10 Nov 2013

Carra: €45m star & THREE 'unplayable' Prem stars are better than Suarez. Agree...?

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez is on fire at the moment, and his two goals against woeful Fulham today mean he's banged in 8 goals in the last 7 games for the Reds. Suarez is clearly relishing being back in the team, but according to Anfield legend Jamie Carragher, the Uruguayan is not the best striker in the league, and there are three further strikers in the Premier League era who are also superior.

In his column for the Daily Mail today, Carra argued that Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero is currently a better player than Suarez, arguing that the Argentinean's goal ratio is superior. He explained:

"I’d have to choose Aguero [as the best] simply as he has not had any aberrations; you can almost guarantee he will be available for all games. He's scored 43 times in the Premier League since joining Manchester City, but is averaging a goal every 121.4 minutes, compared to Suarez, who scores every 160.5 minutes"

That's fair enough, but the chances are that if Suarez hadn't spent nineteen games on the sidelines as a result of various bans, his goal ratio would probably be on a par with Aguero's.

Carra also argued that Thierry Henry, Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Didier Drogba were superior strikers to both Suarez and Aguero, and urged the duo to 'aim for that standard'. He enthused:

"Trying to mark Henry was like trying to run after someone on a motorbike. He was the best I ever faced. Drogba, on his day, was unplayable, a battering ram who could score a goal from nothing. Van Nistelrooy was the ultimate poacher and 56 CL goals illustrates his class. Those three in their pomp were as good as it gets"

I'd have to agree with Carra here. Henry, Drogba and Van Nistelrooy did the business year-in, year-out, domestically and in Europe, and until Suarez has proven himself in the Champions League, I don't think he can be considered to be on that rarefied level. Honourable mention should also go to Alan Shearer - the Premier League's all-time leading goalscorer, and, of course, Denis Bergkamp, an absolute genius of a player.

As for Aguero - it would be interesting to see how he'd perform for Liverpool. If Suarez and Aguero swapped teams, who would be the more prolific goalscorer...?


polls


Author:


58 comments:

  1. I'm confused by the poll results at the moment. Anyone really thinks Suarez is as good as Henry on his day?
    Henry on his prime was probably the better than any other in the world since the establishment of the preimer league. The only one I would consider to be on par with him is Brazilian Ronaldo before his injuries hampered his career.

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  2. Totally agree, but rampant pro-Suarez bias will probably see that he wins the poll. Henry is clearly better than Suarez, as is Bergkamp (IMO). If the likes of Zidane, Cruyff, Messi and Ronaldo were in the poll, Suarez would still come top.

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  3. How does being suspended worsen a striker's goals per minutes played ratio?

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  4. I didn't say it 'worsens' it - I'm suggesting that if Suarez had played the other 19 games, he may have scored more goals, which could conceivably bring his goals per minutes ratio down (depending on how many goals he scored, of course)

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  5. I voted for Shearer a great finisher a fantastic player,no disrespect to Suarez and Henry.

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  6. Of course he would have had scored more goals. But he'd also have played more minutes ...

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  7. If Suarez could get more service from the midfield like the one from Hendo, he'd probably score more. I don't like it when SAS have to drop deep to help the midfield out. I think Aguero gets more service out of his midfield.

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  8. Henry was on another level to be honest. But then again, all these people we're talking about have got their careers behind them so it's a bit unfair comparisons. As for Suarez vs Aguero, I'd just say the're two great players who are both a joy to watch =)

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  9. U both r wrong...... Way wrong. Henry was so good its unreal but I would bet my life right now that if suarez was in the same team Henry was in he'd have scored far more goals than him plus set up more. That was wen arsenal had the very best team and to be fair there was only a few good teams in the league. Not like now wen there is so many teams that can win the league so many teams fighting to get into top 4 and any away win now is classed as really good and u have to work 4 it. And not 1 person can say I am all 4 suarez because if I had my way he'd have been sold in the summer and new players brought in. But if he treats us supporters with the respect we treat him with then I'm glad he has stayed. And I would not swap him 4 any striker in the world. He is easily top 3 best PLAYER on this planet.

