…Henrik Larsson or Gabriel Batitstuta. This is the view of former Scotland manager Craig Brown, who believes that Torres still has some way to go before matching those two players. What do you think?
In a recent interview with The Independent, Brown was asked whether Torres was the best striker in the world right now. He responded:
"Yes. Ahead of the improving [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic. He's not quite as good as Henrik Larsson and Gabriel Batistuta, the best of the last 15 to 20 years, but he's still young”.
Brown is entitled to his opinion, but I know who I would rather have in my team…
Torres every time.
Are Larsson and Batistuta really better than Torres?
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In a recent interview with The Independent, Brown was asked whether Torres was the best striker in the world right now. He responded:
"Yes. Ahead of the improving [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic. He's not quite as good as Henrik Larsson and Gabriel Batistuta, the best of the last 15 to 20 years, but he's still young”.
Brown is entitled to his opinion, but I know who I would rather have in my team…
Torres every time.
Are Larsson and Batistuta really better than Torres?
----
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Torres definitly has alot more in his locker in terms of all round play and I too would rather have him in our team as it stands. Batistuta was a hell of a player though so the margins thin! Typical of a scot to include Larson, he'd have said Tommy Boyd if Larson never played for Celtic.
ReplyDeleteAlso sorry to not include this on the other post but I couldn't be bothered to scroll down. Your argument for including Gerrard to play in the centre isn't really as straight forward as you make it out. For all his quality's putting him in the centre is a risk. You've even mentioned the weaknesses in his game which relate to it. As much as it pains me to say it they're obvious and they make it perfectly understandable why he wasn't played there. He often goes out of position, and pulling the strings in tight spaces isn't really his strength at all. He plays a more direct game which against the best teams isn't as effective. Thats why he plays in the centre when we play bad ones, against good ones he ends up giving the ball away more and also getting forward less, and when he does it leaves holes behind him.
I was also immensely frustrated on sunday, but think that the negatives for him being in the centre outweigh the positives. He gave the ball away a fair bit when he did move back and that could have ended up costing us earlier on in the match if he started there.
Hi David,
ReplyDeleteI agree that there are a few negatives in haing Gerrard play in the centre. And you're right, I have highlighted these in the past. i think, however, the situation has slightly changed over the last couple of years.
When SG was playing in the centre a few years ago, we weren't using the 4231 formation; we have Mascherano now to mop up if Gerrard leaves holes. It's not so essential that the defensive part of his game is the priority.
Before, Gerrard was playing ostensibly as a defensive midfielder, but his attacking instincts meant he was undisciplined in that role. in the current formation, he can afford to priositise attacking rather than defending. There would still be a defensive component to his game, but masch's job is to do all the dirty work these days. Or it should be.
I see your point though - I just think that given SG in midfield has been a success this season so far, it's worth a punt. in any event, even with his indiscipline, he has to be a better option than Lucas...?
Hi Jamie,
ReplyDeleteI know this was discussed in your previous article but I just don't agree with your point about Gerrard being better than Lucus. Gerrard thinks his best position is in the centre but it really isn't. Obviously Lucus compared to Alonso or even gerrard is not really fair he's a young player and he's improving all the time. We didn't loose to chelsea on sunday because Gerrard wasn't playing in the middle we lost because Torres had an off day and the luck went against us in the run of play. i,e, masch loosing the ball and Chelsea able to break. We were the better team in the first half and unfortunately we lost because Drogba and Anelka (a player that we could have had!) took their chances.
With Aqualini fit he can play with Mash freeing up gerrard to play behind torres!
ReplyDeleteI know this was discussed in your previous article but I just don't agree with your point about Gerrard being better option than Lucus. Gerrard thinks his best position is in the centre but it really isn't. Obviously Lucus compared to Alonso or even gerrard is not really fair he's a young player and he's improving all the time. We didn't loose to chelsea on sunday because Gerrard wasn't playing in the middle we lost because Torres had an off day and the luck went against us in the run of play. i,e, masch loosing the ball and Chelsea able to break. We were the better team in the first half and unfortunately we lost because Drogba and Anelka (a player that we could have had!) took their chances.
With Aqualini fit he can play with Mash freeing up gerrard to play behind torres!
