Everton goodison park
The landscape of English football has witnessed a significant shift over the decades, particularly in the realm of goal-scoring. The once-celebrated legacy of prolific strikers such as Dixie Dean and Tom Waring appears to be waning, as recent statistics reveal a decline in the number of English strikers achieving double-digit goals in the Premier League. Ken McKenna, a former prolific goal-scorer, shared his thoughts on this evolving dynamic and the challenges faced by modern strikers.
Ken McKenna said: “From a personal point of view it was unbelievable. It was the biggest day in my life, playing at Goodison Park in front of over 47,000 people. There was all the excitement and the build-up to it. All my family and friends are Evertonians and the amount of calls I was getting from them saying: ‘You’re going to get beat 10-0, it’s going to be 15’. Whenever I could and I wasn’t playing, I’d go and watch Everton and I remember going there earlier in the season and they’d won 5-0. When we drew them, I was dead excited at first and then I thought: ‘Jesus, we could get absolutely battered here, it could be anything’.”
He continued: “As the game turned out, there were a few bits of sour grapes here and there and we got called physical. Telford were a good footballing team, and they beat loads of league clubs. While we weren’t an overly physical team, we did have some physical players individually. Our centre mid, you’d put him in against anyone, little Anton Joseph, and our left-back Tony Turner was massive, he was a hod carrier and had big legs on him.”
Reflecting on the past, McKenna added: “I think Man City had about 25 passes in their half and then forced a pass to their lone striker that got cut out and then Arsenal did the same. In the 1970s, the keeper whacked it down the pitch to big Bob Latchford and he’d nod it down or get it wide, they’d get the ball into the box or get runners in and there was a little bit of niggle.”
Discussing the evolution of tactics, he remarked: “The style of play has changed. Now they’re rolling the ball out in the six-yard box to the centre-half. You might get two teams in the world who can do it – properly. They’re trying to build from there to create a chance to score a goal. I’m not being funny, it’s difficult. The objective is to create chances and to score goals.”
The decline in English strikers achieving significant goal tallies in the Premier League is a reflection of broader changes in football tactics and player development. McKenna’s insights highlight the shift from traditional two-striker systems to lone striker formations, which has impacted the role and effectiveness of strikers. The emphasis on possession-based football and building from the back has altered the way chances are created, often leading to fewer opportunities for strikers to score.
Moreover, McKenna’s reflections on past footballing styles underscore a nostalgia for a more direct approach, where physicality and aerial prowess were integral to the game. The evolution of football has seen a move towards technical proficiency and tactical discipline, sometimes at the expense of the raw goal-scoring instincts that defined previous generations of strikers.
The conversation around the decline of English strikers also touches on the role of academies in developing players. McKenna’s observations suggest that the current academy system may not be fully equipped to produce strikers who can thrive in the physically demanding and competitive environment of professional football. As football continues to evolve, the challenge remains to balance technical development with the instinctive goal-scoring abilities that once defined the English game.
About The Author
