Boro's superstar centre forwards

atypical_boro said:
I think its fair to say we've had 5-6 of these, most in the Robson/McClaren era. Yakubu was perhaps not as globally renowned, but a big name in the PL. There may be a small argument for Alves or even Maccarone, but I've dismissed them.
  • Ravanelli
  • Boksic
  • Hasselbaink
  • Yakubu
  • Viduka
  • Negredo
Am I right in thinking that JFH is remembered by far the most fondly? If so, its odd because I remember he got tons of stick for being lazy back in 2004-2006. Has history been the kindest to him?

In my view Viduka was easily the best of the bunch, but I don't remember him too warmly for the way he left (and where he went, he could have gone anywhere else).
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I understand the reasoning for your selections and as you have stated Centre Forwards then I would put them as follows based on ‘peak‘ performance at Boro, and in brackets the position of my fondness i retained on their leaving. Where is Beck btw?

1. Viduka (1)
2. Boksic (4)
3. Ravanelli (3)
4. JFH (2)
5. Yakubu (6)
6. Negredo (5) although I am not sure he should be on the list if Ricard, Maccarone, Beck and Branca aren’t, I personally would put them all above Negredo tbh. I thought he was thought more highly of than he deserved, but hey 🤷‍♂️
An honourable mention for Joseph Job, but i accept he wasn’t a CF despite playing the role occasionally.
 
coluka said:
I understand the reasoning for your selections and as you have stated Centre Forwards then I would put them as follows based on ‘peak‘ performance at Boro, and in brackets the position of my fondness i retained on their leaving. Where is Beck btw?

1. Viduka (1)
2. Boksic (4)
3. Ravanelli (3)
4. JFH (2)
5. Yakubu (6)
6. Negredo (5) although I am not sure he should be on the list if Ricard, Maccarone, Beck and Branca aren’t, I personally would put them all above Negredo tbh. I thought he was thought more highly of than he deserved, but hey 🤷‍♂️
An honourable mention for Joseph Job, but i accept he wasn’t a CF despite playing the role occasionally.
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Negredo is on as he played for Spain, Atleti, Sevilla and Valencia, as well as City of course. Beck should, in my view, be honourably mentioned alongside Fjortoft, Stuani, Braithwaite, Ricard etc, a sort of notch down from the “superstars” I was getting at.

Just my opinion though, I’m not trying to upset anyone! 😬

EDIT: I could have sworn Negredo had a stint at Atleti. He was on Real Madrid’s books for a time though.
 
atypical_boro said:
Negredo is on as he played for Spain, Atleti, Sevilla and Valencia, as well as City of course. Beck should, in my view, be honourably mentioned alongside Fjortoft, Stuani, Braithwaite, Ricard etc, a sort of notch down from the “superstars” I was getting at.

Just my opinion though, I’m not trying to upset anyone! 😬
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It is impossible to post on here without upsetting somebody 🤣
 
In the short time he played for us Branca was absolutely unreal. The technique for the overhead kick vs Swindon was superb and at the time I remember thinking this lads world class and far too good to be playing in the 2nd tier of English football even at the age he was at (33?). I was looking forward to seeing him in the prem the next season but then he got that serious injury and it all turned sour.

I never thought JFH was lazy but I thought Yakubu could be lazy at times but a good goalscorer nevertheless and the coolest penalty taker I've ever seen. He never hit a penalty with power but you knew he was going to score. He rolled them in with his side foot and was a master of sending the keeper the wrong way.

I remember watching Boksic for Croatia and thinking what a player he is. A couple of years later he was wearing a Boro shirt. Amazing times, we could sign just about anyone in those days.

Viduka the pick of the bunch for me. Unbelievable feet and strength. Such a clever footballer. Superb finisher. No pace but he didn't need it.
 
I get the OP's list and pretty much agree with it. Nothing to do with how well they played for us, it's if they could be regarded as global superstars.
I don't think you can include Slaven or Beck in that category.
In the same way that Sunderland can't include Kevin Phillips.
 
Rofesleg said:
I get the OP's list and pretty much agree with it. Nothing to do with how well they played for us, it's if they could be regarded as global superstars.
I don't think you can include Slaven or Beck in that category.
In the same way that Sunderland can't include Kevin Phillips.
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I’m not sure if Sunderland could include anyone on such a list?

Kevin Ball? 😬 No midfielders though.

Might give them Defoe actually. Gyan?
 
I think Viduka is the only one on that list who had his peak with us which is why people are saying him but Boksic is comfortably the best of the bunch. We didn't see his peak and in fact we rarely saw him at all but when he turned it on he was a superstar. When you watched Boksic it was like watching a bloke having a kick about with toddlers. Everyone else seemed so far below him. He didn't need to try because it was so easy butwhen he wanted to turn it on he could.