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i dont even support liverpool and even i say that he is one of the best in the world, when he's in form he's amazing and is someone all footballers should look up too and want to be like :)
ReplyDeletebatistuta is better than torres its really sad how easy ppl forget the true greats of the past. now dont get me wrong i think torres can become better in a few years but rite now its too early to say that. also i hate it when ppl only measure a player calibre by what he does in la liga, seria a, and epl you need to look also at how he plays in his national team. in this case torres has been great for spain but he needs to lead his team to at least the semis of the world cup to say that he is better than batistuta.
ReplyDeletelarson is one of the greatest of all time played at top level all over europe and scored goals even for sweden
ReplyDeleteeven hit a hole in one at a charity golf show
henke is god but im biased been a celtic fan but this aside henrik is up there with the greats of european football
3 great players, if had to choose one would have to say Larsson, seen him often at close and he really was something special
ReplyDeleteHenrik is Ghod!!
ReplyDeleteAlly McCoist would be turning in his grave at the lack of his inclusion in this poll, if he was actually dead.
ReplyDeleteHere's hoping :)
ReplyDeleteWhere is my lucozade?
ReplyDeleteno one compares to larsson tbh, torres is good but henrik larson is the best to grace the world
ReplyDeleteking henrick any day of the week!!!
ReplyDeleteLarsson everytime in my opinion
ReplyDeleteTorres is a top class striker but he's got a long way to go what has torres won in club football ?
ReplyDeletelast time i saw torres he was playing for atletico but then again i have been taken hostage in iraq so to hear he moved to liverpool was news to me. i wouldn't vote for batistuta because he's from argentina and us brits and right good rangers fans hate argentina, then theres that basturt larsson who wouldn't stop scoring against us. i'm voting for sebo
ReplyDeleteJust spoke to Torres while he was increasing security on his home (Moving it to Machester) and he said Larsson was superior. Highest European scorer for any club in the UK, Champions League winner, World cup semi finalist, CIS cup winner (top accolade).
ReplyDeletePlus, he done all this while smoking 20 L&B a day.
Larsson every day of the week.
ReplyDeleteI think you guys supporting Larsson may have a point. He was a superb player, and perhaps right now he's ahead of Torres; we'll just have to compare them again at the end of Torres' career :)
ReplyDeleteHenrik larsson is miles better than both
ReplyDeleteLarsson is best, though the other two are excellent also.
ReplyDelete;)
I think Torres is an exceptional player and well may end up as good as Larrson but he'll have to go some
ReplyDeleteTorres is an acceptional player, but for me, its got to be Larsson! The emotion and passion that man creates way something never to be forgotten. He arguably scored the best goal in the world, against a bunch of inbred scummy animals (huns). So in my opinion if Torres manages that he might be able to be in the same sentence as ghod.
ReplyDelete3 greats, Torres not done much yet compared to the others but give him time.
ReplyDeleteLiverpool fan here but the poll is daft IMO.
ReplyDeleteTorres is a very good player but Larsson is way ahead of him.
larsson 110% larsson did it against the worlds best
ReplyDeleteNo way. Batistuta's better than Larson. Check this out
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWUj96xlLIY&feature=related
I still would rather have Torres beacause with his style he would do more for are team. Watch the video though, its insane
I've got a season ticket in the Kop but even I can see this poll is stupid. Torres is great, but Larsson is in a class of his own. As Samuel Eto'o said "Why should I be scared of Henry? Henrik Larsson is the best players of his generation - he's the only player I'm scared of".
ReplyDeleteThe poll was always going to end up with Larsson winning. Torres is great but comparing him to Henrik Larsson?
ReplyDeleteAgreed with Liverpool for life.
ReplyDeleteLarsson is defo the best. The other two are great and Torres along with Villa and Eto'o is the best striker in the world just now but There only is one King of Kings.
ReplyDeleteHail Hail!
Watch this then.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nowtKYP9oFg
larsson everydey and twice on a sunday
ReplyDeletesorry to bring in a new argument but cant help it, does any fellow scot see that there is no mention of kris boyd (he can only score against scottish bottom 6!!!) LOL!!!
ReplyDelete