Radamel Falcao stole all the transfer deadline day headlines over the summer as he completed a shock loan move from Monaco to Manchester United. With a stellar record at Porto and Atletico Madrid, many predicted that the £6m loan fee would be just the start of a £49m permanent deal – a £43m clause is in place – but the honeymoon is now over, and the doubts are really kicking in.

Another goalless display at Spurs got us thinking… is Falcao worth the gamble? Erm…

Not scoring…

Falcao has scored just twice for Manchester United this season… For a player with such a reputation and a pedigree at the very top of the game, that return is not good enough. He had chances today against Spurs, whose defence hasn’t been excellent this term, but failed to find the back of the net.

Lots of effort, but £43m deserves more than effort

Effort is a key part of football. Running the channels, pressing defenders and making yourself available are all key traits for a striker. But a £50m forward needs to offer more than just lung busting runs. Falcao’s heat map was impressive, but the Colombian offered very little in the areas that matter.

That injury…

Lingering in the background is that knee. Falcao has missed much of 2014 with a torn ACL, which is, as injuries go, a bad one for an attacking player. Once so explosive, the 28-year-old no longer has that burst, which has robbed him of the cutting edge that once left defenders with brown stains in their shorts…