Stoke Ken-wyne Without Jones but is Crouch the Answer?

In terms of the Premier League's most aerially dominant strikers, the usual suspects made the line-up from last season, and unsurprisingly, Stoke were well represented. The Potters have since added the lankiest of them all in Peter Crouch, joining the ranks alongside the likes of Kenwyne Jones and Jonathan Walters at the Britannia.

The England international immediately took his place in the starting XI to make his debut against one of a long list of former clubs in Liverpool, somewhat surprisingly at the expense of Jones. Stoke pulled off a great win over a flying Liverpool side though Crouch’s, and previously Jones’ partner Walters proved to be the match-winner from the spot. The decision from Tony Pulis will be seen as an early indicator that he will not be playing two out-and-out target men in the same team, but is Crouch really more effective than Jones?

WhoScored investigates the leading large front men from 2010/11 season still to be playing in the Premier League based on their ability to win aerial duels. Stoke's front pairing of Jones and Walters both make the top 20 in the league from last year, with the former unparalleled across the entire division, and most interestingly, winning considerably more in the air than Crouch.

1. Kenwyne Jones
Headers Won per game (2010/11): 6.82

Stoke City are renowned for their no nonsense approach to getting the ball up to their strikers, into the box and in turn, preferably into the net. Their forwards are not the only ones to benefit from such an approach with the likes of Robert Huth and Ryan Shawcross representing significant goal threats from the back, but in Kenwyne Jones, Pulis and Stoke have a true target man to aim at. At 6'2" he is a full 5 inches shorter than his new teammate Crouch, though his incredible leap sees him outshine the Englishman in the air.

Last season the Trinidadian netted 6 goals with his head and won an incredible 225 aerial duels over the course of the season, leading the way in the league in terms of headers per game for any striker with 6.82 from his 33 starts. His aerial success rate of 58% may not seem spectacular but is highly effective given the defenders he faces- predominantly the taller of any oppositions centre halves.

In just 3 starts this season Jones has already opened his account with his head, winning 16 duels overall at a rate of 5.33 per game and a slightly improved success rate of 59%, proving that he may have been unfortunate to lose his place in the side last time out.

2. Andy Carroll
Headers Won per game (2010/11): 6.78

Just behind Jones in terms of headers won per game, Andy Carroll is an unsurprising inclusion on last year's leaderboard. At just 23, Carroll has the hopes of a nation, especially those from the red side of Liverpool, resting on his considerable sized shoulders- just a portion of his 6'3" frame. Making the switch from Newcastle to Anfield for £35m, Carroll has quite a price-tag to fulfil and it is fair to say he hasn't lived up to it yet but will be hoping to prove his worth under Dalglish this term.

In 23 starts overall last season, the majority of which came in the North East, Carroll netted an exceptional 5 headed efforts- just 1 less than leading man Jones from far fewer appearances. Overall he won 156 headers at a rate of 6.78 per game. His duel success rate of 54% is down on Jones’ but still mightily impressive and helped earn him his big money move in January. This season he has fallen out of favour somewhat, starting just 2 of his side's 4 matches and failing to score as of yet. In the air he has been his ever-dominant self though, winning 14 duels from his limited game time with a fantastic 82% success rate.

3. Kevin Davies
Headers Won per game (2010/11): 6.37

One could easily be forgiven for assuming that Bolton's talismanic captain Kevin Davies is somewhat of a man mountain due to his ability to win headers, knock downs and frustrate defenders along the way. In fact, the veteran is smallest of our top 6 at a mere 6'0", somewhat diminutive compared to the likes of Crouch, making his appearance as the third best front man in terms of headers won per game all the more impressive. Under Owen Coyle, Bolton are attempting to downplay their long ball image but the saying 'if it ain't broke don't fix it' comes to mind and in Davies they know they have an effective out ball.

Davies' importance to his side is highlighted by the fact that he played every game for the Trotters last term, though just 1 headed goal scored is an unspectacular and equally surprising statistic. Instead, Davies tended to master the knock down to a team mate with his head, winning more aerial duels overall than any other striker in the league with a magnificent 242, equating to 6.37 per game. Considering his decidedly average height for a target man, Davies' aerial success of 58%, equal to Jones, is the most impressive. This season he has been less effective in the air despite winning a decent 50% of his duels, with a lowly figure of 1.75 headers per game, indicative in the change of play that Coyle is attempting to introduce.

4. Leon Best
Headers Won per game (2010/11): 5.78

If there is one surprise inclusion on our leaderboard it is undoubtedly that of Newcastle's Leon Best. At 6'1" he is far from short but hardly your stereotypical tall target man. Best, interestingly brought up through the ranks at Southampton alongside a certain Kenwyne Jones, only made 9 starts for Newcastle last season, playing second, third and even fourth fiddle on occasion to the likes of Carroll at St. James' Park. The young strikers departure somewhat paved the way for Best to prove his worth last term and he did so sufficiently to earn his chance so far this time around.

A tally of 2 headed goals from his limited game time is a decent figure but bettered by the fact that he won a highly effective 5.78 duels per game having won 52 headers in said 9 starts. A 52% aerial success rate is also very encouraging for Newcastle and has been beaten so far this time around with 54% in his 2 starts this season. Winning 7 headers overall, Best has impressed to pick up a WhoScored rating of 7.02 having only ranked below Barton and Carroll for the club in the same ratings last term, despite his infrequent inclusion.

5. Emile Heskey
Headers Won per game (2010/11): 5.36

The much-maligned figure of Emile Heskey deserves credit for his club, Aston Villa, serving as a willing runner, when indeed upright, and an effective out ball from defence when needed. A string of injuries limited the experienced striker to just 11 starts last season, though he has already proven popular with new manager Alex McLeish who has started the 33-year-old in every game thus far. Last time out against Everton he was forced off early, again due to injury, which could well prove his downfall as he enters his twilight years as a professional. Under the new management Heskey has been used as a support striker in behind poacher Bent, with the long ball to the big man seemingly utilised in an attempt to win flick-ons for his strike partner.

Renowned for his ability to miss over his ability to score by many, Heskey netted a more than respectable 3 headers from just 11 starts last term, winning 59 duels overall at a rate of 5.36 per game. A 52% aerial success rate from last term has been improved upon to give him a very effective 59% return this- better than the likes of Jones and only down on Carroll's figure from his 2 appearances this season. The veteran has already notched this season, though not with his head, but may prove to be more of a bit part player as the campaign draws on.

6. Peter Crouch
Headers Won per game (2010/11): 5.35

Stoke's new record signing and rival to Kenwyne Jones ranked 6th in terms of strikers still in the division for headers won per game last year, proving he was no rival in terms of his aerial prowess compared to his new colleague. Crouch was Spurs' most used front man from the start in the previous campaign despite only making 20 appearances from kick-off. A wily and nimble operator on the deck, Crouch's lanky 6'7" frame leads many to assume he is most useful in the air, though this hasn't always proven the case throughout his career, and indeed last season, netting just 3 headers- half the tally of Jones.

In winning 107 aerial duels overall in 2010/11, Crouch racked up an average of 5.35 per game- a full 1.47 per game less than Jones. The fact that he won the same percentage of aerial duels contested (58%) may be key to Tony Pulis decision to invest such a large amount of cash on the now 30-year-old front man.

Stoke's style will undoubtedly see Crouch challenge in the air far more often than he did at Tottenham. Starting just twice this season, Crouch has won 9 aerial duels at a 59% success rate, meaning if he can continue that form in the air, Pulis may have pulled off a shrewd bit of business, albeit to the potential detriment of a frankly unlucky Kenwyne Jones.