English Premier League: Ranking the Top 8 Squads (Part I - Attack)

The 2011-12 season of the Barclays English Premier League ended this past weekend. Football fanatics, though, never have a dull day in their lives. There is the 2012 European Championship to look forward to in less than a month's time.

Getting our focus back on the Premier League, all teams except Chelsea and Bayern Munich will now be contemplating on the season gone by.

Some of the players will head out on vacations. Others will be spending more time with their families. Some managers will be dreading getting sacked—though almost all managers will be trying to make up their minds on players to bring in and the areas where their respective squads need strengthening.

Thus, let us take a look at which teams need to strengthen most and which ones can do with only a tweak or two in the attack department.       

8. Liverpool

Personnel - Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll

Liverpool has the lowest conversion rate in the entire league.

The manager, whoever that might be, needs to bring in at least one proven goalscorer to at least take a step toward strengthening Liverpool's attack.

Dirk Kuyt and Craig Bellamy are not even played as wide forwards, and thus they are excluded from the list.

7. Everton

Personnel - Nikica Jelavic, James McFadden, Magaye Gueye, Denis Stracqualursi, Victor Anichebe, Apostolos Vellios

Everton have a lot of firepower up front.

Still, apart from Nikica Jelavic, there is not much to choose from among strikers that could terrorize defenses.

David Moyes will not necessarily improve this department through the summer but will at least hope that young forwards such as Gueye, Anichebe and Vellios have improved by their experience gained this season to develop into better strikers.  

6. Arsenal

Personnel - Chu-Young Park, Marouane Chamakh and Robin van Persie

Arsenal would have struggled without star man Robin van Persie this season.

Arsene Wenger should ensure that at least one more high-profile striker is recruited this summer so that the burden of banging in goals can be shared within the strikers. 

5. Chelsea

Personnel - Fernando Torres, Daniel Sturridge, Didier Drogba, Romelu Lukaku and Salomon Kalou

Didier Drogba is already 34 even though he has been arguably Chelsea's best striker this season yet again.

Fernando Torres has been a fraction of his earlier self, and Daniel Sturridge still looks rusty and one that you would reluctantly put again into the 'strikers with potential' bracket.

It is clear that Chelsea will surely spend on strikers this summer, even though they have hardly been thrifty while thinking about that department.

4. Tottenham

Personnel - Jermaine Defoe, Emmanuel Adebayor and Louis Saha

If Tottenham and Harry Redknapp have all three strikers to choose from throughout the season then it is safe to say that the Spurs will score goals.

The partnership of Adebayor and Saha has worked very well at times this season. The pair look very threatening indeed. When Jermaine Defoe comes off the bench to score from outside the box time and time again, he too pushes for a starting berth.

The composition is very good, although depth might be questioned given that Adebayor might not last, as he is on loan. 

3. Newcastle

Personnel - Demba Ba, Papiss Cisse, Shola Ameobi, Leon Best and Sammy Ameobi

Say what you may, but Newcastle at the moment have the most threatening striking duo up front in Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse in all of the Premier League.

That is not all, though, when you are talking about forwards that Alan Pardew may choose from.

There is also a lot of power in the form of Shola Ameobi and Leon Best. These two are not by any means slow on the deck, either.

I will be surprised if Newcastle spend anything on this department in the summer.  

2. Manchester United

Personnel - Michael Owen, Dimitar Berbatov, Danny Welbeck, Javier Hernandez and Wayne Rooney

Javier Hernandez has failed to replicate his form from last season, while Wayne Rooney has not had overly impressive performances even after gaining confidence from scoring numerous goals.

Besides these reasons, even if Dimitar Berbatov had featured more and scored well, perhaps the squad of strikers from the red half of Manchester could be placed top. The difference has to be marginal, though.

1. Manchester City

Personnel - Sergio Aguero, Mario Balotelli, Carlos Tevez, Edin Dzeko and Luca Scapuzzi

There has to be doubt whether Carlos Tevez and Mario Balotelli for several reasons will be moved out before the next season.

For the time being, though, there is no other team that can match the depth of talent that Manchester City possess when it comes to choosing men that will lead the line for the team in a match.  

Hope you enjoyed going through these rankings. Next we will look at the midfield. 

Thanks for reading.