Since just before the outbreak of the First World War, English football was undergoing a number of changes. Football was no longer as seen and inventive as what it was before. Centre-forward has changed, with more goalscoring styles appearing on the battlefields. Creative players like G. O. Smith, John Goodall and Vivian Woodward no longer belonged on the English lawn. However, even so, there were names that, even though they weren't in their prime, were considered as some of the best players in the world — and that was the Charlie Buchan case. The English star was both an inside forward and a centre-forward. Consequently, he will be considered here as well. Buchan was a complete character player, possessed advanced technique and high tactical sense. He was a thoughtful player, always looking at the next step to be played. A true master of the tactical sense of the four lines.


Hughie Gallacher.

Throughout the 1920s, England tested several centre-forwards, but they were unable to line one up completely, even Charlie Buchan was not released to play for the national team. The level of quality and quantity of players had drastically dropped compared to previous decades. However, already in the second half of the 1920s, after the offside rule was changed in 1925, Dixie Dean cemented his place as the main centre-forward. Dean was a very complete goalscorer. Everton's team created and always aimed to pass the ball to him, either low or high. Dean had as much skill as the old centre-forwards, he didn't have the ability to receive the ball and go to the goal with an insane run, as Gallacher did, for example. He was a conclusion-only player, even though he was very mobile and participated a little in creation.

EASY CHOICE: GALLACHER.

There were two great Scottish centre-forwards in that decade, one being the main highlight on Scottish soil; another being the main highlight on English soil. Starting with Jimmy McGrory, the true heir of John Campbell, the great centre-forward of Aston Villa and Celtic, he, like Dean, was a player with similar characteristics. McGrory, however, was less spectacular than the Englishman.

Hughie Gallacher was a completely different player than Dixie Dean and Jimmy McGrory. Gallacher had an outstanding technique, a technique of the highest level in history and a tactical notion of a true strategist. His repertoire of tricks was vast and very well executed. Gallacher was a player who had the ability to receive the ball at the half-back line and go around dribbling the opposing defensive system completely. He was a spectacular player, and not only was he mentioned by many as the greatest centre-forward of all time, but as the greatest player of all time by many who saw him. 





  
ENGLAND
  
1# CHARLIE BUCHAN
  
2# DIXIE DEAN
  
SCOTLAND
  
1# HUGHIE GALLACHER
  
2# JIMMY MCGRORY
  
OVERALL
  
1# HUGHIE GALLACHER
  
2# CHARLIE BUCHAN