Football NewsSorry Cristiano, Hard-working Wingers are not the Fashionable Goal scorers in this Era says Crouch.
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Peter Crouch tells Ronaldo that standing up front just isn’t cool anymore and that hard-working wingers are now the fashionable goal scorers in this new era.

“Having watched Chelsea and Manchester City score 11 between them without a recognized front man on Saturday, it does make you wonder if we can start labeling the strikers’ position as unfashionable at the elite level”, Said Peter Crouch.

“Mason Mount, Kai Havertz and Callum Hudson-Odoi interchanged superbly and with freedom. They were ably assisted by the flying wing backs in this exciting Chelsea team wonderfully managed by Thomas Tuchel. All this without a main man to hit”.

“We were famous for it in England, that No 9 role. These days, you look around academies, though, and they all want to play in those wing positions. They are the glamorous spots in the team — it’s fashionable to score the goals from there”.

“Standing up front just isn’t in vogue anymore”. Crouch continued.

“It is an ongoing issue being debated around Manchester United this season after Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival. Things do change, new eras are quickly upon us, although there is definitely a part of me that is a little sad about it. I’m nostalgic and old now, remember”.

“The people I looked up to while growing up were obviously the old-fashioned, quintessential No 9s: Dion Dublin, Alan Shearer, Les Ferdinand, the Brazilian Ronaldo. Supreme footballers”.

“There is so much more demand on the goal scorers in the modern game. Usually in that position now you have quick, potent wingers either side of you”.

“The front man didn’t used to get involved in too much pressing, but at Liverpool when you see Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane — plus Diogo Jota when he starts — the roles have altered hugely”.

“It’s the same with Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden and others at City”.

“As the best team of the era, Guardiola’s Barcelona started it all, didn’t they? Everyone tried to emulate that and then we are looking at the number of goals that wingers can chip in with”.

“Take the numbers consistently posted by Salah and Mane for Liverpool. City play with five of them and they get more than 10 goals each per season. The game is forever evolving. That pressing, the defensive side of it, is what the very best are doing”.