[CockneyMafia]

Compared to other European strikers who presumably fronted up against similar opposition, it makes you realise our international strikers over the last 40 years have been distinctly average, Gary Lineker aside

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_int...ers_by_country

It says a lot when Jan Koller and Jon Dahl Tomasson beat us into touch.

[HeadingNorth]

England's style of play, over the years, has tended towards low-scoring games. That is probably not the sole fault of the strikers; Shearer, particularly, was often in the position of having to cross in the balls for himself to convert, a clearly hopeless task.

Moreover, when we are faced with rank bad opposition, we tend not to chase goals in the way that most countries would. I recall beating Luxembourg 9-0 in the eighties, but more often we'd get two, three or maybe four.

In the World Cup Finals tournaments of 1990, 1998 and 2002, England's group featured comfortably the lowest number of goals of any of the groups.

[Snook]

I think it goes quite a way to explaining why we are not a dominating force in international football. I think Owen would have taken the record if he hadn't have been injured so much. We could really have used a fit and on form Owen in the World Cup. Apart from him and Lineker we've strugglled for a good striker. I don't even think Shearer was in the world class group, but maybe the way we played didn't suit him.

It says something when a midfielder is your record goal scorer.

[HeadingNorth]

I wouldn't count Shearer as truly world-class either, but if we had made a habit of trying to beat teams like Albania, Iceland, Malta and company by 10-0 instead of the odd goal, he would, no doubt, have comfortably overtaken Charlton's record. (Which would probably mean everybody did think of him as truly world-class...)

[dazaston]

Because Gary Linekers international career was finished early by old turnip head Turner lol
& David Hirsts international career was cut short by Steve Bould of Arsenal

[denomis]

that list isnt really a clear show of skill teams like england play better teams in a season the iranian at number 1 plays/played in no mark tourniments in the middle east with poor teams probably score more as to england playing in the euro cup with quality teams
or maybe the iranian plays 10 times better to avoid having his feet chopped off

[CockneyMafia]

Originally Posted by Snook

I think it goes quite a way to explaining why we are not a dominating force in international football. I think Owen would have taken the record if he hadn't have been injured so much. We could really have used a fit and on form Owen in the World Cup. Apart from him and Lineker we've strugglled for a good striker. I don't even think Shearer was in the world class group, but maybe the way we played didn't suit him.

It says something when a midfielder is your record goal scorer.

This list is interesting as well, including ALL players over 30 goals, not just highest by individual country.

http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/century.html

Of note are the amount of distinctly average players who have outscored our strikers (Savo Milosevic anyone?) without any real recognition outside of their own borders. It also says a lot that Germany have 9 entrants, of which 6 have played in the last 20 years.

[CockneyMafia]

Originally Posted by denomis

that list isnt really a clear show of skill teams like england play better teams in a season the iranian at number 1 plays/played in no mark tourniments in the middle east with poor teams probably score more as to england playing in the euro cup with quality teams
or maybe the iranian plays 10 times better to avoid having his feet chopped off

Well quite. Iran beat the Maldives 17-0 in a world cup qualifier (the Maldives beat Mongolia 12-0 six years later, so Christ knows how bad they must be) which for a striker would be like shooting fish in a barrel.

However, as HeadingNorth has pointed out, there is no guarantee England would win by the same margin, owing to our historcially cagey tactics. A point in case was the world cup 2006 qualifiying campaign, where we beat Azerbaijan, ranked 106 in trhe world, 2-0 at home. Poland beat them 8-0 in the same group.

[alankearn]

Quote

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_int...ers_by_country


Berbatov has an interesting international record, 48 goals from 76 games (0.63 per game) which is a very good strike rate. Strange he could also knock them in for Tottenham but not for Manchester United