The Ninth Season Of The #9

[Spike 12,049]

THE NUMBER NINE

The #9 is the shirt of strikers, the big Target Man, the player expected to put the ball in the back of the net. Gabriel Batistuta, Alan Shearer, El Fenomeno, Van Basten, these are the sort of players that should come to mind at the site of the #9. A few great players have worn #9 for Chelsea, maybe not as great and renowned worldwide as those mentioned earlier but they are great for Chelsea fans and we love them all the same. The King; Peter Osgood, should be the first to come to mind, 150 times he hit the back of the net. Others have worn it too, Kerry Dixon, Jimmy Greaves, and player-manager Gianluca Vialli¹. That’s a good list of players right? Right.

But for now go back to Osgood’s 150 goals. It took 11 seasons for The King to score all his goals and it should be noted that in 2 of those season he scored a paltry 4 goals. Take away those 2 seasons and 4 goals and you get 146 goals in 9 seasons. 9 seasons…that’s how long Roman has owned Chelsea and in those 9 seasons we have seen several players wear the #9, namely²: Hernán Crespo³, Mateja Kežman, Khalid Boulahrouz, Steve Sidwell, Franco di Santo and Fernando Torres. As for goal it goes: 12 for Hernan, 7 for Mateja, 34 for Fernando, and none for the others. A total of 52 goals across all competitions…that’s less than half of The King’s goals for those that less mathematically inclined. Even more appalling is the success of our #9s in the league. 29 goals in the top flight, 10 from Hernán, 4 from Mateja and 15 from Fernando; thus making Fernando Torres Chelsea’s most successful #9 in the Roman Era. That’s sad for shirt with so much history and prestige.

Doesn’t that make you uncomfortable; Torres being the highest scoring #9 of the Roman Era? In a single season he has the highest amount of goals across all competition (22 goals) and the lowest in the league (1 goal). The highest for the league belongs to Hernán with only 10 goals. But don’t worry it gets better…than much worse…

Before the Roman Era there was only one prolific goal scorer to wear the #9. And that was Jimmy Floyd Hasslebaink. Taking out his single season under Roman⁴, Jimmy scored a very solid 70 goals, with 57 of them coming in the league. He did it in 3 seasons, that’s 1/3 of Roman’s Era. That’s more goals across all competitions and more in the league; all from one man and 1/3 of the time.

It extends to the 90s and early 00s though, with Tony Casarino, Mark Stein and Chris Sutton. Tony scored 8, Stein 25, and Sutton 3. That makes a grand total of 36…If you take away the anomalies of Vialli and Hasselbaink you have an amazing 86 goals⁵. Over 20 years in the making barely scratching halfway of The King’s total. It took The King 9 seaons, it’s been 20 and we haven’t seen the 100 mark broken. It really pushes the question: when the fuck will we have another legend #9?

The Wretched Ones

Footnotes:

¹ Vialli’s scoring record is pathetic in comparison to those mentioned previously, but his influence at Chelsea has been priceless. But 40 goals, is nothing to shake a stick at. Second best in the last 20 years.

² Only if we don’t count Jimmy Floyd Hasslebaink due to joining before the Roman Era. He scored 12 in the league that year and 17 across all competitions. If not it bumps the total goals up to 69 goals across all competitions and 41 in the Premier League.

³Remember, he only wore it for one season, the other does not count as he did not wear the #9. I believe it was the centenary season of 05-06 he wore the #9.

⁴ In total Jimmy scored 87 goals for Chelsea. 69 in the league.

⁵ If you add Vialli and Hasselbaink it goes up to 209 goals. 87 from Hasslebaink and 40 from Vialli.

⁶ Fuck you Ryan.

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[CHOULO19 24,332]

To be fair Crespo didn't do too badly here.

[DDA 9,570]

I miss Jimmy Hasslebaink, he was such a beast.

[Hutcho 8,443]

I miss Jimmy Hasslebaink, he was such a beast.

Still looked in great shape for 40. Could be a great supersub...

[Strike 6,961]

Not surprised Spiegel but Didier Drogba was the big striker in the early Roman era and if he, by some consequence took #9 shirt, we wouldn't be having this discussion.

Anyway, as for the #9 who will bring back the prestige to that shirt, these 3 are good bets - Cavani and Lewa if they do come in

[Strike 6,961]

THE NUMBER NINE

Doesn’t that make you uncomfortable; Torres being the highest scoring #9 of the Roman Era? In a single season he has the highest amount of goals across all competition (22 goals) and the lowest in the league (1 goal). The highest for the league belongs to Hernán with only 10 goals. But don’t worry it gets better…than much worse…

Typo?

[Spike 12,049]

Typo?

No read it again.

In a single season he has the highest amount of goals across all competition (22 goals) and the lowest in the league (1 goal). The highest for the league belongs to Hernán with only 10 goals. But don’t worry it gets better…than much worse…

[Strike 6,961]

No read it again.

In a single season he has the highest amount of goals across all competition (22 goals) and the lowest in the league (1 goal). The highest for the league belongs to Hernán with only 10 goals. But don’t worry it gets better…than much worse…

yeah. got it.

initially thought you were relating to this season.

[Rmpr 8,977]

Stop calling Ronaldo, El Fenomeno, he is not Argentine nor Uruguaian. He is Brazilian FFS and it is O Fenomeno!

[termninja 5,290]

Hopefully we will bring someone like Cavani to lead our attack and wear that number 9 shirt they way it should be worn. If not, I wouldn't be surprised if Lukaku took it. He wants to avoid comparisons with Drogba and with Torres looking to leave he could ask for it.

Either way, I'm really looking forward to see our strikeforce when the new season starts.

[The Skipper 20,593]

Stop calling Ronaldo, El Fenomeno, he is not Argentine nor Uruguaian. He is Brazilian FFS and it is O Fenomeno!

El Fenomeno.

[BlueDude 49]

Talking about nines, I myself am a proud owner of the number 9 shirt.

[nullabletype 987]

I never understand why people throw out stats and then say, but if you ignore this and you ignore that. Look over that for a moment, but consider this. And finally, never mind all that stuff. What's the point exactly?

[Spike 12,049]

I never understand why people throw out stats and then say, but if you ignore this and you ignore that. Look over that for a moment, but consider this. And finally, never mind all that stuff. What's the point exactly?

It's not about statistics at all. The stats are just there as a supporting act, I could have written the article sans statistics. I was just creating a case for the #9 shirt being a very unlucky shirt (if you believe in that sort of stuff).

[mybodyisready 155]

we all hate torres

[BleedsBlue 1,549]

and here I thought you were talking about a tv show.