Why Are We Scared Of Goalscorers?

Why can't we find a goalscorer? Or perhaps a better question would be, why are we scared to pick goalscorers?

The following statistics are quite damning. They are the leading scorers of the clubs towards the top of the league:

Watford - Vydra (20), Deeney (14)
Crystal Palace - Murray (29)
Leicester - Wood (18), Nuggy (14)
Brighton - Mackail-Smith (11)
Middlesbrough - McDonald (11)
Bolton - Eagles (EIGHT)

Even our local rivals have a goalscorer despite being below us in the table:

Blackpool - Ince (18)
Blackburn - Rhodes (22)
Burnley - Austin (23)

And even relegation threatened clubs seem to have goals in their strikers:

Wolves - Ebanks-Blake (12)
Peterborough - Gayle (11)

We had a goalscorer in Ivan Klasnic but Owen Coyle preferred to pick the likes of Ngog & Davies who may have done more running but couldn't hit a barn door from two yards.

Even under Dougie, our one proven goalscorer at this level, Sordell, can't get a game despite Ngog & Davies still having a terrible scoring record.

You win games by scoring goals, yet Coyle and now Dougie seem to prefer workmanlike stikers rather than goalscorers. Gary Lineker wouldn't have got a look in under these managers.

Why are we so scared to pick goalscorers?

I like Sordell, i was one of the few saying he should have had more time when we were in the premiership, most were saying he was shit then.

that said, when i have seen him play i wouldn't exactly describe him as a poacher, he does have a nice touch and a bit of pace, but he's prone to going missing for stretches too. (i know, who doesn't!) so while he is probably a better bet than big kev, he isn't the answer to all the problems.

If/when he does get 90 minutes and doesn't get a goal, it'll be whoever was dropped that should start. Craig Davies has scored goals at this level and he's not scoring either. We've never been a club (recently) that ends up with someone scoring 15-20 goals, we just don't create enough good quality chances clearly. Something to be said for finishing, but i'll bet most of the problems are our lack of creativity rather than the strikers.

correct me if that isn't the case.

Lack of creativity is the bane of our existence. "Workman-like" will only get you so far and no further.

we had one, but got rid last season.

Keegan wrote:Lack of creativity is the bane of our existence. "Workman-like" will only get you so far and no further.

I agree plus a lack of pace means we never counter quickly and put somebody through one on one.

When was the last time we had an attacking player that was actually quick??? Apart from Anelka I can't think of anyone.

well we had a few quick loans like rodrigo and Weiss, the Japanese lad.

They rarely played and didn't show too much when they did.

Ngog is pretty quick when he wants to be. Craig Davies isn't too slow either. Probably both quicker than Sordell.

Wylde has pace but can't get a look in - apparently he's both lightweight and shite.

Keegan wrote:Wylde has pace but can't get a look in - apparently he's both lightweight and shite.

Typical Coyle signing.

A question.

How many games in a row have we started with the same two strikers up top? It feels like we have changed every other game and our best two haven't had chance to bed in.

WhiteBic wrote:A question.

How many games in a row have we started with the same two strikers up top?

You are right about that. Nobody has made the strikers position their own. I still like the look of Craig Davies and hope he comes good.

We are not scared of goals scorers, we have not managed to purchase one who is consistent enough. It's not rocket science to fathom, the difficulty is finding one to suit.
Sordell looked a good signing on paper when he came but Coyle chose not to play him, since then he has had issues that everybody has seen and shown only glimpses of what he may achieve.
Ngog is another cock up, runs about like a headless chicken and does fook all for seventy minutes or comes on with twenty left and scores a winner. Novel to say the least.
The most interesting one in my opinion is Craig Davies, workmanlike and can chip in with goals but a goal scorer, I think not. It will be interesting to see how he goes next year.
As for Eagles, started at 100 mph but now down to a walk.
To get out of this league one/two of the former will have to step up to the plate or we'll have to trust DF has his eye on a true goal scorer that's fit for purpose for next season. I'm not optimistic on either fronts.

