[Archived] Top Strikers For Rovers - Last 20 Yrs

[VinjayV4]

Jansen was top class. In a different league to Rhodes. He had it all; touch, pace, good in the air. Great team player. If it hadn't been for Grip and Sven picking Keown, he would have gone on to be even better.

Bellamy was the most influential IMO apart from Shearer. He dragged us to 6th spot in Sparky's first full season. The two goals at Portsmouth were superb. It was also the standards he expected from the rest of the team. Pure class and a leader. Nelsen hated him tho.

Honestly can't remember hearing that. Nelsen spoke well of him in this article.

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/715156.Bellamy_s_born_to_win/

[blue kiwi]

1 shearer

2 sutton

3 newell

4 speedie

5 cole

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I'd agree with your top 5, though i'd maybe change the order. Cole flattered to deceive for me (particularly in away games) after a great 1st 6 months.

Im sure I remember him scoring 6 gls a season for his final 2 campaigns for us.

83 apps and 27 goals according to Wiki. Not good enough, for a striker of his calibre.

Cole was a real asset until Dwight Yorke came along. After that it was a competition between the two of them as to who could run the least.

[Dreyski]

Cole was a real asset until Dwight Yorke came along. After that it was a competition between the two of them as to who could run the least.

It was also when Souness started to lose his touch and fell out with half the squad. Selling Cole was a mistake because without him, Stead wasn't half the player from the previous season.

Didn't Souness quit the day after Pedersen signed?

[VinjayV4]

It was also when Souness started to lose his touch and fell out with half the squad. Selling Cole was a mistake because without him, Stead wasn't half the player from the previous season.

Didn't Souness quit the day after Pedersen signed?

No Pedersen made his debut against Man United at Ewood before Souness quit. It was certainly VERY soon after.

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

Cole was a real asset until Dwight Yorke came along. After that it was a competition between the two of them as to who could run the least.

I think they worked well together the first season Yorke was here. We finished 6th that year which I'd say is impossible if your strike force isn't interested.

[Mattyblue]

Indeed, it was the season after (03/04) when the wheels started falling off (throughout the side).

Cole and Yorke declined, Gresko and Matteo ending up in midfield, big bust ups in training on a seemingly weekly basis etc.

That's why I think we were all amazed early on in 04/05 when Newcastle came in for Souness.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

No Pedersen made his debut against Man United at Ewood before Souness quit. It was certainly VERY soon after.

Yeah, I remember Pedersen having a gilt edged chance to win that game late on. Unfortunately they're still looking for the ball.

Indeed, it was the season after (03/04) when the wheels started falling off (throughout the side).

Cole and Yorke declined, Gresko and Matteo ending up in midfield, big bust ups in training on a seemingly weekly basis etc.

That's why I think we were all amazed early on in 04/05 when Newcastle came in for Souness.

Newcastle saved us from either -1) Having to sack him. 2) Getting relegated.

[VinjayV4]

Yeah, I remember Pedersen having a gilt edged chance to win that game late on. Unfortunately they're still looking for the ball.

Newcastle saved us from either -1) Having to sack him. 2) Getting relegated.

Well he certainly made up for it 13 months later and against numerous other teams LOL!

He was always overrated though (and I'm not saying that to be unkind because I liked him) which is why no CL club bought him. Just like no PL club bought Rhodes.

[grizfoot]

Interesting topic I decided to delve through the statistics for Rovers strikers over the last 20 years, starting from the 1995/96 season right up until the present day, I've included goals and appearances from all competitions. Stats purely based on goal figures don't tell you everything but ultimately it's the job of a striker to score goals and their goal-record surely serves as a good basis to assess how our strikers of the last twenty years compare with each other.

List of top scoring strikers

85 (in 168 apps) Jordan Rhodes
57 (in 181 apps) Matt Jansen

52 (in 140 apps) Benni McCarthy
39 (in 118 apps) Kevin Gallacher
38 (in 112 apps) Chris Sutton
37 (in 48 apps) Alan Shearer
37 (in 100 apps) Andrew Cole
35 (in 72 apps) Rudy Gestede
28 (in 155 apps) Jason Roberts
26 (in 77 apps) Roque Santa Cruz

20 (in 86 apps) Matt Derbyshire
19 (in 58 apps) Dwight Yorke
17 (in 32 apps) Craig Bellamy

