Obviously before my time, but Jordan has a pretty pathetic goalscoring record for a striker.
It really should have been a No Brainer as to who was the Striker in form in 1978
It made absolutely no sense whatsoever at the time.
It makes even less sense today.
Joe Jordan had made the big move from Leeds to Man Utd that Jan 78', but scored only 3 goals in 16 games for Man Utd, who finished in 10th place in the English Div 1
(4 points behind Leeds Utd in 9th position).
Joe Jordan's goal for Scotland in the 3-1 win v Czechoslovakia (Sep 77'), was the ONLY goal he had scored for Scotland in the previous THREE years.
Derek Johnstone had just scored 38 Goals in 47 games in that 77-78 season.
Derek Johnstone had just won the Treble for the second time in three seasons with Rangers
(Scoring 90 Goals in the last three seasons).
.
Johnstone's 2 goals in 2 games in 4 days (v N.Ireland and Wales) in the Home Internationals just prior to the World Cup 78' was not only Scotland's only goals scored in the Home Internationals,
it was also twice as many as Jordan had scored in his previous 12 games in the past 3 years for Scotland!
Johnstone was arguably the best all round Striker in Great Britain that season, and was awarded both the SFWA Footballer of the Year, and the PFA Scotland Players' Player of the Year (the first to do so), and he certainly posed a much greater goal threat than Jordan.
This was probably Derek Johnstone at his peak, in a career that saw him collect 14 Winners medals.
Joe Jordan, who was at the time struggling to score goals, in a team that was struggling to win points, collected 1 (one) winners medal in his entire 20 year playing career.