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  10. Henry and Ruud at their peak were mind bendingly good, but then Van Persie over the past two seasons has been at times just as good. I'd agree that Suarez hasn't produced that level of football in all competitions but I think getting a shot in the CL would only lift him. I think it's the next evolution in his career and once we see him on the top stage we'll also see him start to produce the kind of football that is spoken of for generations to come.

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  11. It's funny how Gerrard said that Suarez is one of the top 3 players on the planet, and now you say it.

    I disagree. Henry is streets ahead of Suarez.

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  12. Not sure about what you're saying mate. Henry was quicker than Suarez, stronger than Suarez, and was as technically gifted as Suarez so I don't see why Suarez would of scored more or had more assists in that same team.

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  13. If any1 does not think he's top 3 in the world they don't know wat there talking about. And in ur opinion ur wrong :-)

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  14. IMO Suarez was better than Drogba and Van Nistelrooy. Henry was completely different class and Suarez can reach there. Henry and Torres at their pic were best in the PL.

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  15. Agreed. And the assists thing is especially wrong. One of the things that sets henry apart from Suarez is his ability to not only score but create goals. Henry's assist rate was absolutely phenomenal at Arsenal, and Suarez is nowhere near as effective. In 2002-3, for example, Henry got 24 assists (!) as well as 32 goals. Suarez's top assist total in one season for LFC is 5.

    When Suarez can score/create 56 goals in one season, then we'll talk.

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  16. the deal breaker is the fact that drogba ,henry and co where all playing in
    better teams than the current Liverpool one....its so much easier to find space when you have the best players in the division playing alongside you

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  17. dont let your ego overcloud your judgment ......suarez does the biz on the international stage as well

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  18. Eat your hearts out jealous people - the truth hurts. Suarez is the best.

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  19. he may be better but hes not streets a head.....plus then adverts he did where awful so that must surely down grade him

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  20. Ego? What are you talking about? What nonsense.

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  21. The record of Suarez for games played and goals scored puts him in he top 3 in the world - the other two don't play in England. MANY YEARS AGO NUTMEGS WERE WORTH MORE THAN GOLD - LUIS IS THE KING OF NUTEGS - PRICELESS.

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  22. Yes, same old excuses. And if Suarez was playing in a great team now, there'd be something else.

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  23. I thought Henry had retired - you might as well compare him with Dixi Dean.

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  24. The question was about the present obviously if you need to go back in time - the point is proved.

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  25. What point is proved? You're just making up invalid rules. So what if Henry is retired? He played in the Premier League. Perhaps you should tell Carra that he's wrong too as he made the initial comparison. Stop clogging the thread with this pointlessness. Stick to the issue.

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  26. Henry is one of the best strikers ever to play the game. Suarez hasn't proved himself to be of that level yet. No doubt he is world class and is one of the very very best currently playing the game but Henry was different level. I think Aguero just sneaks in ahead of Suarez basically for the exact reasons Carra said but I'd still rather have Suarez than Aguero I think Aguero wouldn't score as many has Suarez has for us.

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  27. very surprised by that statement, maybe carra was influenced by last week when he scored some vs norwich but can you say that after one game? how on earth is aguero better than suarez just dont see that at all, I even think suarez is better than messi atm cuz hes struggling to get goals and suarez was missing five games and hes still the top scorer atm along with daniel and aguero isnt that amazing, even messi couldnt do that, Im sure suarez will become worlds best soon if he carries on like this and especially if he plays in CL, his only problem is vs big teams he cant do much in derby games like he does againts average teams, thats a concern, he and rodgers must work on that.

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  28. So hard to pick the 'best'. It's the Scholes/Lampard/Gerrard debate all over again. Interestingly, I think Rush scored more goals than all of the players in the poll, but he hasn't got a mention. Goals aren't everything but we are talking about strikers.


