Why is the elite pool of strikers ever shrinking?

#2 Intense media scrutiny, pressure

Higuain has been roundly criticised for missing numerous chances in games

Strikers, due to the very nature of the unique demands placed on them, miss chances. On bad days, they may even miss an awful lot. During an era when football was far less under the spotlight, this hardly mattered – not many of us seem to remember that Ronaldo missed a couple of gilt-edged opportunities in the World Cup final before going on to settle the game eventually.

But even recent football fans will describe to you vividly the string of chances Gonzalo Higuain missed in the 2014 WC final. With tweets and reactions flooding the media for every action in the game, strikers are facing far more pressure than they ever had before.

Players like Fernando Torres might have found it easier to come back from a slump 15 years ago – but today, the casting off of a player can happen so fast and with such an air of finality that huge mental resolve is required to keep faith in your abilities when things are going against you.