Man City Strike Force: Power Ranking Top Strikers

Over the past several years, Manchester City have taken an extremely large amount of money and spent it.  On some of the most quality players in the world.  Some have worked out (see David Silva) while others haven't (see Robinho).  What Man City have done with the money poured into the team is create a squad that has too many individual talents to not challenge for the Barclays Premier League title, and in the future, the Champions League.

One position that is very much abundant for the blue side of Manchester is the striker position.  With six world class talents, it is impossible to think they can keep everyone happy without selling or loaning out some of their players.  So, I have decided to power rank Manchester City's six

6. Roque Santa Cruz

Roque Santa Cruz is tied for the Paraguayan national team's all time goal scoring record with 25.  During his time at Eastlands, he has not found much success, being left out of many games by Roberto Mancini.  His   He was loaned back out to Blackburn Rovers (his former club) during the second half of the season last year.  He has made it clear he wants to leave the club when the right offer comes.

5. Mario Balotelli

Mario, Mario, Mario.  Mario Balotelli has become more famous for his off field antics than his on field play.  He is an immensely talented striker, but he is still young and very immature.  He had a rough childhood, but he will need to grow up to become an elite player.  Some of the time he is brilliant, scoring a hat trick against Aston Villa and being named Man of the Match in the FA Cup final.  Other times he is head scratching, caught throwing darts at people and, of course, that recent back heel against the LA Galaxy.  The list goes on and on.  He shows up for big games, but he needs to start playing well game in and game out to move up this list.

4. Edin Dzeko

In January, the Blues bought the Bosnian Diamond for 27 million pounds.  Edin went on to score six goals in all competitions, including two very important goals in the Premiership and one in the FA Cup against Notts County, that if he hadn't scored, Man City wouldn't have been able to force a replay and eventually win the Cup.  Not bad for his first five months in England.  But, with all of the strikers on the squad, he will have to prove himself and score more goals than last season.  That's why they bought him. To score goals.  It will be interesting to see how much playing time Mancini gives him.

3. Emmanuel Adebayor

Emmanuel Adebayor has always had a nose for goal.  In 2009, he registered fifteen goals for the blue crew, and in 2010, become the first City player to ever score a hat trick in a European competition. Soon after, however, things turned sour.  Adebayor fell down the pecking order after the acquisition of Edin Dzeko and emergence of Mario Balotelli.  He was loaned out to Real Madrid for the second half of the campaign, and slowly progressed in La Liga.  The Blues left him out of the pre-season tour of the US, and Adebayor sounded off, criticizing the staff at the club.  According to reports, Real Madrid are interested in inking the Togolese footballer permanently.  It might be a good idea to get rid of an unhappy striker in a dressing room with too many egos already.

2. Carlos Tevez

Carlos Tevez has more quality than any other striker at Eastlands.  In two seasons, he averages over half a goal a game in the Premier League.  His work rate is outstanding.  Then why did I rank him #2? Because of his personality.  Although a magnificent goal scorer, he often complains about wanting to leave the club, citing his daughters or that he "dislikes Manchester".  Compare him to David Silva, a player with just as much quality who NEVER would talk about the club and drag on about how he wants to leave this.  While he leaves his heart and soul on the pitch, off the field, he's a mess.  It's tough to have that distraction where Manchester City want to become a big European club.  Sometimes I think Mancini is too scared to confront Tevez, to the point where it's ridiculous.  If Tevez can limit his off field issues, this team could win multiple pieces of silverware.

1. Sergio "Kun" Aguero

Sergio Aguero is the latest acquisition for Manchester City.  He was the youngest player ever to play in the Argentinian first division, when he was only 15.  Out of his five seasons in the Spanish Primera Division, last year was his best, scoring twenty goals.  He was probably Argentina's lone bright spot at the Copa America, leading the team with 3 goals. He is Manchester City's best striker.  First of all, he is very young at 23 years of age.  He is somewhat of an insurance policy on Carlos Tevez, but if Tevez stays, you can say the best strike tandem in the Premiership (and who knows, maybe the world) is currently at Eastlands.  If this were to happen, Tevez would likely sit deeper and get the ball, with Aguero up top.  Could you imagine Silva, Tevez and Aguero as the three main attacking players? Wow.