To be a successful striker at a club like Liverpool you have to start well and prove your intent on forming a winning side.
Players like Fernando Torres, Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge who were all signed from big clubs Atletico Madrid, Ajax and Chelsea and got off to positive starts by scoring on their club debuts.
These early strikes set up their Liverpool careers although Sturridge has suffered multiple setbacks due to injuries in recent seasons.
In between these brilliant strikers there have been a number of forwards who struggled to gain confidence early and therefore damaged their chances of coming back.
Here are the players that started poorly and couldn’t recover for Liverpool.
El Hadji Diouf 2002-2004 80 games, 6 goals all competitions
The Senegalese striker was signed from Lens for 10 million pounds and brought nothing but controversy in a disappointing spell at Anfield. Diouf actually started his Reds career well, after scoring a double on his Anfield debut before embarking on a goal drought up until November. Diouf became most infamously known for his time at the club after spitting at a Celtic fan in a UEFA Cup match and since retirement for taking swipes at club legends Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard.
Fernando Morientes 2004-06 61 games, 12 goals all competitions
There’s no doubt that the Spain-capped striker brought a lot of class and skill to the Liverpool side however just struggled to consistently bang in the goals. The reason why Morientes is on this list is the fact that he arrived at the club before 30 with plenty to offer still after winning three Champions League titles with Real Madrid and getting a runners up medal with Monaco in 2004.
Andriy Voronin 2007-10 40 games, 6 goals all competitions
The Ukrainian forward with a trademark ponytail was universally criticised by Liverpool supporters for a series of under par performances in his time at Liverpool. Although sometimes he formed a good understanding with the lethal Fernando Torres, Voronin simply could not get going and came to be known as one of the club’s biggest flops.
Milan Jovanovic 2010-11 18 games, 2 goals all competitions
Jovanovic was a crucial weapon within the Serbian national team when he signed for Liverpool from Belgian club Standard Liege. Jovanovic scored the only goal in a surprise win over Germany in the 2010 World Cup however he failed to make a difference on Merseyside and scored no goals in ten league appearances.
Andy Carroll 2011-2012 58 games, 11 goals all competitions
The tall striker joined the Reds on deadline day in January, 2011 for a staggering 35 million pounds in a swift response from manager Kenny Dalglish to replace Fernando Torres who departed for Chelsea. Carroll had caught the eye of multiple suitors after impressing at Newcastle but with the burden of a huge price tag and fan expectations at such a young age, Carroll failed to thrive but will always be remembered for a string of crucial goals in the 2011-12 FA Cup and League Cup campaigns.
Fabio Borini 2012-15 38 games, 3 goals all competitions
The passionate Italian was brought in by Brendan Rodgers in his first season at the Liverpool helm after previously working with him at Chelsea and Swansea. Borini earned his move following a successful loan spell at AS Roma in the Serie A but a lack of first team chances early stalled his development and he underwent a frustrating drought to score his first league goal.
Mario Balotelli 2014-15 28 games, 4 goals all competitions
Rushed into the Liverpool squad by Rodgers after the devastating loss of Luis Suarez to Barcelona and scored 30 goals less in 2014-15 then what Suarez netted in 2013-14. Balotelli joined from AC Milan where he enjoyed excellent goalscoring form in one season at the club. Balotelli showed promising signs early on and linked up well with Sturridge and Sterling but took until February to score his first League goal for Liverpool and only one for the season. After a dismal 2014-15 season, Mario was shipped back to Milan for a loan spell for the current season.
Rickie Lambert 2014-15 36 games, 3 goals all competitions
The signing of the veteran striker after Suarez’s departure was a shock and subject of confusion for Liverpool fans who were dismayed by an inadequate replacement. Lambert was outstanding for Southampton in their return to the Premier League but his switch to Liverpool brought little first team opportunities who struggled to fit in with the fast-paced side. Lambert lasted one season before finding himself at West Bromwich Albion.
Benteke’s Liverpool career has been less than stellar with just 8 goals from 36 games in all competitions and more likely than not to join the list that was quickly spat out of the club.
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