If we could have had Boksic with the attitude of someone like Hasselbaink then this question would be unanimous.

Hasselbaink was a great finisher and I don't think I've seen anyone hit a ball harder but he did struggle with some parts of his game. His first touch was often poor and the difference when we played balls up to him instead of Viduka when we wanted them to hold the ball up was night and day.
 
Nano said:
I think Viduka is the only one on that list who had his peak with us which is why people are saying him but Boksic is comfortably the best of the bunch. We didn't see his peak and in fact we rarely saw him at all but when he turned it on he was a superstar. When you watched Boksic it was like watching a bloke having a kick about with toddlers. Everyone else seemed so far below him. He didn't need to try because it was so easy butwhen he wanted to turn it on he could.

If we could have had Boksic with the attitude of someone like Hasselbaink then this question would be unanimous.

Hasselbaink was a great finisher and I don't think I've seen anyone hit a ball harder but he did struggle with some parts of his game. His first touch was often poor and the difference when we played balls up to him instead of Viduka when we wanted them to hold the ball up was night and day.
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Very good point about their hold up play. Jimmy needed someone up there with him I think. Viduka and Boksic could do everything though.
 
18MFC76 said:
In the short time he played for us Branca was absolutely unreal. The technique for the overhead kick vs Swindon was superb and at the time I remember thinking this lads world class and far too good to be playing in the 2nd tier of English football even at the age he was at (33?). I was looking forward to seeing him in the prem the next season but then he got that serious injury and it all turned sour.

I never thought JFH was lazy but I thought Yakubu could be lazy at times but a good goalscorer nevertheless and the coolest penalty taker I've ever seen. He never hit a penalty with power but you knew he was going to score. He rolled them in with his side foot and was a master of sending the keeper the wrong way.

I remember watching Boksic for Croatia and thinking what a player he is. A couple of years later he was wearing a Boro shirt. Amazing times, we could sign just about anyone in those days.

Viduka the pick of the bunch for me. Unbelievable feet and strength. Such a clever footballer. Superb finisher. No pace but he didn't need it.
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The swan
 
Interesting if you opened it up to all positions we have quite a few. Not necessarily while they were playing for us of course.
Mendieta
Juninho (marginal actually)
Ziege
Reizeger
Kerembeu
Geremi
Even fat Branco
 
Nano said:
I think Viduka is the only one on that list who had his peak with us which is why people are saying him but Boksic is comfortably the best of the bunch. We didn't see his peak and in fact we rarely saw him at all but when he turned it on he was a superstar. When you watched Boksic it was like watching a bloke having a kick about with toddlers. Everyone else seemed so far below him. He didn't need to try because it was so easy butwhen he wanted to turn it on he could.

If we could have had Boksic with the attitude of someone like Hasselbaink then this question would be unanimous.

Hasselbaink was a great finisher and I don't think I've seen anyone hit a ball harder but he did struggle with some parts of his game. His first touch was often poor and the difference when we played balls up to him instead of Viduka when we wanted them to hold the ball up was night and day.
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Viduka was much better than Boksic at Boro.
Boksic was at his best at Marseilles, a long long time before he came to us.
 
indeedido said:
Viduka was much better than Boksic at Boro.
Boksic was at his best at Marseilles, a long long time before he came to us.
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atypical_boro said:
Yes I seem to remember Boksic being a bit turd at both Lazio and Juve?
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Yes, was going to say, Boksic's "peak" was one season for Marseille. Think he was 29 or 30 when he signed for us? So should've been at his peak then.

If you look at his record elsewhere we probably got as good an output from him as anyone bar Marseille. He was very unreliable at most his clubs it seems. But on his day, what a player. World class even.
 
Don't want to bring back painful memories for anyone, but in terms of profile should Mido be on the list?

Played for some very big clubs and at one point was very highly rated, on a global level, youngster. Plus he threw a pair of scissors at Ibrahimovic in the Ajax changing room (or was the other way around?). Scenes 😂
 
festa5 said:
Don't want to bring back painful memories for anyone, but in terms of profile should Mido be on the list?

Played for some very big clubs and at one point was very highly rated, on a global level, youngster. Plus he threw a pair of scissors at Ibrahimovic in the Ajax changing room (or was the other way around?). Scenes 😂
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Arguably, yes.
 
I seem to remember Boksic being pretty decent for Lazio (from those football Italia games on a Sunday on channel 4). Also who could forget that goal against cov.!
 
Regardless of their contribution at the Boro I would say of that list only Rav and Boksic were true international superstars.
 
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