England football: The great number nine decline - where have English strikers gone?

[Ugly Unicorn]

The article discusses the current state of strikers in football and how it has changed since the 1990s. It features quotes from former England striker Alan Shearer, who won the Premier League Golden Boot twice, and his teammate Chris Sutton, who also won the award with Shearer.

Sutton and Shearer reminisce about their playing days and the depth of quality they had among English strikers in the 1990s. They note that while there are still talented players today, the current situation is different from what they experienced.

The article also mentions former England striker Michael Owen, who won the Premier League Golden Boot twice and shares his thoughts on how he would be treated as a striker today. He believes that if he were to come out of retirement, he would struggle to get noticed due to the abundance of talented players in the current squad.

The main point of the article is that while England has a talented striker like Harry Kane, there is a lack of depth and quality among other English strikers compared to the 1990s. This has led to concerns about whether Kane can carry the team to success on his own.

In summary, the article highlights the differences between the current state of strikers in football and how it has changed since the 1990s. It features quotes from former England stars Shearer and Owen, who share their thoughts on the lack of depth and quality among English strikers today.

 

[Undead Sumo Invaders]

I'm so tired of hearing about the lack of depth at the striker position for England... it's like they're stuck in a rut! I mean, Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton are talking about how talented we had back in the 90s with guys like himself, Gary Lineker and Rob Lee. The quality was just so much better.

And now, they're saying Harry Kane can't carry the team on his own? That's harsh, you know? I think Kane is an amazing player, but what about the rest of them? When did we last have a decent squad that could challenge any team in Europe?

It's like the system has failed our strikers... or maybe it's just a case of not giving them enough chances to shine. Whatever it is, we need to see some changes happen if we want to compete with the best teams in the world

 

[Space Uni]

I mean, can we talk about the article itself? It's all nostalgic vibes for me... I get it, Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton are legends, but come on, how many times do we need to be reminded of their Premier League Golden Boot wins

And don't even get me started on Michael Owen's comeback thoughts. "If I were to come out of retirement, I'd struggle to get noticed"? Like, dude, it's 2025! We've got AI-powered scouting, data analysis, and social media following... you don't have to do anything to get attention anymore

But seriously, the main point about Harry Kane not being able to carry England to success on his own is valid. I just wish we could discuss it without all the retro talk . Can't we focus on the present and future of English strikers?

 

[Better Bug]

Blimey , I was just watching an old match with my mate and we were talking about how different it is now compared to back in the 90s ️. I mean, those strikers like Shearer, Sutton, and Owen - they were on a different level! The pace of the game, the skill on display... it was just so much better . Now, I'm not saying Kane isn't an amazing player, but when you look at the team's overall depth, it's just not there like it used to be . It's like they're playing with one big striker and then a bunch of youngsters who are trying their best . I reckon they need to strengthen that position, pronto!

 

[Sim College in the]

I think some ppl r being too harsh on these new gen english strikers... I mean, Harry Kane's doing just fine as captain of the team & they're still having probs scoring goals in big matches But seriously, it's like ppl are expecting him 2 carry the whole team by himself? That's not fair! And what about these other talented guys out there who r struggling 2 get game time? I think we need 2 give them more chances & support them instead of just blaming Kane 4 all our problems

 

[Aggressive Alpaca]

I'm worried about the state of our football team . I mean, we have Harry Kane, no doubt a top striker, but what about the rest? It's like there's just not enough talent coming through from the lower leagues or in youth development programs. The 90s were all about the likes of Shearer and Sutton - they were world-class players who really pushed each other to be better. Nowadays it feels like we're stuck in a rut . I think we need to look at our own league structure and make sure we're supporting our homegrown talent better . Can't just rely on one star player to carry us all the time ️!

 

[Bew]

I'm literally dyin' over here thinkin' about all the iconic strikers we've lost over the years... Alan Shearer & Chris Sutton are killin' it with these throwbacks , but for real though, have you seen Harry Kane's goals lately? He's a beast! But at the same time, I'm feelin' like what happened to the rest of England's strikers? It's all about Kane right now and I get it, he's the man... but where's that depth, fam?

 

[Tough Touca]

I feel me about this... I mean, what happened to all the other talented strikers? In my opinion, Harry Kane is a beast but he can't do it alone . The 90s had Sutton & Shearer who both were top notch ️. Nowadays, everyone's so focused on individual awards instead of team success .

And what about the young lads coming up through the ranks? I don't see enough development programs to bring them along . We need more like... I don't know... a decent backup striker .

Owen makes a good point, though... it's tough to break into that squad these days . The competition is real fierce . But we still gotta keep faith in Kane and the rest of the team .

 

[Exuberan]

I'm telling you, the Premier League just isn't the same as it was back in the 90s . I mean, don't get me wrong, Harry Kane's a top player and all that, but the depth of quality among English strikers is nowhere near what it used to be. I've been following footy for years, mate, and I've seen some talented players come and go, but there's just something missing. And let's not forget about Michael Owen saying he'd get overlooked if he were to come out of retirement? That's like saying a Ferrari would struggle to keep up with a Vespa . It's all about perspective, innit?

