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

The article discusses the current state of strikers in English football, particularly in relation to the upcoming World Cup. It highlights that while Harry Kane is a talented player, he cannot single-handedly fill the void left by other talented strikers who have retired or are no longer available.

Former England striker Chris Sutton suggests that playing with two strikers is not an option for Gareth Southgate this week, but rather a long-term solution to address the shortage of quality strikers. He argues that the current situation is "incomparable" to the 1990s, when England had a plethora of talented strikers.

Sutton also expresses his frustration with the fact that modern-day wide forwards like Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka are scoring more goals than old-school wingers ever did. However, he believes that these players can still contribute to the team's success by playing in their preferred roles rather than being forced into traditional striker positions.

The article concludes by highlighting the concerns of many fans and pundits about the lack of depth at the top of English football. It suggests that Gareth Southgate will need to make bold decisions and possibly consider new signing options to address this issue before the World Cup.
 
πŸ€” The way they're forcing Rashford & Saka into striker roles is a waste, innit? They should be playing wide like they do for United & Arsenal. It's like trying to fit square pegs in round holes. They need to find a balance that suits their skills, not just the 3-4-3 formation πŸ†
 
πŸ€” I mean, it's like... we're expecting too much from these young guns right? We want Harry Kane to be the savior of English football alone πŸ™„, but let's face it, he can't do it on his own. And then there's this whole debate about playing with two strikers or not... I think Sutton makes a valid point, but we also need to acknowledge that these players are being asked to adapt to roles that aren't really their strength πŸ€·β€β™‚οΈ.

It's like, can't we just give them the freedom to play how they want and still expect them to deliver? I mean, Marcus Rashford is scoring goals for fun because he's playing in a position where he feels most comfortable, not because Gareth Southgate is forcing him into a traditional striker role πŸ†. Let's focus on finding solutions that work with our players' strengths, rather than trying to fit the mold of what we think English football should be 🌟.
 
I gotta disagree with Chris Sutton on this one πŸ€”. He's saying we should be playing two strikers, but what about the defensive liabilities that come with that? I mean, wouldn't we just create space for other teams to exploit our midfield and make runs down the wings? And those modern-day wingers are having a blast scoring goals from outside the box - shouldn't we try to replicate that magic instead of forcing them into traditional striker roles? The 90s were definitely an anomaly in football history, let's not forget that England was stuck with guys like Teddy Sheringham and Alan Shearer who didn't exactly set the world on fire. We should be looking for players who can create chances from anywhere on the pitch, not just score goals from close range πŸ†
 
😊 I think Chris Sutton's point about playing with two strikers being a long-term solution is actually kinda cool! 🀩 Like, we've got talented players on the bench like Jamie Vardy and Ivan Toney, right? πŸ™Œ And let's not forget those young guns at Tottenham and Manchester City who could be future stars. I'm excited to see Gareth Southgate experiment with different formations and get these youngsters in action! πŸ’ͺ It's all about giving them a chance to shine and maybe we'll be surprised by how well they do. πŸ˜ƒ Plus, it's not like we're in a crisis or anything... we just need to mix things up a bit! πŸ˜‰
 
man... i'm so hyped for the world cup 🀩 but also super worried about england's striker situation lol. like, gareth southgate needs to be clever here, can't just rely on harry kane all game. and what's up with chris sutton saying we're in a worse state than the 90s? i mean, didn't we have sheringham and shearer back then?! anyway, it's true that modern forwards are scoring goals from everywhere, but they need to use their skills more not just wing it all game πŸ€”. gotta find a way to get those two strikers playing together, or else we're in for a long tournament 😬
 
πŸ€” England's strikers situation is getting old, like a bad joke that nobody finds funny anymore πŸ™„. Can't just rely on Harry Kane to be the answer, that's like expecting a one-man army to win a war πŸ’ͺ. Chris Sutton makes some valid points, though - playing with two strikers isn't a short-term fix, it's a long-term solution... sounds about right πŸ€·β€β™‚οΈ.

And I agree, Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka are scoring goals left and right, but that doesn't mean they should be forced into roles they're not suited for. Wide forwards don't have to become strikers just because the team needs one πŸ˜’. It's all about finding players who fit their system, not trying to reinvent the wheel πŸš—.

Gareth Southgate has his work cut out for him, that's for sure. The question is, will he make the right calls or just stick with what we've seen so far? 🀞 Only time (and some decent signings) will tell πŸ‘€
 
I'm really worried about England's striker situation, you feel me? 🀯 They're not just missing Harry Kane, they're missing a whole generation of talented forwards who retired or moved on. It's like they're trying to fill a void with one person, but it's never gonna be the same. Playing with two strikers might not be an option this week, but it's definitely something Gareth Southgate should consider for the World Cup. I mean, what if these young wide forwards can actually cut it in a striker role? It's not like they're scoring goals out of thin air, it's just that their positioning and movement are more suited to supporting the main striker. Anyway, gotta think about the bigger picture here...
 
πŸ€” its like southgate knows hes gotta shake things up but also needs to work with what hes got πŸ™ maybe playing rashford as a regista instead of a striker could be a thing 🀯 or just have him play behind the ball and let him dictate the game? πŸ‘Š
 
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