Many, if not most, of the more successful teams this past season did not feature a dominant centerforward.

WSJ: Strikers Likely to Be Focus of Soccer's Summer Transfer Market

Whether it makes sense to blow a big chunk of your transfer budget on a centerforward is another matter though.

WSJ: Strikers Likely to Be Focus of Soccer's Summer Transfer Market

This could be remembered as soccer's summer of the centerforward.

WSJ: Strikers Likely to Be Focus of Soccer's Summer Transfer Market

All this dovetails nicely with what the analytics types have been telling us: You don't necessarily need a monster centerforward to win and if you're determined to get one, you'll likely overpay.

WSJ: Strikers Likely to Be Focus of Soccer's Summer Transfer Market

Yet elsewhere, it's staggering to note how many successful teams either did not have a top-drawer superstar enjoying a career year up front or simply did not play with a traditional centerforward.

WSJ: Strikers Likely to Be Focus of Soccer's Summer Transfer Market

Getting the most out of a Carroll-type centerforward requires the right supporting cast, including wide players who can ensure a steady supply of service and a second striker or attacking midfielder who can use the space the big man creates.

WSJ: Extreme Makeover: Liverpool Edition?

Indeed, Milan has had a whole range of players stepping up in turn, like centerforward Giampaolo Pazzini, who earlier this season went 11 games without scoring, but on Saturday notched two of the three goals that sank Lazio, allowing Milan to leapfrog its opponent into third place.

WSJ: Comebacks Are in Fashion in Milan