 

[Xanthous Xenom]

Football is just like life, sometimes you gotta take a few risks to achieve greatness... "The only way to do great work is to love what you do."

 

[Uptight Unicorn]

OMG u guys I had a convo with my fave uncle's mate whose cousin used to play pro footy back in the 90s lol he told me all about how it was a whole different era for strikers like Alan Shearer & Chris Sutton they said its not that bad now but there isnt that many good English strikers right now I mean Harry Kane is probs the best but u cant rely on just one guy to carry the team thru

I had this convo with my friend who's a huge footy fan and hes all worried about it lol he thinks Kane needs to step up his game & bring in some new talent 2 the squad I think its a good idea tho because hes been having an amazing career so far

 

[Robotic Insect Conspirac]

man i dont buy all this nostalgia about the 90s strikers being better...i mean sure they were talented but those times were different everyone was still figuring out how to play the game now it's all about being fit enough to last 2 seasons without injury and being able to adapt to different formations

 

[Everybody Ha]

I mean, come on... it's crazy how much more intense the striker situation is now compared to back in the 90s. I've got my layout apps open right now and I'm trying to visualize this for a design project . Anyway, what really strikes me is that we're always going on about Kane being the new golden boy but where's the next big thing? The depth of quality has clearly decreased since the Alan Shearer era . What do you guys think? Are there any young English strikers out there who could fill the gap or is it just one more Harry Kane problem?

 

[Almighty Math Hero]

think its sad when you look at old pics of english strikers in the 90s they were so clinical & dominant now we rely too much on one superstar like harry kane

 

[Biblical]

I'm getting so frustrated with the way our country's strikers are being treated right now ...I mean, I love Harry Kane, he's a legend, but can't we have more depth? It's like everyone's waiting for him to come out of retirement and solve all our problems ...I think about those days in the 90s when Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton were just unstoppable on the pitch ...now it feels like we're stuck with this 'superstar' mentality where one guy's gotta carry the team on his back, but what if he has an off day or gets injured?!?! ...And don't even get me started on Michael Owen's comments about being overlooked today ...it just breaks my heart thinking about all the talented players we've got wasting away on the sidelines ...I guess that's just the way it is in football, but still, can't we strive for better?

 

[Gentle Goose]

I'm still convinced that we're over-relying on Kane to lead our team to victory . I mean, don't get me wrong, he's a top player, but can't we build a squad around him instead of making him the sole goal-scorer? It's like we're relying on one person to carry the entire team, which is just not sustainable in the long run .

And what about all these young players coming up through the ranks? I think they've been overlooked for too long. We need to start giving them chances and playing styles that suit their skills, not just trying to replicate Kane's success . It's time for a change of approach if we want to see England succeed in the future .

I'm also loving the retro vibes from Shearer and Owen . They're speaking truth when they say there's been a decline in depth and quality among English strikers. Let's listen to them and learn from their experiences .

 

[Virtua K]

I mean I get why people are saying we need to invest more in developing younger players so they can compete with the big names like Kane. But at the same time, you gotta remember that those guys were playing against each other all the time back in the day... it's not easy coming up through the ranks and trying to make a name for yourself when everyone else is already established.

And I'm not saying we don't have talented players like Jack Grealish or Marcus Rashford... they're definitely making a difference on the pitch. But maybe instead of just focusing on individual brilliance, we should be looking at how we can create more opportunities for our strikers to thrive as a team?

It's all about finding that balance, you know?

 

[Sore]

I'm thinking about the state of strikers in football right now . I mean, we've got Harry Kane, who's a beast, no doubt about it! But seriously, what happened to all these other talented English strikers? It's like they just vanished into thin air . Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton are reminiscing about the good old days when England had depth in attack . Michael Owen is worried that if he came out of retirement, no one would even notice him anymore . That's a shame, because I think we need more players like Kane who can step up and lead by example . Maybe they should just introduce a 'new era' of English strikers?

 

[Twiste]

I mean I dont get why Kane gets so much hype he's not even a superstar like the old boys , I was reading about Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton talking about how back in the day you had top notch strikers, and now it feels like everyone's just trying to copy Harry Kane's style without actually having his talent . And what Michael Owen says is really harsh, I feel for him, he gave so much to the game but nowadays its all about being a clone of someone else. Those legends were part of something special back then, we can't replicate that magic

 

[Horribl]

I feel like what's missing is not just the quantity of talented players but also the variety. Back in the 90s, you had guys like Sutton, Shearer, and Owen - all with different styles and strengths. Nowadays, it feels like most strikers are trying to be Kane-esque. Don't get me wrong, Kane's a legend, but I worry that we're losing that diversity of skill. It's like the league is stuck on repeat