Best Front Twos of All-Time

diarm said:
Ronaldo and Romario
Klinsmann and Voller
Henry and Bergkamp
Di Stefano and Puskas
Shearer and Sutton
Beardsley and Linekar
Zamarano and Salas
Butragueno and Sanchez
Rush and Dalglish
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One of these things is not like the other..........
 
In PL history Bergkamp and Henry surely. Fabulous football and tons of goals with 2 world class technical players who were a joy to watch and who’s styles complemented each other perfectly.
 
For my memories of front twos
Henry and Bergkamp
Gullit and van Basten
Romario and Bebeto
 
Weah and Simeone for Milan is one I think of. Might just be an imression I have from when I was young.
 
Let's add new names

French league

Weah-Ginola
Trezeguet-Simone
Laslandes-Wiltord
Falcao-M'bappé

Serie A

Trezeguet-Del Piero
 
Ecstatic said:
Paolo Rossi? Bettega?
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Ha ha, we are giving our ages away here! That’s a great shout out too. People tend to remember Rossi more due to the World Cup and international appearances, including myself but I believe that Bettega had an amazing record with Juve and was prolific and renowned.
 
If we're talking about greatest of all time then surely we can't be counting one season wonders like Shearer / Sutton. The fact some are mentioning them on the same level as Van Basten & Gullit actually made me bring up some bacon I just had for breakfast.
 
Darkhorsez said:
Ha ha, we are giving our ages away here! That’s a great shout out too. People tend to remember Rossi more due to the World Cup and international appearances, including myself but I believe that Bettega had an amazing record with Juve and was prolific and renowned.
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:D

In Serie A, not so great but I do remember Crespo-Chiesa and Battistuta-Edmundo
 
Wont be the best but i grew up watching Del Piero and Trezeguet, so that will always be first and foremost in my head.
 
Pelé & Coutinho

But.... is 'front 2' defined only by literal 2-man attacking lines, or can the front 2 in a 4-2-4 be included beings as that is an adjusted front line with wing-forwards instead of wingers?

Would say this is tilted towards certain nations/leagues who used 3-5-2, 5-3-2, 4-4-2 or 4-3-1-2 extensively. Germany, Italy, Argentina, England especially so.
 
Yorke and Cole are special for United fans. They put up some fantastic numbers and were instrumental to an historically successful season but let's face it if you're picking a GOAT pairing they aren't in the conversation. It's interesting that even though we've done great things in the '4-4-2 era' the aforementioned partnership is about the best we have to offer, I suppose it shows the embarrassment of riches we've had in midfield over the years.

I doubt I've got much to add that hasn't already been said but for me the greatest in the PL is Henry-Bergkamp by a distance.
 
Darkhorsez said:
Ha ha, we are giving our ages away here! That’s a great shout out too. People tend to remember Rossi more due to the World Cup and international appearances, including myself but I believe that Bettega had an amazing record with Juve and was prolific and renowned.
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He hasn't mentioned them as a pair, but rather meant that Platini and Boniek is in no way a front two - they played in a system with a number 9 upfront, like Bettega or Rossi
 
Fortitude said:
Pelé & Coutinho

But.... is 'front 2' defined only by literal 2-man attacking lines, or can the front 2 in a 4-2-4 be included beings as that is an adjusted front line with wing-forwards instead of wingers?

Would say this is tilted towards certain nations/leagues who used 3-5-2, 5-3-2, 4-4-2 or 4-3-1-2 extensively. Germany, Italy, Argentina, England especially so.
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The other nations had that same advantage when it comes to greatest front threes of all time though. Obviously it depends on the formation. There's a certain beauty to two forwards who really get each other and play together up top with the rest of the team behind them as support. You can't really replicate that kind of two man punch in a 4-3-3 by singling out two of the three forwards. Similarly you can't just add one of the wide players or midfielders to the two forwards of a 442 and expect a similar connection as for example Messi, Suarez, Neymar had recently at Barca.
 
