Ralph Ellis / 30 November 2009 Free Bet View Market

"If you want the perfect example of a striker who works his socks off but doesn’t score enough, then what about Carlos Tevez? Sir Alex Ferguson was even pilloried by United fans for letting him move across the city to Eastlands, but the Argentine star has just two League goals to his name in 11 games now."

I tend to judge strikers on the number of goals they get. Like me, you will have heard the one-line verdicts often enough. Emile Heskey? "Doesn't score enough goals." Bobby Zamora? "Works hard but can't finish." And so on.

It's always surprised me that the ones who do hit the net consistently tend to get judged on other factors instead. Take Jamie Cureton, who plays for Norwich, for instance. He's got career figures of 360 goals in 513 League games and yet nobody has ever given him a chance in the top flight. I've talked to numerous managers who watched him and the verdict was always: "Okay he scores goals, but what else does he do?" Well what else do you want him to do? Give him a broom and sweep the floor? Wash the kit?

Maybe it's me that's wrong, though. I mean who am I to argue with Arsene Wenger? This morning whilst discussing Didier Drogba's two-goal haul that has made Chelsea now [1.63] odds on for the Premier League title he said. "It's funny because Drogba doesn't do a lot," after seeing Arsenal beaten 3-0 at The Emirates. "You would be surprised by the number of balls he touched today".

Wenger will no doubt have his ProZone stats at the ready, but frankly it wouldn't matter if they proved the Ivory Coast striker had only two touches. Each one still represented a goal that stuck a dagger through the heart of Wenger's title hopes.

Drogba now has 11 for the season and is [4.5] favourite to finish the campaign as top Premier League scorer. Look at his rivals and you can see why goals should definitely count more than stats when it comes to judging your front men.

Wayne Rooney has industry as well as finishing, but his hat-trick for Manchester United in their 4-1 win at Portsmouth underlined how much he is flourishing as centre forward for the only other team who now look a genuine title threat. Liverpool's 2-0 win in the Merseyside derby, thanks to a slice of luck when Javier Mascherano's shot was deflected to give an early lead, has eased the immediate Anfield crisis but Rafa Benitez's team are now [40.0] for the title and need Fernando Torres back urgently if he's to live up to Rafa's claim that his side will finish in the top four.

If you want the perfect example of a striker who works his socks off but doesn't score enough, then what about Carlos Tevez? Sir Alex Ferguson was even pilloried by United fans for letting him move across the city to Eastlands, but the Argentine star has just two League goals to his name in 11 games now. City have lost only once all season but a 1-1 draw with Hull leaves them drifting in seventh place, and looking a lay at [2.36] to be winner without the big four.

Spurs at [2.76] look a better bet, despite a 1-1 draw at Aston Villa underlining they are a work in progress. Again it's because they have Jermaine Defoe who is always likely to conjure a goal from somewhere - even though this time it was defender Michael Dawson who came up with the late equaliser. Away to Everton on TV next Sunday, it's hard to think Defoe will go two matches without hitting the target!

At the other end of the table Wolves' Sylvain Ebanks-Blake must be wishing he'd be judged on anything other than his goal tally. Molineux's hero last season with 24 to led their promotion campaign, all he's mustered so far this year is one from the penalty spot and he was booed by his own fans during the 1-0 home defeat by Birmingham. Wolves are now only three points clear of Portsmouth, and [3.55] to end the campaign rock bottom. Avram Grant, incidentally, believes he can breathe new life into Pompey but he hasn't got a goalscorer either. The likes of Dindane and Piquionne work hard but can't finish, and the early odds-on price of [1.95] for them to win their vital home match with Burnley next week just can't be justified, even though Owen Coyle's team got rolled over 5-3 at West Ham.

Burnley could well bounce back from a bad defensive display just like Wigan did in beating Sunderland 1-0. Those results have left Bolton, who drew 1-1 at Fulham, in the bottom three now and potentially value at [4.8] for relegation. Nobody could claim their centre forward Kevin Davies, in Arsene Wenger's phrase, "doesn't do a lot". He's a one-man workhorse, and defenders hate facing him because he runs, knocks them about, and holds up play brilliantly. How many goals has he got all season? Two.

Yes, it may be simplistic, and it may mean I don't understand the deeper side of football tactics like Arsenal's manager does. But I think I'll go on judging strikers only on how many goals they score.