Berbatov vs Klinsmann - Who is Tottenham's finest modern day striker?

[Berbati]

But you could argue that the Bundesliga then was a much stronger league then than it has been in recent seasons. Really, how many goals our strikers have scored at their previous/subsequent clubs is irrelevant to the debate.

Yeah, you have a point. But such comparisions give some perspective, as many fans don't have any clear idea about Jurgen's performances at a club level and think he was a consistant 20 + striker which he never was.

Jurgen scored 29 goals against 23 for Berbatov, comparing their first seasons. Berbatov made 17 assists, I doubt Jurgen made so much. Hence, in terms of goals + assists they are rather even. I might be wrong though. Berbatov plays for arguably a better team, but also in a better Premier league than the one in wich Jurgen scored 21.

Time will tell :lol: I predict Berbatov will be considered a better center forward in some years all over the world. As regards Spurs fans, he will be considered better by vast majority in 3-4 months.

 

[llamafarmer]

A fairer comparison would be Berbatov to Cantona, and Klinsman to Davids/Defoe.

But Defoe isn't in Klinsmann's league, and he's hardly a Spurs or Premiership great and Davids isn't even a striker.

Klinsmann to Lineker or Shearer maybe? :shrug:

 

[orkneyspur]

Time will tell :lol: I predict Berbatov will be considered a better center forward in some years all over the world. As regards Spurs fans, he will be considered better by vast majority in 3-4 months.

In this thread alone Berbati (and countless times in others), you have stated that Berbs will score so many goals in the last 3 months of the season, that we will all :bowdown: in adoration.

Now as much as I would like to believe this, I have also watched many Spurs and other forwards play football for many years. And one thing is always very evident. A striker will always score goals, but a forward will be expected to score goals. Having watched and compared Berbs over the past year and a half, he is an amazing forward, just like Alan Gilzean, who I saw play at his best. But Gilly never set scoring records and wasn't expected to. At the same time, Jimmy Greaves was setting goalscoring records, a lot of which were as a result of Gilzeans' forward play.

So to sum up my ramblings, Berbs is a wonderful forward, possibly the best since Gilzean IMO, however, the best modern day striker without any doubt would have been Gary Lineker.(but he's not in the vote) So on that basis, I would also vote for Klinsmann ahead of Berbatov.

But hopefully, in three months time, he will have scored at least 15 goals, been in the cup winning team, having scored a hat-trick and helped us to 6th place in the league. I will then :bowdown: and give you green rep (if it's still about), instead of red rep which you most often deserve.

Then we can sell him to Real or someone for £30 million. :wink:

 

[Berbati]

In this thread alone Berbati (and countless times in others), you have stated that Berbs will score so many goals in the last 3 months of the season, that we will all :bowdown: in adoration.

Now as much as I would like to believe this, I have also watched many Spurs and other forwards play football for many years. And one thing is always very evident. A striker will always score goals, but a forward will be expected to score goals. Having watched and compared Berbs over the past year and a half, he is an amazing forward, just like Alan Gilzean, who I saw play at his best. But Gilly never set scoring records and wasn't expected to. At the same time, Jimmy Greaves was setting goalscoring records, a lot of which were as a result of Gilzeans' forward play.

So to sum up my ramblings, Berbs is a wonderful forward, possibly the best since Gilzean IMO, however, the best modern day striker without any doubt would have been Gary Lineker.(but he's not in the vote) So on that basis, I would also vote for Klinsmann ahead of Berbatov.

But hopefully, in three months time, he will have scored at least 15 goals, been in the cup winning team, having scored a hat-trick and helped us to 6th place in the league. I will then :bowdown: and give you green rep (if it's still about), instead of red rep which you most often deserve.

Then we can sell him to Real or someone for £30 million. :wink:

The unique about Berba is that he can be both a prolific striker as he has shown it at Bayer (41 goals in the Bundesliga in his last two seasons there, only 3-4 from penalties) and at international level (the best ratio goals/games in Europe), and a great forward. At Bayer and for Bulgaria Berbatov was more like RvN and at Spurs he is more like Bergkamp. If Berbatov has got good service he can score as many goals as Lineker or Klinsmann. And he can create as many goals as Cantona or Bergkamp.

If he stays free of injuries, he will score many goals in the next months and will finish as a top scorer for Spurs. I will hold to the latter even if Keane has scored 10 goals more than Berbatov 6-7 weeks before the end of the season :lol:

 

[blankom]

Klinsmann for me aswell.

 

[Flatters]

That wasn't the question.

Berbatov then. Assuming striker refers to position rather than shooting.

 

[TaoistMonkey]

berbati, you need to sit down and be a spurs fan for 5 minutes.

Jurgen was playing in a team fighting relegation. Berba is playing in a team that has achieved two 5th place spots on the bounce.

Berba is a great talent and it would hurt us to lose him but if you'd experienced being a spurs fan in the Jurgen days you'd have a different prospective.

Jurgen was something else. If you think Keane works hard for the team you can double that for Jurgen. many of us remember what it was like to be a spurs fan back then. would Berba have the same impact as Jurgen back then? i don't know. Would Jurgen have the same impact as now as Berba? you fucking bet he would.

I have no doubt in my mind that Jurgen playing now (if he was still young) would be premiership top scorer.

 

[Stoof]

People answering "Berbatov and it's not even close" need to calm down.

It's a very very good question - one that can't be answered without clarification on just what modern-day-Tottenham-striker attributes are being assessed.

orkney's post has it spot on for me.

