9 - Robert Lewandowski

[Maradona37]

40 goals last season at 37. Damn hard one to achieve even in your 20s.

You are like most football fans - cannot see beyond stats.

He was woeful in a lot of games. And clearly Barca's system and exaggerated attacking potential inflated his stats. Raphinha's too.

It's a lot less black and white than you make it look.

 

[JamDav1982]

40 goals last season at 37. Damn hard one to achieve even in your 20s. He is simply an elite striker, even close to being finished he is still better than almost all other strikers.

Genuinely believe if you have Ferran on penalties and featuring v lower league teams in cups he would go close to that or 30+ at least.

 

[serghei]

If the criteria for legend is what done in Europe then Lewa has a long way to go to become one at Barca.

He has no goals or assists in his 6 of his last 7 CL knockout ties for Barca.

Not necessarily required for my personal ranking. 2 titles for Barcelona at the tail end of his career in which he was main scorer is notable.

 

[Maradona37]

Genuinely believe if you have Ferran on penalties and featuring v lower league teams in cups he would go close to that or 30+ at least.

So often players who aren't that great get exaggerated stats. We see it with Bruno Fernandes at Man United too.

It's often strength of team, or style of play, or everything going through the player, that accounts for stuff like that.

 

[Maradona37]

Not necessarily required for my personal ranking. 2 titles for Barcelona at the tail end of his career in which he was main scorer is notable.

I wouldn't even put him in your top 5 players of last season. Maybe not even top 7.

 

[serghei]

Genuinely believe if you have Ferran on penalties and featuring v lower league teams in cups he would go close to that or 30+ at least.

Yeah, but at this moment I have issues seeing Ferran scoring goals like the 2 vs Madrid or the Atletico 1-2 goal on Metropolitano, those are killer finishing, clinical stuff from him.

 

[JamDav1982]

Not necessarily required for my personal ranking. 2 titles for Barcelona at the tail end of his career in which he was main scorer is notable.

It being tail end of his career shouldnt have any input really to him being a legend.

If Europe doesnt matter all that much then its different criteria to others.

 

[Maradona37]

He is simply an elite striker, even close to being finished he is still better than almost all other strikers.

Are you joking? He can hardly run and his first touch and hold up play are abysmal. Says a lot more about the dearth in quality of contemporary strikers than anything about him aged 37.

 

[JamDav1982]

Yeah, but at this moment I have issues seeing Ferran scoring goals like the 2 vs Madrid or the Atletico 1-2 goal on Metropolitano, those are killer finishing, clinical stuff from him.

Ferran has better goals/assists per min v Real than Lewa I think and thats when include the least relevant games that Lewa has scored in the Supercopa.

Ferran equalised in final v them then got 3 assists in the game that decided league a few weeks later.

 

[Maradona37]

Yeah, but at this moment I have issues seeing Ferran scoring goals like the 2 vs Madrid or the Atletico 1-2 goal on Metropolitano, those are killer finishing, clinical stuff from him.

He missed two sitters vs Madrid after that in the same game. He gets loads of chances.

 

[serghei]

He missed two sitters vs Madrid after that in the same game. He gets loads of chances.

Yeah, after putting us in front 2-0, 2 expertly taken executions, 2nd one being a header they should teach in football academies. Back then the match very much in the balance, or vs Atletico, putting us back in the game at 0-2. He was instrumental last season.

You guys underrate his quality. Not everyone can have executions like those.

 

[JamDav1982]

He missed two sitters vs Madrid after that in the same game. He gets loads of chances.

His finishes were world class that game all strikers miss them.

That is about only game in 5 La liga v them he has scored though.

 

[Maradona37]

Yeah, after putting us in front 2-0, 2 expertly taken executions, 2nd one being a header they should teach in football academies. Back then the match very much in the balance, or vs Atletico, putting us back in the game at 0-2.

You guys underrate his quality. Not everyone can have executions like those.

Never denied that. I complimented him at the time for it.

The point is he's an inconsistent finisher. Like Haaland and Ronaldo. They score loads of goals because they get loads of chances. Messi is the best finisher of the 21st century. This is backed by statistical evidence.

And obviously, in terms of all-round game, Lewandowski is not special.

 

[JamDav1982]

Never denied that. I complimented him at the time for it.

The point is he's an inconsistent finisher. Like Haaland and Ronaldo. They score loads of goals because they get loads of chances. Messi is the best finisher of the 21st century. This is backed by statistical evidence.

And obviously, in terms of all-round game, Lewandowski is not special.

But they find the chances also that is a huge part of it.

 

[Maradona37]

His finishes were world class that game all strikers miss them.

That is about only game in 5 La liga v them he has scored though.

Yeah they were, I am being pedantic implying he should score all four. My point is it's evidence of him being an erratic finisher that he scores the two difficult ones and misses the easier ones.