Comparing first 177/178 games for Real Madrid

Raul - First 178 Game breakdown (17 yrs old - 21)
La Liga - 59 Goals / 145 Games
Copa del Rey - 3 Goals / 10 Games
Europe - 8 Goals / 19 Games
Other - 3 Goals / 4 Games
Total - 73 Goals / 178 Games

Titles won in that time:
La Liga: 1994–95, 1996–97
Supercopa de España: 1997
UEFA Champions League: 1997–98
Intercontinental Cup: 1998

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Higuain - First 177 Game breakdown (19 yrs old -23)
La Liga - 77 Goals / 134 Games
Copa del Rey - 3 Goals / 11 Games
Europe - 4 Goals / 29 Games (10 of which are substitute appearances)
Other - 1 Goal / 3 Games
Total - 85 Goals / 177 Games

Titles won in that time:
La Liga: 2006–07, 2007–08
Copa del Rey: 2010–11
Supercopa de España: 2008

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As you can see the big difference is in Europe although it's not as big a one as you may think.

The big difference will come if he can overcome his European bugs and also if he can grab a UCL trophy within the next couple of seasons.

It is quite interesting to see that despite his very very slow start to scoring in all competitions he still managed to score more in La Liga and keep up in the Copa.

Enjoy

During those years Raul was by no means an oot and out CF like Higuain is.
Raul was a ss.

Actually Raul played in the wing for sometime in the early days. not ss.

@crim
You are about to get a lot of stick in this thread lmao...

ragbirjosh wrote:During those years Raul was by no means an oot and out CF like Higuain is.
Raul was a ss.

Neither was Higuain

Higuain spent his first two seasons as a winger, not even an attacking winger, an actually deep midfield winger, also Higuain has spent almost a year out with a major injury.

Jack Daniels wrote:Actually Raul played in the wing for sometime in the early days. not ss.

@crim
You are about to get a lot of stick in this thread lmao...

Well that furthers my point.The wing is a bit of a stretch IMO , he and messi played the same role at the start of their careers.

I don't want to give him stick , I'm just pointing out why the stats don't give the whole picture.

Jack Daniels wrote:Actually Raul played in the wing for sometime in the early days. not ss.

@crim
You are about to get a lot of stick in this thread lmao...

Yeah I know and Raul played as a wide forward, not really a winger and then a SS supplementing the attack of the two attacking forwards, in the period this is done over.

Higuain also didn't have the luxury of entering an established side.

Raul however in his prime is still the better player for me. Maybe Higuain can reach those heights soon though.

Higgy is amazing.....great stats......if he continuous at his own rate, i wouldn't be surprised if he surpassed Raul in scoring charts

Part of me is disgusted that you made such a comparison, but you know it might hold a bit of water. Obviously, Raul was the better and more complete player and scored many more goals in Europe... Well hell yeah, Raul is THE European legend.

* enters thread *

You guys have to be kidding me. Talk about apples and oranges.

* leaves thread *

I'm suprised no one has mentioned how weaksauce the Spanish leauge is now compared to the leauge Raul played in.

That is sort of true as well.

But let's not pretend Raul has never played against weak sauce teams too LOL

Anyway Raul is better and by miles but maybe Higuain can reach that level one day.

It's not even the goal thing or league that is bothersome to me. One is a playmaker and wasn't really the most efficient of finishers tbh. The other one is pure poacher. Just impossible to compare.

Raul was a big game player of highest calibre, scored when it mattered the most.

His influence was also much more noticable compared to Higuain.

Statistics don't tell the whole story and Raul is still the better player than Higuain

You don't get to three hundred sixty something goals by being a play maker alone.

Sure Raul started out as a SS but he evolved into a cultured CF over his career.

I know what you are trying to say and you are probably right but this isn't the most outlandish comparison ever.

omarish wrote:Raul was a big game player of highest calibre, scored when it mattered the most.

His influence was also much more noticable compared to Higuain.

Statistics don't tell the whole story and Raul is still the better player than Higuain

I'm not saying he is better lamo at all the black and white

I am simply trying to point out that early on in their careers they weren't so different in the way they scored and also that Higuain may have a long way to go before he even cleans Rauls boots but he can still and is on his way.

Not the most outlandish maybe... but pretty darn close. Completely different skillset and pitch personality. Raul was a volume shooter as a CF and had 741 appearances over 15 years for Madrid to get his 300+ goals. It's not like the legendary goalscorers that are at a 0.75 ratio or better for their careers. But he was such a playmaker.

If you want to start comparing Higuain to a Hugo Sanchez or Di Stefano, it would make slightly more sense in terms of pitch personality.... he's not even in their league though.

What Raul did over his whole carreer can not be achieved again. You can compare him in that respect to Casillas, but no other striker in the forseeable future will be able to emerge so young, so versatile, remain in the starting XI for so many years, a fixed presence over many different eras, a true captain and eventually amazing goalscorer as well as even a mediapunta sometimes, a European legend. I cant even entertain the hopes that Higuain can do that. We dont even have anyone in Castilla that can be compared to Raul right now.

sportsczy wrote:Not the most outlandish maybe... but pretty darn close. Completely different skillset and pitch personality. Raul was a volume shooter as a CF and had 741 appearances over 15 years for Madrid to get his 300+ goals. It's not like the legendary goalscorers that are at a 0.75 ratio or better for their careers. But he was such a playmaker.

If you want to start comparing Higuain to a Hugo Sanchez or Di Stefano, it would make slightly more sense in terms of pitch personality.... he's not even in their league though.

Raul was by no means a volume shooter mate.Check out the stats.

Di Stefano was almost the attacking midfielder that you made Raul sound like.

ragbirjosh wrote:

sportsczy wrote:Not the most outlandish maybe... but pretty darn close. Completely different skillset and pitch personality. Raul was a volume shooter as a CF and had 741 appearances over 15 years for Madrid to get his 300+ goals. It's not like the legendary goalscorers that are at a 0.75 ratio or better for their careers. But he was such a playmaker.

If you want to start comparing Higuain to a Hugo Sanchez or Di Stefano, it would make slightly more sense in terms of pitch personality.... he's not even in their league though.

Raul was by no means a volume shooter mate.Check out the stats.

Di Stefano was almost the attacking midfielder that you made Raul sound like.

Here's the only stat i could find: 741 games, 323 goals = 0.44 ratio. I don't have shots per game, etc. that far back. But Raul missed a lot, but had a such a huge impact and work rate that you wouldn't go too crazy over it. He also had the knack to make the key pass or score the big goal in key moments. He will never be known for his efficiency... at least not with those that watched him regularly. He was just a highly skillful forward.

Check out the classic goalscorers... you'll see that they all range from a 0.60 ratio to close to a 1 for the big time legends (Van Basten, Shevchenko, R9, Eusebio, Di Stefano, etc.). Raul is not in those guys' league in terms of goalscoring efficiency.

the per game ratio is because Raul played a withdrawn role and yes he had a tendency to pass rather than shoot early in his career.

Yes Raul missed a bit however he was never a volume shooter.Raul and Higuain are relatively equal in terms of finishing no matter what there per game ratio says.

the more i read threads the more i understand that higuain WILL BE OUR MAIN STRIKER for years...

The Madrid One wrote:the more i read threads the more i understand that higuain WILL BE OUR MAIN STRIKER for years...

No prblema. so long as Benzema can play next to him.

ragbirjosh wrote:

The Madrid One wrote:the more i read threads the more i understand that higuain WILL BE OUR MAIN STRIKER for years...

No prblema. so long as Benzema can play next to him.

if neymar comes, and with kaka being liked by mou as much as he is, how would that ever happen..