Jozy Altidore, Fernando Torres and the 18 Most Maligned Strikers in Football
It's not easy at the top, and at any moment, a superstar's career can come crashing down under the weight of expectation that he helped build.
Strikers arguably have the greatest burden of any in that regard. Players like Jozy Altidore and Fernando Torres can go from hero to zero in the briefest of flashes.
Transfers gone awry and a wealth of squad competition tend to be the factors most commonly associated with a striker's fall from grace, but there can be so much more to an individual's demise.
We've compiled a selection of riches-to-rags tales in modern football. Some frontmen are still attempting to bounce back, some revived stronger form, and others simply simmered away, never to be heard from again.
18. Adrian Mutu
1 of 18
Adrian Mutu had the resolve to bounce back from a titanic setback at the height of his playing days, but so catastrophic was his plummet that his story warrants inclusion.
Arriving at Chelsea in 2003 on the back of some steady progress through Serie A's ranks with Verona and Parma, it all started so brightly for Mutu, bagging four goals in his first three games.
That was to be half the total goals Mutu would ever score for the Blues during a tumultuous 14 months in west London, coming to an abrupt end in 2004 after he failed a test for cocaine.
In just one full Premier League season, the Romanian striker had gone from €22.5 million man to a tainted figure, failing to recapture his brightest form at Juventus after he was snapped up from free agency.
It was at Fiorentina that Mutu enjoyed his greatest successes between 2006 and 2009, but one can't help feel his merits could have been far greater and his trophy cabinet more fulfilled had he possessed better discipline.
17. Federico Macheda
2 of 18At 17 years of age, Federico Macheda had the world at his feet after etching out a terrific start to his Manchester United career and blazing a path through the Premier League.
The former Lazio trainee made his way through Italy's international youth teams all while progressing at Old Trafford, but a couple of match-winning finishes and United's 2009 Young Player of the Year award proved his biggest achievements.
Prior to his Old Trafford departure, Macheda admitted his career may have been better served elsewhere, per The Telegraph's John Percy:
"Being at United is great but if you don’t play it’s better if you go somewhere else where you can play every game and have a career. Maybe I should have gone somewhere on loan for a whole season, instead of just for six months, and played somewhere else for the important years of my career.
I’ve been at United since leaving Italy when I was 15 and it’s been crazy sometimes because I didn’t play much. But I played my part and I will always look back on that.
"
Kiko was sent on loan to five different clubs between 2011 and 2014, failing to prove any use to his parent club and coming to the end of his Manchester United contract before joining current side Cardiff City.
At 23 years of age, Macheda has broken the 30-game barrier in only one of his seven professional seasons thus far, but he has time on his hands to tell if those teenage years prove to be his most fruitful.
16. Mario Gomez
3 of 18
It would be unfair to write a player of Mario Gomez's calibre off altogether, especially having seen what a clinical beast he can be at his best, but he's no longer the same figure of old.
A series of unfortunate knee injuries have prevented the Fiorentina attacker from attaining anything close to consistent playing time since moving to Serie A, having scored just five league goals in the past 18 months.
It's a long way from the player who once ruled the Bundesliga roost and bagged double-digit goals in seven consecutive seasons playing for Stuttgart and Bayern Munich.
As a result of his injury woes, Gomez receives a low ranking in our order. At the age of 29, the Germany hitman should be hitting his predatory prime but is instead missing out on his peak years and unfortunately so.
The MailOnline's Simon Jones recently reported La Viola offered their forward to Swansea City, showing the Italian giants may be ready to give up hope on his prospect, a sign of where Gomez's career currently stands.
15. Roberto Soldado
4 of 18
Tottenham Hotspur may finally have come upon their striker saviour in the form of Harry Kane, but the north Londoners thought a 2013 move for Roberto Soldado would provide an earlier solution.
One of numerous misdirected investments at White Hart Lane following Gareth Bale's exit from the club, Soldado initially appeared to fit the bill at Spurs having shone so consistently as an attacking force with Valencia.
Tottenham were convinced to spend a club-record £26 million fee on the Real Madrid academy graduate, proud owner of a goal-every-other-game scoring ratio after nine seasons in La Liga.
Soldado was prolific in the Europa League during his maiden campaign with Spurs but has netted just nine goals in 53 domestic outings.
14. Alexandre Pato
5 of 18
Selecao supporters from all over may well consider Alexandre Pato a player who may yet one day lead their line with all the quality once expected of him, but it won't come about anytime soon.