Balu said:
The other nations had that same advantage when it comes to greatest front threes of all time though. Obviously it depends on the formation. There's a certain beauty to two forwards who really get each other and play together up top with the rest of the team behind them as support. You can't really replicate that kind of two man punch in a 4-3-3 by singling out two of the three forwards. Similarly you can't just add one of the wide players or midfielders to the two forwards of a 442 and expect a similar connection as for example Messi, Suarez, Neymar had recently at Barca.
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Oh I agree. It's just that I don't think we've ever had a thread like this, so this was my first time thinking about it and coming to the conclusion of where to expect the best and most numerous partnerships from.

Germany is one of few nations who can do 2's and 3's. Does show how rich and varied your systems (and players) have been.
 
Man all this thread is doing is confirming that Cristiano Ronaldo was really the signing of the century :lol:
 
Strike partnerships are a funny thing because a lot of it is down to perception. Quite often strikers won't form a great partnership, in terms of interaction between themselves, but will compliment each other's styles thus allowing one or both of them to flourish. I'm currently reading The Mixer and it's interesting to read that despite being prolific together Suarez and Sturridge didn't really form a partnership. They were effectively two forwards in the same team operating independently of one another.

Anyway, I'll throw in my two pennies with a Spurs and England bias.

Greaves and Gilzean (probably the best Spurs ever)
Archibald and Crooks
Sheringham and Klinsmann
Sheringham and Shearer
Lineker and Beardsley

Kane and Alli did well as a strike partnership last season and shows promise. But I think as time goes on Alli will be dropped back into midfield.
 
Not saying they were the best at all but Toshack and Keegan were a good combo.
 
Fortitude said:
Pelé & Coutinho

But.... is 'front 2' defined only by literal 2-man attacking lines, or can the front 2 in a 4-2-4 be included beings as that is an adjusted front line with wing-forwards instead of wingers?

Would say this is tilted towards certain nations/leagues who used 3-5-2, 5-3-2, 4-4-2 or 4-3-1-2 extensively. Germany, Italy, Argentina, England especially so.
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I think the spirit of the thread is about the two-man central partnerships. That inclines me to include the likes of Puskas and Kocsis, and Puskas and Di Stefano. We rule out a lot of successful partnerships depending on the positioning really of the wide players, and that gets quite blurry between an old school 4-2-4 and a modern 4-2-3-1. It basically limits it to 4-4-2 and 3-5-2, and even those 3-5-2 units are often 3-man attacking units when you include the number 10.
 
Henry / Bergkamp - very sexy but is that the partnership featuring a shortage of goals from the Dutchman with the Flying Elbows?
 
I can see why the likes of Shearer/Sutton or Yorke/Cole are getting mentioned. Nowhere near the all-time stakes, but great examples of pairs which were more than the sum of their parts. Shearer and Sheringham would be another example of that ilk, Sutton and Larsson, McCoist and Hateley, even Raul and Morientes was more cohesive than Raul/Ronaldo.
 
Thanks for the video clips! What a player he was. I always remember how hard he used to head the ball and also the passes using the outside of the foot to bend into a player.
 
Sparky10Legend said:
Still bothers me that MvB 's career ended early, in my opinion the best number 9 of all time.
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imagine living in Holland during the 80s / early 90s like I did and it hitting you when he announced it. Never been so gutted before, plus I was in the states in '94 so was looking forward to getting some Holland tickets and watching my idol during a WC.

Last game played I believe was when he was 28, so that's like us not having the enjoyment of seeing Ronaldo for the last 3 years and thus knowing he was world class but always wondering what he'd have done in those years left.
 
From all the names and taking into account longevity and the level of the stage it seems these are the best IMO.

Gullit and van Basten
Seeler and Muller
Puskas and Kocsis
Bergkamp and Henry
 
Port Vale Devil said:
C'mon guys surely you all love Utd but Henry/Bergkamp knocks spots off anything Utd had in the last 30 years.

Credit where credit is deserved. Those two were total class. Imagine Henry/Bergkamp at Utd then someone shouts up Cole/Yorke at Arsenal lol
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In 98/99 season Yorke & Cole's exploits outdone anything Henry/Bergkamp did together. Yorke & Cole Handed Juve and Barca their asses on a plate. they were fantastic!
 
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