SQUAD PROFILE: Germany

[CahillsCornerFlag]

I mostly agree but I think it's also true that really prolific goalscorers aren't as important to great teams as you'd think. If you look at the great teams and the great goalscorers there's a lot less overlap then you'd expect and often the most prolific strikers don't win that many trophies.

The five best english strikers in terms of top flight goals are Hodgson, Bloomer, Shearer, Dean and Greaves. Bloomer and Hodgson never won anything despite scoring hatfulls while Shearer and Greaves both joined already great teams (the spurs double winners and Keegan's newcastle) and if anything made them worse rather than kicking up to the next level.

The year Kendall's Everton had Lineker was the year we won nothing, the van nistelrooy years are by far Man Utd's least successful of recent times. A truly great team is one that's set up to create oppurtunities (so the current newcastle team has always managed to create a lot of goals for whoever was in the central role, whether that's Cisse, Ba or even Carroll or the way nobodies liked Rebrov, Laslandes and Marlet have scored lots when playing truly great teams and then crashed and burned once sold on) and a pure poacher can often interfere with that system while still scoring enough goals to not be dropped.

I love how you just nailed the 3 strikers I use as examples of complete flops. Occasionally Flo gets referenced for his Sunderland era.

 

[TheFinnFan]

I'd personally say the same about Jelavic. Nikica has decent link up play like, but the only thing he really excels at is slotting.

And do we care?

If you score goals, you're boss. End of.








*waits for Artetafan to debunk theory in 4.6 seconds

this mate it is all about slotting.

 

[Azzurri]

Get Götze on ffs.

 

[sotnas]

I'm still not fussy on Gomez. Let's face it, that Dutch defence and GK were terrible for the goals he scored.

I reckon they'll give game time to Klose against Denmark and hopefully we see Reus getting a run out.

The germans can still be out of the Euro.

Victories from Portugal and Denmark 1-0 will see both going through.

So, for now, anyone can the be in the next stage.

 

[Neiler]

I heart zee Germans!

Hummels is another Lothar, hes on his way to big things that lad. Badstuber looks ace as well - best central defsive partnership i have seen in the tournament so far.

This is zee the Germans tournament for me.