The Premier League Thread

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I'm referring to ability as a forward. So stuff like strength, stamina, ability to hold up the ball, finishing ability, off the ball movement and dribbling ability. I'd say Henry was better at the last two, Shearer better at the two before that, and the two of them just about equal at the first two. I'm wanting to know what others think.

EDIT: Again, I'm not on about their ability in their single best year out of their career, I'm on about the total of their careers. Shearer's 18 years, and Henry's 19 years so far.
 
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Newcastledownunder said:
Um... just a small question... Who was better, throughout their entire career, Alan Shearer, or Thierry Henry?

I'm not on about in their best year, I'm on about throughout the entirety of their career.
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Henry.

Shearer was a fantastic player, a proper old-style English forward with finishing ability and aerial presence. Henry was one of the all-time greats, a multitalented forward unstoppable on his day. Good as Shearer was, I don't think there is really any contest between the two.
 
GodCubed said:
Henry.

Shearer was a fantastic player, a proper old-style English forward with finishing ability and aerial presence. Henry was one of the all-time greats, a multitalented forward unstoppable on his day. Good as Shearer was, I don't think there is really any contest between the two.
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Why is that though? I never got to see either of them at their best, and rely on stats, but Shearer throughout his career had a higher goal scoring record, at a higher or equal level, in poorer quality teams then Henry (Southampton, Blackburn and Newcastle compared to Juventus, Arsenal and Barcelona). What made Henry so much better, when Shearer scored more goals, in fewer games, at a generally higher level, in worse teams?

Not to mention Shearer's two injuries that cost him about a year of his game each time, and he is still the premier league's leading goalscorer by 63 goals to the nearest competitor, and 86 more than Henry, after suffering three very bad leg related injuries throughout his career.
 
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Newcastledownunder said:
Why is that though? I never got to see either of them at their best, and rely on stats, but Shearer throughout his career had a higher goal scoring record, at a higher or equal level, in poorer quality teams then Henry (Southampton, Blackburn and Newcastle compared to Juventus, Arsenal and Barcelona). What made Henry so much better, when Shearer scored more goals, in fewer games, at a generally higher level, in worse teams?

Not to mention Shearer's two injuries that cost him about a year of his game each time, and he is still the premier league's leading goalscorer by 63 goals to the nearest competitor, and 86 more than Henry, after suffering three very bad leg related injuries throughout his career.
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That there is why you won't understand why Henry was better than Shearer. The game looks skewed if you look at it purely based on statistics. Shearers average goals per game in the top division of England (0.51) is also well below Henrys premier league strike rate of 0.61 goals per game. You can find any stats to back up any argument if you try hard enough, hence why basing your whole argument on said stats is bound to be flawed.
 
I still have painful memories of Shearer scoring a sublimer against us. Used to dread playing against Newcastle in their prime.
 
Newcastledownunder said:
Why is that though? I never got to see either of them at their best, and rely on stats, but Shearer throughout his career had a higher goal scoring record, at a higher or equal level, in poorer quality teams then Henry (Southampton, Blackburn and Newcastle compared to Juventus, Arsenal and Barcelona). What made Henry so much better, when Shearer scored more goals, in fewer games, at a generally higher level, in worse teams?
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Because Shearer was a goalscorer. That was his job, to score goals, and there's nary a striker in Prem history better at it than him. Henry, on the other hand, did absolutely everything: score goals, make goals, drag the opposition defence around, force the opposition to sit deep because of his pace, drop deep to link play. It's like the difference between, say, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Robin Van Persie. Huntelaar is arguably the best finisher in world football, but his all-round talents are limited. Van Persie, on the other hand, does everything well, and that's why he's the better player and more often chosen for his country. If you wanted a higher level comparison, take say Falcao (as Shearer) and Messi (as Henry). Two top class strikers, two very different styles, one player noticeably better than the other because he's a better all-round footballer.

Shearer was one of the last of a dying breed of pure out and out goalscorers. Henry was the first of the new breed of multifaceted strikers. With Shearer you look at goals scored, with Henry you look at everything, and that's a better argument than most that I've seen.

Not to mention Shearer's two injuries that cost him about a year of his game each time, and he is still the premier league's leading goalscorer by 63 goals to the nearest competitor, and 86 more than Henry, after suffering three very bad leg related injuries throughout his career.
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Yeah, but Henry only had 8 seasons in the Premier League (with one, his last, wrecked by injury) whereas Shearer spent the entirety of 18-year career in the Prem. Considering Henry was scoring at a - lowish estimate - 22 goal per season average, if he'd spent just four more season in the Prem you'd have expected him to overtake Shearer. And that's in goalscoring alone.
 
Andr? Villas-Boas on brink of losing Tottenham Hotspur job | Football | The Guardian

Complete and utter joke. AVB's been decent this season - not brilliant, but not terrible. Yes, perhaps he's said some things he shouldn't have said, but he's a good manager and deserves more time than this! I hope Levy doesn't make a Abramovich-like rash decision, because Spurs've been far from awful so far this season, even though it's been tight up there at the top.
 
Martin Jol has just been sacked. Shame because i like Jol but its been coming.
 
AVB has been sacked by Spurs.

How did I miss this :/
 
Just want to say I fully support Malky Mackay :) - as a Liverpool fan.
 
tim sherword. most inlikely lucky lad to be in charge at spurs! :)

  • 01/01/14
    [*=right]Manchester United
    [*=center]1-2
    [*=left]Tottenham Hotspur



​

Tim must think hes in a dream!!

but whol be his fulltime replacement?

:)
 
chebonaparte said:
tim sherword. most inlikely lucky lad to be in charge at spurs! :)
  • 01/01/14
    [*=right]Manchester United
    [*=center]1-2
    [*=left]Tottenham Hotspur



​

Tim must think hes in a dream!!

but whol be his fulltime replacement?

:)
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He is Spurs's full-time manager - do you mean long-term?
 
They'll propably buy him 10 attacking players in the summer and then fire him for not playing all of them.
 
yeh but thats not his fault , afterall he just beat manutd = already defying any expectations an intern manager could have!
 
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