17 (in 58 apps) Paul Dickov
15 (in 25 apps) Yakubu
15 (in 63 apps) Nathan Blake
13 (in 44 apps) Nikola Kalinić
13 (in 61 apps) Ashley Ward
11 (in 44 apps) Marcus Bent
11 (in 49 apps) Egil Østenstad

Best goals per game ratio

1. Alan Shearer 0.771
2. Yakubu 0.600
3. Craig Bellamy 0.531
4. Jordan Rhodes 0.506
5. Rudy Gestede 0.486
6. Benni McCarthy 0.371
7. Andrew Cole 0.370
8. Chris Sutton 0.339
9. Roque Santa Cruz 0.338
10. Kevin Gallacher 0.331
11. Matt Jansen 0.315
12. Nikola Kalinić 0.295
13. Paul Dickov 0.293
14. Shabani Nonda 0.269
15. Dwight Yorke 0.257

Top individual goals in a season performances
1. Alan Shearer 37 goals (1995/96)
2. Jordan Rhodes 28 goals (2012/13)
3. Jordan Rhodes 25 goals (2013/14)
4. Benni McCarthy 24 goals (2006/07)
- Matt Jansen 24 goals (2000/01)
6. Rudy Gestede 22 goals (2014/15)
7. Chris Sutton 21 goals (1997/98)

- Jordan Rhodes 21 goals (2014/15)
9. Kevin Gallacher 20 goals (1997/98)
- Roque Santa Cruz 20 goals (2007/08)
11. Craig Bellamy 17 goals (2005/06)
12. Matt Jansen 16 goals (2001/02)
13. Yakubu 15 goals (2011/12)

Best striking partnerships (where two strikers scored 10+ goals each in a season)

Rhodes & Gestede 43 goals (2014/15)
Sutton & Gallacher 41 goals (1997/98)
Rhodes & Gestede 38 goals (2013/14)
Jansen & Bent 35 goals (2000/01)
Santa Cruz & McCarthy 31 goal (2007/08)
Jansen & Cole 29 goals (2001/02)
Cole & Yorke 26 goals (2002/03)
Sutton & Gallacher 23 goals (1996/97)

I suppose some of the stats do have to be taken into context, the vast majority of Rhodes & Gestede's goals came at a lower-level in The Championship, as did nearly half of Jansen's goals for the club.

But looking back over the past 20 years of the club, the two most memorable moments in my mind is our promotion back to the Premier League in 2001 and the League Cup win in 2002. At the heart of both successes you have that man Matt Jansen, he was the leading goalscorer in our promotion winning season and scored the goal that sealed promotion at Deepdale. He was again leading goalscorer for the 2001/02 League Cup campaign, including scoring an hat-trick against Arsenal in the fifth round and then opened the scoring against Tottenham in the final. In addition to that I'm sure that wonderful winning goal he scored against Norwich, at an emotional Ewood, is one that sticks in a lot of Rovers' fans memories. Not only that but he was a very entertaining player to watch and a big part of the Souness era from 2000-2002 that yielded in my opinion one of, if not our best side to watch over the past 20 years. For all these reason I'm putting Jansen at no.1

Next I'm going to put Benni McCarthy. Had three very solid seasons at Rovers, including a phenomenal first season in 2006/07 which he was a scoring part of the side which was (in my opinion) unlucky only to reach the semi-final of the FA Cup and the UEFA Cup last 32. He was also a big part in helping us avoid relegation under Big Sam post the Ince debacle. Scoring crucial goal after crucial goal during the second part of the 2008-09 season.

If this was a topic for the last 25 years, Shearer would top it undoubtedly. But because it's only the last 20 years, in which time he only had one season at the club albeit a superb one I'm only going to put him third. 37 goals in one season sounds ridiculous (no other player has got close to this in the following seasons) in fact this was a feat he achieved twice while at the club, he had scored the exact same total the previous title winning one. He repeated the feat but sadly Rovers couldn't only managing to finish a disappointing 7th.

It's probably cheating to bundle two players together into one. But looking at Sutton & Gallacher records they are almost identical, they formed a good striking partnership under Hodgson during the 1997/98 season, one for which at a time we looked like potential title contenders once again. They are worthy of their spot for that season which is by a distance our best goal-scoring partnership when the club has been at Premiership level.

