Top 9 Forwards Who Can't Score If Their Life Depends on It

If a forward scores consistently and the team wins, the forward receives most of the praise. On the contrary, the forward becomes an easy target if goals are drying up and the team is losing. 

Here are the top nine forwards this season who can't score if their life depends on it. 

9. Andy Carroll, Liverpool, Age 23

In the Premier League, Andy Carroll has taken 55 shots to score three goals. 

The main issue with Carroll is mental fragility as he gives up too easily. 

8. Florent Sinama Pongolle, Saint-Étienne (on Loan from Sporting), Age 27

To think that several years ago Florent Sinama Pongolle was still a Liverpool player. 

During the 2004-05 UEFA Champions League group stages, Liverpool were mediocre and looked like they would be dumped out of the group stages. 

Who changed all that? Pongolle with a pivotal goal against Olympiacos. 

Liverpool went on to win the Champions League that season. 

Whatever happened to the prodigious Frenchman who took the 2001 FIFA U-17 World Championship by storm? 

He hasn't scored 10 goals or more in his past four seasons. He has been pitiful for Saint-Étienne, taking 367 minutes per goal. 

7. Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Málaga, Age 35

Watching Ruud van Nistelrooy struggle this season brings back queasy memories of Gabriel Batistuta's last few seasons in Serie A. 

Salomón Rondón's development is being hampered every time van Nistelrooy plays, so something has to give. 

Van Nistelrooy hasn't taken the chances that have come his way. Three goals from 21 games makes for sorry reading. 

He should move to the MLS to have a more successful ending to his career. 

6. Daniel Güiza, Getafe, Age 31

Daniel Güiza is a typical example of a one-season wonder. He was fantastic with Mallorca, scoring 27 La Liga goals, which landed him the Pichichi. 

Since then, he's yet to pass 20 goals in a season. 

His finishing has been poor for Getafe, who were hoping for at least 10-15 goals. Instead, they've received three goals from 25 games. 

5. Didier Ya Konan, Hannover, Age 28

A season ago, Didier Ya Konan's goals propelled Hannover to fourth place. 

Nowadays, Ya Konan is playing decently off the bench, but he's lost his scoring touch. 

His efficiency in front of goals has been dire—two goals from 43 shots in the Bundesliga. 

4. Fernando Torres, Chelsea, Age 27

Fernando Torres has gone 24 hours without a goal. 

He's been mediocre for Chelsea this season. His goals scored/created average per game is 0.42. 

The minimum goals scored/created average for a good forward should be 0.50. 

His finishing has been cringe-worthy—two Premier League goals from 45 shots. 

His goals scored/created average per game should be 1.00, but I doubt Chelsea supporters will ever see that. 

Assuming he won't be sold (no one will buy him unless Chelsea sell him on the cheap), he'll find a way to score 10-15 goals next season, which still isn't good enough for a £50 million forward. 

3. Marouane Chamakh, Arsenal, Age 28

Marouane Chamakh has only scored one goal in 748 minutes. It took 10 minutes for Thierry Henry to score against Leeds United. 

Chamakh being subbed off for Henry summed up the Moroccan's useless season. 

2. Mauro Zárate, Inter Milan (on Loan from Lazio), Age 24

Mauro Zárate has been dreadful this season, so bad that he's my favourite to take out the Bidone d'Oro award. 

He's only scored once in 23 games, and it looks like Lazio will be stuck with the misfiring Argentine—since there's no way that Inter Milan are going to buy Zárate. 

He's a precocious talent who should bounce back from this setback. He's too talented to continue this form slump. He just needs a manager that has faith in him. 

1. Emile Heskey, Aston Villa, Age 34

Emile Heskey is three minutes away from averaging 1,000 minutes per goal this season. The catch is that he's only scored once. 

I'm still waiting for the real Heskey. 

Please read Top 5 Things Pelé Does Not Want You to Know.