How many games has he actually played as striker in those seasons you've mentioned? If I recall correctly, we've pretty much always gone one up top in the Bent/Benteke years and Gabby has played wide.
6/7 a season seems like a decent return from a winger who plays the odd game up top. Unlike a lot of strikers, he's never padded his figures with penalties either.
There is a reason he hasn't been played as a striker though,,see his Bournemouth performance. Here here; the whole played as a wide man theory is more than a little tiresome now. IMO he's simply no better when played down the middle.
Dougs stance on this reassures me that my opinion of gabby is right....he is terrible