Soul Kitchen wrote:We are not scared of goals scorers, we have not managed to purchase one who is consistent enough.

We had Ivan Klasnic.

He played 78 league games (all in the PL) and scored 20 times. Although he only started 28 of those 78 games. Pretty impressive.

If he'd signed on for another year and stayed fit we'd be in the top 2.

Natasha Whittam wrote:

Soul Kitchen wrote:We are not scared of goals scorers, we have not managed to purchase one who is consistent enough.

We had Ivan Klasnic.

He played 78 league games (all in the PL) and scored 20 times. Although he only started 28 of those 78 games. Pretty impressive.

If he'd signed on for another year and stayed fit we'd be in the top 2.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] He could find the net.

How many clearcut chances do our current strikers get per game? One? It's certainly not nearly enough, so why waste money on a finisher if he'll be stood scratching his nads all day long waiting for quality service that never arrives.
Why does it never arrive? Because in order to sort out our woeful defence, Dougie had to force the midfielders to play deeper and work back to provide cover. And because they play deeper there aren't as many clearcut chances made.
That's the same reason that Klasnic was a passenger for most games.
That said, if Dougie was bolder (like Coyle was) and pushed the midfield on a bit more there'd be opportunities for a finisher, but we could start shipping goals again.
So he's opted for a compromise solution - extra training so the midfield can put in the extra miles to keep the back tight and occasionally get forward to support the striker(s).
Given the players we've got at the moment, I honestly think our best attacking option is to play 3 CBs to allow the FBs and midfield more freedom - maybe then we'll create more clearcut chances and a classy finisher wouldn't be an expensive luxury.
Watch our current strikers - most of the time they are well away from the opposition goal doing the job that advanced midfielders would normally do - trying to hold up the ball - often on the wings - waiting for support to arrive. Not lurking around the box expecting a decent delivery.

Pretty much summed it up with Klasnic Wanderlust and zero work ethic, dodgy fitness hence bye, bye! Good to watch short term but an obvious departure when Sordell arrived. I still can't get my head round the fact that Coyle didn't play Sordell last year but events since then on both sides of the fence point to many reasons why.

I think the players we have dictate the Dougie and Coyle have approached management of our team - or rather limit the options. In Coyle's case it was by design to some extent, but in Dougie's case he has no choice but to work with what we have. In both cases they were/are having to run the team on a shoestring compared to previous managers. You can't make a silk purse out of a cow's ear so it's all about making the best of what we've got - and Dougie seems to be doing the better job of it.

A lot of strikers are good at putting away chances when they fall their way but are largely responsible for chances being so scarce to begin with, not to mention the pressure they invite from a defensive point of view. Can't think of a more glittering example of this than Ivan Klasnic.
It's difficult to find any rhythm as an attacking unit when your forwards are that slow and immobile.
In contrast, there are players that don't put many away themselves but whether directly or otherwise create a constant flow of chances for other players through hard word, pace, technique and good movement.

It frustrates me that in Sordell, we potentially have a well-balanced player in this respect.

doffcocker wrote:A lot of strikers are good at putting away chances when they fall their way but are largely responsible for chances being so scarce to begin with, not to mention the pressure they invite from a defensive point of view. Can't think of a more glittering example of this than Ivan Klasnic.
It's difficult to find any rhythm as an attacking unit when your forwards are that slow and immobile.
In contrast, there are players that don't put many away themselves but whether directly or otherwise create a constant flow of chances for other players through hard word, pace, technique and good movement.

It frustrates me that in Sordell, we potentially have a well-balanced player in this respect.

Me too. I'm still hopeful that he'll find form and favour.
He's not a genius, but he has some good abilities to link with other players and find the net given the chance.

Klasnic was the best finisher we had for many a year..... but it all goes back to the daft attitude of "good ol shift". Most can't get past that I'm afraid to say. SKD puts in a good shift for example.
Van Persie, Messi, George Best ......not renowned for a good shift.
Were would we be today if Klasnic had put away just 3 or 4 goals for us.....top six with ease.