The Brazilian moved to Milan in 2007 at the age of 17 and quickly caused a stir at the San Siro, netting on his Serie A debut and scoring nine league goals in his maiden campaign in Italy, which started late due to registration issues.
His reputation as a deadly Serie A force would only rise in the years to come. Pato led the Rossoneri line with aplomb between 2008 and 2011, finishing with at least 14 goals in each.
Injuries put a halt on Pato's momentum, and the spark unfortunately faded from his play before agreeing a move back to his native Brazil with Corinthians in January 2013.
Given the progress made in Europe, one might expect a player once so promising to tear apart the Brasileiro Serie A with relative ease, but Pato—now at Sao Paulo—is still searching to rediscover his finest form.
Without doing a disservice to the Premier League clubs, reports emerged this past January, per the Daily Mail, that Hull City and Queens Park Rangers had been offered the striker's services, showing just how far his star has fallen.
13. Bojan Krkic
6 of 18
In 2007, one would have been called crazy to suggest a 24-year-old Bojan Krkic would be leading the line under Mark Hughes at Stoke City, but his has been one of the more bizarre starlet stories.
In 2007, he took the mantle of Lionel Messi by succeeding the Argentinian as the youngest player ever to represent Barcelona, but these were arguably to be the best days of the then 17-year-old.
Bojan made more than 160 appearances for the Blaugrana in four full seasons at the Camp Nou, but his rise couldn't be maintained, and the forward appeared to hit something of a ceiling.
Since 2011, his career has taken him from Spain to Italy, the Netherlands and back again, ending up at the Britannia for little more than £1 million, a shade of the prices initially linked with his name.
The Potters value their Spaniard as something of a cult hero, but one would have expected international honours and Europeans Cups for Bojan, not challenging for a mid-table Premier League finish.
12. Darren Bent
7 of 18
"My missus could have scored that one" was a critique Harry Redknapp once made of a wasted scoring opportunity from Darren Bent in 2009, per BBC Sport, which eventually led to Bent's Tottenham Hotspur exit.
The ex-England international was prolific at Ipswich Town, Charlton Athletic and Sunderland, eventually forcing an £18 million move to Villa Park in January 2011, where his downward spiral would see its start.
His first six months with Aston Villa went according to plan, but Bent was soon met with adversity. Controversies regarding his relationship with Alex McLeish and later Paul Lambert have caused eruptions at the club, but it was also Christian Benteke who forced him further from the starting lineup.
Not only has Bent struggled to land a place in the starting team, though, but he's effectively been ostracised from the Villa squad. Now on loan at Derby County (his third loan away from Villa), the forward is recovering a stronger goal tally in England's second division.
Prior to 2012, Bent had scored double-digit goals in nine of his previous 10 campaigns, breaking the 20-goal mark in three of those seasons. The 31-year-old is back in those numbers with Derby but won't be back to his old standards until he's back in the first tier.
11. Robinho
8 of 18
Robinho has experienced the best Europe and South America have to offer, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's always capitalised upon the opportunities afforded to him.
Before Neymar was known to the masses, Robinho dazzled at Santos to earn a Real Madrid move in 2005, starring for three years at the Bernabeu before completing a £33 million switch to Manchester City in 2008.
As the first big-money acquisition of Abu Dhabi United Group's reign at the Etihad Stadium, Robinho continued to show moments of magic, but it wasn't long before the cracks in his motives started to show, and the forward sought a departure.
Milan eventually captured the Brazilian's services in the summer of 2010, scoring 14 Serie A goals in his first Italian season to match the tally recorded in his maiden Premier League campaign. Robinho never managed to meet those standards again, though, scoring just 11 Serie A goals over the next three terms.
At 31 years of age, the veteran maestro is now back where it all began on loan with Santos and attempting to recapture the magic of his youth.
10. Radamel Falcao
9 of 18
Transitioning to certain leagues or cultures can prove troublesome for some; halfway through a season-long loan at Manchester United, it may be safe to suggest the Premier League isn't for Radamel Falcao.
Up until his Old Trafford arrival last summer, the Colombian had produced terrific goal tallies at all stages of his career. In fact, the last season in which he mustered a scoring ratio worse than a goal every other game was all the way back in 2008-09.
Falcao scored 93 goals in 119 league games for Porto and Atletico Madrid before moving to Monaco in 2013, but his slump with United has been drastic, even leading manager Louis van Gaal to demote him to under-21s duty.