The final slot for my top five I'm going to give to Jordan Rhodes. He's been our clear top goalscorer over the last twenty years (second most appearances behind Jansen). During the three and a half seasons he was here, the club might have been in turmoil but he proved to be reliable as ever. Interesting that is goals to game ratio is almost exactly 1 in 2. He's the only striker to average a goal every other game for the club over a sustained period of time in the last 20 years. Would have been higher on the list but sadly a lot of his goals have been in vain and come a level down from a lot of the other strikers.

My Overall Contribution Top 5

1. Matt Jansen

2. Benni McCarthy

3. Alan Shearer

4. Sutton & Gallacher

5. Jordan Rhodes

and just for fun a sort of pluck your top five strikers from moments in time I'd go for:

1. Alan Shearer 95/96

2. Craig Bellamy 05/06

3. Roque Santa Cruz 07/08

4. Benni McCarthy 06/07

5. Matt Jansen 01/02

As already mentioned by a few people Bellamy was very special in that 2005/06 season, winning games almost single-handily with his pace and skill. I feel bad for no mention of Andrew Cole, a decent goal-scoring record for us and that goal in Cardiff will always be remembered, I couldn't quite squeeze him into either top five which just goes to underline the quality of striker we've been blessed with at the club.

A sobering thought to finish on, none of the strikers I have mentioned are currently at the club and the only striker on our books to have played more than 20 games for the club is Chris Brown. He's also happen to be the only striker to have reached that milestone in this time and not have scored (sorry Chris).

[donnermeat]

Great post grizfoot!

[ABBEY]

Interesting topic I decided to delve through the statistics for Rovers strikers over the last 20 years, starting from the 1995/96 season right up until the present day, I've included goals and appearances from all competitions. Stats purely based on goal figures don't tell you everything but ultimately it's the job of a striker to score goals and their goal-record surely serves as a good basis to assess how our strikers of the last twenty years compare with each other.

List of top scoring strikers

85 (in 168 apps) Jordan Rhodes

57 (in 181 apps) Matt Jansen

52 (in 140 apps) Benni McCarthy

39 (in 118 apps) Kevin Gallacher

38 (in 112 apps) Chris Sutton

37 (in 48 apps) Alan Shearer

37 (in 100 apps) Andrew Cole

35 (in 72 apps) Rudy Gestede

28 (in 155 apps) Jason Roberts

26 (in 77 apps) Roque Santa Cruz

20 (in 86 apps) Matt Derbyshire

19 (in 58 apps) Dwight Yorke

17 (in 32 apps) Craig Bellamy

17 (in 58 apps) Paul Dickov

15 (in 25 apps) Yakubu

15 (in 63 apps) Nathan Blake

13 (in 44 apps) Nikola Kalinić

13 (in 61 apps) Ashley Ward

11 (in 44 apps) Marcus Bent

11 (in 49 apps) Egil Østenstad

Best goals per game ratio

1. Alan Shearer 0.771

2. Yakubu 0.600

3. Craig Bellamy 0.531

4. Jordan Rhodes 0.506

5. Rudy Gestede 0.486

6. Benni McCarthy 0.371

7. Andrew Cole 0.370

8. Chris Sutton 0.339

9. Roque Santa Cruz 0.338

10. Kevin Gallacher 0.331

11. Matt Jansen 0.315

12. Nikola Kalinić 0.295

13. Paul Dickov 0.293

14. Shabani Nonda 0.269

15. Dwight Yorke 0.257

Top individual goals in a season performances

1. Alan Shearer 37 goals (1995/96)

2. Jordan Rhodes 28 goals (2012/13)

3. Jordan Rhodes 25 goals (2013/14)

4. Benni McCarthy 24 goals (2006/07)

- Matt Jansen 24 goals (2000/01)

6. Rudy Gestede 22 goals (2014/15)

7. Chris Sutton 21 goals (1997/98)

- Jordan Rhodes 21 goals (2014/15)

9. Kevin Gallacher 20 goals (1997/98)

- Roque Santa Cruz 20 goals (2007/08)

11. Craig Bellamy 17 goals (2005/06)

12. Matt Jansen 16 goals (2001/02)

13. Yakubu 15 goals (2011/12)

Best striking partnerships (where two strikers scored 10+ goals each in a season)

Rhodes & Gestede 43 goals (2014/15)

Sutton & Gallacher 41 goals (1997/98)

Rhodes & Gestede 38 goals (2013/14)

Jansen & Bent 35 goals (2000/01)

Santa Cruz & McCarthy 31 goal (2007/08)

Jansen & Cole 29 goals (2001/02)

Cole & Yorke 26 goals (2002/03)

Sutton & Gallacher 23 goals (1996/97)

I suppose some of the stats do have to be taken into context, the vast majority of Rhodes & Gestede's goals came at a lower-level in The Championship, as did nearly half of Jansen's goals for the club.

