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Screensize: 640 x 480 800 x 600 1024 x 768 1280 x 1024 UserName: Password: Format Mode: Basic  Help  Prompt  Format: Font Andale Mono Arial Arial Black Book Antiqua Century Gothic Comic Sans MS Courier New Georgia Impact Lucida Console Script MT Bold Stencil Tahoma Times New Roman Trebuchet MS Verdana   Size 1 2 3 4 5 6   Color Black Red Yellow Pink Green Orange Purple Blue Beige Brown Teal Navy Maroon LimeGreen Message: * HTML is OFF * Forum Code is ON Smilies [quote][i]Originally posted by Tillamawnin[/i] [br]BY NICK WEBSTER FOX Sports World Sep. 30, 2002 11:20 a.m. After a morning watching Europe's finest stick it to the Yanks in the Ryder Cup (... get in there you beauty) I couldn't help but think of the saying "form is fleeting, class is permanent." By all rights, the United States should've stuffed us in the singles. The one-on-one format, after all, is meant to be their strength. Yet golfers unknown to all but the most hard core of American golf fans whipped the imperial beast. The same holds true in the EPL, where teams that should've won this weekend (think Chelsea and Spurs) somehow contrived to lose in their own cribs. In both cases a victory would've kept them up with the pace setters — form is fleeting. Meanwhile three EPL forwards, who have endured their share of criticism during the last few months, continue to show that class is permanent. Thierry Henry, Michael Owen and Ruud Van Nistlerooy for my money are light years ahead of anybody else in the business of scoring goals. That begs the question, of the three, just who is the best of the best? [b]Speed [/b] Any striker's most important asset is pace, and if you ain't got it, you're never going to get it (Shearer is the only exception). These three though have it in spades, but in different ways. Henry seems to glide over the turf with a minimum of effort, while Owen has the stocky build of an Olympic sprinter. Ruud on the other hand looks uncoordinated with arms and legs flying everywhere and yet he still eats up the yardage. Henry gets the nod because he's quicker than a rat up a drain pipe. [b]Henry: 10 Owen: 9 Van Nistlerooy: 8[/b] [b]Right Foot[/b] This is their predominant foot, and the majority of the goals they score come from this deadly instrument. Van is the most accurate and his eye for the corner of the net is unerring. Thierry has power with the ability to score from long range while Michael, who can also pack a punch, is the king of the dink past the keeper. Ruud the surgeon edges this one. [b]Van Nistlerooy: 10 Henry: 9 Owen: 8[/b] [b]Left Foot[/b] Ruud and Henry use this baby for standing on. They'll usually try and switch to the right for more than a simple tap-in. Owen on the other hand has really worked at improving his weaker side and now scores with some regularity. Admittedly they never fly in, unless they're volleys, but he does find the target more often than not. The Boy Wonder hits the max; it's quantity not quality. [b]Owen: 10 Henry: 8 Van Nistlerooy: 8[/b] [b]Heading[/b] For a tall lad, the Frenchman (6-foot-1) is complete pants in the air. I'm not sure if he's afraid of damaging brain cells, but he could add another ten plus goals a season if he used his noggin. Despite his small stature (5-8), England's Golden Boy has no trouble outleaping taller defenders and can really put a whip in his neck. The Dutchman is the same height as Henry, and though I've never really seen him "rise like a salmon," he does score his fair share with his "bonce." Of the three, Little Mickey gets the nod again, showing that you don't have to be tall, you just got to want it more. [b]Owen: 10 Van Nistlerooy: 9 Henry: 8[/b] [b]Control[/b] Thierry is out on his own in this category. In fact he's from a different planet. The ball looks glued to his feet in any situation, while the other two can resemble Sunday afternoon pub players on occasions. [b]Henry-10 Owen-8 Van Nistlerooy-8[/b] [b]Penalty Kicks[/b] At Highbury and Anfield, the respective fans turn away whenever Henry and Owen step up to the spot. I don't know whether its just supreme confidence that makes them strike such poor penalties, but when they miss they look so bad. Ruud, on the other hand, is just ruthless from the spot. [b]Van Nistlerooy: 10 Henry: 8 Owen: 8[/b] [b]Poaching[/b] No one scores uglier goals than Michael. He's the best at scuffing in little half chances and pouncing on defensive errors, like his goal against Brazil in the World Cup that should have sent England to the semis. I don't think it's in Thierry's make-up to score with minging efforts though, but that's because he's French and everything must be beautiful. Van Nistlerooy is more of a ghosting poacher. A thin edge to the European Footballer of the Year. [b]Owen: 10 Van Nistlerooy: 9 Henry: 8[/b] [b]Money[/b] The match is on the line, it's the last minute and your side has a breakaway, one versus one, forward against keeper. Who would you have your money on? Of these three it really doesn't matter, because at the top of their games, they'll all score every time. [b]Owen: 10 Van Nistlerooy: 10 Henry: 10[/b] Just remember the next time any of these players goes through a little slump and the critics are saying they're finished, that "form is fleeting, class is permanent." Until then, get the beers in. Nick's column, Ripples Across the Pond, runs every Monday When not doing his Lee Westwood impersonation on the driving range, Nick Webster can be reached at nwebster@foxsportsworld.com [/quote]   Check here to include your profile signature.