although not the greatest of two strikers which surely goes to those mentioned in previous posts - for sheet entertainment value I have to give a mention to Kevin (Rooster) Russell.
Probably the most effective substitute striker I can ever recall.
Probably the most effective substitute striker I can ever recall.
Motown Fox
Well-Known Member
Tranmere game still brings hairs to the back of my neck.
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Championship
| P | Pld | Pts | |
| 1 | Leicester | 45 | 97 |
| 2 | Ipswich | 45 | 93 |
| 3 | Leeds Utd | 45 | 90 |
| 4 | Southampton | 45 | 84 |
| 5 | Norwich City | 45 | 73 |
| 6 | West Brom | 45 | 72 |
| 7 | Hull City | 45 | 70 |
| 8 | Middlesbro | 45 | 66 |
| 9 | Coventry City | 45 | 64 |
| 10 | Preston | 45 | 63 |
| 11 | Bristol City | 45 | 62 |
| 12 | Cardiff City | 45 | 62 |
| 13 | Swansea City | 45 | 57 |
| 14 | Watford | 45 | 56 |
| 15 | Sunderland | 45 | 56 |
| 16 | Millwall | 45 | 56 |
| 17 | QPR | 45 | 53 |
| 18 | Stoke City | 45 | 53 |
| 19 | Blackburn | 45 | 50 |
| 20 | Sheffield W | 45 | 50 |
| 21 | Plymouth | 45 | 48 |
| 22 | Birmingham | 45 | 47 |
| 23 | Huddersfield | 45 | 45 |
| 24 | Rotherham Utd | 45 | 24 |
