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The Best Four Strikers of the 2008-09 Premier League Season

Published on May 29, 2009 by Adam Daley in Soccer

Considered by many to the most important position on the field as without someone to finish, all that hard work and build up is worth nothing. The striker is often the most expensive and desired player of them all. In this review I will reveal some of the best strikers in the Premier League for the 2008/09 season…

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Below are my nominees for striker of the season…

Wayne Rooney

With 12 league goals he hasn’t exactly been the Premiership’s highest scorer but what he has managed to do is nail down is some solid consistency. Over the course of the season he finally started to grab hold of some of his favoured qualities and actually put them under his control rather than leaving them up to form. In particular his passing and skill have thoroughly served a purpose rather than being for show and have combined excellently with his drive, tenacity and desire. On occasions Rooney carried United on his back with some crucial goals, and even when he didn’t score his determination played a big part in keeping United chasing.

Robinho

Often controversial and sometimes homesick, the £32 million Brazilian has at times been magical for Man City. He started his Man City career in blazing form when so many expected him to take time to settle in. This settling time eventually caught up with him however and he did suffer a nasty slump in form, but none the less when he’s been good he’s been amazing.

Robinho has great balance, awareness, and often fantastic dribbling, skill and flair. Some will undoubtedly argue that someone consistent like Kevin Davies should be nominated instead, but the fact remains that Robinho is joint fourth with Torres in the goalscoring charts, and when he’s been in form he is nothing short of delightful to watch. His middle of the season snooze does weigh heavily on his overall performance, but his good performances have been so good that they deserve at least a consideration amongst the top strikers.

Fernando Torres

An unfortunate couple of injuries prevented Torres from completing a true romp this season, but non the less he has still done pretty well. One particular highlight was the goal of the season contender against Blackburn, where he hooked in a terrific volley from the edge of the area that reminisced van Basten’s famous World Cup goal. Torres’s seasonal form and importance to Liverpool has been such that manager Benitez and defender Carragher have both come out and claimed that they could have won the title if Torres had been fit for the entire season.

Torres’s usual sharp pace, exquisite touch and lethal finishing ability have helped him to 14 Premier League goals in 24 appearances, which equals to more than one every two games. After only two years at Liverpool he is already becoming a Liverpool legend, and on the final day of the season he scored his 50th goal for the club. This complete with his second consecutive appearance in the PFA’s team of the season and his 2008 World Player of the Year third place has made Torres one of the most valuable players in the Premier League this season.

Nicholas Anelka

Anelka’s belter of a goal on the last day of the season confirmed him as the Premier League’s top scorer for the 2008/09 season with 19 league goals. Had Chelsea’s managers have realised earlier that he can actually play alongside Drogba then that tally might well have been higher. After scoring only once in the previous campaign, Anelka has been a changed man at Chelsea this season. He’s still as moody as ever, but now he’s rediscovered his goal scoring feet that have served his so well throughout his career.

Anelka’s most prized attributes are his pace, positioning and unquestioned eye for a goal. Along with this he has the technique and control to make his goalscoring vision a reality. He scored his first hatrick against Sunderland in November and since scored a second hatrick against Watford in the FA Cup. Love him or hate him his goalscoring abilities are undeniable and because of this he is a deserved nominee for striker of the season.

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