Regardless, Van Gaal remains adamant the South American will come good, per ESPN FC's Richard Jolly, despite Falcao struggling to make his lineup and netting just four goals this term:
"We mustn't forget the severe injury he suffered last year and how it kept him out for such a long period and resulted in him not having a good preseason, which is always the catalyst for the campaign ahead. I believe he just needs a little time to build his confidence and match sharpness, and it won't be long until he is showing everybody the talent that we all know he has.
"
The Dutchman is partly correct to point out the effect Falcao's knee injury may have on his career, but then it leads one to ask why the Red Devils invested a £6 million fee and such hefty wage expenses in his loan to begin with.
Going from his usual levels of scoring frequency to his current limbo will be unfamiliar to Falcao, and fans can only hope one of the most potentially deadly finishers in the sport can rediscover his stride.
9. Mario Balotelli
10 of 18
In attempting to replace Luis Suarez, Liverpool inadvertently brought in the temperamental, high-maintenance figure of Mario Balotelli last summer, and it by all means looks to have failed.
Although troublesome, Balotelli's days with Inter and Manchester City were at least interlaced with goals and some sublime displays, but it all appears to have gone awry at Anfield.
Even amid Milan's staggering issues, the Italian managed to score in decent quantity during an 18-month spell back at the San Siro, but one Premier League goal for the Reds since arriving last summer is a ratio that spells disaster.
Balotelli is one of those who certainly has the potential to go on and prove us wrong once more should he have the maturity to do so. It's not difficult to spot the potential problem in that premise.
8. Jozy Altidore
11 of 18
One of several failed experiments transitioning from the Netherland's Eredivisie to the English top flight, former AZ Alkmaar talisman Jozy Altidore recently brought to an end a torrid 18-month stay at Sunderland.
Having recently scored two goals on his Toronto FC debut, the United States international, who boasts 78 caps, is back to showing that he can deadly in front of goal, just perhaps not in among the true elite.
Having netted 50 goals in his two seasons with AZ, the 25-year-old was expected to be a striking solution at the Stadium of Light but managed just a single Premier League goal during his season-and-a-half at Sunderland.
Major League Soccer may give Altidore a viable route back to his previous exploits in front of goal, but there will always remain that doubt as to whether he's got what it takes at the very top.
7. Andy Carroll
12 of 18
It wasn't long after completing a £35 million move to Liverpool in January 2011 that Andy Carroll established himself as the poster child of the "English premium price tag."
Replacing Torres at Anfield never promised to be an easy task, but the Reds pegged Carroll as their snap-decision successor up front following a season-and-a-half of sensational play at Newcastle United.
When painted in those terms, Liverpool's mistake looks far more lamentable. Eighteen months and just six Premier League goals later, Liverpool sent Carroll's towering frame on loan to West Ham before he penned permanent terms with the Hammers in the summer of 2013—this time for just £15 million.
For all the dynamism and guile Carroll displayed at St. James' Park, we've largely seen a one-trick pony in the years since, and his injury woes are another contributing factor to his collapse.
BBC Sport reported in February that surgery on his plagued knee would keep Carroll out for the rest of the 2014-15 season, the player having made just 54 appearances for West Ham in three full seasons at the club.
6. Christopher Wreh
13 of 18
Arsene Wenger first got acquainted with the talents of Christopher Wreh during the pair's time together at Monaco, so the French tactician deservedly shoulders some of the blame for his signing's Arsenal demise.
Former Liberia international Wreh at least had greatness in his family tree as a cousin of George Weah, but he was by no means of the same quality.
Wenger brought the striker to England in 1997 despite Wreh never figuring prominently at Monaco during his four years there, and it initially paid off. He lent a hand in crucial wins over the course of the Premier League and FA Cup-winning campaign of 1997-98.
That was as good as it got for the forward. The competition provided by Ian Wright, Dennis Bergkamp, Nicolas Anelka and eventually Thierry Henry forced Wreh out of Highbury in 2000, never managing to soar quite so high for the remaining decade of his career.
5. Adriano
14 of 18
There was a time when Internazionale reigned supreme among all Serie A sides and claimed five successive titles between 2006 and 2010, with Brazilian striker Adriano present for the first four of those Scudetti.
Adriano also scored goals for Parma and Fiorentina early in his Italian career, but it was at the San Siro we saw the his best, culminating in a career-high 28 goals converted in the 2004-05 season. However, it was in 2007 that his inconsistency became a concern for the Nerazzurri, leading to his departure in 2009.