    For overall play I'd say Henry. Bergkamp would be close. But the ease of which Van Nistelrooy and Shearer could score makes them worthy competitors too. Give Suarez a few years and I think he will reach similar heights...I watch City games just to see the magic Aguero produces with Silva and Nasri.


    However, in present day, Messi would be the best if he's in a central position. Other than that the likes of Suarez, Aguero, Rooney, RVP, Ibrahimovic and Lewandowski would all be behind Messi but too hard to put into places or ranks. They are just strikers off the top of my head, but considering that, very few are actually better than Suarez right now.

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  29. But you can't deny the fact that the others played in title winning teams and Suarez in a mid-table one till this season...

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  30. Sorry have to step in JK, Henry is no longer world class, so you can't actually make that comment. In his heyday yes, right now, no way. So in fact saying Suarez is in the top 3 or 5 players in the world at the moment isn't too far off the truth. Nothing to do with what Gerrard said. Aside from people like C Ronaldo, Messi, Iniesta etc Suarez isn't that far off. A Ballon d'or inclusion kinda backs this up.

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  31. Deciding who a better player is, is actually depends on different factors. You have one school of thought that measures a players greatness based on how they are able to both perform in and or carry an inferior team (In terms of personnel). Gerrard was heralded (and quite rightly so) due to being able to literally win games on his own, surrounded (on the whole) by fairly average players. You have another school of thought that measures a players greatness on their ability to stand out in a team filled with stars, such as Messi and C Ronaldo. Comparing Suarez to any of the players Carra did is slightly unfair IMO as some may argue that the quality of the PL has diminished since his introduction to it. You could argue that pitting Suarez against defenders such as Dessaily, Stam etc would have made his life a lot more difficult. But as none of those players are around any more any argument would be subjective.

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  32. Did you not see his free kick against Spain in the Confedeartions Cup, not a think IKER CASILLAS could do about it.

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  33. Its hard to compare players who have completed their careers to Suarez and Aguero who have some ways to go.


    Aguero is a beast, but like the others on the list, look at the team he plays for, its not a coincidence that he plays for the highest scoring team at the moment.


    Same goes if you watch Barca or Real, the amount of room Ronaldo and Messi have to operate is crazy - they cant afford to double or tripple mark anyone, see often you see them waltz in and score.


    Right now, on current form, Suarez is the best, his goal scoring rate, his creativity, hes on fire. Hes even unlucky not to have a few more goals to his name - and he doesnt take pens (same as sturridge), these inflate the numbers for the likes of Ronaldo, Messi, Costa, Aguero, etc. Even still he is on route to break the PL scoring record - which if he does will end the debate.


    As for his creative stats, well he is currently the player who creates the most chances for Liverpool, ahead of Gerrard. The fact that he only has 1 assist is not his fault - though I have a feeling this will improve.


    The only attempt at an objective ranking accross europe that I know is the whoscored ranking, and currently Suarez sits at the top, ahead of messy, Ribery, Ronaldo and Ramsey.



    I think Carra is fishing for clicks - Suarez undoubtedly sells, Im not sure if hed jump on the bandwagon to bash him, but if you can find a topic on suarez your guaranteed readership.


    As of late he hasnt brought anything negative to the club, no cards, no tantrums, no screw ups. 8 goals 1 assist in 6 games - is on track to 54-55 goal contributions for the season, just enjoy it for now - next year youll see what he can do in the World Cup and CL.

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  34. The question is about each player in his prime.

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  35. I'm not saying he's one of the current top players, but Henry was a better player IMO.
    Suarez has time on his side, but right now if you compare their abilities Henry must be the better player.

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  36. Every time we win you write some whinging article.Suarez is a great player stop moaning ya miserable muppet

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  37. The players mentioned are all top class players that will punish an opposing team with the slightest chance, no dispute about that. Pardon me for being old-fashion, I still think Robbie Fowler was as good as any in his prime. I thought he was the only one in the league then that could put the ball beyond the legendary Peter Schmeichel in an one-on-one duel, with relative ease. That kind of poacher instinct was not seen in LFC since then. I maybe wrong but I seriously think LS, DS and Torres are not as good.