But looking back over the past 20 years of the club, the two most memorable moments in my mind is our promotion back to the Premier League in 2001 and the League Cup win in 2002. At the heart of both successes you have that man Matt Jansen, he was the leading goalscorer in our promotion winning season and scored the goal that sealed promotion at Deepdale. He was again leading goalscorer for the 2001/02 League Cup campaign, including scoring an hat-trick against Arsenal in the fifth round and then opened the scoring against Tottenham in the final. In addition to that I'm sure that wonderful winning goal he scored against Norwich, at an emotional Ewood, is one that sticks in a lot of Rovers' fans memories. Not only that but he was a very entertaining player to watch and a big part of the Souness era from 2000-2002 that yielded in my opinion one of, if not our best side to watch over the past 20 years. For all these reason I'm putting Jansen at no.1

Next I'm going to put Benni McCarthy. Had three very solid seasons at Rovers, including a phenomenal first season in 2006/07 which he was a scoring part of the side which was (in my opinion) unlucky only to reach the semi-final of the FA Cup and the UEFA Cup last 32. He was also a big part in helping us avoid relegation under Big Sam post the Ince debacle. Scoring crucial goal after crucial goal during the second part of the 2008-09 season.

If this was a topic for the last 25 years, Shearer would top it undoubtedly. But because it's only the last 20 years, in which time he only had one season at the club albeit a superb one I'm only going to put him third. 37 goals in one season sounds ridiculous (no other player has got close to this in the following seasons) in fact this was a feat he achieved twice while at the club, he had scored the exact same total the previous title winning one. He repeated the feat but sadly Rovers couldn't only managing to finish a disappointing 7th.

It's probably cheating to bundle two players together into one. But looking at Sutton & Gallacher records they are almost identical, they formed a good striking partnership under Hodgson during the 1997/98 season, one for which at a time we looked like potential title contenders once again. They are worthy of their spot for that season which is by a distance our best goal-scoring partnership when the club has been at Premiership level.

The final slot for my top five I'm going to give to Jordan Rhodes. He's been our clear top goalscorer over the last twenty years (second most appearances behind Jansen). During the three and a half seasons he was here, the club might have been in turmoil but he proved to be reliable as ever. Interesting that is goals to game ratio is almost exactly 1 in 2. He's the only striker to average a goal every other game for the club over a sustained period of time in the last 20 years. Would have been higher on the list but sadly a lot of his goals have been in vain and come a level down from a lot of the other strikers.

My Overall Contribution Top 5

1. Matt Jansen

2. Benni McCarthy

3. Alan Shearer

4. Sutton & Gallacher

5. Jordan Rhodes

and just for fun a sort of pluck your top five strikers from moments in time I'd go for:

1. Alan Shearer 95/96

2. Craig Bellamy 05/06

3. Roque Santa Cruz 07/08

4. Benni McCarthy 06/07

5. Matt Jansen 01/02

As already mentioned by a few people Bellamy was very special in that 2005/06 season, winning games almost single-handily with his pace and skill. I feel bad for no mention of Andrew Cole, a decent goal-scoring record for us and that goal in Cardiff will always be remembered, I couldn't quite squeeze him into either top five which just goes to underline the quality of striker we've been blessed with at the club.

A sobering thought to finish on, none of the strikers I have mentioned are currently at the club and the only striker on our books to have played more than 20 games for the club is Chris Brown. He's also happen to be the only striker to have reached that milestone in this time and not have scored (sorry Chris).

Just shows how crap Rhodes was for us ...sigh

[Stuart]

Just shows how crap Rhodes was for us ...sigh

Ah but he's not doing anything at Boro which proves that he must have been crap for us.

Wouldn't quite be in my top 5 of the last 20 years still, definitely top 10 though, and definitely top 5 of the last 10 years.

[Parsonblue]

Certainly Rhodes wouldn't be in my top 20 because of the strikers mentioned he is the only one not to have delivered in the top flight. Can only compare him with the likes of Garner, Thompson, Quinn etc. in terms of scoring in the Second Division.