The forward moved back to boyhood club Flamengo and had a successful return to his native Brazil, scoring 19 goals and 15 goals in 2009 and 2010, respectively, but that would be the last we saw of this once-prolific figure.
A mixture of worsening weight, fitness and injury-related concerns led to unsuccessful spells at Roma, Corinthians and Atletico Paranaense.
Off-field issues have also played their part in Adriano's downfall after BBC Sport last year reported of his brush with drug-trafficking charges.
4. Toto Schillaci
15 of 18
Salvatore "Toto" Schillaci emerged from the obscurity of Italy's bench to lead the Azzurri to third place at the 1990 World Cup, firing home six goals for the host nation over the course of the competition.
The Sicilian striker had just a season of Serie A football under his belt at that juncture, having completed a move to Juventus the summer previous.
It was a wonderful fairytale for the man who originated from one of Palermo's most notorious slums, but it all went downhill following Italia '90.
Schillaci couldn't match the 15 goals managed in his first term at Juve and had a few unremarkable years with Inter before becoming the first Italian player ever to feature in Japan's J League, moving to Jubilo Iwata in 1994.
3. Afonso Alves
16 of 18
Perhaps the most infamous example of a player's rapid descent from goals galore to misfiring mayhem, Afonso Alves holds a special place in the heart of many a Middlesbrough fan, albeit not for the right reasons.
A day after celebrating his 27th birthday, the Brazilian completed a winter deadline-day move to the Riverside, reported to be in the region of €20 million after averaging a goal per game at Heerenveen.
However, the step from Eredivisie to Premier League proved perilous for Alves, and after making the 2008 move to Boro, he was swiftly found out as an extreme waste of funds (never mind a club-record fee).
Following such a prolific record in the Netherlands, Alves managed only 10 Premier League goals during his 18-month spell in the north-east, including just four in the 2008-09 campaign, his only full English season.
As a result, he was carted off to Al-Sadd in 2009 for a cut-price £7 million and has spent his playing days since in Qatar.
2. Andriy Shevchenko
17 of 18
So adored a player was Andriy Shevchenko at his best that even a terrible spell with Chelsea isn't enough to sully his good name altogether, ending his career as a celebrated figure nonetheless.
That being said, the world witnessed one of the finest strikers of the last two decades plummet before their very eyes at Stamford Bridge after completing a £30.8 million move to Chelsea in 2006.
His record prior to that transfer was commendable, with 187 goals in 325 league games for Dynamo Kiev and Milan, but Jose Mourinho never backed the move pushed for by owner Roman Abramovich.
Sheva proved the Special One correct and moved on from the west London outfit in 2009, ending his Chelsea tenure with nine goals in 48 Premier League outings.
It was a miserable and deeply saddening turn of misfortune to witness from any neutral's perspective, with an aged Shevchenko courting much hype but ultimately showing himself to be majorly over the hill.
1. Fernando Torres
18 of 18
Try as they might, pundits and analysts alike may never uncover the true reason as to why former £50 million man Fernando Torres struggled as he did at Chelsea, scoring 45 goals in 172 appearances for the west London giants.
The Blues' strength was so great that Torres nevertheless won the Champions League, Europa League and FA Cup at Chelsea, but a scoring ratio of one goal every 3.8 games shows it wasn't exactly down to Torres' golden touch.
Compare that to ratios of 2.5 and 1.75 at Atletico Madrid (his first spell) and Liverpool, respectively, and one can see where the Spaniard's career went off the rails. Back at boyhood Atleti, Torres spoke to Spanish newspaper El Pais (h/t Daily Mail's Simon Jones) regarding his Chelsea capitulation:
"The worst part of not playing is when you think you're prepared and ready to do it. I tried to get minutes at Chelsea and seize opportunities, but things do not always go the best way, and can drag on for weeks or even years. It was like swimming with wet clothes on. Now I know how I am, and I'm fine. At the end those doubts about your quality eventually disappear.
"
There are still doubts surrounding Torres, despite what he may suggest, after failing to score in his nine La Liga appearances this season, having cut short a forgettable stay with Milan in January.
Before his move to Stamford Bridge, Torres had bagged double-digit goals across eight successive top-flight seasons in England and Spain.
He may not hit those heights again at 30 years of age, facing a constant struggle to revive the Torres of old, one of the biggest pressures and reasons as to why it may never come to pass.
