Football
FanCast guest columnist Keith
Rogers believes that Spurs and
Liverpool posses not only the two best strikers in England, but possibly Europe.
Having been a football fan going on 50 years, I can safely say
that I am in a better position than most to give my opinion on what makes a
good striker. I have been fortunate to see some of the greats like Greaves,
Law, Best, Rush, Lineker and Henry - all masters of their craft and some of the
greatest finishers World football has ever seen.
I was privileged to be invited to White Hart Lane on Sunday
and for the first time in all my years, I was an executive with prawn sandwich
in hand and I looked forward at the prospect of seeing not only two great football
clubs competing but seeing, in my opinion, the best forwards in the Premier
League.
Dimitar Berbatov and Fernando Torres are without doubt a class apart from any other striker in the Premier League and possibly Europe. Whether it is the Alice band that gives these two footballers mystical powers, but they just ooze class and make supposed top-class defenders look extremely average. They both possess that killer first touch, which gives them those extra yards of space in an instant and both have the uncanny ability to dictate the game at their own pace.
The game itself failed to deliver to expectation and if it had been a dog, would have been put down at half time. It was atrocious however the one bright spark in the whole proceedings was Fernando Torres, who in the soaring heat, put in more running and effort than the Spurs midfield has all season.
This was the first opportunity I got to see El Nino in the flesh and for me he more than lived up to his billing. He doesn't possess the physical strength of Dimitar but his tireless running can put the Bulgarian to shame and from the outset they would really be the perfect complement upfront together. Both sets of fans could dream, but I just found it fascinating to see the Spaniard in action. They both highlight the gulf in class between England and the rest of Europe. Could this country ever produce a Fernando Torres or Dimitar Berbatov?
Someone mentioned to me after the game, given the choice of two which one would you rather have at White Hart Lane? It was simply a question I couldn't answer and one I doubt many other fans could either. As mentioned I firmly believe that they are two best strikers, not only in England but possibly Europe and watching Torres play and Sunday has done nothing more than confirm my opinion.