Home Grown Strikers, and the Boro

C

CheshireBoro

Well-known member
A real bugbear of mine - why is it so so long since we produced, developed, and kept a reasonably successful striker?

If i said that a tiny level of success might be, lets say, 30 goals in an entire career at Boro - who was the last striker that we developed that achieved that, at Boro?

I can think of a few that we got started and sold, who subsequently went on to do OK elsewhere - Andy Campbell, Danny Graham being examples. I can think of countless Defenders, and Midfielders as well over the years.

But Strikers?
 
I cant even think of any decent strikers which we developed and then sold who went onto a top level career.
 
We seem to produce alot at youth level then seems like they dry up once near first team. I remember nicky peverall was prolific and chris freestone in the reserves at ayresome
 
We've always been good at producing, or buying CH, if we'd have had the same ratio of success on strikers we'd have done really well
 
Was Mills an out and out striker? Probably not. I can't think of any home grown top notch strikers since the days of Clough and Peacock.
 
Scored 14 in 32 games in his second spell with us- certainly more of a striker than some of the turkeys we’ve had!
 
David Mills is the only one i could think of - I cant think of anyone since that who we developed and kept who was a success, or bettered himself elsewhere.

Which is dreadful, in over 40 years.....
Erimus74 said:
We've always been good at producing, or buying CH, if we'd have had the same ratio of success on strikers we'd have done really well
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We certainly have - Fry, Gibson, Cooper, Mowbray, Maddren to start with - plenty of others too
 
I honestly think it's a problem at the grassroots and the attitudes of coaches. I've seen countless 'coaches' from U7 to U15 preferring to win games rather than develop their players.
 
I have no idea why but we do seem to have good prospects in Kavanagh and Coburn, I am hopeful that we may finally produce one
 
coluka said:
I have no idea why but we do seem to have good prospects in Kavanagh and Coburn, I am hopeful that we may finally produce one
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Coburn's goal was the highlight of the season for me in 20/21 - it would be wonderful for someone to come through and establish themselves up front - we just never seem to do it.
 
I bet fans of most clubs say the same thing, look how many of the better strikers in the championship and most of the premier league are imported.
Thinking about our local rivals Carroll came through at Newcastle, and a long time ago now there was Michael Bridges at Sunderland but i can't think of anyone else. So that's two in 25 years between 3 clubs

(i've probably missed someone obvious).
 
wilkos_perm said:
I bet fans of most clubs say the same thing, look how many of the better strikers in the championship and most of the premier league are imported.
Thinking about our local rivals Carroll came through at Newcastle, and a long time ago now there was Michael Bridges at Sunderland but i can't think of anyone else. So that's two in 25 years between 3 clubs

(i've probably missed someone obvious).
Click to expand...

Shola Ameobi maybe, not a great player but was around for a while at the jawdees.
 
Striker is a high responsibility position and there’s usually only one in a team with a player in behind. Unless you have an unbelievable talent, it’s rare for strikers to break through at a young age. Even Harry Kane had to wait a while and go out on loan several times before he got his chance. Clubs would rather buy in experience or young players from bigger clubs who have proved themselves on loan somewhere than risk promotion or relegation on an academy prospect.
 
But all those strikers were produced by somebody, a club. We havent produced a decent one, that has done OK for us in a generation I would say. Shearer, or Kevin Phillips say. Phillips - Watford made him, sold him for plenty, and he scored 250 goals. Shearer - made a good player by Southampton - ended up with almost 400 goals - there will be a coach at Watford and Southampton who will be so so proud of that.

We havent produced a striker of note - for us or for anyone else in donkey's years
 
In fact - looking at the Premier League era (30 odd years)- Downing is the leading Boro scorer who came through at Boro (not a striker) - the person in 2nd place beggars belief mind you.
 
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