I agree with this, but I don't think i'd go as far to say we lacked quality strikers. RVP had just come off a great season, Welbeck was performing really well and Hernandez has gone on to prove he wasn't the problem. Yet if we buy Zalatan to 'create conditions for assists and transform half chances into goals' aren't we in effect becoming the one dimensional side I mentioned, a'la City without Augero over this season.
I'm arguing that his signature doesn't solve problems, I competely agree that he's a better striker than we currently have.
Welbeck and Hernandez left in 2014 and RVP was sub par last season. So yes we lacked quality strikers during two of the last three years.