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  38. Agree with you re Fowler - in terms of pure finishing ability, he's arguably a cut above. I still remember that goal he scored at Old Trafford. Running toward the box from the left-hand side, and just hammered it past Schmeichel at his near-post. Fowler only had about a foot of space to aim for, and to score like that against the world's top keeper (at the time) was amazing.

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  39. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTfKN69wtzw - the goal is at 0.42

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  40. Oh JK, you reminded me about that goal. It was at Old Trafford, 1st Oct 1995, when Fowler got a double with the match ended in a draw. I will never forget those strikes.

    You can check this out,

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8v08SP0Lnc

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  41. Suarez is proving to be one of the best in the world but most people do not like this.Next season he will be back in the champions league and will show he is really up there with the top players like Messi and Ronaldo. He will be there in the cl . Hopefully it is with Liverpool.

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  42. well Henry's has time has been . it is Suarez time and next season he will be strutting his stuff in the cl.Henry was amazing but different era.

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  43. both players are good with their hands as well !
    Eire and Ghana will testify to this .

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  44. RIGHT NOW ! Henry is in a retirement home while Suarez is in the hardest workplace in Euro Football.

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  45. So much good sense in these comments!



    My vote would go to Bergkamp. Uniquely among those players, he'd be capable of totally transforming the way an entire team played. There are arguably better finishers, trickier players, players more capable of explosive contributions to games. But Bergkamp would raise the whole level of any team -- any team whatsoever, any team in history -- that he played for. He was a really special kind of player. Any of those players could unlock any defence. But Bergkamp, Bergkamp could unlock the gates of heaven.

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  46. Oh my freaking god, are you serious???
    I mean that Suarez's current abilities are inferior to those of Henry when he was at his best.
    I do believe Suarez can become on par with Henry, but if you compare his skills and abilities RIGHT NOW, he is inferior to those of Henry at his prime.

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  47. why bar me coz ur in the wrong

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  48. An argument using goals per games to validate performance falls on its face if you're then going to bring up Drogba and Bergkamp...


    And performances in the Champions League aren't really evidence of quality either anymore for me, not now that UEFA have skewed the competition as much as possible towards helping players at bigger/richer rack up their records easier than ever before.

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  49. If Suarez is not in the top 3 or close to it please name 10 who are currently better that should be easy shouldnt it.

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  50. I didn't say Suarez is not in the top 3; I commented on what I perceive to be someone parroting Gerrard's view. He's probably in the top 10 at this moment - I don't disagree with that.

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  51. Henry was easily the best of the ones stated. Best player to have played in the Premiership. Ronaldo could have overtaken him if he'd stayed.
    I do think Suarez is the best of the current crop though.

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  52. Jaime you have to take into account that Suarez plays in Liverpool.. He joined at a time when Liverpool was rebuilding under Kenny and then changed style under Rodgers put that into perspective and he makes goals our of nothing and has a appetite for goals.. I consider him far better than Henry... I admit i'm a fan of Henry too but Henry played in Arsenal when they were at their best

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  53. Thierry Henry all day long. Not just because he done it over a longer period over time but he was simply easily better than Suarez by quite a distance. Phenomenal player and a PL legend. Suarez would find it hard to get in my top 5. And currently, I'd probably take any of RVP, Aguero and Rooney over Suarez. Suarez is entertaining but not done enough for me over a long enough period to get the nod over past and present PL strikers.

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  54. Gerrard plays for Liverpool and he is considered by a lot of people to be one of the best . If your seriously that good, you will be recognized by the mainstream, regardless of who you play for.

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  55. 6 PL games and already talk of breaking PL records? Early days, very early days but I can understand your optimism when it comes to Uruguayan Suarez.

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  56. Current record is 31 - in the 38 game era. Do I think he will score 24 goals more by the end, yes. Still early to make predictions, I agree - but hey, if he keeps his form, why not, hes a machine.

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  57. Yes, I watched this game. Fowler was sensational. If I remember correctly, it was Cantona who won the MOTM award. How could that be?!

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