World Football Power Rankings: Ranking the 3 Best Poachers of All Time

Ah. Poachers. They are the goal scoring machines at the head of their teams. Adjectives used to describe the best of them are "Lethal" or "Prolific". Often looked down upon for their lack of all round game, these front-men should not  be given this undue criticism.

People often forget that the point of football is to score goals, and the players on the list do that very efficiently indeed. From Gary Lineker to Gerd Muller, the footballing talent on this slideshow is undeniable.Nowadays, the poacher forms an integral part of football tactics. Usually placed behind more creative players, Poachers thrive, on the ricochet of a parried, or from a though ball just hanging between him and the goal. An expression used often in relation to these type of players is "born offside". That is, they steady on the shoulder of the last defender, staying marginally offside, only to position themselves perfectly to receive a long-ball from their defensive line, or a perfectly weighted through ball.

Poachers are unusually calm finishers, with bundles of pace. Used at the right time, they can have a devastating effect. Michael Owen is a case in point. His goals against Arsenal in the 2001 FA Cup final were an example to all poachers before or since(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-fCY4jUN_s&feature=related). For the first goal, he highlights an important characteristic of poachers; their ability to capitalize on the smallest opportunity( in this case, a free-kick). The Second goal was a long ball , which seemed a no -go for Owen to reach. Instead he out paced two Arsenal defenders to get to the ball and slot it home coolly in trademark style.

Poachers play an important role in football and they are part of what makes the game so great.

Gerd Muller

Der Bomber was one of the best strikers in the history of the game. He has been described as "Lethal" by many football legends of past and present. The scored 68 goals in 62 internationals for Germany, an impeccable record. Indeed, the zenith of his career came in the early and the mid '70's, where hewas in scintillating form for both club and country;

In 1972, German coach Helmut Schon was in charge of the  German national side, fresh from the dissapointment of losing to a Gianni Rivera-inspired Italy in 1970. The side now had creative genius Gunter Netzer of Borussia Monchengladbach  in the side, along with inspirational captain(and central defender/ libero) Beckenbauer.The last jewel of the team was Gerd Muller, who was coming out of a great season with Bayern Munich( being a hugely prolific scporer since his breakout season in 1966) ,and , by scoring 10 goals at World Cup 1970, had established himself as Europe's best marksman.

His crowning glories were yet to come. In 1972, an expectant German team headed off to the European Championships, having defeated England in the second round of qualifying ( where Muller scored 7 of Germany's 10 goals), and was one of the stars of the tournament, and he ended top scorer, scoring 4 out of 5 of Germany's goals. Furthermore, he managed to win the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich in 1969, 1972, 1973 and 1974.

1974 was Muller's most successful year in football. Firstly, he won the European Champion's Cup and Bundesliga( scoring 7 times in the competition, including a brace in the second leg of the final against Atletico de Madrid). He also won the World Cup on home soil with a West Germany side devoid of Netzer, instead opting for a more reliable Overath. During this tournament, he scored 4 goals.

He also won the European Champions's cup in 1975 and in 1976.

Muller's goalscoring record stands as such:

793 matches

735 goals

"Müller was short, squat, awkward-looking and not notably fast; he never fit the conventional idea of a great footballer, but he had lethal acceleration over short distances, a remarkable aerial game, and uncanny goalscoring instincts. His short legs gave him a strangely low center of gravity, so he could turn quickly and with perfect balance in spaces and at speeds that would cause other players to fall over. He also had a knack of scoring in unlikely situations." - David Winner, Brilliant Orange.

Gary Lineker

The boy from Leicester is undoubtedly the greatest England striker since the days of Greaves, Hunt and Hurst. He was a real poacher, truly defining the word "lethal". Division One players liked to tell Lineker in his pomp, that if he was clean through, it was a certain goal. It also happened so fast that the goalkeeper was unable to prevent it.

Gary Lineker started his career at Leicester City, alongside English goalkeeping veteran Peter Shilton. He then went to Everton where his talent was noticed by then- England manager Bobby Robson, and he got called up to the 1986 World Cup Squad. England started slowly in the 1986 World Cup, their first two matches being draws, and the added mishap of  Bryan Robson's injury and Ray Wilkins's sending off.

The English fans were baying for Robson's blood. An early exit from football's greatest showpiece would have been a catalyst to Robson's growing ills, compounding the disappointing European Championship Qualifying run in 1984. England's last group match against Poland was a must win. A match winning performance was necessary, from a very special player.

Sure enough, Gary Lineker stepped up and delivered handsomely on the biggest stage of them all, scoring a hat trick against the Semi- Finalists of 1982. He went to a grab a brace against Paraguay in the Round of 16, guiding England to a quarter-final against Argentina and Diego Maradona. This famous match was marred by Maradona's "Hand of God" and dazzled by his "Goal of the Century".

After Maradona's brace, England looked down and out. However, John Barnes was brought late in the game. He turned the Argentine full-back, and crossed it for Gary Lineker to head home. He reproduced his cross minutes later, where Lineker failed to head it into an open net.

He finished topscorer at the World Cup, scoring 6. His good form was noticed by Spanish ginats Barcelona,  who were under Terry Venables at the time, and he signed Lineker.

Lineker then left Barfcelona for Tottenham, with whom he won the FA Cup in 1991. During his Spurs tenure, he was called up to the England squad for Italia 90. He played a key role in the England run to the semi-final, scoring twice in the quarters against Cameroon and scoring the equaliser in the semi-final against West Germany.

Lineker's swansong was Euro 1992, where he was infamously taken off by Graham Taylor for Alan Smith and watched from the bench and England exited the tournament much earlier than expected.

Raul Gonzalez Blanco

Legendary Real Madrid striker. A Madrid boy, Raul first came to the fore in the late 90s where he gained acclaim for his reading of the game and his ability to finish. One of the finest poachers in the history of the game, he won several trophies with Real Madrid and was a key figure in Schalke's surprise run to the semifinal of the Champions League.

Raul was known not least for his pace, but for his reading of the game which most poachers seem to have. He came into the Real Madrid team in 1994, close to the retirement of former legend Emilio Butragueno, in a symbolic "passing of the torch."