Is there a better finisher than Dennis Bergkamp?

That goal against Newcastle includes one of the most breathtaking pieces of skill ever, it is utterly ridiculous.

You always knew that from 20 yards he was going to bend it but what can you do when he sticks it in the top corner on such a consistent basis.

Almost the perfect number 10 in my opinion.
 
He was hugely talented but I don't rate him quite as highly as others on here do. For a start, he struggled majorly during his stint in Italian football and wasn't as good as, for example as a number 10, Roberto Baggio and of course Zidane and Maradona. Possibly Hagi too.
 
Absolutely amazing touch, consummate master of the lob, and an incredible ability to weave the ball. Always enjoy watching his goals/play.
 
As some others have said, a great player but there have been many better finishers. Ian Rush is one of my favourite finishers of all time, not sure I've ever seen a better poacher of goals.
 
That goal against Newcastle when he span Nicos Dabizas inside out, I still salivate over that. Awesome :D

The guy was my childhood hero, and the one person I always wanted to emulate when I play football. Alas, I'm not quite up to the same standard! :D
 
For pure finishing ability a lot of you are way off the mark. Shearer, Rush, Lineker, van Basten, Crespo, Batistuta, Nistelrooy, Muller, Romario, Pele, Greaves, Wrighty, Allen, Clarke, Charles.

I'd even put Collymore, Ravanelli, Kluivert, Viduka and Hasselbaink in there ahead of most others in this thread.
 
Gilly said:
For pure finishing ability a lot of you are way off the mark. Shearer, Rush, Lineker, van Basten, Crespo, Batistuta, Nistelrooy, Muller, Romario, Pele, Greaves, Wrighty, Allen, Clarke, Charles.

I'd even put Collymore, Ravanelli, Kluivert, Viduka and Hasselbaink in there ahead of most others in this thread.
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Can I also throw Fowler into that mix? One of the most natural finishers I've seen, his awareness of goal was incredible. Sadly though he peaked rather early in his career.
 
The trouble is with strikers of that time, the pair of them, by and large used to get a much higher games/goal ratio than now. Strikers, even if these days there are two on the pitch more or less act as forwards. Midfield players are expected to chime in more. Bergkamp very early on (for the time and his age), even in a 442 system, was being a playmaker. There wasn't any real need for him to be that prolific when behind Wright, Anelka and then Henry. Sometimes it showed as well, like a lot of players in a Wenger side he too could be very wasteful.

I think also against a lot of other names he lacked a domestic success record that all the greats have. His only success in Europe was in the UEFA Cup for example and I think this diminishes the perception of him.
 
I've watched the premiership from the start like most of you, and although Bergkamp is one of the greatest players to have ever played (along with Cantona and Zola) in the Premiership. I wouldn't say he was the greatest finisher.

The two greatest finishers we've ever seen in the Premiership are Robbie Fowler and Ian Wright. We're just talking about pure goals, pure finishing and instinct to get a goal. You won't find any better than them pair for me.

Shearer was class, so was Yorke, Cole, RVN and Henry also get a favourable mention.
 
There are quite a few better finishers, more prolific etc (Shearer, Wright, Fowler, Henry etc)


BUT finishing & control as an art form Berkgamp is right up there near the Number 1 spot. Supreme technical ability.
 
That is the reason why he was on the back of my first Arsenal shirt. :D

I still remember after his first season I was in the park as a kid wearing his shirt and a black man approached me, "Why don't you have Ian Wright on the back?!" Those videos are why!
 
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