[quote author=Herr Onceared link=topic=39578.msg1079776#msg1079776 date=1270106956]
I don't need stats to tell me Robbie Fowler is a better goalscorer than Raul.
Ryan occassionally overreaches with a fact (cf Dirk 'always' scores when it matters) but generally speaking he's right. Certainly Raul is a lot better than he's being given credit for. He's been doing it for years.
I would say that he has benefited from being Reals favourite son and of course playing season in season out in front of some of the finest creative talent in the world (Figo, Zidane, Beckham, Mcmanaman, Guti etc) I'd be suprised if he had such a high goals to games ratio at any other club in the world, and i think that almost every other striker who has come in for the past 6 or 7 years has outscored him comfortably (Owen, Morientes, Van Nistlerooy, Ronaldo, Higauin etc) during their time at the club. That's not to suggest he isn't a great player, he is. You don't last 15 years at Madrid or become their top scorer ever or la ligas top goalscorer ever or the champions leagues top scorer or Spains top scorer etc etc if you aren't a very special player. I've seen him score some beautiful goals over the years and have loved watching him.
But he's 32 and not going go get any better. He now plays in the Gerrard role, so what's the point? Seriously why sign a player for that kind of wedge for just a year or two.
We need a forward thinking plan. Not another stop gap.
I don't really want to sign any old players.
All that said. Raul is/was class. He has to worth more respect than he is being afforded here.
[/quote]
Bang on
