Zlatan Ibrahimovic Retires

[Rex Stone]

Wasn’t his best season 09/10?

He got 53 G/A in 44 games in all comps tbf.

Yeah but he had some stinky seasons back in the day.

There was a reason they kept trying to upgrade to another striker, first with Shevchenko then Torres.

If they hadn’t got two of the biggest flops in PL history things may have been very different.

 

[UpTheGunnerz]

Why do you like Kane so much anyway?

You aren't even an England fan, so there is no point where he is even playing for you country at least...all you see him do is dive, cheat and swear on his children's lives for goals that clearly didn't touch him and all this happens while he is playing for our most hated rival.

Because he delivers the numbers every season? Outstanding striker and a playmaker now as well, that he plays for a tinpot club doesn’t change that

 

[Riou]

Because he delivers the numbers every season? Outstanding striker and a playmaker now as well, that he plays for a tinpot club doesn’t change that

If he does actually finish his career with zero trophies, how will you rate him?

 

[Macho]

Zlatan is up there for sure. He doesn’t quite have the required status at any one club for fans to fight his case and his grandiose personality certainly adds to it, which were correctly pointed out.

I think he’s up there though, certainly one of the most unique to ever be about and we won’t see anything like him again probably.

 

[UpTheGunnerz]

If he does actually finish his career with zero trophies, how will you rate him?

About the same as I do now probably

 

[Rex Stone]

Zlatan was alright in the CL no?

Made a few semi finals iirc and probably would have made a final with Barcelona if it wasn’t for the Icelandic volcano.

Remember him absolutely c*nting the ball in twice against us at the Emirates that year.

 

[2Smokeyy]

Yeah but he had some stinky seasons back in the day.

There was a reason they kept trying to upgrade to another striker, first with Shevchenko then Torres.

If they hadn’t got two of the biggest flops in PL history things may have been very different.

I wouldn’t really read into that tbh. Chelsea had no strategy back then. This is the same team that sold Arjen Robben and replaced him with Zhirkov they were just trying to get the next flavour of the month.

Fair enough if his whole ability fell off a cliff Torres like and he was missing chance after chance but the funny thing I remember back in 07/08, his dip was pretty much unnoticeable. It was the first half of the season when Mourinho departed the club that really got to him IIRC. He picked it up in the second half of the season by helping Chelsea get back into the title race (scored 2 against us at Stamford Bridge) and showed his class in the semi final vs Liverpool to get Chelsea to the final.

I just think we all rate players slightly differently. People place a massive emphasis on longevity whilst I look more towards the peak a player reached if that means fewer seasons like Hazard, RVP etc then that’s my main focus.

 

[Rex Stone]

I wouldn’t really read into that tbh. Chelsea had no strategy back then. This is the same team that sold Arjen Robben and replaced him with Zhirkov they were just trying to get the next flavour of the month.

Fair enough if his whole ability fell off a cliff Torres like and he was missing chance after chance but the funny thing I remember back in 07/08, his dip was pretty much unnoticeable. It was the first half of the season when Mourinho departed the club that really got to him IIRC. He picked it up in the second half of the season by helping Chelsea get back into the title race (scored 2 against us at Stamford Bridge) and showed his class in the semi final vs Liverpool to get Chelsea to the final.

I just think we all rate players slightly differently. People place a massive emphasis on longevity whilst I look more towards the peak a player reached if that means fewer seasons like Hazard, RVP etc then that’s my main focus.

It’s always peak longevity for me. How many top seasons do you have? Going off sole peaks means you could have guys like Michu and Adebayor well up there.

Not bothered by guys stretching out careers putting two or three goals in a year in their late 30s.

How many seasons were you a top 5 striker and for me it’s why I can’t get there with Drogba.

He’s Giroud with better teammates. Can’t depend on them in the league for consistency but in one off games they’re unplayable.

 

[Blood on the Tracks]

Drogba is a weird one. Statistically he's nothing special.

But he was pretty much the definition of a big game player. You'd want him starting as your striker in a big final over many of the players who get rated above him.

Eto'o name deserves to be mentioned in these sort of conversations too. Fantastic player.

 

[Riou]

I hope that's Gerrard on the ground there, would sum him up quite well...state of it

 

[Tir Na Nog]

Kane definitely can't chat to any of them tho, I've said it a million times, all goals aren't equal and Kane has never scored a goal of serious significance. Even in Sp**s CL run he missed the important games.

 

[2Smokeyy]

It’s always peak longevity for me. How many top seasons do you have? Going off sole peaks means you could have guys like Michu and Adebayor well up there.

Not bothered by guys stretching out careers putting two or three goals in a year in their late 30s.

How many seasons were you a top 5 striker and for me it’s why I can’t get there with Drogba.

He’s Giroud with better teammates. Can’t depend on them in the league for consistency but in one off games they’re unplayable.

