Fans Comment
John Audsley

Strikers
20/1/06

Now that Bent has left the club it increases the need for additions to a new level, but let's not get too excited, because (a) Davey doesn’t seem to be able (for whatever reason) to sign a striker, and (b) Everton and Strikers don’t seem to workwell together anymore — that might surprise you but let's look at the last 15 years of Everton and Strikers:

Tony Cottee
At he time the record signing and scored a fair few but will never go down as a “Top class striker” or “Legend” at EFC due to inconsistency at the highest level.

Mike Newell
Started with a real bang in the 89/90 season but that was pretty much it, hung around till 91 as 1 of the 3 strikers we had at the time but never established himself as a Striker to remember.

Peter Beardsley
One of the few Top class players we had in the 90’s and sold well before his time, as Howard wanted a “big man” instead, which he never got. To me Peter was a top Everton striker but again not a prolific goal scorer as it wasn’t in his make up.

Paul Rideout
Signed about 10 mins before the 92/93 season and struggled to establish himself in the few years he was with us but a good pro who will be remembered for the 95 Cup final, again though not a genuine goal scorer.

Graeme Stuart
Was he a striker or a Midfielder, I don’t think we every really new and like Rideout is remembered for one game rather than anything else.

Brett Angell
Forget it!

Daniel Amokachi
I loved Super Dan but he was totally inconsistent and never really fitted in to Joe Royle’s team.

Duncan Ferguson
To most fans Dunc is a Goodison Legend but its either Heroic performances or sendings off that we will remember him for. I really like Dunc but he is/was never a 20 goals a season man

John Spencer
Hmmm

Mikael Madar
Never going to be a top goal scorer

Danny Cadamarteri
Could have been a great player for us and after the home derby in 97 I thought he would but he lost his way completely. Now playing a bit part at Bradford!

Ibrahima Bakayoko
Was he 21, 31 or 41!!! The video’s I saw of him before he joined EFC made him look world class; in the flesh he was woeful

Francis Jeffers
He looked like he would be the best finisher we had seen at Goodison in a very long time but glass ankles and arrogance saw him leave and is now a totally forgotten man. A real shame but you can say that about a lot of Everton players.

Kevin Campbell
Saved us in 98 and I have great affection for the guy as I believe he always gave his best, but a serious injury damaged his career and I don’t think he ever recovered. If the injury hadn’t happened he could have been a 15+-goal scorer.

Tomas Radzinski
All pace and poor finishing, apart from a couple of crackers every so often, might get u 8 – 10 goals a season but never enough when you pay 4.5 million, left in a big sulk to go on to great success with Fulham!!!!

Wayne Rooney
I don’t need to go there do I!

Marcus Bent
When he joined us he looked technically excellent, worked his socks off and scored crackers against Villa and Soton but really lost his way since Beattie signed and we where very lucky to get the cash we got from him.

James Beattie
Time will tell, getting better but maybe 20 + goals is too much to ask

I’ve missed out people like Barmby, Kanchelskis and McFadden as I don’t believe they are genuine strikers, Andrei scored plenty but mainly from the right wing. Having said that it’s asking a lot to have Angell in the list at all.

If I’ve missed anyone else out I'm sorry, but I hope you get the point, since the “glory years” we have never had a striker get 20+ goals, we’ve relied on goals from Midfield to get us through and the strikers to score 7 – 10 goals each.

We never have an Everton player in the list of top goal scorers these day, ever. It seems we can have class Goal keepers, Defenders and Midfielders but the Strikers are cursed!!

I hope we sign a couple of forwards before the end of the window but will we ever get the goals we desperately need to get the club higher up the league

Answers on a postcard please!!!

John Audsley

"Fans Comment" articles are submitted by outside contributors to ToffeeWeb. The views contained therein may not correspond with those of the site owners. Editorial policy

©2005 ToffeeWeb