centre-forwards

City have not had anything like the same kind of problems, yet Tevez's seven-week strike means they have only three centre-forwards and Kolo Touré's departure for the Africa Cup of Nations in mid-January leaves Mancini with only three centre-halves for potentially a month, one of whom is the relatively inexperienced Stefan Savic.

Manchester City must sell before they can buy, Roberto Mancini admits 2011

Marouane Chamakh and Park Chu-young, Wenger's back-up centre-forwards, were fit but neither travelled to Milan.

Five talking points from Milan 4-0 Arsenal | David Hytner 2012

At times they resembled two centre-forwards playing as individuals.

Rafael van der Vaart shows Spurs' strikers the way to goal | David Hytner 2011

But there are examples of centre-forwards behind used as advanced ball-winners, effectively providing space for more creative players behind them.

The Question: Should Man Utd worry about how many goals Rooney scores? | Jonathan Wilson 2011

They were occasionally troubled by fearless, strapping centre-forwards such as Peter Withe or a young Norman Whiteside but for the most part the way Liverpool played back then generally starved opposing strikers of service.

Judges have a blindspot whenever destroyers like Vidic play a blinder | Rob Bagchi 2011

In Gothenburg I noticed more Lazio and Bologna shirts, all decorated with the surname of Kennet Andersson, the former IFK striker Fifa once bizarrely described as "the prototype footballer of the new millennium", an assertion that suggests by now all teams should be made up of 11 tall, thin blond centre-forwards.

For fans of ex-Middlesbrough players, these are heady days indeed | Harry Pearson 2011

First blood in the loudly heralded battle of the centre-forwards went to Demba Ba, although Newcastle United's top scorer did no more than provoke Daniel Agger into deflecting Johan Cabaye's glancing header into the Liverpool net.

Even the return of Steven Gerrard cannot end Andy Carroll's barren run | Richard Williams 2011

Kevin Davies has been integral to Bolton Wanderers' success in recent years but even this most talismanic of centre-forwards is proving powerless to prevent the team enduring their worst start to a season for 109 years.

Kevin Davies admits Bolton need to improve after poor start 2011

I know the centre-forwards are probably getting the brunt of the criticism but as a team we need to provide better service for them, he said.

Superb Robin van Persie lights up Arsenal legends' day against Everton 2011

Barrel-chested centre-forwards who once thrived in conventional two-person relationships now feel happiest in a ménage-a-trois with a couple of svelte and drifting wingers.

What has Wayne Rooney got in common with a celebrated giant panda? 2011