[den]

Certainly Rhodes wouldn't be in my top 20 because of the strikers mentioned he is the only one not to have delivered in the top flight. Can only compare him with the likes of Garner, Thompson, Quinn etc. in terms of scoring in the Second Division.

😄😀😅

And somewhere behind Danny Graham.

[ABBEY]

when he reaches 50 rovers goals den you can argue the case.

[den]

If we're looking to compare the ability to affect team performance, he could be compared with the likes of Jim Fryatt or Joe Craig Abbey - and just behind chris brown.

[Parsonblue]

If we're looking to compare the ability to affect team performance, he could be compared with the likes of Jim Fryatt or Joe Craig Abbey.

I'd forgot about those two and the likes of Frank Lord and Bryan Conlon. More the level to be comparing with rather than guys who performed at the highest level and scored on a regular basis.

[Stuart]

when he reaches 50 rovers goals den you can argue the case.

Spot on. And when he's been here longer than 5 minutes.

[Stuart]

If we're looking to compare the ability to affect team performance, he could be compared with the likes of Jim Fryatt or Joe Craig Abbey - and just behind chris brown.

No, we are talking about top strikers for Rovers, den.

I can't believe we are going to do this (again) but I suppose it was inevitable.

The bit in bold is a nothing statement but, even so, if a player scores a goal it puts us on the front foot and allows us to relax and play the ball more confidently (at least it should if we had better midfielders during Rhodes time). That means Rhodes has affected team performance.

I get that you don't like him because he hasn't got pace (or whatever mythical trait that would have turned him from a damned good Championship striker into a damned good Premier a league one) but trying to take away his record and contribution is just churlish.

At least you've been consistent throughout though. Providing of course you never cheered when he scored but just sat on your hands and sulked.

[ABBEY]

Spot on. And when he's been here longer than 5 minutes.

and when hes actually our player

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

Brilliant post grizfoot!

[oldjamfan1]

Great post Grizfoot, some interesting analysis there, that only goes to show that 'measuring' how good or effective a footballer is cannot be left to statistics alone. Despite your fabulous efforts, and I understand your reasoning for it, but in my view any analysis of 'best Rovers striker of the past 20 years' that doesn't have Alan Shearer firmly at the top of it simply has to be flawed.

[den]

The bit in bold is a nothing statement but, even so, if a player scores a goal it puts us on the front foot and allows us to relax and play the ball more confidently (at least it should if we had better midfielders during Rhodes time). That means Rhodes has affected team performance.

Unbelievable rubbish Stuart. We were awful with him in the team. You accept Rhodes's limitations, yet complain about Graham only walking back slowly. Bitter.

I think your view was that if we sold him, we wouldn't score goals, wouldn't win games and we would be heading for relegation? Not happened has it. Quite the reverse as a few posters on here have been saying for three years or so.

Haven't you enjoyed the performances and results from day one after selling him? Don't you enjoy how the team is playing so much better? How about the four home wins in a row? Don't you enjoy watching all eleven players busting a gut for the team? How's about watching a centre forward who does have the technique to bring in his teammates, and who really does affect team performances - aren't you enjoying watching that? How about now being able to compete and beat the top teams - aren't you enjoying that? I am.

Get over it Stuart, were better now he's gone.

[Stuart]

Unbelievable rubbish Stuart. We were awful with him in the team. You accept Rhodes's limitations, yet complain about Graham only walking back slowly. Bitter.

I think your view was that if we sold him, we wouldn't score goals, wouldn't win games and we would be heading for relegation? Not happened has it. Quite the reverse as a few posters on here have been saying for three years or so.

Haven't you enjoyed the performances and results from day one after selling him? Don't you enjoy how the team is playing so much better? How about the four home wins in a row? Don't you enjoy watching all eleven players busting a gut for the team? How's about watching a centre forward who does have the technique to bring in his teammates, and who really does affect team performances - aren't you enjoying watching that? How about now being able to compete and beat the top teams - aren't you enjoying that? I am.

Get over it Stuart, were better now he's gone.

Rhodes has contributed more to BRFC than Graham probably ever will. Fact.

Personally I'm happy with what Lambert has done with the squad. Our bench is stronger, our stacking options are greater, our defence (full backs) need work. But at the moment it's only temporary due to contracts ending and loanees.

However, let's stop trying to rewrite history and pretend Rhodes wasn't one of Rovers' top 10 strikers of the last 20 years - because the record books will always say different.

Rovers fans have been spoiled for far too long.