I hear all the time how Chicharito, Higuain and Gomez are not that good because they get mostly tap-ins. As a former amateur footballer, i cringe when i hear this. You guys just don't realize all the work it takes to get a tap-in:

- Read your teammate and create an angle to get a pass
- Ghost past the defenders and get in an open position
- Read the defense to remain onside
- Wait for the pass to get to you... all the while defenders are flying to get in the way, the goalkeeper is flailing around AND you will probably get a big knock one way or another

And the ball is moving the whole time... bad bounces, spin, etc. can happen. A million things can go wrong. The best poachers have great reflexes.

It's not as pretty to watch as a player dribbling into a goal or doing something sexy. But the skill required is just as great.

If poaching was so easy, everyone would do it. There are very few great poachers. Also, poachers tend to get the highest number of goals compared to the others types of CFs. Isn't that a CF's job when you get right down to it?

Of course its not luck to be at the right place at the right time, its skill

I wouldn't mention Chica in the same breathe with Higuain or Gomez. Skillwise they're totally on a different level( Chica is inferior). However, I'd agree with the difficulties of poaching, it's not easy.
To your last part, a poacher that doesn't help out in midfield may score more goals than your average CF but the team as a whole might lose more often
At the end of the day, what counts is win or loss

Nobody every says they arent good.

They just say and rightly, they are limited, cant create for themselves, so if their teams are starved of the ball they have no impact.

These players arent dying out, but it is getting harder to find these players because its taught that you need more to your game.

If you're playing a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-4-2 (with SS behind a CF like Man U) and you're not playing tiki taka, then a true sniper #9 is essential. It's only in a 4-3-3 and a tiki-taka style that a 9.5 is better.

It's a question of area management. If there's room and a requirement for a CF to become more involved, then a poacher is not the best option. However, if you already have plenty of on-the-ball creative players and you need a box presence, then a sniper is the best option.

Germany NT, for example, will always function better with a true poacher 9.

Of course you always need a 9 in those situations, but there is difference between a 9 and someone who only has the ability to poach goals.

Again, if your starved of possession, 4231 or 442 then if your number 9 cant do anything for himself then your in trouble.

Strikers like Etoo, Drogba, prime Torres will always be more useful then someone like Higuain because they can do more by themselves.

I completely agree with the OP.

goal poaching only exists when you play football at school or in pe class. there's no offside rule and people dont take the game seriously so a crap player can score easily. in professional football or even at many amateur levels there's no such thing as getting "easy goals".