It's not an anti-Berbatov (Berbati) thing but, as Dougal will wince in his seat as he sees me writing this once again, Klinsmann scoring 4 goals against Wimbledon to keep us up will probably not be topped by any individual effort for our club. Team-wise we may go on to be glorious at Wembley; but that's beside the point. Individually isolated from all things team, Klinsmann gets it from me. And he wins the comparison too.

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[Lanh]

Couldn't agree more Taoist.

Stick Berba in the team which Jurgen was in and I don't think he'd have done anything but take us out of the top flight. When you're in that position you need someone who always gives 100% and works his arse off, we rarely see that from our the skillful but sulky one.

I'd swap a 26yr old Dimitar for a 31yr old Jurgen every day of the week because you'd be getting 100% commitment, a shitload of goals and a massively improved work-rate.

Everyone thought he would be a diving prima-donna when he came, but he proved himself to be a truly world class player and person and in his short time with us became an outstanding ambassador for British Football and Tottenham Hotspur.

Football misses characters like him on the pitch I think.

 

[t79boy]

The question says better striker that has to be Klinsmann, by a mile. Berba is a better forward by a mile though.

What a beautiful partnership they would be.

spot on RMY

like taoist monkey said , the system wont let me rep you...

 

[ultimateloner]

But Defoe isn't in Klinsmann's league, and he's hardly a Spurs or Premiership great and Davids isn't even a striker.

Klinsmann to Lineker or Shearer maybe? :shrug:

I don't think David's influence over the Spurs squad is any less than Klinsman. His battling qualities and leadership drove us to the 5th position in the league. We looked a different team with him in the squad.

Yes davids isn't a striker but we should compare players based on their contribution to the team. As I said, in pure footballing terms Berbatov is above Klinsman so I guess i've moved on from the question...

I compared Klinsman to Defoe because they are both pure goal scorers. I doubt anyone would disagree that Klinsman is much better.

 

[bogosian]

You a bit wrong mate. Berba's goals in the CL are against Real, Man U, Barca, Lyon, Liverpool and Roma. He didn't score against average teams. Maybe the games against those teams are not games at the very top level? :shrug: Bayer finshed first in their CL group season 2004/5 due to Berbatov's away goals against Real (1:1) and Roma (1:1). Without these goals Bayer wouldn't even qualify for the next round. Season 2003/4 Bayer and Stuttgart competed for a CL spot in the Bundesliga: both games Bayer beat them due to Berbatov's goals - 3:1 (away - 2 goals) and 1:0 at home. The home game was the last game in the Bundesliga and Bayer needed only a victory - ant they won due to a Berbatov's goal. From these 4 goals against Stuttgart that made Bayer a CL team for the next season, 3 were Berbatov's and 2 of them were strokes of genius. To expect that he could win at the very top level with Bulgaria would be rather stupid.

Have he faded against the biggest clubs in England? I don't think so. He was immense against Chelsea away for the FA Cup (3:3), he was MOM against Arsenal away for the CC, he scored and won a penalty against Arsenal that season, he was "marvellous" (Ferguson) against Man U at the start of that season, he made two assists against Liverpool (2:2) etc. Don't sell me the bullshit of Bulgarian journous mate :wink:

you are a little bit biased, mate. i've been following berba for maybe longer than you and remember him in every single more important game he's played including for the national team. as a fan of his game i am very sad because of the fact he is sh*tting himself every time the expectations towards him are high, this is just a fact - he has everything else but does not have the champion mentality. unfortunately.

 

[walworthyid]

Klinsmann was a born winner. he won over the media and everybody else when he was at spurs because of his attitude. This was a player widely recognised as the best striker in the world at the time playing on cold wednesday nights away to lower league opposition in the league cup and working just as hard as he did when playing in the world cup final.No big time charlie, drove a shit car and never acted like he was better than everybody else. He fought for every ball, put his head where it hurts and scored all kinds of goals. Good in the air, both feet, good touch, natural poacher and box player and brave as a lion. A rich man's Lineker (who was a great player for us as well).

Berbo is an artist. But he is not a winner,he is too sensitive, but a true artist. if he wanted to he could be the best player in the world. He can score every kind of goal. He has the best touch I have ever seen. His control of the ball is simply on a different planet. Vision, creativity, technique, he has it all. BUT, he is too temperamental and he lacks the true inner belief and desire to be a truly great player in a truly great team.

For me it has to be the German, but it is very close. If your playing in the Champs League final and a chance comes along in the last minute to win it, who would you have your money to put it away? If we were 3-0 down at half-time in the same hypothetical final who do you think would be in the changing room rousing the troops and making them believe they could get back into it?

Klinsmann was the Davids of his day, a born winner who led by example.

 

[eViL]

You can't compare them.

Klinsmann was top, TOP class.

Surely we should be comparing Sheringham and Berbatov?

 

[Berbati]

you are a little bit biased, mate. i've been following berba for maybe longer than you and remember him in every single more important game he's played including for the national team. as a fan of his game i am very sad because of the fact he is sh*tting himself every time the expectations towards him are high, this is just a fact - he has everything else but does not have the champion mentality. unfortunately.

OK mate, I gave you examples when Berbatov was instrumental for the success of his team in Germany and didn't bottled it. That game against Stuttgart which determined who was going to play in the CL was utterly important for Bayer, all expectations were directed toward Berba as he was in fantastic form and he scored a van Basten-like goal and Bayer won 1:0.

Berba will prove that your expectations are a bit wrong. :lol: I know, he's an artistic genius, and not a pitbull like Stoichkov BUT he is developing both as a player and character.

:grin:

 

[Chaplain]

Question to you, by the way, has his body-language always been the same? I remember watching some clips from the early CL when he was much younger and I don't recall it being *as* laid-back as it is now.