Yeah, I gathered that’s how some of you lot were judging players during the draft. Michu was literally a one season wonder but Adebayor I do rate, with our fans I think he gets slightly underrated due to the way he left. He was a good striker imo.

I more meant the level they reached at their peak, for example Luis Suarez at Liverpool literally hit a differently level that I’ve not seen many strikers reach since I started watching football. Same with Gareth Bale at Sp**s and Hazard at Chelsea. I think those peak seasons Drogba had + what he’s capable of doing in a big game particularly a final has earned him bank for me.

The Giroud comparisons are a bit unfair you put a peak Drogba against any defence in Europe tomorrow and they’d be very fearful whereas they wouldn’t take Olivier Jiroo serious after he drops that punchable face when he misses a chance.

 

[Rex Stone]

Kane definitely can't chat to any of them tho, I've said it a million times, all goals aren't equal and Kane has never scored a goal of serious significance. Even in Sp**s CL run he missed the important games.

Back to back World Cups he’s completely shat himself when it mattered most. Once you can live with but not twice.

Of course next year he’ll be smashing in penalties against Luton and Wolves then it’ll be “best striker in the world” all over again.

 

[2Smokeyy]

Can you really rate a striker that looks like he’s about to cry when he misses a chance like Giroud? Same with J SUS

 

[balthazar]

He is in the Kane, Lew, Benz, Suarez bracket. Not Aguero, Rooney, Drogba (cmon now really) bracket

Arguably better than two in the first bracket too, def better than one

Drogba is over rated coz he always scored against us. He only had one, maybe two, world class seasons. Ibra is way clear. In his season at Manu at age 35 or whatever, he outscored Drogba´s every PL season except for 2006-6 and 2009-10.

 

[jones]

Can you really rate a striker that looks like he’s about to cry when he misses a chance like Giroud? Same with J SUS

J-Sus after losing the title coming home to be consoled by his wife

 

[Blood on the Tracks]

I mean Kane's been one of the top 3 strikers in the world for 5-6 years.

If we take our Arsenal blinders off he's legitimately world class both for Sp**s and England and deserves to be in the company of most of the guys mentioned on here.

Don't see how that's even debatable really. Missing a pen in the WC doesn't change that. He was top scorer in the 2018 WC so it's not like he doesn't perform at major tournaments ( unlike someone like Lewandowski)

He's made awful career decisions though.

 

[jones]

It’s always peak longevity for me. How many top seasons do you have? Going off sole peaks means you could have guys like Michu and Adebayor well up there.

Not bothered by guys stretching out careers putting two or three goals in a year in their late 30s.

How many seasons were you a top 5 striker and for me it’s why I can’t get there with Drogba.

He’s Giroud with better teammates. Can’t depend on them in the league for consistency but in one off games they’re unplayable.

Yeah, I gathered that’s how some of you lot were judging players during the draft. Michu was literally a one season wonder but Adebayor I do rate, with our fans I think he gets slightly underrated due to the way he left. He was a good striker imo.

I more meant the level they reached at their peak, for example Luis Suarez at Liverpool literally hit a differently level that I’ve not seen many strikers reach since I started watching football. Same with Gareth Bale at Sp**s and Hazard at Chelsea. I think those peak seasons Drogba had + what he’s capable of doing in a big game particularly a final has earned him bank for me.

The Giroud comparisons are a bit unfair you put a peak Drogba against any defence in Europe tomorrow and they’d be very fearful whereas they wouldn’t take Olivier Jiroo serious after he drops that punchable face when he misses a chance.

Both longevity and peak have to factor in when rating someones career. You wouldn't call Giggs one of the greats because he kept lingering around for a decade after expiration and a peak which wasn't that high already, or someone like Grafite when he fired Wolfsburg to a title.

Drogba had very high peaks but his consistency was piss poor. Same with Bale, Hazard is similar in that he played more consistently at a higher level for Chelsea, but when he was poor he was diabolical as he is now. Zlatan on a different level to him no question for me.

 

[Rex Stone]

Both longevity and peak have to factor in when rating someones career. You wouldn't call Giggs one of the greats because he kept lingering around for a decade after expiration and a peak which wasn't that high already, or someone like Grafite when he fired Wolfsburg to a title.

Drogba had very high peaks but his consistency was piss poor. Same with Bale, Hazard is similar in that he played more consistently at a higher level for Chelsea, but when he was poor he was diabolical as he is now. Zlatan on a different level to him no question for me.

Bale had an elite 5 year run? When he played he was consistent.

 

[Riou]

Kane's 2018 World Cup golden boot in detail...

0 goals in the quarter final.
0 goals in the semi final (didn't pass for what would have been a crucial tap in for Sterling either)
1 goal v Colombia.
2 goals v Tunisia.
3 goals v Panama.

...this is like when Richarlison scored v Sebia and South Korea and thought he was R9 reborn before getting promptly knocked out by the first decent team they played in the quarters