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John Toshack gave Liverpool a centre-forward who could win the ball in the air and still think clearly after it came down, which is not as common as the old target-man label pretends. Tall, brave and excellent with his back to goal, he became the perfect aerial and associative partner for Kevin Keegan, turning long balls, crosses and knockdowns into structured attacking football rather than hopeful weather reports. He was strong in the box, dangerous with his head and clever enough to bring faster runners into play with layoffs and little combinations. Injuries shortened parts of his peak, but his influence on Liverpool’s early 1970s rise was substantial: league titles, UEFA Cups, an FA Cup and the foundation of a partnership still remembered with proper affection. Not a silky soloist, not a pure poacher, but a highly intelligent target striker who made others better while scoring plenty himself.
