O Striker, Where Art Thou?
Despite England’s failure to qualify for the World Cup in 1994, England was full of striking options between the flops of ‘94, and the near-fairytale side of ’96. Had we known, 20 years later, exactly how thin our options would be, perhaps we would have savoured them a little more. Comparing eras is difficult, even only 20 years apart. But this is hardly chalk and cheese; it’s hardly comparing Gareth Bale to Stanley Matthews. The mid-90s Premier League was more British and more physical, with less rotation and whinging. But the goals per game rate has increased by a significant amount. Between 93 and 97, the scoring rate never exceeded 2.6. The last five Premiership season have hovered around or above 2.8 goals per game. Whilst being aware of the differences in eras, however small, the chasm between the strikers is staggering. By the time Euro ’96 rolled around, Terry Venables had a choice from 11 English strikers with at least one 20 goal season behind them. I’ve ignored player...