MAN CITY: Season Ratings – Strikers

Sergio Aguero: 34 games, 28 goals - One of the biggest compliments that can be paid to Aguero is that we would have won the league comfortably with plenty of games to go had he remained injury-free, such was his ruthless goalscoring influence. In the middle of the campaign, he enjoyed a scintillating vein of form, notching 25 goals in just 21 games, but for all his brilliance, dynamic movement in the final third and telepathic relationship he developed early on with Alvaro Negredo, the lingering feeling is one of slight frustration that he couldn’t avoid the hamstring strains and muscle pulls that forced him to miss lengthy spells. His season was neatly encapsulated in the away fixture with Everton: his pace, balance and then accurate finish opening the scoring before he hobbled off just minutes later. He’s a superb player, adored by the fans but he does seem somewhat injury prone. When fit, he was blistering and we have to hope he’ll be free throughout next season to fire us to more success Season Rating: 7.5

Stevan Jovetic: 18 games, 6 goals – He arrived with such high expectations, and when he featured he showcased his teasing potential, but that he only started five matches in all competitions over the course of the campaign highlighted what a non-event of a season it was for him. Beset by injury problem after injury problem, some of which the doctors couldn’t understand, it was a frustrating time for him and for us as fans. When he did appear, however, he offered glimpses of his trickery, his willingness to run at defenders and his nimble footwork in tight areas. Although it’s a cliché, in many ways he’ll be like a new addition to the squad next season. Season Rating: 5

Edin Dzeko: 48 games, 26 goals - As ever, he was a complete mystery. Superb one week, atrocious the next. A gorgeous first touch at times, an abymsal one at others. Often lethargic, often disinterested. And yet, for all his faults, there was one constant and that was his goalscoring. He’ll never be particularly attractive to watch. Indeed, he’s regularly cumbersome and ungainly, especially when trying to link up with others and fit into Pellegrini’s fluid attacking system, but he has shown throughout his City career that he scores goals and that they are important ones. He did it again this time round. As our other strikers faltered towards the back end of the season through lack of form or injury, he was there, scoring away to Crystal Palace, twice away to Everton and the crucial opening goal at home to Aston Villa. His performances, if viewed over 90 minutes and analysed in terms of his overall contribution, were worryingly lacking. Yet he scored, scored and kept on scoring. It’s unlikely I’ll ever be fully convinced by him yet I say this with the best of intentions; he’s a mediocre footballer but a very good goalscorer. Season Rating: 7

Alvaro Negredo: 49 games, 23 goals – If, as with most foreign strikers who come to the Premier League, he had been slow to make an initial impact, taken a while to settle and struggled to find his best form before dashing into life in a sensational second half of the season, we would all be raving about him at the moment. Instead, because he adapted so well and formed a stunning partnership with Sergio Aguero in the opening half of the campaign before trailing away, there is a certain indifference about his performances. It’s easy to forget how good he was in those first few months. He was physical and intimidating for opposition defences, yet he combined those attributes with a silky touch and an intelligent awareness that complemented our other creative stars. A nonchalant non-assist for Aguero’s opener away to West Ham showcased their understanding, his performance at home in the derby highlighted how he had the presence to unsettle visiting teams and he scored some cracking goals along the way. Then he drastically fell away. Perhaps it was down to a shoulder injury sustained in the second leg of the Capital One Cup tie at Upton Park, perhaps it was as a result of the disruption to his and Aguero’s relationship, perhaps it was just an element of fatigue and perhaps it was none, or all, of those reasons, but he went from a powerful spearhead to a perennial substitute. A loss of form and confidence means he goes into the summer and the World Cup still searching for that spark, but he’ll be back next season determined to recapture his place. Season Rating: 7

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