OptimusPrimett wrote:Suarez?
A tad predictable.
There are exceptions like Suàrez, Huntelaar, Bony and RVP. One could make a case for Pelle, though he's been a bit hit-and-miss at Southampton.
Now let's have a look at prolific Eredivisie strikers who get their move to a better league where they flopped...
Let's say since 2004 since i've included RVP in a that short list of strikers that went on to become regular scorers in a better league.
Jozy Altidore - scored for fun during his time at AZ Alkmaar, moved to Sunderland and couldn't score more than 1 in 42.
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Sanharib Malki Sabah - managed 42 in 65 for a mid table team like Roda JC, moved to Turkey, can't hit a barn door.
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Luuk de Jong - scored goal after goal as a youngster in Holland, flopped at Gladbach and Newcastle by scoring only 6 in 48 combined.
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Tim Matavž - scored a good number of goals for PSV, got his move to Augsburg where he only managed 3 in 27, moved to Genoa in Italy and is yet to score his first league goal.
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John Guidetti - as a teenager he scored 20 in 23 for Feyenoord, returned to City to rot in their reserve team, did okay for a heavily dominant Celtic. Eventually got his move to Celta de Vigo and only managed 3 in 18.
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Björn Vleminckx - Belgium Pro League mid-table/relegation level striker, moved to NEC and became top scorer. Returned to Belgium to play for Bruges, flopped. Ended up in Turkey where he's still flopping as we speak - 11 in 64
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Mads Junker - scored goal after goal for a mediocre team like Roda JC, moved to the Pro League got offloaded by mid table team KV Mechelen a couple seasons later after having disappointed.
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Kolbeinn Sigtórsson - had a record of 1 in 2 for various Eredivisie clubs - can't score to save his life in Ligue 1.
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Mounir El Hamdaoui - prolific striker of AZ Almkaar, scored more than Suárez during the '08'09 season, moved to a better league after a 2-year spell at Ajax and subsequently flopped at Fiorentina and Málaga.
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Marcus Berg - managed 35 in 59 for mid-table team Groningen, got his big-money move to HSV where he only managed 5 in 54.
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Alfred Finnbogason - flopped at Belgian side Lokeren, ended up at Heerenveen where he netted
53 in 65. Got his move to La Liga side Real Sociedad where he flopped, again.
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Afonso Alves - this man averaged
more than a goal per game for Heerenveen (
45 goals in 39 apps), moved for a ludicrous fee of €20m to Middlesbrough[ where he flopped and was quickly sold to a Al Sadd in Qatar.
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Mateja Kežman - Netted
105 in 122 league goals for PSV, moved to Chelsea where he flopped, tried his luck again at Atlético where he flopped again.
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... and many more like van Wolfswinkel, Dost, etc,... players who haven't exactly set the world alight after scoring for fun in the Eredivisie.
I guess this helps prove my point that an abundance, a vast majority of the strikers that tore the Eredivisie apart flopped once they got their big money move to a better league...